smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

LEGAL TENDER DECISION IN PHILADEL-
PHIA.-The Philadelphia Ledger reports re-
cent trial before the U. S. District Court in that
city, to determine the binding force of a bond
executed some years ago, for the payment OF
$28,000 in "specie current gold and silver
money of the United States" and providing,
"That no existing law or laws, usage or custom
or, any law or laws hereafter to be enacted, or
any future usage or custom, shall operate or be
construed to operate to prevent or allow pay
ment of the said principal sum and the interest
thereon in any other currency than that above
designated-the said obligors hereby waving
the benefit and advantages to be derived from
any and all such laws, usages or customs" The
Ledger says of the opinion: "1he court POUNDS
its decision on the fact that judgment cannot
be entered, and an execution cannot be issued,
for silver or gold, but must be lawful money lit
was granted that the United States notes were
lawful money! The opinion grants the right
Of plaintiff in a suit, upon an instrument for
the payment of money in gold, dOubloons, sill
yer, Mexican dollars, ETC., to recover the value
at the time when payment of the debt should
have been made; in other words, the premium
on the gold, ETC., beyond the amount, as well as
the amount specified in the evidence of the debt
so that the decision is virtually for the gold,
etc. The plaintiff can go into the market and
buy the gold, ETC., with the premium he recov-
ers, admitting that the premium is the same as
when the debt was due.
Year: 1862

PROMOTING PROM THE RANKs.-Half OF
Napoleon's wonderful success was due to his
system of promoting from the ranks to fill up
the places of commissioned officers who had
fallen in battle. Skill and bravery were thus
rewarded, and powerful incentive was given
to the best qualities of the soldier. Instead of
appointing mere politicians over troops to lead
them to destruction, let intelligent sergeants
or corporals, or privates who have seen service
and stood fire, and know by experience some
thing of actual war, be placed in command and
soon we shall see veteran army that will whip
everything that comes in its path.
Year: 1862

DEsPoSDING.-The Richmond Examiner of
the I'd says; "The year closed under gloomy
auspices with check at Dranesville and a
rumored disaster in Missouri The year
which yesterday began has opened with evil
tidings. We fear that there is no doubt of
the fact that the Northern Union has consent
ed to the surrender of Mason and Sldell and
with that event all hope of an immediate alli-
ance between the Southern Confederacy and
Great Britain must CEASE
Year: 1862

The GUNBoAT EXPEDITIoN.-The gnnboats
that are to operate on the Mississippi will have
pretty difficult obstacle to overcome, if the
reports which come from Cairo be true, to the
effect that six hundred submarine batteries
have been placed in the river by the rebels
between Cairo and Columbus-wh are in
tended TO blow up our boats if they venture
within their precincts.
Year: 1862

From all portions of the great West intelli-
gence brings favorable accounts of the growing
wheat crop, and it is stated as a general fact
that, at this season of the year, appearances for
an abundant harvestwere never m ore promising
Year: 1862

Even while we write, convention is in session
for the formation of q party for California based
upon the one idea of "u,.co,aditionai support of
the Administration"-in it's subjugaton of the
elective franchise; its suspension Of the writ OF
right; it's suppression Of the freedom of speech
and oft the press its seizure and prostitution Of all
the mediums of public communication, and its
utter disregard of all personal rights and State
franchises. In the language Of Judge Story
"Who shall call upon the people to redeem their
possessions and revive the republic, schen their
o'cm hands haze deliberately and corruptly sur
rendered them to the oppressor, and haze built
the prisons or dug the graues of their osvn
friends? This dark picture, it is to be hoped
will never be applicable to the republic of Amer
lea. And yet it affords warning, which, like all
the lessons of past experience, we are not per-
mitted to disregard"


This 'dark picture" is within our view; the
people are deliberately and corrupty surrender
ing their bloodbought possessions; the coil of ir-
responsible power is slowly but surely tightening
upon us, crushing one by one the pillars of the
temple containing the covenent of our liberties.
Will no one heed the warning? Will no one
keep watch in the temple while the watchmen
sleep at their postsf
Year: 1862

MIDNIGHT HouRs.-There are few things
more painful than the monotonous tick Of a
watch or clock to the wakeful ear at mid
night. The slow record of the parting min.
utes becomes at last an exquisite torture.
Particularly is this true of the watcher by
the sick bed. One listens to it then as to
some dread sentence of doom, from which
there is no appeal. How welcome, then the
cheering morning light, or the first sound
which breaks the dread stiffness. And how
many weary ones in this great city Of ours
say nightly, "would to God it we're morning"


Fanny Fern.
Year: 1862

The KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRcLE.-1t
turns out that the Knights Of the Golden
Circle are those persons connected with arr
my contracts and Government patronage,
who have robbed the Treasury of tens and
hundreds of millions of dollars.


In the course Of single year they have
succeeded in abstracting funds to the
amount of over sixty millions dollars, as
much as the ordinary annual expenses of the
Government during the last Administration
Hence, they are called knights Of the
Golden Circle" A number Of members
have been initiated into this reasonable or
der from this part Of the State.


Gin. Enquirer.
Year: 1862

PUBLIC MORALS AT WAsn1NaroN-The
Washington correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune. one Of the leading ab ltion papers
OF the Northwest, has recently given an &C
count of the state Of morals in and around
the National Capital. The contrast which
he presents is not very taltering to the Re.
publican Administration. We re,pubish
the following paragraph from his letter:


The tone of morality here is considerably
lower than it has ever been before. This is
admitted on all hands, and can be proved, or
rather needs no proof for the air is heavy
with public and private guilt. A few years
ago, high Austrian official. whose specua,
tions were discovered, applied the lancet to
his own veins, and another similarly situated
hanged himself. There is no such sense of
shame here Any coroner's jury in Washing.
ton would find verdict of insanity for such
conduct, and the verdict would be accepted
in good faith. The Southerners, as a Glass;
had a very nice sense of honor, so far as the
public treasury was concerned. Floyd WAS
sn exception, almost solitary exception
to the general rule. When they held power
here there was comparatively lit:le thieving,
and when any was discovered it was prompt.
" exposed and denounced. There has been
a change, fearful change for the worse.
The frauds and attempted frauds on the
treasury in one channel and another, come
so fast and from such unexpected quarters,
that one is bewildered in contemplating
them. Yet nobody has been brought to jus.
tce, and nobody seems to think it possible
that anybody should be brought to justice.
"Oh those rascally contractors" says some
honest man in the rural districts For every
dollar wrongfuIy taken by a contractor. five
have been taken by the public servants.
This certainly is alarming. Why is it tole-
rated by an Administration which came into
power protesting honesty, and promising re.
trenchment and reforms Will honest men
stop and investigate!
Year: 1862

FAIR PLAY-Personally, there are on
both Tickets this year clever and respect
able men, who We bold 10 controversy
with except as they affect national issues,
the lower aiding the higher candidates.
Last year, however, with eqpally respect
able candidates, the Democratic County
Ticket was largely traded of to swell up
Sienker's vote. This year-sinco their
Judges have decided that the brave Army
boys shall not vote-they have more hope
and will hang together better. Let our
party do the same. Every man on our
local ticket was nominated, in q direct
vote, by an honest and handsome majority
over their respected competitors. Never
were men more fairly nominated-'hey
should not one of them be forgotten or
deserted. Sand or fall together!
Year: 1862




lion. We omit names and principal local
i'ics, so as not to involve the writer in
difficulty


-, North Carolina, July 4, 1862.


Ny dear Son {: | hope
these lines will fiud you doing as well as
a poor soldier can. have good news
to write to you We have examined your
age, and fnd you we're born on the 18th
of July, 1911, consequently the conscrip
law won't catch you. Show the enclosed
certificate of your age to your Colonel,
md come home, as you have right.
They say they have pressed all over and
under the conscript age for ninety days
longer. When that is out, come home,
for you have as good right to come as
any of the rest. Though, | suppose,
they will make some other law to hold
you if they can, for they have broken
three pledges already Il. To let you all
come home when your twelve months
were out .. If you would enlist they
would give all furloushs to come home.
3. Ga tho 10th they would let Of all
under and over age. They have no. and
will rot fulfil one Of these solemn pledges
They are not agoing to DO anything they
say they will, if they can help it, for they
know they are badly whipped. Now they
are couscripliDg. The couscripts are the
maddcst men you ever saw. They say they
don't intend to fight. They can mako-tbem
20 but they can't make them fight. The
most Of them say they intend to 90 to the
North the first chance, and | don't blame
them, for there is 10 justice in such a
war. There never will be peace till they
kill off all the men, or they all rebel and
come home, for it is given up BY all the
smartest men in this country that the
North will whip, and the sooner the
better l don't want you to fire another
gun at the North, if you can help it. Do
like some of the rest-shirk out Of it.
They say it is no disgrace
Year: 1862

EMANCIPATION IN WESTERN VIReINA.-It
spPesrs that the late election on the question


ssAdop,ing the new constitution fer Western
Sirginiai it was not obligatory to take a vote
on the question of gradual emancipation, so
that in many places no votes were taken on the
subject. But wherever such votes were taken
she nsjerity on the side of freedom was great.
Year: 1862

giving their jewels to pay for the construction
ola steam-ram TO defend their harbor against
the entrance OF Government vessels. We have
not Jet heard, however, of any apparent dispo-
ELTON to give up for the good of the country
and OF humanity those jet ornaments upon the
possession of which South Carolina society has
80 much prided itself. This sacrifice would
make the other entirely unnecessary.
Year: 1862

Ihe undersigned will continue the business at the
o'd stand Grateful for the patronage bestowed on
the firm, solicit continuance of the same intend
Keeping general assortment Goods at all lines and
VIII sell veiy cheap for cash


aplO WILLIAM w TSCIITOV
Year: 1862

The subscriber again calls the attention of his Gus
toners and the puDhc generally to his and hand
some stock of Spring Goods Of every variety, nu
merOus and tedious TO name, which will be sold
Year: 1862

THE TRUE MEN Now.-The men who hold by
the old flag, in this the darkest hour since that
which saw it unfurlrd as the signal of human
freedom amid the bloody baptism of the Amrri-
can Revolution, will be remembers forever
and aye !" Even the base ingratns who have de
serted the stars and stripes will honor the heroic
furttude OF those who resolve to adhere to that
glorious emblem OF liberty, in the moment of
their direst peril.


THE FALSE MEN Now.-Thp citizen who does
not, in this gloomy crisis. yield np all party, or
personal, or sectional feeling TO the regular Gov
ernmen is ineftably Infamous. All his former
prttexts for Indifference will not avail him. He
ght have recovered lost position among his
own people by an opportune penience for his
cfFher sympathy with treason, Now, he not
only trebly loses Thai, but entities himself to the
contempt of the very traitors whose favors he
would court i FIrney's Var Press
Year: 1862

We take the following from the Boston Com
monueaLh, a new paper of the Sumner and Gid
dings school /:


How anxious the rebels are that we shall hold
on to Mcclellan Does anybody know a traitor
North or South, from jeff Davis to ValanAng-
ban, who is not noisy in declaring Mcclellan the
military genius of the age? But the sick lamb
that consulted Dr. Wolf was considered
very wise.
Year: 1862

Ir was bright thoughI that ot Smilhson the
founder of the Smithsonian Institute, when he
was dying Of an unknown complaint. Smith son
had had five doctors, and they had been unable
to discover what the disease was. AT length they
told the patient that he must die Calling them
all around him, he said NY friends, after |
die make post morttm examination, aud fad
out what ails me; for, really, have heard such
long and learned discussions on the subject that
am dying to know what the disease is myself"
Year: 1862

g War is all very well in its place
and time, hut usually it is better to deal
with the sward than the sword, to use
saftpetre in the beef-barrel than in the
gun-barrel, to drive the cart than the
cartridge, to use the scvthe rifle than
the Minnie rifle.
Year: 1862

FoREBODNGs.-It is week to-day since
any news has been received from the seat
Of war. The telegraph line is down the
ether side of the Green river station, near
where the Indians run off the stock of the
overland mail company, and it is supposed
that the Indians interrupted The telegraph
communication. The continued Interrupt
tion is causing serious forebodings among
Union men. who fear that Mcclellan has
been defeated, and that the Government is
SuppressiOg the Intelligence. Such fears
are wholly without foundation. Had the
army met with reverse, the fact would
have been known in less than week ell
through the Eastern States, in spite of the
efforts of the Government, aud there could
be no object in preventing the transmission
Of the intelligence to California. Besides,
if the army was defeated the Government
would want the fact known as soOH as pos
bible, in order that measures for repairing
toe damages might be adopted without de.
lay. The rebel sympathisers of course are
perfectly satisfied that MeClelan's army
has been cut to pieces, and there is no use
Of trying to convince them to the contrary.
Year: 1862

of rain up rather down. he is compelled stop
hrehng consequently reaping Also half days
the dry sufficiently be bound. farmer
could and house in eight days that takes nearly
month for the box hreshing Grain
threshed field spread and cured for
fourteen days. before the farmer venture to sack It,
the harvested and in barns stacked to
convenient time threshng would be cured in barn
stack and while the rice remaining in barn stack and
could employed Immediately prepare the ground
CROP second could be growing before the first
saving time and Of very
time, whose value is incalculable


Again. the Of grain that be reshed in boxes by
hands, differs according the yield square yard be


thousand pounds hands, when the rice yields
pound per square yard about much, than
be expected from hands, while threshisg machine
cordng size would threh from twenty thirty thousand
pounds a day. difference in stack,
threshng and machine the present hreshng
would stand about thus All hands might be put work
reap and house. g While the crop securely
ed and the grain becoming cured the ground could be immed
planter value OF of the
probable safety from late fall The
would be reduced, should judge The
saving in expenses would perhaps be thus:


Saved by sowing instead Of ransplanting,- .... SlI


Do by threshng..-...-.. s. &l6


g. LG6OrersAs this subject has reference immigration
beg leave defer it for other time
Year: 1862

The Decision OF the Ladies' who Com.
posed the Committee Sewing Machines at the Utica Fair
awarding the first premium TO URuvkR BAKERS as The
best Sewing Machine for family Use, In In accordance with
the experience OF all who have used the akcr
chine compared It's work with that other machines
Year: 1862

THE vmrrous PoLIcE.-The police are just
now influenced by one Of those sudden revivals
Of virtue to which they are occasionally sub
ject, and accordingly they have commenced .
crusade against all the Sunday liquor sellers,
pickpockets and gamblers they can find. The
proverb, "Give dog . bad name and hang
him. derives additional force from the conduct
Of these we'll paid guardians Of the public
safety; for, knowing man to have been once
q thief, they arrest him in the most despotic
manner, and contrary to all law. Thus, for
instance, on Thursday . couple of them ar
rested three fashionably dressed men in Wall
street, opposite the American Bank, we are
told, merely because they supposed they were
there to pick the pockets Of those who came
out Of the bank; and it was not till writs Of
habeas corpus had been obtained by their
counsel that they were brought before Re-
corder Hoffman and discharged. We have al
ways remarked that these periodical revivals
of virtuous indignation on the part Of the po-
lice are followed by worse instead of a bet
ter state Of things; that ell the gambling houses
and dcns of infamy do more lourishng busi-
ness than before, and that the police them
selves are then hail fellow well met with the
victims Of their previous persecution. 1t looks
as if the police had some little object OF their
Year: 1862

Dusr AND DISCOMFORT or the past two days
the streets have been the sporting ground of
binding clouds Of dust, which in their erratic CO.
reer have penetrated into all our Offices, stores
and habitations, giving sandy coat to provi-
sions In corner groceries, whitening our black
surtouts, filling our drawing rooms, and other
wise making free with everything not hermeti-
cally scaled against it, a. well as finding its
way in considerable quantities to our lungs, a.
IL the peck Of dirt commonly said to be swal-
lowed during lifetime had to be taken In .
day. Now, considering that we pay very con-
siderable sum for street cleaning and watering,
we are unable to see why the streets are neither
cleaned nor watered. Perhaps Mr.. Hackley,
the contractor for street cleaning, and the Cor
poration will turn their attention to this matter.
We shall doubtless have much Of the same gusty,
dusty weather that we are now tasting from
this time forward, and it is therefore the duty
of the Corporation to commence watering the
streets without delay, as well as to insist upon
Mr.. Hackley acting according to the strict letter
of his contract, which hitherto he has failed in
doing.
Year: 1862

WHY THE ORGANS or THE RADICALS ATTACK
TUE AsMy.--The Evening Post and other radi-
cal journals Of this city first commenced their
attacks on the army and its officers by adverse
military criticisms. They now charge the Off
GERS and men with being traitors The reason
Of this hostility is that two-thirds, aud even
three-fourths, OF the army are Northern demo-
crats. and not more than one-lourth republicans.
The radical revolutionary journals, finding the
army and its officers intractable. assail them as
having gone into the army for the purpose of
preventing the success Of the war, by which is
meant the abolition of slavery in every State.
These rabid organs of revolution are maddened
Just in proportion as they see the bloody vision
of negro insurrection which they coniured up
fading away from their sight like sick man s
dream The officers and the rank and file OF
the army know too we'll the value Of our demo-
cratic institutions to lend themselves to their
overthrow, and they have too keen an appre-
citation of the negro's character to disturb the
relations which exist between him and the
white man Of the South. Their purpose is to
fight the battles of the Union, and to restore
it, with negro slavery and allan idea perfectly
awful to those who hold that "the constitution
is covenant with death and an agreement with
hell" Hence, in their blind rage, they open q
fire in the rear of the army ss 1t marches on to
victory.
Year: 1862

The BROADWAY RAuRoAD.-f we are 70 have
Broadway Railroad, why not have a commits
sion of three respectable citizens appointed to
construct and manage it. and let the profits ac-
crue to the city. What possible right have the
impudent vagabonds whose names are inserted
in the bill before the Legislature to claim
franchise worth FIVE or six millions Of dollars to
this tax-ridden city,
Year: 1862

WHAT IS TO BE Done WITH THE SOLDIERS
AND THE NEGROES AT THE END OF THE War;
Now that the war will very soon he brought to
an end and there will be some coo. 900 troops
in the South, and the negroes idle on the plan
tatiOns of their absentee masters, or running
about the country as vagrants, the question
arises, What is to be done with both? The best
thing TO be done with the soldiers is TO induce
them to remain at the South by dividing among
them the estates of the planters who have run
away, and also the slaves. 80 that these negroes
may be set to work on the same plantations in
the cultivation of cotton. The Northern troops
would be the very life of the Union sentiment
in the South, and a military government ought
to be established in the beginning, after the
manner of that in Tennessee, in order that tho
States may be reorganized under proper authori-
ty and law, and obedience to the federal 60
vernment fully established. Witha view to this
end. the troops should take good care not
to allow the minds of the slaves to be tampered
with. or any foolish notions about equality in
cnlcated. On the contrary, they ought to drive
the missionaries out Of their lines at the point
of the bayonet, as dangerous incendiariss. This
Is the way to restore the Union, to maintain
order. and to preserve to the country the vast
wealth which it has hitherto monopelized by
the culture OF cotton.
Year: 1862

A New ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE.-With-
out doubt in the course of time the Old World
and the New will be linked together by tele
graphic communication, and If we may rely
upon recent information from London, it will
not be long before another attempt is made to
lay new cable between Ireland and New
foundland II is certain that the British gov
ernment are desirous Of aiding and witnessing
the consummstion of the enterprise; and the cir
cumstance of Lord Palmerston having appoint
ed an interview with Mr.. Field and other gen
temen interested for taking the subject into
consideration goes far to show that they are
disposed to cooperate with the United States
in the undertaking. Indeed, those referred to
say that the prospect Of a satisfactory termina-
ton Of negotiations with the government in re-
gard to raising the necessary capital to secure
the proposed new cable is very encouraging.
We need not refer to the great advantages Of
accomplishing the work which an unlucky &C
cident undid for us in 1857 and, as its perfect
practicability has been sufficiently demon.
strated, we look forward hopefully to the re.
suit of second attempt to unite the two hemis
pheres by q speaking wire.