smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

dian and Northern mind. Nothing could please
us better if it could be done, and done wisely
and not wildly. Whatever be the issue, we
are bound to learn the virtue of waiting, and
our revolutionary neighbors that of trying.
Meanwhile, it may strike close observers Of the
Cuban mystery that there are, indeed, few
grains of truth in the rumor of the secret de-
sire of Spain to sell. Rather in proof OF the
desperation of the Spanish cause was the fact
that the Home Government had been urged
months ago to arm generally the blacks of the
island and now, though Gen. Dulce is pro-
claiming conquest, we take it that the
poor purse of Spain is enfeebling her
sword. Either the Captain General, for o
wonder, s.r:ScS:.ks the precise truth, or this
is .he fact of the case. The loss of Cuba as 1T
is, is not, of course, the greatest which the
Mother Country could morally sustain. The
irrevocable alienation of the island would be a
loss unquestiOnably to oppression, Bourbonism'
official stupidity, and robbery and terrorism
all maintained in Spanish politics by nothing
so much as the school of Incidence and plum
der erected in Cuba as an asylum for Span
ish incurabIes. But the republic In Spain
would bo comparatively the gamer. The
strength which she has not to spare would be
returned to her own body to the braclng up
of freedom, instead of being wasted on an
irremediably injured province. The downfall
of her power in the Western World might
prove crushing blow to all those elements OF
dominant disorder and disease which have
brought about the ruin of her fairest posses
sions. If Spain is only taught how to govern
herself, Cuba is well lost.
Year: 1869

The dubious announcement that Mr. Bout
well hesitates to enter upon a clear definite
policy Of employing the Governments surplus
to reduce its liabilities and its annual burden
of interest is received with cxultation by all
those who wish TO put up the premium on
Gold and postpone TO the utmost the return
to Specie Payments. They hail it as an evil
dence that the Secretary is weak and vacllla-
ting, and that he can be bullied and backed
down whenever they shall deem it advisable
to make the necessary effort.


We firmly believe them mistaken. Mr.. Bout
well is yet new to the grave responsibilities Of
his Office, and may possibly evince the trepidn-
tion of novice; but he will soon realize that
he has to choose between going afoot or on
horseback, and that, if he shrinks from riding,
he will assuredlY be ridden. He must give the
law to the gold gamblers and stock manipula-
tors or allow them to dictate to him and he
will find the former by much the more honor
able and useful relation. 1t may seem difficult
at the outset; but Salmon p. Chase in the
Treasury did not hesitate to face that difficulty.
and it is every way better that Mr.. b. should
not.


Are we TO march straight on to National sol



National DeJtP This is the practical question.
Mr.. Boutwell, has a bounteous Revenue and
larger Surplus than any Finance Minister of an
indebted Government ever carried from year to
year as has here been done. Our War Debt
was, for the most part, wisely and with states
manlike foresight, so funded that, though tho
Government need not pay it till it had run
twenty years, it might pay it after five years.
The purpose was avowed and palpable
to enable the Treasury, after Peace.
to fund ut a lower rate of interest. Yet the
five years have expired on many Millions of
the Debt and we are still paying six per cent.
thereon. 1t is a shame that we do it-a con-
fession Of impotence and defeat A great,
honest, unselish financier in the Treasury, un-
less thwarted by Congress, should have so
managed that every one of these Five-Twenties,
the moment the FIVE years elapsed, would have
been converted into five per cent. running ten
years, or n four per cent. running forty or fifty
years. We think Mr.. McCulOch is a good deal
richer and the country far poorer than if this
had been accomplished.


Mr.. Boutwell, can so manage the National
Finances that capitalists shall be soliciting as
favor that we sell them short Five Per Cents
or long FOurs at par, and allow them to con-
vert their Five-Twentes into a'Four Per Cent.
Consol or o short Five rather than compel
them to take the gold for their bonds on which
the fve-years' option has matured or is ma
turing. To do this, he has but to make Gold
plentv and Bonds scarce. The means are in
his hands; has he the ability and the nervo to
use them steadily. firmly. Dersstently ! We
Year: 1869

Mr. Sumner is credited with the opinion, by
no means novel, that il the Cuban war goes
on tho island will be q waste. We have ut
tered that text any time in the last three
months, and the war keeps due on, and Cuba
is becoming more and more desert in such parts
as the war oveuides. In the southeastern
part of the island, in the large district known
as Camaguey, and IN the later theater of war
round about the jurisdiction of Villaclara, a
very great number of sugar-mills have doubt
less been destroyed. About the disposition Of
either side in the war to burn and lay waste
there is no question now, and all that is needed
to verify the common apprehension that the
island will be ruined is that the war shall con
tinue to its end A speck of news makes it
appear that Secretary Fish would be willing
to buy it out for two millions. That is not
too high bid but of course we have no idea
that our premier has gone into bargaining
At the figures cited the Cubans could pur-
chase themselves and sell again with profit
But the islanders have shown q disposition
to struggle which is above price, and may now
be more earnest in wishing to prolong the fight
than Spain can be in her half-professed desire
not to sell. We may hear some day whether
Gen. Dulce makes good his word that the
island is virtually conquered or whether price
has been put upon it. Senor Roberts may then
inform us but if he knows no more about the
matter than he knows respecting the army
of Spain, we shall consider him untrtlst-
worthy. He is reported as saying that there
are but $4,000 Spaniards under arms in Cuba,
whereas we feel almost statstcally sure that,
in volunteers garrisons and troops in the field,
there are three or four times TINT number
The several lying organs Of the Government
in Havana say seven and eight times, for which
reason alone we are glad that Schor Roberts is
moderate and modest II he errs. he errs self
disparagingly and therein commits fault
which, for the Castilian credit, leans to virtues
side.


Mr. Wendell Phillips, it appears, cherishes
the faith that it is not best for Cuba TO at-
tempt her annexation until she has essayed the
experiment of a West Indian confederation.
Whether trOpic growths in politics arc so rank
as to dwarf or kill this virgin idea is 1ues-
tiOn that will suggest itself to the general In
Year: 1869

The completion of the Pacific Railroad is the
loudest hint which the South has yet received
to practically reconstruct herself without delay.
1t signifies that the Far West will grow if the
South will not, and that the superabundant
forces which flow in and over the North may
be diverted from the South if they find no
welcome there There is no need to tell us
what great country it is for the agriculturist,
no need to say what rich temptations many of
its lands offer the emigrant how cheap farms
and plantations still are, how easy it is for
every poor man to acquire a homestead there,
and how much everybody is wanted. The
paramount business of our recOnstructing
brethren is to assure themselves and lis that
labor and capital, and the opinions of labor
and capital, can find themselves at home there
rs well as anywhere else. The South has made
progress, we doubt not; let it now take another
stride toward repopulation and general thrift.
Year: 1869

We are not slow to express our gratitude to
Mr.. COrcOran for the generous gift which he
has just made TO the American people. He
has added his name to the long list Of his
cOuntrymen who have bestowed of their
wealth to give opportunities for education and
culture to all who bear the American name or
dwell upon American soil. And it may not be
ungraceful to add that by this munifcent
action he has done much to atone for his
indifference-tO use no stronger term-during
our National struggle for Liberty and Unity.
1t may not be amss to remind both Mr.
COrcOran and Mr.. BelmOnt-which latter gen.
tleman has added to Mr.. Corcorans gift a
splendid suppement-that if they had had
their wish there would now have been no
American people to thank them for their
somewhat tardy unselfshness. But we prefer
not to dwell upon such reflections. In this
dawn of peace and good will, when that
Saxon common sense which has so often saved
us is now saving us again, and the South is
waking up to the fact that her prosperity is
indissolubly joined to that of the North, let us
have only praise and thanks for the men who
have added this beautiful link to the chain
that binds us all together.
Year: 1869

Removing a cOaling station from st. Thomas
to the Bay of Samana for ecOnOmy's sake has
an innocent and matter-of-fact look; and
economy is a very good thing, and very proper
it is of our Navy Department to begin some
display of it. But the world is not likely to
forget that for many years we have been cast
ing enviOus eyes upon Samana, nor that Presi-
dent Baez has of late been casting envious eyes
upon our Treasury surplus. Let us have no
land or harbOr speculation inaugurated under
this economical guise. We have quit the pur-
chase of outlying islands; and may before long
be paying rewards to induce some of them to
stay away from us.
Year: 1869

The Treasury Gold balance is reported this
morning at one hundred and seven millions
We read in another report that Gold is adj
vancing under manipulations of the Ring in
tended to frighten Mr.. Boutwell, into abandon
ing his purpose to buy up bonds. Whether
the situation offers ground for fear, or whether
fear to obey plain law is an admissible feeling
in its sworn officer, are questions worthy the
Secretary's consideration.
Year: 1869

The Russian Government is said to have
under consideration new plan for the reor-
ganization of the Roman Catholic Church
throughout the Empire. For long time every
measure of the Russian Government with re-
gard to the Roman Catholic Church or to Po-
land has been an act of barbarism, unworthy
of the civilization of the nineteenth century,
and there is reason to fear that the new plan
will in no respect he better than the previous
onaa
Year: 1869

The great question of Sprague which has
distracted the usually peaceful Mayoralty can
vass in Providence, and unsettled the diges-
ton of all Rhode Island, grew either very
plain or very mysterious, last night when the
Sprague candidate withdrew. We cannot pre-
tend now to determine which Interpretation to
put upon it, but we can tell better when we
see whether the Democratic or the anti
Sprague Republican candidate is to-day elected.
Year: 1869

passionate anger of which the beginnings are
SO graphically traced in the letters from our
London Correspondent, printed elsewhere that
there may be some reason for delaying full
belief i'm IT,
Year: 1869

A man from the countryinvested
five cents in the purchase of or
ange, and preparatory to getting
himself outside Of it, threw the
peel on the sidewalk. Soon after a
young woman came along, slipped
upon the peel and fell, breaking
her leg. The woman was to have
been married next day, but wasn't.
The man who was to marry her
had come from St. Paul, Minneso-
ia, and was obliged to return on ac-
count Of business, to await the re-
covery of the girl. On his way
back he unfortunately took q train
on The Erie Railroad, which ran off


the track, and his shoulder blade
was broken, forcing him to stop at
Dunkirk for repairs. On getting
back to St. Paul he found that his
forced absence had upset busi-
ness arrangement, which he in
tended to complete, at pecuniary
loss to him of SIS, 900. Meantime
the injured girl suffered a relapse,
which so enfeebled her health that
her marriage was delayed, which
had a bad effect upon the young
man, and he finally broke up the
engagement and married a widow
in Minnesota with four small chill
dren. This so worked upon the
mind of the girl that she is now in
the insane hospital at Middleton.
Her father, outraged by the con-
duet Of the young man, brought a
suit for breach of promise, and has


Just recovered $4,000. The
anxiety and expense of the whole


affair thus far has been enormous,


as anybody can see. Similar ca
ses are liable to occur, so long as


people will persist in throwing or


ange peel around loose.-Haryo9,a


(C0nn.) Courant.
Year: 1869

One day when his lordship had
driven to the House in the vehicle
of his own invention, which Rob-
inson, the coachmaker, had christ.
ened after him. be was met in the
robing-room by the Duke of We'll
ington, who, after a low bow, &C
costed hin:


81 have always hitherto lived
under the impression that your
lordship will go down to posterity
as the great apostle Of education,
the emancipation of the negro, the
restorer of abused charities, the
reformer of the law; but no-you
will hereafter be known as the in
yen1or of carriage"


"And l, my lord Duke, have al
ways been under the delusion that
your grace would be remembered
as the hero Of a hundred battles,
the liberator of Europe, the con-
queror of Napoleon; but no
your grace will be known as the
inventor of a pair of boots"


''Confound the boots / had for
gotten them. You haye the best
of it."
Year: 1869

MY early friend, now is it we'll


To smile when Fortune smiles,
And frown when Fortune sounds the kpe
Of all my bravest tolls ?
Come, is it well to clod thine eye,


And turn thy face from me,
And in cold silence pass me by,


When all the insects see ?
0 for the generous morns of youth,


When fortune was no bar,
When we two, like twin-souls of truth,
Flashed like single star
When each for each would rush to fight
Against the banded foe;
Content to know but one delight,


And own single woe.
But, early friend, my early friend,
Some sands are yet to run;
And no mans fortune hath an end
Until his life be done.
Why, fate itself may yet relent


At mercy's strong appeal;
Will, then, thy doubling heart repent
Thy GOODNESS uncongeal?
| care not for the common frown,
The common worlds neglect;
No lesser man can stare me down
With fortunes grand effect.
But thou, to join the baser rout,
Thine ancient friend to ban!
Great God, defend me from the doubt
That there is truth in man.
Year: 1869

There is a difference between a
woman Of nerve and a nervous
woman. A fine specimen of the
former is Madame Frere-Orbon,
wife of the Belgian ,diplomatist.
She won her husband by a noble
piece of strategy, which required
no little OF that quality usually
called nerve. The lady was
heiresS to the house of Orban,
in which there was unlimited mon
ey. Her father regarded Frere as
an adventurer, as, indeed, he had
at that time only just past his ex-
animation for the bar. The
young lady, if she had been of the
nervous sort, would of course have
let the paternal opposition dis.
solve her into an impalpable mist
of sighs and tears. Instead OF
that, however, she one evening
called her lover to the box at the
opera where she and her father
were together, and when he en-
tered she arose and kissed him, in
full view of the whole audience.
After that they never heard their
father make any more opposition
to their marriage, and he, taking
their family name, became Frere-
Orban.
Year: 1869

Among the attendants at the
City Hotel, New Orleans, is q
most urbane and accomplished
waiter, whose private history is
unique. He is a royal prince, and
until lately was the ruler of one
of those principalities which, by
the decree of Prussia, was abol-
ished in Germany, and absorbed
in the empire. No place of pro-
tessorship or other intellectual en-
ployment was opened to his tai
ent. So he calmly accepted the
fate that came to him, and thus
it occurs that he is now a waiter
in the City Hotel.
Year: 1869

A MERITED DISAPPOINTMENT
A singular case is reported in one
of our exchanges. Forty years
ago a blooming young girl of six
teen married an old man of sixty
for his money, expecting that he
would soon die and leave her a
wealthy young widow. "Hope
deferred maketh the heart sick, /"
and last week the lady died at the
respectable age of fifty six, leaving
a husband aged one hundred, and
four children to mourn her loss.
Year: 1869

The daughter Of a wealthy and
respectable citizen of New York.
was recently sent to the State
Prison for grand larceny, third
ofense. Her crimes are attribu,
ted TO uncomfortable VioiOusnese,
Year: 1869

CALL 10 HEAR.-"That you be-
lieve you have call to preach is
all very well, as far as it goes"
said an old doctor Of divinity to a
theological student. "But," he
added. .'we must wait and see
whether the people think they
have a call to hear you"
Year: 1869

Last evening the greatest living American
tragedian made his appearance for the second
time in this city before one of the finest audi
ences ever assembled in City Hail. The audi
ence, composed as it was of the refined and ed
ucated, was one of which any actor might we'll
be proud, and We could only regret that Edwin
Booth should consider his own genius and
ability sufficient attraction without the aid
OF actors of fair talent for a support. Of
Booths Hamlet we have nothing to add to
what we have said before. 1t is creation that
will be handed down to posterity, with the act
ing of his father of Macready, of the KEN
bles and of Kean. A late writer has said we'll
and properly Of him sit is an honor to us to en-
tertain 30 great an artist, and we hope that no
man or woman, either of culture or sensibility,
failed last night to add to the riches of memo
ry Booths magnificent Interpretation of the
greatest dramatic poem.' We regret extreme
iy that previ GUS engagement of the hall pre-
vented his appearing for three more evenings
in characters which he has never personated in
Portland, and especially that our citizens are
not afforded an opportunity to witness him in
what we consider one of his best parts, that of
Sir Giles Ooverreach in ga New Way to Paw
Old Debts" We hope that Mr.. Booth may re-
turn again before long. and that whAn he d'"es
he will honor himself more by the selection of
a corps dramatique who have some idea of what
good acting is. With the exception of "pass-
ing fair" Horatio, Polonius, Grave Digger and
Ophelia, the rest were unworthy of a second
class theatre.


We think all present last evening will admit
how inappropriate CITY Hall is for theatrical
performances. The poverty of scenery, the
ridiculous furling and unfurling of the scenes,
the crowding of Hamlet and his friends against
the canvas by the ghost, the continued tramp
tramp behind the scenes, drowning some of the
finest passages of the play, the slamming of
doors, the continued state of turmoil and con-
fusion which distracted attention, all go to
prove that public hall is decidedly not the
place for the enjoyment of bistrionic perform
ances.
Year: 1869

LECTURE ON UTAH.-Judge Kingsbury VIII
deliver lecture on "Mormonism" and his
visit to Utah, on Wednesday evening next, in
the New Jerusalem Temple. AL who had the
Measure of listening to the Judge on Califor-
mia fortnight ago will not fail to attend, and
we advise all who wish to be highly enter
tanned as will as instructed to be sure and be
present. The proceeds will go for the benefit
of the S. p Society.
Year: 1869

PoLIcE.-Two brothers named Clark were
arrested by Marshal SWEET yesterday on COM
plant of a man who stated that while he was
asleep in the barracks they stole his watch
Several drunks also on hand.
Year: 1869

This princess is stated by the Austrian
journals to have been for the last fortnight
unable to leave her bed. Her mental
faculties are in state of the most painful
excitement, while slow fever is wearing
away her bodily strength. Her eyes have
O fixed and vacant stare. She speaks con-
stantly of Mexico, describes the habits and
customs of the inhabitants, the beauty and
original aspect of the towns and haciandas,
with considerable beauty of language. She
addresses her husband as though he were
alive, producing the impression on a
listener of speaking in her sleep, yet her
eyes are open. The unfortunate princess
is still under the impression that she is in
danger of being poisoned, and will only
swallow food offered to her by the Queen
of Belgium, her sister in-law. For the last
few months the princess appeared TO have
completely recovered her reason. For days
together, and even for weeks, no sign OF
mental alteration could be discovered
She wrote letters in which the lucidity OF
her ideas and the deiicacy and tact of her
sentiments were remarkable. She devoted
herself to the young Prince Royal with the
most tender solicitude, and after his death
exclaimed, "Poor child, at last you have
gone to rejoin my mother. Soon it will be
my turn to rejoin you
Year: 1869

=. We believe there was never before 80
large an area Of country in wheat at this
season as low. and that sowed last fall is
looking remarkably well. Unless some
disastrous blight shall yet be experienced,
we shall harvest more wheat in 1869 than
in any former year. And on all this At
lantic slope a very large breadth has al
ready been sown to spring grain, while
much land is now in course Of preparation
for Indian corn. Cur orchards are just
bursting into bloom, and the promise OF
ruit-especially Of peaches is remarkably
good. Cur meadows and pastures are be-
ginning to feel the need of long, warm,
gentle rain The last two or three weeks
have been very favorable to spring work,
but grass does not start as it should fol
want of soaking rain. Clouds gather to
little purpose and disappear and few
more hot, bright days, will shorten oul
hay crop disastronsly. We want rain.


New York Tribune
Year: 1869

he entered islchmo on the extreme right
OF Grant $ line. With all this, thus briefly
recounted, the country is familiar in de-


tail. His name Is not only familiar in New
England, bat in the South and beyond the
Alleghanies, where h:s columns pushed
the enemy, and where his kindness to the


people softened the rigors of war. He did
not retire from the. service after the first
disastrous battle, nor is he now arraigning


his Old command at Bull Run for coward
Ice but he stood through, with unsheathed
sabre until the last gun was fired, and un-
til the flag again waved undisputed. Now
the Governor of State, he is not filing
the air with incoherent rawlings over evils
which are imaginary, bnt stands among his
people iii the qniet dignity of Christian
citizen. do not know that he paIades


MS private business in State papers. Per-
maps he may not employ 10, 600 men, nor
scheme to build up his own business upon


the ruin OF his neighbors', but we know
that the hearts of ten times ten thousand


men beat kindly and gratefully toward him.


Nature has not been niggardly to him, but


she has been generous, endowing him with


full body and a great heart and COM
prenenslve brain, SO that If he indeed were
| one of those nine days heroes whose fame
| rests upon single exploit, he would no t


lose his small reputation by an undue ex-
hibition of imbecility.


Let us have peace" Stir not the
green mounds beneath which sleep the ma
| tion's dead Cherish those living who in
! the hour OF their country's need endured
| to the end ! Emulate what was right and
| cover with charity what was remiss for


though no longer the country seems to de-


mand the sword, we do not know when the


nation may be again imperiled. For purpo-


ses of military science we may discuss the


art of war, may compare the strategy of


campaigns, or may criticize the compara-
tive genius of commanders but never
again in this Senate may the voice of de-
detraction be raised indiscriminately
against the soldiers of the nation


Ii it may seem to some that have in


these remarks stepped out of my own natu-


raj path, ask Senators to recollect that it


was this Rhode Island soldier who first


brought the flag to the State which in
part represent. and that his good name in
part belongs to u.s."