The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-26
8 sound Political information"


Since we published the brief report OF the
speech made last week by Mr.. James Brooks OF
the Express at the meeting OF Dnusionists, we
hear it intimated that many people In New Eng
land are showing laudabie anxiety to repair
the defects of their education by the acquisition
of new political knowledge. They are eager to
know in what way they shall become as wise as
those persons who neither write nor read
who in time of peace are seen, as Mr.. Brooks af-
firms, sitting on stumps by the roadside" at
the South, meditating on profound problems of
government and legislation, and who are now
soldiers in the barefooted rebel regiments, max
ing war on the Union. Some of these New Eng
land inQuirers after knowledge, have, it is said
been actually found devouring the Express news
paper in secret, or porting over the columns of
the Journal Of Commerce IN search OF political
wisdom, wondering all the while how il was that
the editor Of the Herald whose political philoso-
ply is of the same stamp that of the Journal
the Express and the World, was not allowed a
place on the Diffusionist Committee of Publica-
tion.-lNew York Evening Post.
This Mr. james Brooks, who seems now to
find congenial employment only in traducing
the land of his nativity, and in eulogizing the
institutions and people of the rebel States, Was
formerly connected, editorially, with the Ad-
vertiser of this city, and at that time was one
OF the most rampant antislavery men to be
found at large.
We believe he once had some experience in
the South in teaching, and it is possible not
only that his labors there have had their intiu-
ence in bringing Yankee school teachers into
disrepute, but that the field of his efforts in
this direction, was in the same locality where
the people, knowing neither how to read or
write, are sitting on stumps by the road
side" meditating on profound problems of
government and legislation" The "prob-
lem" which most engages their attention,
probably, is how to crowd the largest amount
Of whiskey into the smallest compass, or how
70 get the most Of the fighting elements out of
the smallest amount Of the same indigenous
beverage.
In looking over an old volume of the Ad-
vertiser, we fell in with an account given by
this Brooks, of his experience In school dis
trict In this state. which he then thought ex-
hibited wonderful degree OF Yankee shrewd-
ness, and which he commended, for its eco
nomic lessons, to the loose-oiuted, slip-shod.
shiftless "chivalry," as worthy of their imita-
ton.
1t seems that Brooks engaged to "keep
school, and to lengthen out the time il was
desirable for the committee" to secure his
board at the lowest possible figure. They
therefore called the district" together, and
exhibiting the master to the natives for
their admiration, his board was put up, like
the town poor, at auction, the lowest bidder
to carry off the prize. The bidding presented
ascene rivaled in liveliness only by similar
biddings In the slave marts OF the South,
where kindred humanity is knocked down,
not to the lowest but to the highest bidder.
TO the question of the Auctioneer,-.What
will you take him for?r the answers came
10 rapid succession, Zone dollar and twenty
five" "One dollar and twelve and halfn Zone
dollar;;" and here there was a stick. Zone
dollar, who'll take him for less than dollar?
One dollar, one dollar, any body less9 Who
speaks ?" shouted the impatient auciioneer.
Again the downward race commenced:
"Seyenty-ive cents,' Seventy cents" and
thus the bids went on till the school-master
was knoncked off at forty cents ,ceeki
As the new pedagogue took his seat in the
wagon, by The side of his purchaser, and was
slowly riding to his temporary home, he put
the question-"How on earth can you afford
to board me for forty cents week." IL
make money by It," said the forty-cent man,
'and have your company into the bargain"
He then went on to explain that he had more
produce" than he could consume ia his fami-
ly, and hog raising for the market had its disad-
vantages. He would receive in cash for board
ing the school master, $3.50. This would nearly
pay his taxes. He would have to carry three
times as much the school master would eat,
to Portland or Bath, to raise the same amount
Of money, after paying his expenses, to say
nothing of loss Of time!
This scheme of taking the school-master
merely to use him as machine by which to
concentrate the produce of the farm and con-
vert 1t into money-very much as a Clay
county Missouri farmer raises pigs, that he
may feed to them his corn, and thus put it in
to portable sacks to be driven to market on
four legs-Brooks commended to his "South-
ern brethren, as specimen of the manner in
which we Yankees live and thrive And he
called upon them to do likewise, in order to
make their country the richest aud happiest
on the globe" 1t seems, however, that they
have not taken his early advice, but prefer
to remain ignorant of the art of reading and
writing, aud instead of boarding Yankee
schoomasters for forty cents a week, and their
company, continue to "sit on stumps by the
roadside" meditating on the profound prob
lens OF ignorance and idleness
1t seems almost pity that man who in
his youth subserved so good a purpose on
farm, should have been allowed to spoil as
Brooks has. 1t is doubtful if any respectable
New England farmer would now consider his
company any part of an equivalent for his
board. He would scarcely use him to con-
sumo his surplus products, so long as he could
have the same Office performed by an animal
Of a far less dangerous character. Brooks
now sees no beauty In the strict economy
which SO pleased him 10 his younger days. and
raises his eyes to no divinity except that
which protects the peculiar Institution" and
Is symbolized by whip or a thumbscrew
Sustenance OF Slaves i'm South Carolina.
The Secretary OF the Treasury in answer to
call from Congress, reports that the expenses
and receipts for the sustenance of the contra