smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1863




The greyhound runs BY sight only and this
we observe as fact, The carrier pigeon flies
two hundred and fifty miles homeward by
eyesight viz: from point to point Of objects
which he has marked, but this is our only
conjecture. The fierce dragon-hy, with two
thousand lenses in his eyes, darts from angle
to angle with the rapidity of flashing sword
and as rapidly darts bacl5--not turning in the
air, but with clash reversing the action Of
his four wings, and instantaneously calculating
the distance Of the objects or he would dash
himself to pieces. But IN what conformation
Of his does this consist? No one can answer.


A cloud of ten thousand gnats dance up
and down in the sun-the niinutest interval
between them-yet no one knocks another
headlong on the grass, or breaks head, or a
wing, long and delicate as they are. Sud
denly-amidst your admiration of this match
less dance-a peculiar high-shoulderedT vi
cions gnat with a long, pendant nose, darTs
out of the rising and falling cloud, and settling
on your cheek, inserts a poisonous sting. What
the little wretch to do this No
one knows.


A horse coach comes suddenly upon flock
Of geese on narrow road, and drives straight
through the middle Of them. A goose was
never yet fairly run over, nor duck. They
are under the very wheels and hoofs, and yet
they contrive somehow to flap aud waddle
safely of. HabituaIly stupid, heavy, and in
dolent they are, nevertheless, equal to any
Why does the lonely woodpeck-
sr when he descends his tree and goes to
drink, stop several times on his way--listen
and look arOund-before hetaEes bis draught7
No one knows,
Year: 1863

THE following suggestions condensed
from an article in the Mark Lane Express
(England,0 will apply equally well Oh
this side the Atlantic. Land, naturally y
poor, or temporarily reduced in fertility
by over-cropping, requires thick seeding.
Soil in low condition can not force vege-
tatiOn to any extent, therefore little OF
no tillering takes place. Consequently
each kernel will produce but one stem,
and when thickly seeded no more are ro-
quired or can find room to grow. The
opposite of this is the case With rich soil.
The increase by tilIering will far exceed
the difference made in the quality of the
seed generally put on. Suppose five
bushels of oats per acre arc to be sown
on poor land, and two bushels on good
soil. If each plant of the latter should
throw out three tillering stems there
would be a heavier yield than on the
thickly seeded portion. But where the
tillering process is. fully developed as on
the wheat plant in rich ground, the aver
age will far exceed three collateral stems.
Of course, every allowance should be
made for liability to loss from other
causes, as worms, insects, unfavorable
weather, etc.
Year: 1863

A LETTER writer and an admirer of
General Stoneman, as an evidence that
he is one of the best and boldest cavalry
officers in the army, relates that when a
Lieutenantin in California some years since,
on being challenged to do SO by lady
friend he ascended the front steps, rode
into her parlor, turned round and came
out, as he said he could, "without ever
soiling the carpet"
Year: 1863

1HE OOnSIGuJlOn, alLeI COuIeTIlng SeY
t eral weIl-defned political powers upol
! the Federal Government, declares tina
? all political powers are reserved to tn,
States or the people; and it further Sc
cures to every citizen certain inalienabl,


rights of person and property, which i


recognizes as inherent in the citizen for
ever, beyond all possible control of thai
government Now, does any one suppose


that it was done without a serious pur,


pose2 Does any man imagine that il


was done for what is yulgarly called


" Buncombe 2" Do you believe that il


was done with mental reservation of the


doctrine of public necessity standing be-


hind the Constitution, and ready to strike


it down from its supreme control over us


and our affairs Let me suggest to you,


that you connot study the Constitution


and the purposes of the great generation


who made it, without seeing that the


very object of all this careful provision


for rights that we're placed beyond the


reach of the Central Government was to


exclude forever this doctrine of PUBLIC


NECESSITY as a measure of the powers


that were conferred upon that govern


ment. I use this language deliberately.
I affirm that when the Constitution re-
peated the words of Magma Charta, not
as statute, but as a fixed principle of
fundamental law, and declared that "no
person shall be deprioed of life, liberty or
property, aoithout due process Of la0," it
meant to make a rule for all time and all
circumstances, shutting the door forever
against any supposed public necessity for
violating the rights of the citizen. In
like manner I affirm that when the Con-
stitution reserved to the States or the
people all political powers not granted to
the Federal Government, it meant to pre-


clude every ground of necessity for the
assumption by that Government of the
powers withheld.


In fact, the idea of a written Constitu-
tiOn-a fixed and supreme LAWS utter
ly irreconcilable with the theory that the
Administration of such "A government
can resort to their own judgment of pub
lie necessity, and act contrary to the su-
preme law, and that good citizenship re-
quires the people to acquiesce in that
judgment They who set up such claims
for our rulers claim for them an entirely
irresponsible power. We arc required,
for example, to believe that what are
called arbitrary arrests" are necessary,
but no one explains the grounds of that
No account Is rendered. We
are to assume the existence of causes of
justification, but no one tells what those
causes are. They may remain forever
locked in the bosoms of those who do
the acts of which we complain. Why
should American citizens, filing high
places of public trust act upon such
as this? Can anything be more
degrading, more injurious to the public.
of people than to form
habit of implicit belief in the existence
Of necessities which nobody explains, and
Of which nobody is required to give an
You may hear hundred men
N day speaking of some particular
case Of this kind, profess its necessity,
md not one man in the whole hundred
IAN tell you what the military necessity
Vas.-George TTcEnor Curtis.
Year: 1863




IHEvE beautiful home
Beside the freshest sea,
And angels are wont to come
On neighbOrly visits to nc.
They come in the morning grey;
They come in the evening red;
They walk with me by day,
And at night sit round my bed.
I've an orchard smoothly liinbed,
And cattle sleek and clean
A garden neatly trimmed,
And lawn forever green.
And the house within is sweet
AS milk yet warm in the pail;
There's the sound ofchildren's feet,
But never Of chIldren's vail
And the chamber where I sleep
Is a perfect eastward ROOM
There the mornings earliest peep
With an odor of elover-bloom;
Ny study the danticst nook
On the wall no idle mark
And if I want book
can find it in the dark.
When neighbors of heat complain
There is GOODNESS in my hall;
And no matter how hard the rain,
A sunbeam ca nay wall
I've nothing TO do but enjoy;
Work does itself in my plan;
I live like needless boy
And dread to be a man
I see the night draw on,
And the sweet stars open their eyes
see the morning dawn
Without thought Of SURPRISE
see my cattle fed
In the pastures deWy green;
see men moving the mead,
And believe that have seen.
Such is my beautiful home,
Beside beautiful sea,
Where angels are wont to come
On daily visits to me.


The Century
Year: 1863

MR.JACoB BARKER, of New Orleans.
has lately distinguished himself by Civ
ing every newsbOy in the city new hat.
He promises to do even better, and pre-
sent each boy with a new suit of clothes
Year: 1863

WHEN Colonel Grierson was passing
near jackson, lady applied to him for
protection for her property. He assured
her that he was not after property, "but
was running for Governor, and just call
ed to keep his appointment"
Year: 1863

chains of servitude. The gallant
foreigners who have sustained rs
in this pious struggle are all enti-
tied TO the common boon OF Ii berty.
But no foreigner who comes among
us after the struggle is over should
ever enjoy the elective franchise.
If we cannot check the spread over
our territory ofthat spawn of igno-
rance and crime which flows in end
less issue from the prisons and dens
of corruption in the mar:s Of Eu-
rope, we can at least shut out its
cankering effects from the vitals of
our body polite. We sadly need,
too, n property qualification for
native as we'll as foreign. 1t is
hardly necessary 10 repeat the trite
argument of the greater Interested
ness of the property-holder In the
successful administration Of gov
ernment, than of him who has moth &.
Ing dt STAKE we shodiu
have two additional qualifications
OF character for office. Offices are
too easily obtained. There is too
much room for demagoguism,
fraud, and corruption. Extremists
il politics should be stunned as the
originetors OF partisan rancor and
sectional strife. Finally, We
should curtail the number OF off
GERS elective by the people. These,
and we might suggest others, are
some Of the features in social or
ganism which have occurred to us
as sadly needing alteration.
Year: 1863

Southern idea Of fGovcrnment--IIatrc


of AristOcracy.


From the Southern (Richmond) Literary


Messenger.


DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS MUST
De ERADrcATED-PRopERrY Quar-
FIcATIoN.-The South is now en-
gagged in a death struggle with a
radical democracy, the willing in
strument of consolidation in the
hands Of all abolition oligarchy.
That benign institution of slavery,
which it is now the pride and glo
ry Of the South to ascribe to the
Divinity, and which war has pro-
ven to be, next to the devoted pat
riotism and undaunted resolution
of her sons, the great element OF
power in the Confederacy, will
prove in preventing a too heavy in
tlux from foreign shores of that
class of population devoted to me-
NAL pursuits, another bulwarA
against the encroachments of those
tendencies to Democracy, which
have been the Pandora's box of dis
integration and ruin to all repub-
lies. Confederate in form may
our government be Confederate in
fact Republican in name, let it
not be Democratic in reality.
First of all we should ever keep
before US, as the essential feature
in the image ofperfect government,
the State Rights theory. That,
rigidly adhered to, will avert the
danger of Capitalization of power.
Secondly, let us seek at once TO
eradicate every vestige of radical
democracy, every feature tending
to make ours popular government,
making it subject only TO the intel
llgent ald virtuous, and those. who
are interested in its successful ad-
ministration.


One among the most important
subjects claiming our attention will
he the standard of citizenship
Whea the struggle for independence
is finished, the door of our Janus
closes in token of the termination
of the bloody strife, and the laurels
OF victory intwine the brow of the
youthful Con'edersey, we cannot
forget the duty of gratitude, and
deny the fullest privilege of citi-
zenship to any OF the noble heroes
who have rescued us from the
Year: 1863

are infinite troubles and infinite diff
culties in special Christian expert
cnce. arising from ignorance of this
fundamental and universal fact, that
religious feelings in their foundation
are natural feelings. Although they
have an element of the divine in their
excitat on, yet at the base they are
natural. They are provided for just
as thought is: just as emotion is; just
as every effect is that is q product
of the body-hdependent
Year: 1863

Mutual FoRBEARASoI - The
house will be kept'in turmoil where
there is no liberation of each 9th
er's errors. lf you lay single
stick of wood in The CRATE and ap-
ply fire to it, it will 20 out; put on
another stick, and they will burn;
and hak a dozen, aad you will havo
blaze. There are other fires Of
kindred nature. If one member
Of family gets into passion, and
is let alone, he will cool down, and
possibly be ashamed and repent
But oppose temper, pile on the fuel;
draw in others Of the group, and
let Ole harsh answer be followed
by another. and there will soon be
a blaze which will enwrap them
all.
Year: 1863

1t is curious TO see how much
more anxious some people are To
find fault with the government than
the rebels. To hear them talk one
would imagine that 'our waywa'd
sisters were only induigIng IN a
little harmless escapade, white the
government was engaged in grand
conspiracy for the overthrow OF
our Liberties.
Year: 1863

CAN THE PREsrprxr RECALL MS
PROCLAMATION OF FRrrpoM ? -
Since this question which ought
never TO have been made question
at all-has. however. been lately
started and widely discussed. We
give tie views of Secretary Blair
on the subject:


"The Proclamation to the slaves
to weaken the enemy commits the
nation irrevocably to make good
the pledge by the utmost exhibitions
OF its power. 1t not only creates
an obligation TO lie bondsmen
whose action it is meant 10 control.
but is an implied pledge Of honor
to the foreign powers whose con-
duct it is designed TO influence.
That measure which as Command
er-in-chief the President rightiuliy
adopted under the Constitution and
in accordance with national law.
to obtain the cooperation of a
whole race OF people, and which
involves both lie and freedom in
its results when proclaimed, was
beyond revocation by either the
civil or military authority of the
nation. The people once slaves
in the Rebel States can never
again be recognized rs such by the
United States. No judicial decis-
ion, no legislative action. state or
national, can be admitted to re.en-
slave a people who are associated
with our own destinies in this war
of defense to save the Government,
and whose manumission was deem
ed essential to tie restoration and
preservation OF the Union, and TO
its permanent peace"
Year: 1863

There is nothing like courage in
misfortune. Next to faith in God.
and in his overruling Providence,
a mans faith in himself is his own
salvation. Ii is the secret OF all
power and success. IL makes a
man strong as the pillared iron or
elastic as the springing steel
Year: 1863




WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL ExHIBITIoN.--Ae-
tive preparations are going forward for the
coming Exhibition of the West Side High
School, which comes off at the School bnild-
ing on the evening of the 9th inst. Besides
the literary exercises, number of very fine
tableaux are being prepared. The tableau Of
Laua Rookh, at the recent exhibition at the
Academy of Music, which was gotten up by
ladies of the West Side, fully established
their excellence and taste in such matters.
An admission fee of fifty cents will be
charged, and the entire proceeds given to the
West Side Relief Fund. It is intended to
render the exercises SO interesting that they
viii bear repetition upon another evening.


Our West Side citizens have gone vigorous
Iy to work to afford relief to such families of
absent soldiers in their midst as are needy.
A suitable organization has been effected for
the purpose Of systematizing efforts for rails
ing means, and for the proper distribution Of
the same. All take eommendable interest
in the success of the undertaking, and any
enterprise having for its design the increase
of the Relief Fund Qike the exhibition above
referred toy will not fail to meet with hearty
support.


It should hardly be called charity for US
who remain at home to give in aid of SOL
diers' families. It is due the brave men who
are enduring hardship and suffering, and Civ
ing blood and life in defense of the country
and Of our homes, that their families should
be kept from want during their absence.
Then let US give cOuntensnce and support to
every enterprise in behalf of the soldiers or
] their families.
Year: 1863

A NEW CoUETERFEIT.-A counterfeit S.
note of the New Castle County Bank, of the
State of Delaware, has been put in eircula-
ton; rural scene with a farmer, dog in
front and two houses in the back ground. At
the bottom of the note is the seal of the State
of Delaware on each side the letter V, and
the figure 5 on all four corners.
Year: 1863

NEW STAXPs.-The new style of three cent
postage is being Issued. The die is the old
one, but they are printed in brown color on
dark buff coIOrod paper, and are somewhat
like in color the Eve cent postage currency.
Year: 1863

Papers and Periodicals For the


SOfdiers-Free.


There is mnch need at the present time
Of a postal law permitting all periodicals
and newspapers to 60 free to the army
Such law as this would fill the camps of our
brave volunteers with interesting reading
matter and while the tedious hours of camp
life away with the news from home and
fhe literature of the day. Every thing
that Legislation can reasonably do should
be done to make our soldiers happy and
contented. Homesickness and heartsick-
ness the frequent cause of disease among
the soldiers would scarcely be known in
the camps fplenty of good reading and
the news, of the day were attainable. Un.
der the new postal law no postmaster is
allowed to deliver from his Office any pa
pers or periodicals until the postage is
paid. All through tho North newspaper
publishers and friends of soldiers send to
the army papers and reading matter, but
it 50 seldoms reaches its Destination tha!
the donors are discouraged and do not
send one hundredth part As many as they
would send did they know that their SOL
dier friends would receive them. Papers
that are sent, 60 as far as there is mail com.
munication and at the last Office, because
the postage is not paid very few of the pa.
pers 60 any farthsr. This should be rem
edied. The law should also compel post
masters at the end ofthe route and where
the letters are delivered to the army mes
sengsr, to deliver all papers, periodicals
and reading matter in such ! manner that
it will reach its destination. We do not
like to dwell upon this subject, but, much
might be said. All can readily see the
advantage arising from law of this char.
acter. Our paper is too 'small potatoes"
to attract the attention of Legislators 20 an
idea of this kind, but if some large and
influential journal would take it up and
advocate it, it would attract attention and
beneficial law grow therefrom.
Year: 1863

Beast Butler in his recent New
York speech and palaver said: who
ever believes in God, must believe in
our ultimate victory" Whoever be-
lieves there's a hell must believe it
was made for such men as Butler.
Year: 1863

The Abolition press is at its old game Of try
ing to prejudice the public mind against our
Irish and German fellow-citizens, by charging
upon them the rotous proceedings in New York
and other cities of the Union. Why they do
this is easily understood The Irish and Ger
mans, as general thing are Democrats, having
fled from tyranny in the old world to enjoy lib
erty in the new, and it would be passing strange
indeed if they did not fraternize with that po-
litical party here which has always been the
friend OF freedom and equality. But that they
as body, are more disorderly or riotous than
other portions of our citizens, or that they are
less warmly attached to the Union than the ma
tive born, we utterly deny. On the contrary,
they are industrious and frugal, and thousands
of them have sealed their devotion to our free
institutions with their hearts blood on the blood
battlefield of this and every other war in
which the country has been engaged.


1t will not do, therefore, for the adherents OF
the present National Administration to attempt
a revival of the defunct and exploded Know
Nothing party of l854-5. Nor will it do to
charge our Catholic fellow citizens with being
lawless and riotous, in view of the Native A.
merican riots in 1914 which disgraced Phila-
delphia. Those who live in glass houses should
be careful not to throw stones, is the old adj
age, and it would be well if our Abolition op.
ponents would profit by the lesson. We are
opposed to every species of mob law and vio-
lence come from what quarter they may; but
Year: 1863

That portion Of the National Debt which is
represented by bonds and notes is telegraphed
from Washington to have been. on the 1st Of
July, within small fraction of ELEVEN
HUNDRED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
But this does not embrace any of the claims
for which mere certificates of indebtedness have
been issued, nor any part of the very large a.
mount due on every variety of claims against
the Government, adjusted and unadjusted, due
and maturing. All these doubtless amount to
several hundred millions more, and, altogether,
they form any thing else than pleasing refec-
tion to the taxpayers of the country. If the
war continues another year, the public debt
will be at least 1too Thousand Millions Of Dol
iarsl-Who can begin to realize the immensity
of this sum, and how is it ever to be paid p
lancaster Iqtell,qencer.
Year: 1863

The gentleman who has been trying the ex-
pertinent Of sounding the river Niagara below
the Falls writes as follows sAnother attempt
was made with similar iron of about ten
pounds weight, attached to No. 3 wire, all
freely suspended, SO as not to impede the fall
of the weight. then let the weight fall from
the bridge, at the height of 225 feet. 1t struck
the surface fairly, with the point down, must
have sunk to some depth, but was no longer out
of sight than one second, when it made its ap-
pearance again on the surface, about one hundred
feet down the stream and skipped along like a
chip until it was checked by the wire. We
then commenced hauling in slowly, which made
the iron bounce like ball, when cake of ice
struck it and ended the SPORT am satisfied
that no metal has sufficient specific gravity to
pierce that current, even with momentum of
225 feet The velocity of the iron when stri-
king must have been 124 feet per second, and
consequently its momentum was 5000 pounds.
Its surface exposed to the current, was about
so superficial inches. This will give an idea oi
the strength of the current, and at the same
time hint at the Titan forces that have been
at work to scoop out the bed of the Niagara
river"
Year: 1863

AN AcroR's SrRArAGEM.--An eminent ira
gedian, now deceased, was once locked up in q
room at the rear Of theatre, to keep him in q
proper condition till he was called to 60 on the
stage. One door Of the apartment opened on
the street. and, while looking through the key
hole, be saw man passing, and calling him mp
to the door, he pushed crown through crack,
and instructed him to 60 to the public house, at
the opposite corner, and procure pint Of gin
and a clay pipe, promising to reward him for
his trouble. The man did as he directed, and,
when he returned with the articles the actor
told him to stick the stem Of the pipe through
the key hole and pour the gin carefully into the
bowl. These instructions the accommodating
individual also followed, and the result was
that, when the manager called to notify the
prisoner that it was time to dress for his part,
he found him in happy frame of mind, but not
at all in condition calculated to add to him
fame as an actor.-Eaghsh Paper.