The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-29
from the AnslO.Af,ican Magazine for September
BY JAMES M'cuSE SMITH.

and when New York city seemed the cenfra
vortex of disaster-not only of the Unitec
States, but of the civilized world-there wer,
two occurrences in singular contrast with the
trightfully excited state of the public mind
/ 10 the few who had the heart to look out O
doors, out of doors never looked more lovely
Ihe air was balmy and of delightful tempera
ture, the sky was cloudless, the sunsets beauti
ful, and never, since the world began, threw q
more gorgeous hue over mountain and forest
OF the American landscape. We confess tc
some sympathy with that gloomy state of the
public mind-not that we had any golden ar
COSY in stocks or shares which went down
yet there was the coming winter, and. possibly
wan cheeks and supperless beds to those deare1
than life. But, whatever gloom we felt was one
day suddenly dissipated by the glorious out
OF dsors," which had smiled and beckoned us
many day unheeded, and which, now no longer
TO be kept aloof, told us of the goodness as
| well as the glory of the Almighty. We thought
then, and we think now, that had the men OF
God, instead of improving that dark hour with
pictures of darker sins and darker vengeance
and a more fearful judgment to come, had they
simply pointed to the earth yielding her album.
dance, and to the air charged with health, and
to the sky filled with the smile of God, and
said to their alarmed people, "Peace, be still
there would soon have been an end of all panic.
Cheerfulness would have resumed her sway
and many grave would have yet remained
untitled, and the sadder gates of our institu.
tons for the insane would now hold some thou.
sands fewer within their portals.
| The other occurrence was indoors. While
men IN Wall street surged to and fro under i'm
pulses they no more understood and could no
more govern than the iron waves in the howl
ing storm while men in Broadway and other
streets adJacent--the masters suddenly arrested
IN their golden dreams of enormous profit, and
the workmen sadly folding up their implements
of labor and while the poor, frantic with An
unknown dread, rushed to the savings banks, II
or gathered in bread mobs in distant parks
IN the midst of this social hurricane, there was
one house In Broadway, in which men daily
gathered, and matters went on
Calm a summers sea-
the very centre of the vortex, vet calm as a
moonlit pool, so deeply embayed in mountains.
that no breath of air could reach it-a land.
locked haven, in which whoever entered, however
storm-riven or care-crushed, became calm and
still, and hung up his votive offerings to the qe-
mus loci; which was neither music, nor dancing,
nor dice, nor wine, nor opium, nor lotus, nor
hasheesh, but simply Chess the immortal
game, painted as played on the inside of the
tomb of Nevotp, the Egyptian, 5000 years
b. est but who can paint it as played at Don
ads rooms In Broadway, in the year of grace
1882
We have said that " out of doors" dissipated
our gloom at that date but in-doors-this in
doors was an accessory cloud dispeller. We
"got " there after this wise "Years ago, in the
early months of our still persistent hone ymoon,
purchased pretty but fragile set of chessmen,
and aided by an old copy of +" Walker" and the
new frau, made some little progress in chess,
until little fingers grew up round the table, and
made general smash of knights, pawns, and
rocks, and little cares of another kind interfered
with further proficiency. And it is good test.
mony in favor of the game, that when knight and
pawn so went to the bad, no harsh nor unkind
word was uttered against their young DESTROY
ers, the chubby fingers were not raped, nor
middle ages, breaking the chess board on the
skull of his conqueror; and l have seen the
wild Fylbel aim sudden blow at a little French
man, who recklessly swept the men off the board
when Fyl was about to "mate" an opponent.
My description of the game attracted some
friends to buy board and book; and in a little
WHILE Fylbel, the Downings, one of the Reasons,
and an occasional iewpedar-who insisted on
taking the king, 1.-THE atrocious regicide) with
the preliminary exclamation, "chesS de koe-
ng''-formed as clumsy a set of chess players
as could be hunted up. The appearance of
Staunton's Chess Players Hand Book was an
era in our progress, although months were
wasted in discussing the laws of the game by
that born causidicus, who now presides over
the Sea- Girt House at Newport. In course OF
time, we became decent players.
So the year 1857 found us. 1t was some relief
looking at the daily papers, to turn from the
failure of A, B, Il Co., for $l50,000, and from
| the suspension of specie payments by the banks
except the glorious old Chemical, to the unruf
fed proceedings of the first American Chess
Congress, then in session, admission for the
week. to lookers-on, one dollar. But that dollar
| Was it prudent with bank account at low water
and slim prospect of a flow, and on the edge OF
long winter, with others dependent, was ii
prudent so to bestow-to throw awaya dol
| lar? After hearing counsel before ourself three
whole days, we held family council with dc
frau" who at once decided that we must 60
| And "went" we did. And the officers of the
Chess Congress, with nobler instincts of gentle.
men than the New York Academy of Medi
cine,t did not hesitate or refuse to admit a
negro, even with the high bloods from the South
in their midst, and the danger Of the dissolution
of the Union before their eyes.
| Having seen their portraits in Frank Leslie
we instantly singled out Paulsen and his great
antagonist, and little skillful elbowing found
us seated beside their board. There was Louis
Paulsen, with his vast head, sanguine tempera
ment, but coarse fibre, indicating his rough
almost pure Bersekir blood and as we gazed
at Morphy, with his fine, open countenance
brunette hue, marvellous delicacy of fibre
bright, clear eyes, and elongated submaxillary
| bone, keen suspicion entered our chronological
| department that we we're not the only Cartha
| IL q ,,<xHf H. j.
perhaps two-Ged only knows how they gol
there-but surely, beside the ia-nrulattin who
at present writes, there was also Hekdtanu
| latin in that room
| 1t was the old combat between CCpur de Lilo,
and the Saladn. How strange that the Orient
and the Occident should yet war; Paulsen-
huge, massive, ponderous Morphy-slight, ele
| giant, yet swift as lightning.
The game was about half through, so far a.
| the number of moves we're concerned. Paulser
hesitated, clasped his hands, leaving out tn,
two long fore-fngers, which he laid firmly OF
| the edge of the board-counted over the five OF
six possible moves of his opponent, and then
evidently knew something more would follow
but what? You could almost see him think
at length, with peculiar flourish of his arm
he seizes a pawn, and moves. With scarcely 9
moments hesitation, with his eyes for an instan
bent on the board, Morphy raises his arm as i
to strike, and throws piece right in the way o
his antagonist. Another long, long pause, the
hands again clasped: "why, take the piece
man." is on everybody's unopened lips; ye
Paulsen pauses, again clasps his hands, and fol
nearly half an hour pores over the board he
does not take the proffered piece, but offers one
of equal value then something akin to electri
1T was marked instance Of .tait" that while the
colored people of New York had million of dollar
| in savings banks scarce of them in The
crowd who made this sun . on those institutions.
Bansen, Egyp,'s Place in Universal History, vol ii
p. 2Ss. l fihlt ts