The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-05-30
CORRESPONDENCE.
FoRT HAMILTON. N. Y. May %

island, back or across from Brooklyn
at the commencement of the Narrows,
outside the inner quarantine, and in
sight of Sandy Hook. From Brook
Ign street railway carries you to it,
through several miles of picturesque
grounds, with many fine residences on
either side and more or less distant.
The Fort is supplied with a large
number of 15-inch, several 20 and 10
inch guns; also, many parapet guns
, Of smaller caliber Opposite, on the
heights of the main land in plain
view, is Fort Wadsworth, and. below
1t, near the water line, is Fort Rich
mond. One-third of the way across
is an old brick structure rising abrupt
ly from the water, which is Fort La
fayete. The others are of heavy stone
work, protected on the seaward faces
as much as possible by earth-works.
These are all at the seward main en-
trance to the harbor. OF course there
are others higher up the Narrows and
elsewhere. The shore line is beauti
full, steep, bold and rocky to the wa
ter's edge, or sloped gradually, pro-
badly by somewhat artificial means,
covered with fine grass, and OCCASION
ally growths of vigorous pine trees.
On the land, back from the shores
are innumerable fine houses and
their carefully tended grounds, which
are usually laid out in the best, and
often with the most elaborate, taste.
Within no great length of time every
part of this region will be occupied
by magnificent country residences
with their accessories and satellites.
The country is admirably adapted
therefor. 1t is generally but equally
elevated, the inclines being easy, grad
ual and graceful.
The ocean entrance to New York is
worthy Of the largest port of great
nation and new country. Ultimately
it will be the grandest and most beau
tiful, worthy to be that of the country
most extensive in territory, numerous
in population, and most developed
and influential in promoting the ma
terial, mental and moral well being of
mankind
Those who sigh for the absent ruins
of the past, we hope may sigh forever.
Towers and gabled ends, fat and
steep roofs may be seen in abundance,
but we wish not that the antiquarian
should ever derive his supremest graf
ifcation on our soil. Never may he
have opportunity of examining the re-
mains of extinct activities and the evil
dences of effete societies along our
shores. Ruins are the signs of disas-
ter, of mistake and of incapacity; of
the extinction of the truest life ofman
ofenergy and skill. Our " heart'slde-
sire is" that GLORIOUS old ruins"
may be forever unknown among us.
Nature abhors the decaying and the
lifeless. When life or the living en-
ergies depart from any structure she
Immediately directs her instrument
talities towards destroying the useless
cumber of the ground. She covers up
those of man AUTHORIZATIONS out
of her own vitalities, or she decompo-
SEES and applies the constituents to
new purposes and combines them
with, and into other, and actively
useful conformations. It is the duty
of man to remove the dead growths of
old systems and of other years. When
allowed to remain, whether in the ma
terial or intellectual world, they are
always obstructive, delusive or disas-
trous, in their effects. But however
indolent or negligent man may be, to
whom was committed the care of the
world and all that is therein, nature
never neglects her official duties. She
shakes off the dead growth, easily and
gradually if possible, by storm and
revolution if needful. Out of the way,
by one or another means, she will
have them. When man fails to obey
her indications, she compels him by
. his obstinacy and violence, by his mis-
directed energies to obey her behests
It is written, " and God hardened
Pharoah's heart.
New York, / think, is remarkably
clean city, considering its crowded
population and narrow limits Chol
era, however, has stimulated sanitar!