smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1863

of the currency is placed where the consti-
tuition designed it 20 be placed-viz in the
Department of the Treasury. This is perfectly
legal and constitutional, and il is useless to


waste words in grumbling about it.


Nor do we think that the State bank mana
gers and their Wall street organs will find any
sympathy in their objections to the new system.
Although we believe that Secretary Chase
might have managed our finances better in
some respects, yet We give him credit for 9
little ability, especially in regard to his frat
loan, and we must side with him. and not with
the State bank interest in regard to this matter.
The fact is that . uniform currency has been
one of the greatest blessings secured to us by
this unhappy war. We have not the slightest
hesitation in pronouncing the local bank
currency system an immense nuisance.
1t entailed heavy burthen Of inconvenience
in travelling or in remitting money.
Brokers and money changers fattened upon II
like vermiu upon carrion i anrioheaa coun-
terleiters and counterfei. detectors, and We have
no doubt that protest against its abolition
would be signed by all the disciples of Monroe
Edwards. Bills perfectly good in one State
we're partly or entirely worthless in another.
Business men were obliged to make the subject
special study in order to distinguish good
bills from bad and current from uncurrent
money The notes Of hand Of well known in
dividuals were preferred out West to any of the
issues Of the local banks. The people in that
and every other section of the country hailed
greenbacks as q godsend, because they could
travel with them, remit them, hold them or
make purchases with them without fear of hear
ing that the bank had broken or suspended, and
without suffering from the shaves of brokers.
If we we're to 60 back to the old system upon
tho resumption Of specie payments, we should
be pestered with the same annoyances and in
conveniences. Paper money Is more used than
specie in business transactions, and there is no
reason why 1t should not be as uniform as
specie. Or to take the comparison the other
way, the various States might as well authorize
corporations to issue various kinds Of specie
money as to authorize them to issue various
kinds Of paper money, and the recent cooper
token" mania gave US an idea Of the muddle
such course would produce. Now, as the
new national banking system is undoubtedly
constitutional, legal, popular and beneficial,
what can the State banks and their organs do
about it? Let them fold their togas about
them and die gracefully and silently. f
Year: 1863

BAlTMoRE. October 30 The following letter
was received this morning by the American, from
responsible correspondent:


ANNAPOLIS. October GA hag of truce boat
arrived This morning from City Point with l3l
paroled prisoners number died on board the
boat on It's way hither. They were actually
starved to death. Never in the whole course Of
my lite have seen such scene as these men.
for they were living skeletons. Every man OF
them had to be sent to hospitals. la the Sur
geonS opinion, more than One-third of them must
die, being beyond the reach of n0uriShment and
medicine questioned several OF them, and all
state that the condition has been brought on by
the treatment which they received from the rebels
II hey have been kept without food and exposed
a lar-e portion OF the time without shelter of any
kind To hook AT these poor meu and hear their
tales OF to how they have been treated
one would not suppose they hal fallen into the
hands OF Southern chivalry. but rather into the
hands OF bArbntilns destitute of all humanity and
feeling.
Year: 1863

Oh spare him, It's the only one.
My darling youngest boy;
'TiS all mother now has left
To I'LL her heart with Joy
A husband, and two elder soma


Were battling with the brave
They fell. and each I know now fills
A soldiers honored grave.
Then, DO not take the last | h&vs,
If you have power to spare;
But leave him to mothers love,
And to her tender care;
For sad will be the widows heart


Bereft Of all her joy
Oh, Freedom must thy sacred cause
Demand my only boy!
Dear mother, hush the murmur now
That rises IN thy heart;
ii is glorious cause, and


Would gladly bear part;
Then, must stay, when duty calls,
And bear q towards name!
Or cause the cheek Of innocence
To bear blush of shame
No! let me 90 and sleep beside,


\ fathers hnllowed grave,
Or fall AS did my brother dear


Amid the true and brave;
know twill add bitter drop


To thy deep cup Of woe;
But, mother, let your heart respond,
And say If l must go!
Ny noble son thy mothers hear;


Is filled with yearnings wild,
And gladly would ! cling to thee


My last, my olden child;
But Honor's path Is bright, know,
That path thy father trod
Go serve thy country we'll, my boy,
l give thee to thy God
But spare oh, Father spare him when
Tho battle RACES wild
And, if it be thy holy will,


Restore TO me my child
But if in sinfulncsa breathe


An anxious mothers prayer,
Ny country take my only boy,


Tis my last Offering there
Year: 1863

are, believe, sensible, wise: moderate and true.
In the midst of the storm that has burst upon US
their loyalty is still, think pure and mistaken
loyalty not TO an Office nor TO re-Son who
may err through ignorance or had advice, but
loyalty TO princple-the principle of National
Union, Of national honor, OF national life, and to
the charter in which that principle is embodied
the Constitution Of the United States. Loud
and protracted applause.


What is that principle? Diversity in unity
The principle by whose light the States were led
into union without surrendering their sovereign
ty-like stars, each revolving round the sun,
each having its orbits own diurnal revolution
forming one glorious constellation, within
which all are united aud each is free.


The peoples voi.e must be spoken and it must
be heard for when the heart Of the people is
stirred il speaks in thunder. Their will must be
,obeyed. The desire to silence it on any pretc1t
,iG 4Nymptom of incapacity or evil design on the


rf 5hnse who express it. These three States


H1wsIari, New Jersey, Pennsylvanis
bound together by common interests, tradi-
tio1s and hopes by their geographical position
marked out for peace makers between the war
ring elements that fret against their borders
these in which Washington found his trials, his
reverses, his sui .inCs and his riumphs-theSe
at least will he true TO his teaching, will respect
what he respected. love what he loved, anu be
guided by his spirit To the last, and even if the
worst should come on us-if the tide of fanati-
csm and folly should rise still higher, if The pill
lars of liberty should one by one be snapped and
overwhelmed, even amid the waves OF anarchy
or despotsnl, still brcastng the food, the people
will lift their eyes to the memory of Washington
AS the bright particular star of their devotion,
and holding aloft the Constitution he rcvered,
cry to the last with uufailing hope, God save the
Unon-Long live the Republic.


The conclusion Of the address was received
with great applause
Year: 1863

There is species Of humor, pecu-
liarly American, which consists in
grotesque hyperbole, the caricature
of some facts which expresses it bet
ter than faithful portrait would do.
Some persons take the snake and kill
it when they wish to show it to US,
but the lively Yankee humorist catch
es by the tail as it passes, and
stretches it into such ludicrouS pro-
portions, as actors in pantomines do
the tails of those famous ductile dre-
CONS. which SO astonish and delight
the children.


Instances Of this wild and extrava-
CANT humor are as common as prov
erbs. Everybody has heard OF the
weather which was SO cold that the
mercury went out Of sight, and which
no doubt would have been colder If
the thermometer had been long
enough. A similar exaggeration was
that of young man who took Gallo
mel on a morning so cold that the
mercury ran right down in his boots.
And speaking Of boots reminds us OF
the stage driver who wore so large
ones that he had TO use the fork Of
the roads for oot-jack.


The following passages are illus
tratiyns: The man whose legs are
so long that he has to 90 down cell
lar to tie up his shoes. The man who
was 50 large that he had to 90 out Of
doors to turn over. The man who
snores so loud that he has to sleep in
the next street to keep from waking
himself. The man whose nose is so
long that he has to step forward
three PAGES to see the eud Of it. The
man who was so large and heavy
that his shadow killed little boy
when it fell on him. The man who
was so fat that his shadow left q
greasy trail as he walked along; and
the man who was so thin that he did
not make any shadow at all. And
among these deserves to rank the
horse that ran SO fast around the
ring that the spectators could only
see one continual circular horse; to-
gether with that more famous racer
that ran SO swiftly around the arena
that he nearly caught up with HIM
self, and could see his own tail just
before him.


A fireman once related an adven-
ture in which he found himself in a
rich saloon surrounded by wealth
and fine company:


Il didn't know myself, until l
felt in my pockets and found 'em
empty


Some one inferred that he was Gus
tomarily short Of funds.


"That's so; il steamboats, were
selling for two cents apiece, l haven t
enough to buy a gaugway plank. .


We once heard Il person tell of a
fright he once received from a big
dog.


Il lost flesh at the rate Of ten


pounds minute till the owner came


and called him off. -


Along with this we may place the


story of the man who, in consequence


of fright, ran SO fast and so far.


that when he stopped it was more


than twenty minutes before his sha'


dow came up with him. He was


probably watched by the man whose


dickey was so high that he had te


climb a fence to see over it.
Year: 1863

The Cleveland Herald makes the
following sensible remark in regard
to local papers:


We know Of nothing that is more dishearten-
ing to publisher of country newspaper than
to be told. as be often is, when soliciting sub
scribers II take the Herald, (or some other
huge weekly and it costs me onl y 3 year,
and contains twice the amount of reading mat
ter yours does, when the receipts of one week
of the Office named above would be double the
yearly receipts of his country paper. and Whicn
if the foreign papers were published seventy
years. would not result in any more benent 10
himself and the county in which be lives as
would single edition of his own paper he
collect that if home paper is to be supported,
home influence must do it. A county acquires
prominence through its papers more than IN any
other way, its home paper is necessity. Never
will such man take paper printed away from ,
home until heis able to take second paper: his
first will b. his home paper, and he will so iden.
tify his own interests with that of his county as
to consider the payment of his suoscripton a .
matter of every day duty as the payment OF his
taxes.
Year: 1863

Within the last thirty days we have taken
prisoners nearly athird of the whole armed force
OF the rebels. IL we count in the killed and
wounded the total loss of the rebels during the
last month foots up to over one hundred thou
sand. The nation scarcely comprehends the
immense successes of our armies OF late. They
have been so great and SO numerous that we
have ceased to count them; and when men hear
OF the evacuation OF Chattanooga by Bragg, OF
the surrender of Port Hudson to Banks, they
receive these important tidings as though they
were matters of course


Our armies flushed with victory are pursu-
ing an enemy who was less numerous than we
at the beginning and who has lost in less than a
month one hundred thousand men of his forces
If ever the end was certain and near, if ever the
lovers OF the Union might rejoice and be COM
forted, this is the time


But we must not relax our efforts; we must
follow the enemy; we must reinforce our wea-
ried and lessened armies at once Hence the ne
cessity for now and at once, making draft
lhe slow course of volunteering will not do at
this juncture. In thirty days we should have
our army reinforced not by the addition of new
and raw regiments, but by filling up the old reg
iments. Hence We must draft But, to use the
words of the Boston Post, loyal democrat sheet,
"it is summons to join not discounted and
broken spirited soldiery but band of heroes
the monuments of many well-fought field. -
~ y Post
Year: 1863

We understand that the Vallandigham De-
mocracy of the Eleventh Ward, feeling sore over
the reputation ftheir standard bearer by the
Germanid, held a meeting at which resolutions
were passed, denouncing the editor of that pa
per for his support of Brough paper was
produced and signed by a considerable num-
Der, pledging themselves to stop their paper
because Of the political sins of its editor. A
committee took over the terrible document, anC
presented it to the editor of the GermaniG, who
carefully read the signatures and then compared
them with his subscription list. Finding that
only about dozen of the 'sgners" took the
GeTmatid, and the balance never did and prob
ably never would take it, he notified the com
mittee that he should endeavort to struggle along
with his publication, although the dozen or So
of complaining subscribers should "stop their
paper" and the score or two who never did
take the Gcrmdnia should resolve that they
never would Cleveland Herald
Year: 1863

Weary and worn to askeleton form


He lay on couch ofpain,
And his wish at even, his prayer at morn,
Were to visit his home again.
He talked of his mother far away,
And he talked Of his lonely wife,
When the fever frenzied his burning head
And loosened his hold of life.
He talked of his home, the fair free land,


The home of his childhoods play,
He talked ofhis babe and the large tearsfell
A nd rolled from his cheeks away.
We told him his feet might never again
| Walk over his native sod,
But ere long they should tread the golden
streets
At home in the city of God
And we said though his eyes would never


behold
The forms of his earth's deep love,
He should wait for thcm there by the life


river fair


In the garden of beauty above.
But he wept and he talked of his burial
lone


In stranger S unnoticed bed,
That no rose by afec tons hand would be


trained


To wave DER his grave when dead.
We told him that God would mark the
/
Where all of his children lay,
And not one of his loved ones be forgot
On the resurrection day .4t,+
But he sighed and whispered, "Se long,
so long,
So many long weary years,
And my lonely wife and little one
Alone in vale of tears"
We told him the word of God had gone
forth


In truth and holiness,
As the Friend of the widows lonely life


The Guide of the fatherless.
When death had stilIed that loving heart,


Kind hands with gentle care
Had saved for her, that lonely wife,
One tress of his long bright hair
Then they wrapped the worn out soldiers


clothes


Round the martyred here's breast,
And in his rude unvarnished bed
Laid him sadly away to rest.
Not hymn was sung, not prayer wa


raised, t,
Not word of counsel said,
But the hirelings rude, uncareful hand


Piled The damp mould Ger his head.
Year: 1863

In an article briefly recounting the SER
vices Of the gallant and chivalrous COL


Cross, of New Hampshire (who was


wounded eleven times in different Vir-
ginia battles, and who finally gave his life
to the cause, in the battle of Gettysburg),


the New York Argus says:


zone act of prescription done by the
Administration in New Hampshire, is
widely known-the dismissal of Lieut.


Edgerly for voting the Democratic ticket.
In the case of Col. Cross the course of
the Republican authorities was equally
disgraceful, though not publicly known.
During the pendency of the State election
last fall Col Cross was home in New
Hampshire, invalided by wound. He
was induced to exhibit the battle-worn
banner of his regiment to the Republican
Convention, and to make a few patriotic
remarks to that body. The Republican
press at once seized upon and misrepre-
Isented his words, as an Endorsement of
their platform. This misrepresentation
was set right by the Democratic press.
fCol. Cross was at this time strongly re-
commended for promotion. He was there
upon approached by the Republican State
committee and, after a clear avewal that
the Administration was reserving the
question of appointing Brigadier- Gen
eral from New Hampshire in order to see
how officers in the line Of such promotion
would conduct themselves in the election,
the distinct proposition was made to Col.
Cross tbat if he would come out for Gill
more for Governor, and make a few
speeches to that effect, the appointment
OF Brigadier General should be his. Col
Cross treated theproposal with scorn, and
as distinctly as the offer was made declin-
ed it. But he was never partisan enough
to neglect his duties in the field, and he


took no public part in the canvass, but


was in the field with his regiment again
before the day of election. A more COM


plant Colonel was thereupon elected for
promotion, and his regiment, numbering


considerably more than that of Col Gross,


was allowed to come home, ostensibly to


recruit, but really to vote, as the Colonel


directed, for the Republican State ticket.
This part of the bargain was performed,


and the appointment of Brigadier General


was bestowed acknowledgement upon him


who had earned it by arduous and valua-


Bile services in arms, but upon him who
voted, and caused his soldiers to vote, as


the Republican State committee desired.


The infamy of the Republican leaders in


New Hampshire, and of the Administra-


ton at Washington, was completed in this


transaction.
Year: 1863

THE DIFFERENoE.-It was stated in
the Cincinnati papers the other day that
when the mother Of John Morgan applied
for permission to see her son in the city
prison, her request was denied; but the
same papers afterward gave an account OF
an interview in the prison between Nor
gan and an old negro who had formerly
belonged to his father and had run away
-,Statesmoa.
Year: 1863

/ loved her we'll, wept her sore,
And when her funeral left my door
| thought that should never more


Feel any pleasure near me glow;
But have learned, through this l had,
'Fis sometimes natural to be glad,
And no man can be always sad,


Unless he wills to have it so.
Oh, had weary nights at first,
And daily wakening was the worst:
For then my grief arose, and burst


Like something fresh upon my head (;
Yet when less keen it seemed to grow,
l was not pleased wished to go
Mourning adown this vale Of woe,


For all my life Uncontrolled
/ grudged myself the lightsome air,
That makes man cheerful unaware;
When comfort came, l did not care


To take it in, to feel it stir,
And yet God took me with his plan,
And now for my appointed span
I think am happier man


For having wed and wept for her.
Year: 1863

A CoPPERHEAD PYRAMID. Our
Union exchanges are amusing themselves
with piling up pyramid of States which
have spoken against treason, and right
noble pyramid it is. Our Copperhead
exchanges, however, have "nary" pyr-
amid, and lest they should get out of
heart on that account, we construct one
for them from the only material they have
furnished US. Here it is


New


Jer



Peoria Transcript.
Year: 1863

NATURES CHANGEs.-Every seven years,
we are told, the human body is renewed; every
particle Of which it was composed at the be
ginning of that period will have disappeared
before the end of it, and fresh matter will have
been drawn from the earth air. and water to
fll the void. So with the sea it is continually
ascending to The clouds in yapor. and descend
Ing in rain. The earth itself is subject to the
same conditions, is constantly decaying, and
must constantly be repaired. Like the pelican
of tie classic legend, it has to feed its offspring
with its own body-vegetation Of all kinds is
perpetualy preying on its vitals, and robbing
it Of lis most material essences. But when
vegetation takes its natural course, it returns
to the soil, in its decay, as much as it withdrew
when it sprang into existence, and thus new
crop is able TO find sustenauce in the ashes Q;
the old one.
Year: 1863

OSE Of the greatest novelties of the day is
due to the inventive genius of some French
fishermen, who found that by sinking bottle
containing glow-worms. q good take ofsardines
was insured, which has given rise to the use of
electric light TO invite the fish TO their nets.
Year: 1863

THERE is story current about certain
wealthy contractor, who refuses to buy cam
els-hair shawl for bis wife, on the ground that
an article of the kind would make her look
" humpy" about the shoulders.
Year: 1863

The draft at the North will prove complete
failure. .Hhe results SC far indicate that the
3OO.OO0 cannot be raised without a resort 20 o
wholesale corscription of runaway negroes
Such move has, in fact, been already inaug-
urateo, tor according to accounts which were
received here some days ago, the pegroes at
Fort Monroe, " ashjnston and other points,
have been removed to camps OF instruction to
prepare them for service. AS to white men,
they are not to be had The New York Times
of tate date IN giving the results of the draft
so far, fesents meagre ratio Of availabi les
not n1re than three or four per cent. OF the
numbsr drafted Many OF those who were
drafted sought exem otion by fight, while hund
reds escaped on some plea OF disability. The
twelve or fifteen thousand which constituted the
quota of New York city are lost to the Gov
ernment By the Communication provided by the
council and so with regard to the l.500 or q,
900 to be furnished by Brooklyn. Many oth-
er cities and towns have pursued similar pol :
ICY. In OHIO, subscriptions have been taken
up in several towns to bay off those who are
unable to provide the funds themselves, while
in the Northwestern States the people are ac-
lively drilling to resist the draft. We have go
hope OF the success OF this resort however only
SO far as il may influence the public authorities
to make provision for exemption, as has been
done in New Eork.


The burden Of the draft is destined to fall
upon the rnlserable ''conttahands, who are nei
ther IN condition to resist or to furnish COM
mutation money. Neither caa they secure ex"
emption by fight, like their white associates for
there is scarcely POINT to which they may
turn that theF are Lot met by statutory prohl-
billions which debar their entry into the differ.
ent States. They will have to hold their ground
and submit to be ''drlven like bullocks TO the
slaughter pen.''


This state of things is eminently auspicious
of future advantages to as, and we Will be in
condition to turn them to good account. lhe
fitness OF the negro tor military service Will
only be asoer.alned ben the ratio of blacks to
whites is Increased to some standard which will
caase lhe influence of that element to be felt
IN the army. When that standard is attained
and such an approximation OF numerical
strength established as will cause a modifca-
ton of the undue restraints and exposure to
which the few negroes now in service are SUBJ
iected, scenes like that which immortalized the
Yankees at MsDassas will be Of frequent occur
renee. INSTRUMENTATION will also be NO uncom'
mon feature oRmilitary life in the Yankee ar
my. The monotony of camp life will be agree
ably relieved by little incidents of moral de-
pravlty which will demand somewhat stric-
ter enforcement of the Yankee code Of morals
than has hitherto marked its application.


Rich. Whig.