The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-03-10
For THr RECORD
TIE OLD SQUIRE ALMANAC.

March ID, 1851 was born Andrew jackson,
best known as General jackson, and in polit-
ical circles as {" Old Hickory" He is CRATE
/ fully remembered for his mastery defence of
New Orleans against General Packenham,
and the entire defeat of the British army,
Jan. s, 1916 The result of the battle of New
Orleans was something extraordinary ; the
British losing, in killed, wounded and miss
ing, 1900 men the Americans, eight killed
and thirteen wounded. jackson served two
terms as President. from 1929 to 1887. The
great measures of his administration win be
variously judged, according to political bias {;
nearly all will be ready, now a-days to APP
prove his prompt repression of the nnllihca-
tion act (incipent secession) of South Caro-
lima we could wish that none might be found
to advocate his pernicious maxim, as applied
to political government, that "to the victor
belongs the spoils.' The removal of about
seven hundred federal office-holders, at the
beginning of his administration, in order to
make places for his party adherents was the
commencement of custom that has ever since
been working to the detriment of the nation
al politics. The Civil Service Reform, of our
| udy, ios Ii DOuScbty anu dpptitht
the corrective of this wrong step.
On the same day, 1919, died the italian
| Cardinal Mezzofanti, remarkable as the most
extraordinary linguist probably on record
He was the son of a carpenter, born at Bolo-
ga, 1774. and intended tor his fathers trade.
But his unusual intelligence being observed by
priest, he was given university education,
in the course of which he mastered eight Ian
guages. Lord Byron described him, in 1920,
as 90 "a walking polyglot, a monster of Ian
guages, and Briareus of parts of speech. -
In each language known by him-seventy
or eighty before his death-it is said that he
spoke with The precision, and in most instanc-
es With the auency of a native his idiom,
pronunciation, vocabulary, being alike unex-
ceptionable his tongue equally accommodate
ing itself to the Partisan French and to +" the
rude jargon of the Black Forest" He used
to say that he had never forgotten anything
he had ever heard or read. Having studied
through the grammar of a language, he was
its master.
And Of his wonderful gift he made the best
use. He was untiring in his labors of love
among the sick, poor and especially the pris-
oners in Bologna, whore We're gathered ma
tives of every country, TO many of whom his
was the only tongue that could bring intellig-
IDLE words of instruction, reproof and conso-
laton In some instances the only language
known by man seeking spiritual guidance
was some out-of- the-way dialect, in which
case, Mezzofanti would ask for three weeks
time, when he would be ready for the freest
intercourse with the applicant, having mas
tered all the peenliarties of the new language.
His grave is beside that of Tasso, in the
church of st. 0nofrio, at Rome.
! March II, as Ireland and the world know,
| is det icated to the Patron Saint of the Green
Isle. Bet the world and Ireland too, would
open their YES a little wider than they are
wont IN do on !" St. Patricks day in the
morning." if they could be brought to be-
leve the historic truth respecting this wor-
thy. The story of his life IS SO overlaid with
legend aud fable, that The Superstitious al
most worship him, and the rest laugh scorn-
| fully, or dismiss his claim to Saintehlp. And
yet, he was true Christian saint irelands
benefaetor, and his faith much nearer to what
in our time is called Protestant than 10 that
system of modern Rome which we associate
with the name of the Irish Roman Catholics
Saint Patrick lived at least 700 years before
the Pope was permitted to NEEDLE in the
ecclesiastical affairs of Ireland, that had its
own independent national church until long
after the Norman invasion. The Irish knew
nothing, in his time, of the Invocation of
Saints, Transubstantation, or Papal Infalli-
bility. prominent feature in their religious
life was the study of the pure Word of God
large portions of which, especially the Psalms,
they committed to memory, and reeited daily.
He established school at Armagh, at which,
in time, most Of the clergy received their ed
ucation and 50 high a standard of learning
was maintained in the monasteries of Ireland,
and so earnest q missionary spirit, that for
ages it was the Holy Isle, in the best sense,
whence learning and Christianity were dis
seminated through various parts of Great
Britain and Europe.
The Sc Intervention " Of foreigners has been
Erin's curse and destruction. We join hands
with Young Ireland in crying " Ireland for
the Irish +" and we go all lengths in the de-
mand, freedom of everybody and everything
that comes from abroad, religious and politi-
cal Pope aud Queen, both, Hands off |"
and let us have Ould Ireland once more, in its
primitive independence and self-respect. Not
otherwise eau it know prosperity. How it
may all be brought about, it is not for us to
say Fenianism is not quite to our mind !;
and Parnell we disavow. 1t is hopeful
sign. that religious differences are set aside,
now for the first time, in ministering to the
sufferers from famine bishops, magistrates,
nuns and noble ladies, Protestant and Cath
Ole alike, receiving the bounty of Christians,
of every name and land, aud distributing it,
by concerted action to all sects. Happy the
day when the land of st. Patrick shall have,
again, the church of st. Patrick as
he made and left it
Ireland's one good Importation is the Saint
himself for Patrick was not native Irish
man. His original name was Succat, Patrick
(Patricius1 indicating his noble BIRTH He was