The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-12-05
Communicated.
The Teachers Examination at Shawnee.

The Teachers Examination at Shawnee.
1t was lovely day in the latter part OF Oc,
tober, IS, that the ''teachers oi Smithneid
Township, in compliance with the Superin-
tendents reuuest. met at the above named
place for "examiuation." There were also,
The rosy-cheeked maidens and the male stu
dents Of The school, not TO participate in the
exercises of the day. but as observers OF the
nodus operqndi. The most perfect harmony
prevailed, and every thing bespoke happy
iiermip,:t tion, " hen suddenly voice like the
booming of cannon burs. s2ddenly upon the
ear sha king the house to the very ICnndatlon'
while the most dreadful confusion succeeded
Books were torn from their foundatlons--lhk
Jugs threw forth streams of jet, resembling
the eruption of yolcanC--scrols ofscribbled
paper were thrown 10 the four winds OF hea-
yen-while the confusion which ensued IN
the eager haste of the people TO catch
glimpse OF the orator OF the day battles II de-
scription. Indeed, the panic at Bull Run
would give you bnt feint idea of that at
Shawnee |, in mute astonishment. sat with
my eyes rivited upon the speaker, whilst
drinking in he sublime and profound concep-
tons which, in manna-llke sweetness, tell
from bis tongue. Then in accents plaintlVe,
tender, more melodious than the hootlng OF
the owl, the croaking of the frog, or even the
braying of the ass, he spoke TO us upon the
unpa rdOnable sin of constructing "traps to
catch the unwary. Webster and Clay were
no comparison to him, by great odds the
greatest of the great. At the close OF this
sudden burst of eloquence, while brushing
tear from my eye, seraphic voice llkea harp
of a thousand strings, greeted my ear. |
looked and beheld an old man with outstrech-
ed arms addressing the people. His words,
perceived, were but the breathings OF a ''no-
ble' and powerful mind. if the vibrations
upon the tympanum, caused by the oratorcal
powers of the former were more thrilling than
the eolian harp, those caused by the latter
were angelic. Yea, language could not ex-
press with what raptures of delight listened
to the man of silvery locks. The thought is
nefible. Ifyou think that he used words in
appropriate for the occasion. you do him great
injustice. lfy you imagine that he used any
of these low, mean, and contemplate express
sions so often uttered by the hangers around
bar-rooms, or which find their way into the
vocabulary Of the vulgar, | would say, seek
not to measure gigantic intellects by your
own little pit,ance. Some | know, but at
tribute it to ignorance, even went so far as TO
say that the first speaker used "nsulting and
abusive language" merely because some of
the words he uttered were not TO be found in
our dictionary. Self deceived belngs!--
Know you not that Johnson. Walker and
Webster are but pigmies compared to these
men of profound erudition. All the wise men
that have ever been, with Solomon at their
head, would be no comparison 10 the men who
were too wise to be 'ketched" in "trap"
''sot" by the students of the school. Some
foolish fellows thought the old mans speech
was but jargon Of gutteral sounds; but
know better. His voice was tremulous with
emotion; his quivering lips, clenched hand
and penetrating eye, all told how earnestly
The soul engaged in revealing those mighty
truths which were beyond the comprehension
of every one present. Such eloquence had
never heard; and every word he uttered was
preceded by low grumbling sound, not un-
like that which is heard TO proceed from the
bowels cfa volcano, just previous to an erup-
ton. J. IRONY.