Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-17
Alefan0ria @az&tte
WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL IT.
The State Debt.
SIX DOLLARS PER ANNUM-IS ADVANCE.
Written for the Alexandria Gazette.

ways,
That with strangers and aliens have come in
these days,
Is the creed that man may be honest, and yet
Keep hold of his cash, while he gives up his
debt.
Just as oosening the stones from foundation
will make
A strong stately cdi6co tottec and ahakc,
| Take this broad under truth from our code, and
one day
We shall fod that our honor has crumblod
away.
Now debt, like bog, is bad thIOg, no
doubt,
Which if mans 10, he should try to get out;
Aud the truth of it is. whoever may say 1t.
There's nought to be done with debt but to
pay it.
The State, we all koow, like business man il,
And she pledges her word as q man pIeoges
his;
Has her mortgages, bonds, notes OF promise,
aud gold,
And her credit, and standing, and name to up
hold.
AS amau, uuawares, may sink deep into debt,
So State, in her finances, tangled may get :;
She may borrow and tax, she may spend and
consume,
But, as sure as there's debt, will paying day
come.
They say that Virginia, the Princess OF States
The swift judgment and doom of the debtor
awaits
That the proud "Old Dominion a bankrupt
must be,
AS ship off her reckoning must founder
at sea.
Oh shame with the wealth that she holds 10
her breast.
With the children who hope on her bosom to
rest 90,
With her lordly domain, though narrowed, still
vast,
And the splendor of glory that brghtens her
past.
She hath boas,ingIy said that tho strength OF
her might
Was not laid in deleuces of stone, but IN right;
That trn.h was her weapon. and honor her
shield.
And her walls were her soos that might die,
but not yield.
1t matters not now who, or what is to blame;
Can rc save her from ruin. dlshonor, and
shame
The danger at hand must be met and bo
braved;
No care can rebuild what a pr)p might have
saved.
0, Virginia Virginia cur glory and pride.
When the hope from our hearts and our lives
has all died,
With the strength Of tho drowning, one last
effort make,
Don't sell you fair honor, don't full handed
break.
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PlANO.-LoVer5 OF
music will be glad to learn that considerable
Improvement has recently been made IN the
construction of the piano. Tho great drawback
has been the Instrument lncapaci.y of sustain
ing the souod. The invention of 40 Italian
musician, Signor Caldera, will remedy this evil.
A "meo. piano." as tho new Instrument Is call.
ed, has been constructed by Messrs. klrkmar,
of London, and tried by large number or con-
uoisseurs and professional people, ali OF whom
seem TO have pronounced it an uuqucstonaoIa
| triumph The Whitehall Review, referring 10
| the trial, says
Csldera's invention, by means Of an extra
pedal, which causes Vibration on any Key,
evolves 40 effort analogous to that OF the or;
chestra, and this effect is nhauoed by swell,
which allows of the most delicious crescento
and dimiuueudo conceivable. Moreover, tie
performer can, at his discretion dispense W h
| this mechanism, which is termed tho "mclU
action, and 10 that case he has at bis Cljpo-ai
| the keyboard of grand piano. The me!o'
| piano is 10 effect the orchestral plaoo, and ls
| value can be estimated by the simple expert
ment Of taking on Ordinary part song, WheTe
there is strong, distrcVe melody, and play
| ing it through with the "melo' actloo, o0seiV,
iDg, Of course, the gradalons OF H. lght and
shade. The contrast between vocal harmony
thus rclegated to a capable instrument, and the
same harmony rendered on an instrument no.
able to sustain the chords, will prove to demon.
| stration the intrinsic worth of the melo piano.
! MONEY IN CHINA. -Culns 10 China came at
last to be made so thin that 1000 OF them piled
together were only three inches high; then gold
and silver were abandoned and copper, tin,
shells, skins, stones and paper we're given q
fixed value, and used until by abuse all the
advantages to be derived from the use of money
we're lost, and there was nothing lett ior inc
people to do but to 90 back to barter and this
thew did more than once. They cannot be said
| to have coinage; 1900 years ago they made
round coins With square hole 10 the middle and
they have made no advance beyond that since
The we'll known cash is cast brass coin Of thai
descriptions and although it is valued at abou
one mill and half of our money, and has to be
strung 10 lots Of 1000 to be computed With any
ease, 1t is the sole measure CT value and lega
tender OF the country. Spanish, Mexican aud
our new trade dollars arc employed 10 China
they pass because they are necessary Tor large,
operations, aud because faith ln their STANDARD
J value has become established; but they are cur
reot simply as stamped iogots with their weigh
Q and fneDess indicated
NOTICE-ONE CENT BUTrLE Ol
Il ~ PERFECTED BUTTER COLOR vii
answer for fifty pounds of Butter. For sale b!
| oHS"N1 w EIluT0N