Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-12-01

JUDGE UNDERWOOD'S CHARGE. AT the
opening of the Di strict Court of the q. S. yes
terIay, Judge Underwood delivered ono Of lis
characteristic charges to tile grand jnry lie
congratulated them upon meeting with them
again, and said that The larger classes CT cases
coming before them were in correction with
the revenue service. La those elscs the grand
iuries heretofore had done their 3aty, fully and
promptly bat b.. Vas :.ri,. t. aiJ, 10 many
cas- ihr i;2'it june h.d no' t.i'iy lsc'.aiI
cd a. # |! "a' Is I, ....' '!,= I'm"
would :. win, ... .....ZrS OF this
couu,rT you'd * s'I2 -. ;..r' lil' they ii:
IL III. 4 1lr., u " -. .aha I'D
Goyrrul,!rr J.! ..:rIt!:rrri.... - ,r>e u3un.c
cd with the I,is.' rtlcr :ni!i crIn ii'cir at
tGnliun, cid il he Guty vi llls AtaiId jury |
to see that all lntractlOnS ut the law in tina,
respect met with swift punishment. He then
spoke OF the great benefit OF this service to
civilization and c6lumcrcc, and said "Show
me people who employ ard crjOy largo postal
| facilities, and | will shoV you a people who
| are cultivated, virtuous, and happy.
a law of recent date that would also engage
their attention, he said, was the Enforcement
Act" Judge Jackson, OF West Virginia, he
said, who was not friendly to this administra-
ton, had sent him a copy of q charge which
| he had delivered ~ grand jury, in which he
sustained the c0nsIlutionaIlty of this law
Judge Cadwallader, OF Pennsylvania, however,
had decided it to be unconstitutional. lie HIM
| self had examined it with great care and cir
cumSpecton, aud regarded it as constitutional
in all its parts. !! Agood nany cases of violations
| OF the act, he was informed, would DO brought
before the grand jurors, and it was their duly
to hold TO strict accountability every volator
of its provisions There have been recently in
this State great professions Of pcLc, and recon.
Citation and good will, but he had met with
several instances in different parts of the State
ia which the law mad been openly detied One
was case in Norfolk, where Secretary Robson
was to speak. The speaker had attended the
meeting, and had hoped to hear something
above the ordinary speeches OF tho day, end
he was not disappointed. Dir. Robson made
the best sermon be had ever heard. ! ! 1.-THE
Dignity of Labor" except the one by DIR.
Charming. On that occasion pistol shots were
aimed at those on the platform, and as he be.
evcG, at that high iunctonary OF the Gov
eminent !! The shot, however, missed It's aim,
but shot down man who was raised on the
farm of Secretary Robeson, and had gone on
the platform TO shake bands with him. This
illustrates the necessity OF prompt action to
overcome the pre- udces existing against this
newly enfranchlsed race. The prejudice is
probably natural, but it has to be overcome,
and had better be done speedily.
He said that Just as he was going TO church
Sunday morning he heard that Z negro man
had been hung up in Fauquicr county until he
was we'll nigh dead, to make hlm confess as to
where he had put 500 pote, which the white
man vino did the deed. afterwards iound. lhl$,
he said, was another Illustration OF the ncccssl.
| r., - Il In, ! amin -nI
until the co!ored man was respected in Frgln.
ia-at least, once 10 twelve months.
There was the usual dcnunciatnn OF whI>kcy
and whiskcy drinkers, eulogy on the internal
revenue law for making whiskcy high and
hard to GET and quite a number OF Scu1tural
illustrations aud quota tons!-Rich. DEpGtch.
OLD Books AND BOOKSELLERS. The death
of Mr.. William Gowans, the weII-know Mas
sau.street bookseller, Is one OF those events
which recall reflections concerning the curious
people who deal in curious books, and spend
their lives il a little world OF their own Great
ing. Gownns was content - sit p!acidly
among his treasures, to gossip, and to take lie
easily, and neither he nor his crOnies knew or
cared particularly whether any one book could
, be found at call, or whether the accumulation
il
chase. But among the treasures which he
lett behind there is many rare and curious
volume OF forgotten lore, which some DAY may
make bibiophlles happy, and be shove With
pride among the gems o! rich collections.
In one of the many novels which have Just
come from the press, an old sinner Is made to
remark, that though he has no grace himself
he knows tho genuine article when he sees 1t.
Collectors of rare books confess to very much
the same thing in regard to what arc to them
the most valuable treasures on earth. Fine
bindings arc nothing to them, but age, rarity
and beauty everything aud they dolc upon
volumes in which most of US would find moth
ing to admire. Even the golden grains oil
Shskespearc's wisdom arc valueleSs IN their
eyes when compared with one of the old io!los
which money can scarcely buy. Dlbdln did not
always tell the truth, but he dlscOurSed clO-
quenty about books and revcIcd in Earl Spcn
GERS collection as boy among flowers and but
telAies, sd Thomas Dodd was another Co
vans, and he left behind him memory as
sunny as the Summer Land to which he jour
neyei Charles Kingsley, in ALTON Locke,
has painted one Of these old booksellers who
always seemed to Us so very much like tho
Nassau street dealer that We irreslSlby as
socistcd them together They arc exceptional
men who minister to an exceptional and very
refined taste, and when they die VIC regret
their loss just as we should lament star fallen
out of the heavens. 1t is hard to tell exactly
what they do in the world, but the world
would be sadly out Of joint without them
Mr.Gowans was true bibliophlle, but it was
only as bbophile that he felt and he knew.
flo had never heard OF New York poet who
had published nearly half score of volumes
with the imprint on their title pages of tho
hest known publishing house in New England.
1t is for old books only that such men live. and
we must needs be very old and very curious,
and very idle before We can hope to begin to
understand the joys of men like the canny
Seotchman in the story of 'hlton Locke,
who loved to feel the silent Influences OF books
around him, and whose portrait we might mis-
take any day for that of William Gowaus.-
~ Y ,Sanard.