The hydraulic press., 1860-10-13
OUR GREAT COUNTRY.

under the sun, between the seas, on the face
of she globe, or.among the Amost favored
nations" of people. Well, maybe we have
1t is great in its Constitution and Laws; its
freedom of speech and of the press; its
learning its science; its progressive char
acter; its free schools; its inventive genius
its commerce; its merchant service; and
above all in its magnitude-the extent oi
its boundaries, and the varied productions
'of its soil. Let this much be granted; and
| yet, the Government is at fault. There are
some sins of commission and omission, for
which it occasionally sinks into contempt
| That is, we Americans presume to say so,
and maintain so, in dispute with each other
| and we shall continue-why MOTTO exer-
else that right, just SO long as we may think
proper.
She is contemplate wf1en she allows her
flag to be insulted on the high seas, her citi-
zens to be imprisoned abroad er murdered
near home, without Immediately chastising,
| in terrible manner, those who stand res
ponsible for the commission of the outrage.
She humiliates herself and becomes con-
I;temptible, when she condescends to hold
diplomatic discourse on subject affecting
her rights to any portion of her own soil.
She is unappreoiative and niggardly when
she suffers her citizens to go abroad with
their valuable inventions and coutrivances.
to claim that patronage, encouragementa and
support which is denied them at home.
Having arrived at this point We desire to
be little more explicit. twill be observed
by an article on the outside Of today's paper,
that Prof. Woodward, who succeeded in
making a great practical discovery in Art,
was compelled to seek foreign shore, and
ask for it the Endorsement of the French
Photographic Society, of Paris. His own
Government had no patronage to extend, no
inducements to hold out, no fostering aid to
offer but suffers foreigners to enjoy the
honors arising from so noble display of
generosity, worthy the ambition and the
learning of a truly heroic and scientific
people.
Catlin-a man better known to The past
decade-spent the greater portion of IAN
active life among the Indian tribes of the
Rocky Mountains and Great Northwest,
painting the likenesses of their most cele-
brated Chiefs, Braves, Medicine men and
Prophets. These he had secured to the
number of several hundreds. They were
universally admired as splendid specimens
of the divine art of painting-aamrabl in
conception, truthful in delineation, and bril-
liant in coloring; and portrayed not only
the forms and features of the Indians, but
their costumes, ornaments, implements of
warfare, and many of their national games
and customs.
Most of the Indians from whom these por-
traits were taken, are dead and gone. Some
of the tribes, even, are extinct. How great
then, would have been the satisfaction to the
rising generations, who have read of their
exploits, and who, for centuries to come,
will experience thrill in perusing their ro-
mantle history, to have had the opportunity,
at some period Of their lives, of visiting
National gallery where this invaluable col
lection had been preserved!
Mr. Catlin solicited the American Govern
ment to become the purchaser of his paint
ings; but met with rebuff. He offered
them for mere nominal considerations
alleging as reason, his wish to have them
in the possession of, and at all times acces-
sible to the visits of his countrymen. Argu-
ment was in vain. The Government still
refused to buy; and he shipped his splendid
collection to Europe, where, we believe, it
now remains, in the possession of people
who are fully conscious of its value, and
from whom, perhaps, it would be impossible
for our Government, at any price, to re-
claim it.
Thus, it will be seen, there are streaks of
meanness, as well as sparks of glory, inter-
woven with the Authorative Power which
pertains to this Great North American Con-
+
federacy. We should have owned that col
lection of Indian paintings, even though it
had cost the Treasury over million Of
dollars
BRECKENRIDGE AND LANE BANNER.-The
Breckenridge and Lane men are indebted to
the liberality of Charley Schardin for the
handsomely inscribed banner suspended
across the Main street, from his saloon to an
opposite building. The painting, which is
we'll executed, was done by "Little Tommy"
and is in characters and language to-wit -
"The Constitution and the Equality of the
States: these are symbols of everlasting
union. Let these be the rallying cries of the
people. For President, John G. Brecken-
ridge, of Kentucky; for Vice President,