The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1858-11-03
THE national V1cEs.-The Philadelphia

/
Evening Journal paper edited with dignity
and ability, has the following article on the
procliyities to politics of the citizens of this
country, which it properly calls our national
voice. 1t says:
The national voice is politics. Young men
with health and hope for brave and generous
| world and themselves; who might make foot
marks in the paths of high honor and ambition,
turn aside from the grand purposes and kindly
ministries ofearly life from all that is really
ennobling and profitable, and blather politics.
Bad whisky, rough caresses, dismal and dirty
| jokes, pot-house fumes the glare, shouts and
vulgar CAB of mass meetings, and all mean and
scurvy tricks, are their portion. They learn,
in bury, to be loud, unclean, and unscrupu
lous, without remorse. They feel the fullest
pride and the most profound compacency with
their ceverness and importance, when they are
making the most noise.
! The clink of glasses, tossed high to the health
and victory OF their ''man" and the glory of
'the cause, is sweeter music to their ears than
the low home tones of love and contentment,
than the sisters song, or the good mothers
benediction. Have they a daily work to do?
1t is let alone. They fly the workshop, the
counting house, the study the store. Is the
privilege theirs Of having others dependent
upon them for the means of existence, they
throw it away and become beasts and brutes
to those who need their love, sympathy and
pport-nfamed as they are with the horrid
patriotism of the tavern, the clubroom and the
speakers stand. The indulgence in the fasci-
mating vice soon gets to be all to them of hap
piness, and their earthly hope is bounded by
conventions, caucusses and the polls. Ii by
change they survive the hot drink and fierce
dissipation Incident to a campaign, they will be
professional politicians. Is there a drearier
sight on earth than this pimpled and pot beIlied
fellow, who smells rank and who is seen of
men hard at it, his arms saving the air, and
bis eyes wild with alcoholic zeal, at the street
corner, IN the low groggery, wherever there is
a vote to catch or dishonest penny to turn?
! Is it not a vice? Think Of the belle wives of
| aspiring senators canvassing the country with
winning smiles and gracious words! Think Of
the ladies of the lobby we heard about last
winter when the peoples representatives were
/ in Washington assembled! Look at the board
fences and the brick walls! Hear the cang pro-
ceeding ont of yonder frantic ur-horsed omni
bus! Watch the faces of the crowd who have
come to yonder grand rally as the waves
come when navics are stranded! The fever con-
sumes US slowly but surely. 1t has seized our
national ,yitals-honor and industry-and they
are withering away. 1t is destroying our do
mestic peace and comfort. We have no art
how can so frail and sensitive plant flourish
in the shadow Of the Upas politics? Our music
is the brawl of the stump, when it is not the
| hum of business. Our home love is all going
| Il, ~
we care not of what, constable or president, SO
it be an election. Where will it all end? Let
philosophers work out the problem.
The STEAM PLoUGu-The steam plough is
now attracting great attention, and promises to
achieve revolution in agriculture. An inven
ton Of Mr.. Fawkes, of Lancaster, Pa, recently
exhibited at the Illinois fair is eliciting conside-
rable notice. The following is description of
it and accounts Of its performance and capacity:
The plough is described as cross between
a locomotive and tender. 1t is mounted on
two guiding wheels and a huge propelling
wheehn the shape of drum which overcomes
the difficulties of naring soft soil and slipping
on hard smooth ground 1t is said to be easily
managed, and to require but a moderate
amount Of fuel. 1t draws six plougbs, SO regu-
lated by spiral springs as to yield to any extra
ordinary obstruction. The machine was tried
on the. most difficult soil, the unbroken prairie,
and its performance is thus described:
The prairie was baked SO hard by drouth
that the prairie breaking ploughs would not
run nit, and the trial of sod ploughs was aban-
doned in consequence. Notwithstanding this
| fact, the inventor was so confident of success
that lie gave the order TO put the ploughs to
work in this almost impervious SOIL After a
little delay in regulating to this 5rick-line sur
face, the engine moved forward when six fur
rows were turned side by side in the most work
manlike manner. The excitement Of the crowd
was beyond control, and their shouts and wild
huzzas echoed far over the prairie, as they,
benea III the smiling autumn sun, saw the first
furrow turned by steam on the broad prairies
of the mighty west. The goal was won. Steam
had conquered the face of nature, and the steam
plough had become fact; it was working over
the rich rolling praIrles of Egypt and turn
+! ing up a wealth of nutritious elements for the
growth Of the cereal and pomoDal products
elf-movng. and containing power unequaled
| to turn up the lower strata OF soil, SO rich III
potash, in phosp.lates, in SILICA, and other es-
sentlal elements of vegetable growth. The long
line of matchless furrows parted the crowd and
lay between the moving masses like line OF
silver .wove in the gray setting of the prairie.
Amid the excitement the inventor remained
calm; it was enough for him to hear the glad
shouts of victory which rent the air. For this
he had toiled; for this his hands had become
hardened and his face made swarthy over the
glowing iron out of which he forged the mus
ces of the iron steed of the prair!cs.
Mr.. Fawkes and others were called out by
the crowd, and made brief speeches. Mr..
Coleman, member Of the board, spoke of
the success of the steam plough, now witnessed
as marking new era in the worlds progress.
and declared that the greatenterprise OF Fawkes
may be placed side by side with the steam en-
CINE, the steamboat, the locomotive, the cotton
gin, and the telegraph. After the speaking,
the engine again moved forward, when the
| ploughs turned up the loose mud drift Of Egypt,
laying six furrows side by side with the most
perfect ease, and in the most workmanlike
manner. The consumption of fuel and water
was very moderate. That the engine is com
plete success there can be no doubt, and all
that is now wanting is to demonstrate that,