Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-03-20
Call A Halt!

1t gives us sort Of cynical pleas
ure sometimes to note the changes of
opinion that have occurred within two
or three years among the foremost
men and journals in the Radical party.
Remembering how these very converts
scoffed at Democrats who protested
against Federal ursupation Of States
rights and violation of Constitutional
provisions, we enjoy mild sensation OF
vengeful satisfaction in the retrospect
of the dsys when we suffered persecu-
ton for TRUTH sake, and are imbued
with II hope that the conversion OF
sinners will proceed until the country
is redeemed from its present rule.
Among the more eminent Of those who
have turned their backs upon the er-
rors Of Radicalism is Charles a. Da
ma, the editor Of the New York .Sun,
who in commenting on the Louisiana
election outrages and their treatment
by Congress demands that the people
call halt in this career of Federal
usurpation while they can. 1t advan,
ces with stealthy steps year by yeal
toward Capitalization. Things are
done already by Congress and the EX-
ecutive, eliciting scarcely a passing
comment, which would have starled
from their chairs liberal interpreters Of
the Constitution like Henry Clay, and
which are enough to make strict CON
structionists like James Madison burst
their cerements. And where will all
this end if it runs on unchecked few
years longer? With Congress honey
combed by corruption, and every de
partment of the Government reekine
with rascality, the people, busy with
their own ayocations and disgusted
with the strife Of venal factions, may
begin to think that one honest usur-
per, with Il long head and q firm hand,
is more endurable than Ca pitol full
Of little slippery pretenders like COL
fax, Patterson, Caldwell, Pomcroy,
Jones, Ames, Garfield, and Bingham
A philosophic statesman has said
that a people may lose their liberties
in a day without finding it out for a
decade Of years. Is it not best to in
quire whether the rights of the States
under the Constitution are not gradu-
ally absorbed into the National Govern
ment, and the old landmarks set up by
the fathers of the Republic rapidly
crumbling ay?-,Sm5 Eiuncisco
(Cal) Eraminer.
Posi- OFFICE PUzzLEs. Bad writing
and bad spelling, which leave the sense
obscure, are annoying enough when
met with in the inside of letter
But in the superscription Of one, they
become more serious. Many letters
are lost from this cause every year, and
many more would be lost but for the
marvellous ingenuity Of the trained
Post. office clerks, to whom the dcci-
phering OF such perpleXing addresses
is committed. In the general Post
Office in London, no less than twenty
clerks, it is said, are employed in this
duty, AS specimen OF their acute
ness, we are told of u letter which ar
rived at the office, addressed to man
at "3 pigs, 3sX.? This looks like n
riddle for the puzzle column Of a week
ly paper. A sudden inspiration came
into the mind Of the deciphering clerk.
He saw that the figure 3 was a letter
E turned the wrong way and so the
epistlc was duly forwarded to its dcs-
tination at ''Epping, Essex" Possibly
it was the same ingenious clerk who
at Il period acquired much glory in
the office by despatchng letter from
Italy, bearing the address ''srompide
vi, England" to the distinguished phi
losopher to whom it was intended Sir
Humphrey Davy. When such puzzles
proceed from ignorance in the writer,
there is no help for them; but too of
ten they arise from carelessntss or a
sloyenly y style of writing, in those that
can do better.