Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-01-30

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Attention. Members Of the A. @. o. W.
Be at Temperance Hall on Thursday evening
next to hear good speech, and to do what
seemeth meet just and proper.
CHEERING Americans, read the following,
and then, go and do likewise:
"SPRNaFIELD, Mass, January IA, 1863
"MR. FESToN: have just received num-
Der Of the Weekly American and was so well
pleased with the bold and fearless manner Of
its conduct that, as soon as had read 1t
through, | immediate left my other business
and started out upon the street to find some Of
our unconquerable and true-hearted Americans,
in order to deliver it to them, and let them know
that there was paper of the right stamp pub
lished at the Capital of our nation. called
on aworking American, and told him to let our
little monthly sheet, (the Eagle and Flag, for
which he has sent in many namcs) rest +
while, and get all the names he could for the
American and il zoe suffer any, pecuniarily,
thereby, we wilk ioork few extra hours at
night TO make 10 up. Most of our true men are
mechanics, whom the hard times effect very
much-but for generosity and nobleness Of
soul, they are the class of men who are first to
lend helping hand in good cause"
That is a fact. They are the first to lend
helping hand and the last to desert good
cause. This is our experience, as it was the
experience of our forefathers, who, during the
trials and sufferings Of the Revolution, found
them true and faithful.
SrARcH.--W What's man good for without
starch? Nothing All the dandies and but
terfy women in creation are made up of starch
and spermacet 1t is these which give them
bulk and apparent substance. These cause
them to swell into most magnificent proportion,
and give them the appearance of men and wo-
men. The dandy with his elaborate collar and
shirt bosom, and exquisitey padded person,
struts our avenues, and lays the fattering unc-
ton to his soul, that all who behold him, think
as he thinks, that he is marvellous proper
man, and when, at the hour when honorable
members of Congress take their noontide meal,
he stands upon the steps of the National"
and picks his teeth, he fatters himself that
passers by will imagine, though he cannot,
that he has just dined most sulnptuously, and
he Is gratifed. Unfortunately, starch and
spermaceh are not good for an empty stomach,
and having displayed the graccs of his person,
(for which he is indebted to his tailor and
washerwomen) he sneaks away to some humble
restaurant, where he starches his stomach with
a shilling's worth Of cold victuals and seeks
bed in some lodging house, where, for another
shilling, he forgets his troubles and his vanity,
and his pride of starch, in sleep.
Starch not only enters largely into the CON-
position Of the outer man, but it is found ne
cessary, too often, to bolster up and render
presentable the characters of men.
Hundreds of starched up characters clear
starched for the occasion, may be daily met
with. They carry them in their pockets, and
when deemed necessary, pull them out and
display a long list of names, certifying that the
individual named has a character for sobiiety,
honesty, and all that sort of thing, and while
you are reading over the ink-starched docu-
ment, you find elfrelieyed Of your watch
or pockct-book. So much for this kind of
starch.
There is a kind of starch which is truly val.
liable, and that is moral starch, the only starch
which is worth having. This kind of starch
is lamentably scarce in Washington, especially
among public functionaries
There is kind OF paste much in vogue here
but it is all counterfeit, and may be easily
distinguished from the genuine-being mixed
with whiskey and lager beer, whereas the pure
commodity affects only water, as beverage,
and eschews all those dietetic liquids which
unstarch the legs and cause the body and head,
which they were intended to support and prop,
to reverse their positions-and sometimes to
occupy bench in the market house, whence
they are privately thrust into hack and toted
to their homes, sans starch, sans sense, sans ev.
erything, except character for drunkenness,
which all the starch in Washington cannot boil
ster up.
EXHIBITION AT THE CAPIToL-An exhibition
OF the blind children and deaf mutes belonging
to the Columbian Institution, took place in the
old Hall Of Representatives on Thur day even.
ing the 21st instant. The hall was filled TO its
utmost capacity, bya very attentive and highly
interested audi.nce, After an invocation by
the Rev. Mr. Sampson, Mr.. Gallandet, the prin-
cipal Of the institution, delivered an address on
the subject Of deaf mute instruction, commenc.
ing with its incipient stages, and tracing il
through all its varied successes and reverses to
the present moment. He showed thorough
acquaintance with the subject, and his address
was distinguished by much originality Of
thought and clearness of expression. At its
close he announced that the pupils would give
natural signs expressive of the different emo
tons Of anger, hate, love, pride, fer and Of
snow, angels, &c. These exhibitions were very
amusing, particularly the sign of snow given
by little boy, who splurged about in an i'm
aginary snow heap, and went through all the
pantomimic gestures of a school boy engaged
in real SNOWFALL frolic. Several Of the blind
children, by means Of the raised characters,
read portions Of the scripture with much facil.