Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-17
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

the Smithsonian Institution last evening. The
audience was very large, and comprised the elite
and fashionable Of OuT citizens, well many
members Of both houses of Congress. The Ma
Tine Band was In the gallery, whence they
poured forth rich music for the entertainment -,
those assembled until the arrival Of the lecturer
Mr.. Everett made his appearance on the stand
accompanied by the Hon. Secretaries Cass and
ThomPs"n and Mayor Magruder. The latter
gentleman requested that if any attaches of the
press were present they would abstain from max
ing report of the lecture as Mr. r Is nnd.r
Obligation 10 deliver 1t in several other cities. and
b. does not, therefore, wish IL to be pubIished
Mayor Mag suder then introduced the lecturer
We feel Hhder obligations to comply with the
request OF Mr.. Everett, but shall nevertheless
endeaVor 10 give our readers brief synopsis OF
his remarks. On being introduced by the Mayor
MI r.. commenced by alludinQ in general terms
10 the recent financial Teynlsion and the conss-
quent distress This was not confined 10 til
country, although commencing here, but II ca
tended throug bout the great commercial confed-
etacy Of the world, and affected all the Idminca-
lions OF trade, and every branch Of industry
Men who have always, previous to this crisis,
been amply able TO provide for the comfort az
themselves aud families by the fruits of their
labor. suddenly found themselves thrown out of
employment. their resources cut or and them.
selves and families rtduCsd 10 beggary and want
The severity OF tnrIT fate rendered many drspeT
air, and they became, from honest citizens Ill
victims to he pressed into tempta ion and crime
by their necessities Enlarging upon this sub
le.t the eloquent lecturer appealed TO the beatts
~ his hearers, IN brhalf Of these sufferers aad
urged that they are entitled to a more active ex-
sr"lSe OF y nPaihy than tie poor nnder ordinary
circumstances. II was, however no part of IN,
business TO dilate on the causes which led To this
TryulSion. His errand here als-ady accom-
IIished, he urged and the audience mic lat re
gard Themselves really administering to the
object more than any thin. lac shall say That Oh
cCt Il To procure something FOR the aid of the Door
IN Washington city. and II the aUdiencr shall not
think when he Is done that they have Obtained
tie worth of their money, they can console them
selves with the reflection that the poor have GOT
their mOney.
Mr.. "a then proceeded to urge the necessity of
organized action, especially In large cities, for
the relief of the poor. When al = left 10 indi-
vidual charity, those who really generous are
exposed 20 continual imposition, while the truly
needy are apt to receive but small share of the
benefits Of charity He related several anecdotes
illustrative Of the ra,caiity which d, often prrp.-
trated under the cloak Of mrndciry On. Of
these occurred In PhiIadelphia, where a little
girl related to a benevolent hearted lady pitcous
story OF want and woe. Her father, she said
was sick. and the entire family were most mise.-
ably destitute. SO we'll did the child play her
part that the lady bestowed a munificent Iarces.
Of money and yictuals, ana babe her come again.
This invitation was accepted and the child
called again. Finally the ieremiade Of the little
mendicant was changed The father she said
had died, and there were no means 10 bury him.
The purse Of the lady again poured out its con-
tents for relief, but she asked the child where
she lived, and promised to call and assist the
wfetched family still more She did CALL and
found all was as the child had said but on leav-
lag the house she accidentally left her purse
and what was her surprise on returning for il to
IND the dead man sitting up in his coffin count
ing oVet tne Plecce u contained several other
anecdotes Of TaScality Of this description were
told as having occurred IN this couHtry
MI Everett then gave some humorous accounts
OF European m-ndcants Among these wa. one
Of an American gentleman who spent a winter at
SOrento, in the Kingdom of Naples. He gave
small sum 10 beggar, and this led 10 others of
the craft tocking around him for aims until a,
the time Of his departure the entire comp.nv of
bis regular beneAciares, who had come fom all
parts OF the city and the surrou ndino country
was no less than ninety-six The organized
bands Of beggars in the European cities was aI,o
described, aud some Of the rules OF their govern
Inent related.
The lecturer next proceeded to notice the his
tory Of charity or rather Of charitable institutions
He said thai prior to the days of hristanity very
little charity was exercised, but he rise Of the
Christian Church this was instituted a. one Of
its chief features. lie paid a verv hiy h conpIi,
ment To sOne Of the Older charitable associations
OF the Catholic Church, and especially 10 the
Sisters y; Charity, and the venerable founder Of
that order, - Vincent de Paul He also alIuded
land
The doctrine Of some political economists who
oppose charitable Institutions, next taken up
aud rcfuted, and the eloquent lecturer referred
with emphatic deHunCiatiOn to the creed Of Nal
thus, who ConteDded that q man destitute of the
means for his subsistence, unable TO get syfii
cient employment to earn those means, was not
needed in the world and had, therefore no light
TO live.
Following this with numerous T!,,DSodir enco
miums ON charity, in the course OF which Mir r.
awaited himself of quotation, from various stand
ard authors, Lie came al last to notice the extraya
CANT foibles and fOllies of the present aye which
chill the hrafts OF men, and render them Gallons
OF the wants Of their fellows lie drew 4 Dir
tur~ here ofa poor girl, who was unable Ia obtain
employment, suffering fCom want aud restitution
without hope, money, or friends, and besrt o.,
every side with temptation Finally she sinks
beneath ihr oppressive weight Of accumulated
horrors and - lost forever In the yss of infauy
and ruin.
He clI<"d this discourse radiant throughout
viii the brightest scintiIIation, OF fII,ayisstiy
and descriptive thought, and abonndiny in rhe-
tOTca! beauty, with d most powerfully affecting
parable, Illustrative of ingratitude
THK DINNER THIS EVENING 1t Is hardly ne
cessary FOR us, We presume, To remind the thoIs-
andS Of The star. traders Interested of the fact
that the Annual ~. .PafTick'> Day Dinner Of our
fellow-citzen> Of Irish brih ard extraction comes
On ~ bt9 y M to-day, 1T MuudeT-S Hall corner
Of Ninth and j. street., kiotz il the ca,erpr fcr
The occasion. and all the arrangements 20 in the
hdnds oi committee Of very competent gentle
men. As usual. the occasion will doubtless he
very Joyous one, and all attending will, and
shonld be iull of life pleasant emotions Th" day
!, S'"Ii"us one, not only FOR Ireland, but for
thr cause or Christianity, for which no other OF
me- H;lY fathers of the Christian Church did
more ia las day and generation.
WASHINGTON THEsTRg Charles Mathew.
came ont last night in new iine t. that Of
wizard IL is only tOlerable as a slei.ht of hand
P"rfoFmeT and we advise him To stick 10 the
Legitimate drama or course 4 burIeScu. was
intended upon the nagician~. brt the point was
good deal obScured by the elaborate manner in
which be went through long programme of
Hicks, aud II IL quits evident The comedian
pri1c' himself upon beinS somewhat OF a dat, az
Ii0a'eris. " ~ -
Tonight Mr.. Mathews rsinrns 70 oen,i,s
comedy, appearing in two fine pir.r. Rach
,ioI @, Arts and "out Of Sight, ont Of Mind ("
MI Mathews appears also in the first piece
ATTEMPT TO BURN MAGIsrRATE's OFrIcE
Las night some person or persons forced The dnor
OF Justice DOHR's office, on Louisiana avenue
near seventh street, and, after taking two or
three pistols and the knife with which voun,,
Farrell waS killed, they klndIrd a fire on the
platform beneath his desk. which after buruipv
oId'-e h.'i" IN the hoor went out from want Of
air IL is presumable that some one who had