“shum, delivered by Phillip Spoutem, Es
quare, de bonniné ob which was as fol
lers:—
“De fire ob genus dat cllebate one man!
\
above his bmdgder is inherunt in de bnuum'
of dat man what possesses him. Genus
may be fanned as de fire is fanned into|
de blaze; it may be culterbated, as de|
lobely rose is culterbated; but i’ dere be
not one spark ob de fire of genns, den
you cant make him blaze, or i dere he‘
no rose bush den you cant make him
blow out and expand. De brack man/
genus as well as de wite man, and de rea-|
sun genus no get ot ob de brack man is
cause his hmuf::n tick he no let himn, |
}
Arter dis fust rate orashun, de com-'
pany set down toa grand dinner, and nr-:
ter deoil eloth was took away, de foller
ing toansts was drunk: l
%y John Squashey. De day we ecl-|
lerbrate—NMay its annual return® be met
by tree grin from de people ob culler, |
Mr. Crookshank got up and begged
e liberty to gib a toast dat was gibben
L.efore.—~Qur tvind and brudder Shinral
Jacksun—We no care how many Ingion’
he kill golong as he let de people ob cul-|
ier set down under dere own vine and ete
up dere own fig tree, J
By Thomas Tickliffe, Retrencement
—Here Sambo, gkin dat flint, and mine |
yon no spile more dan six Jacknife. |
By Charles Woolhead. Our brack
subberners—NMay we neber hab de mor-|
“fieation agin ob habbing anudder brack:
~ubberner dat steal chicken and leave’
“o eain wid he name out in he hen coop. !
By Benj. Bigfoot. May we neber hab
nny more President dat will put his big-,
t+ (or what you call it) on internal -/
{fuvement, i
By llsaac Chucklehead. De Presi
dent of Hayti—De gratest man dat ever
‘ihbed in de animals ob anshunt or mod
urn history., - ‘
Mr. Lovejoy got up and sed, de wite
filks alwas forgot de fair till de lass ting, |
«nd he propose to gib dem a toast=——De
i“air—More butitul dan de sun flour, and
amell more sweet dan de dandylyon, and
«3 modest as Massa Finis, dat always
put he name to do end ob every book he!
write. |
By John Flatnose. Shineral Jacksun
—e berry good for Packing-hams, and
packing cottons, aud dat all he good for. |
By Simon Standstiil. De Milletary
—Dey are fust in war and de fust in
peace, and may dey nebber stick dere
baggernuts into de heaits of dere coun-|
try. i
I bab not bin able to get all ob de
toasts, but dese here wat I send you, 1)
hope you will print for de edderturca
tion ob de people ob culler, |
And den de tables was cleared, and
de rooms swept, and de ball commenced)
at de fust lighting ob de candles. ])ci
Hall was kept up til a late our, and was
c:raced by all de buty and fashun ob de’
cullerd people ob de city and good many
rom udder places ticularly % # * * # % *‘
e band, under Cato, plavd de most dc-’
‘itesum music for de dancin, which was
cotillyuns, dat being de nost genteal,—|
ne brack exquisit, [ bleave you call um,’
zom York, propose to dance de walts,
~ut Cato suitl dat Massa Pek ob de Try-‘
ad, had denounsed de walts as lassiveus,
and he was so respectible he must be
obade, and he was de special frend ob de|
brack man, and would be mortully fi-nd(-di
i de rules ob decorum was fringed upon, |
I3ut some say dey would hab a little \vults,“
rause dey had heard dat de fust peple ob |
culler in York and Philumadeliy and
i3osson, danced de walts, and Cato was
obliged to gib up, notstanding his respect
tor Massa Pek. De ebening vaporated
without any markable accident, excep
one lady faint when she see one brack
migger stick his dirty foot in de room wid-|
out any shoo nor stockin on, odvrwisci
de ebening was spent in de utmost seren-|
ity. Arter many engagements of de tend- |
or kind was made by faithful lover, who
never prove uncartin, like wite man, de/
company broke upat an erley our and|
retired to dere homo in de utmost confu-|
sion and good order. ‘
CESER STRATELEG.
Crowxinsutern’s Lerrers. We find,|
in the New-York Courier, the following |
copies of the letters written by Richard
Crowninshield to his sister, while he was
:n prison, previous to the confession of
Knapp. We had previously seen copies,
of them in manuscript and are well assur-|
ed of their authenticity. These letters
serve to illustrate the character of the cx-‘
traordinary individualby whomthey were|
written; they show him to have been as
cunning and hypocritical as he was bold
and desperate. It appears that he had|
laid an ingenious plan to prove an alibi,
and perhaps, he would have succeeded,|
had his cn“cague, Knapp, not betrayed|
him. Theletters were written, no doubt,’
for effect upon the sympathy and credulity
of his friends and the public. |
Sarem, 15th May, 1830, |
Dear Sarau—You kindly reminded
me of my fast approaching birth duy which,
draws from me the following lines:— '
Unbappy day! you'll find me in a gloomy celi '
And thoughts of keen sensation in my bosom -well;f
In my infant years I was happy; then by fiiends
caressed— |
I'm now misfortune’s deadly aim, and by the world
oppressed ; '
There is one consolation buoyant on the wings of
timeg—
That is my soul is pure from gnilt, and this nost
horrid erime.
How visonary are the anticipations of
this life! No one knows what the next
hour may bring forth, or whether we nmy'
niot in the next hour be called into eterni
ty to give an account of ourselves to that
Supreme Being who sent us into exi.u-“
From the Boston Palladiam.
tence. The more | reflect on this sub-/
ject, the more 1 am sensible we ought to|
guide our course in the paths of rectitude
and virtue. But a few days since, I en
joyed contentment and liberty. I had
the most flattering prospects of passing a
cheerful summer with you, unconscious’
of the malicious and hellish schemes con—!
trived to blast our characters—our all in
life. Now doomed to spend our youthful
days in the solitary cell of a gloomy pris
on, 1 sometimes imagine it a vision—
Would to God it was so! but 1 knew too
well the reality of the reverse, Had the
Committee of Vigilance requested us to
give them an account of oursclves we
would have done i to their entire satisfue
tion=""he perjurcd States Prizon conviet*
that they intend to bring as evidence
against us will he none to their ceredit,—
What prompts him to this perjured con
fession? Is it in anticipation of getting
pardoned? Or is it wealth 1 leave it to
an impartial Jury to decide.—l will write
to you again, Adicn to night,
O RICHARD CROWNINSHIELD.
i *lle means Hateh, |
} Sarem 22d May, 1830,
| Dear Sinsn—l sappose you have
been impatiently waiting to receive this
letter as I promised you inmy letter of
last week, that 1 shonld write again in a
fow days. I much admire the poetry you
sent in yours, and think itquite appropri
ate to circumstances, Fxcuse me for not
acknowledging the reception of the rose
inmy last, I shall make amends by send
ing you the following lines:—
This fragrent rose, that bloomed so fresh and
| bright
When I was cheerful and my heart was light,
Was pluck’d by Sarah fiom the tender stalk,
For friendship’s ofier in her lonely walk,
Beloved gem! you Kindly bring to wind
The lovely hours I ne’er again shall find,
Oh! yes those happy daysare past and gore,
And tempestuouns clouds are running on,
These worldly comforts we enjoy below
Are over balunced by our grief and woe---
I place my trust in God who is ever kind;
"T'hey that are truly virtuous will ever find
i'l’ln‘ongh our Jesus, that eternal joy
| Which malicious mortals ean ne’er destroy,
In fervour to God I sincerely pray
;'l‘lmt I may keep in the viituous wiy---
That when with this fiail wicked world I part,
e may receive me with a gracious hewit.
' Sarah, this is the way I beguile my
‘sluggish time by promiscuously patching
together impertecet vhymes, My ineflect
ualness to express my intellectual fecl
ings for waut of a grammatical educa
tion, often causes the shameful blush to
rise in my {zce. 1 often regret for not
improving the time to better advantage
when I was a truant school-boy. 1 so
licit your correspondence as often as you
have an opportunity., And let us know
‘what is going on in the world, so that
when we emerge from this tomb we may
not be altogether ignorant of the common
‘occuriences that has passed in the world
during our confinement. Cousin George
and Nick Deveraux called down to see
us last week I suppose George has re
turned to College. | sincerely hope he
may acquire all the virtues of Benjamin
and honors of his name. Ask Margaret
to let me have one of the miscellaneous
works that aunt Maria presented to her.
Gewge requests the favor of Cicero’s
Orations, if’ Father cannot procure the
tirst vol. of Hutton’s Mathematics and
Walsh’s Arithmetic, as 1 wish to review
it also; if convenient, Moore’s Irish Mel
odies. Perhaps you are solicitous to
know how we fare herej it is wholesome,
but not dainties, Without dissembling,
‘we have all allows. Mr. Brown and his
ward are very obliging. I have a very
high opinion of our counsel,and feel grate
ful for their kindness to us. They call
frequently. In gratitude, I acknowledge
the innumerable obligations we are under
to our friends for their perseverance in
the cause of innocence. I see nothing
warrantable inthis barbarous punishient,
I think the savages ofthe westorn wilds,
who never saw a Christian, would not in
flict the like cruel punishment on his
greatest enemy without a more substan
tial evidence. But, alas! they have struck
the excruciating blow. If they have any
conscience it will rebuke them for the
heart-rending pangs they have caused.
Health and enjoyment to you all in this
world, and peace and happiness in the
next, is the sincere wish of your allection
ate brother.
RICITARD CROWNINSIHIIELD.
The N. 11. Statesman has the follow
ing jeu d’esprit. The words in Italics are
the names of members of Congress:— |
' A Congress indeed! an asscmbly of
- Walde animals! Why,inits very Hull and
’ Chawbers,a Troup Bent-on plunder,rush
ces Forward, as on Murr’s Roane war-'
‘horse to attack the S'orrs of the foe:
}while others engage in the Chase; and
one Person, of Brodhead and Little Vit
but of JArmstrong and Strong Powers,
with a Kerr Swift of Fool, goes out to
Hunt, and armed only with a Keane, at
tacks the Campbell or the Lyon as read
ily as the Hinds of the forest. An Jrch
er stands by levelling his shafts at Rob
bins and J‘z:rh'm,or sometimeslooks high
er and aims at the Crane or the Swan,but
scldom brings down even a Finch that a
Cooke would Frye. There a Knight and
and a Cooper, an Earll and a Barber,
Kiigs and a Coleman, are placed on a
level, and the Nobles of the land spend
Weeks together with Tylers and Millers,
There the Poller fashions his Clay, the
Wright hews his SiMl, and the Smith ham
mers his Coulter. There a Taylor Marks
out a Childs Spencer, and a Shepherd
Hw?'h a Green Sprigg makes love to a Bell
\With a White Rose; while an Angell,!
HERALD OF THE TIMES.
dressed in a Bibb and Tucker, sets in a|
Brown study and Reeds the commentaries |
of Scott! and there is a Congress for you!
Exrepirion To ALGiers,—Paris, June
21.--The government has received letters
to night from Admiral Duperre, l
On the 10th inst. the expedition left
Parma, (Majorica) and on t‘,\o 12th pre
'm-utcd itsell again before the coast of Af
‘rivn, and the winds a second time forced
it to sea, On the 13th, it arrived before
Algiers, and having coasted along the
forts and batterics, put into the bay of
Torre Chica. The fort of this bay, aud
the battery at the point, were abandoned
by the enemy, but the mortars and can
nons which were taken from them, were
atierwards posted on the neighboring
lieights,
The steamboat La Nageur compelled
a battery consisting of’ a mortar and two’
cannon to be withdrawn, A sailor of
the ship Le Breslaw was wounded, A
nother sailor, belonging to the frigate Le
Surviellante, had lus leg taken ofi'by a
cannon ball, It was too late to atteinpt a
debareation, but adl the arrangements had
been made to effeet a landing.
| Three light vessels were placed to the
East of Torves Chica, as a battery in
flank of the batterics of the enemy, while
two steam vesscls were to protect the de
claration of the West,
On the 11th, at half past 4 in the mor
ning, the first division of the army eflect
ed ats landing, together with eight picces
of cannon,
This movement was succeeded at 6
clock by tl rcond divisi | the
o’clock by the second division and the
whole field artillery,
At halt past 6 o’clock, the general-in
chiet” landed, and towards nocn the rest
of the troops, as well as the munitions,
provisions, equipage, &e. the debareation
of which was carried forward with the
greatest activity, T'wo sailors jumped
ashore and planted the king’s flag on the |
tower of Torre-Chica, where the head
quarters of'the army were fixed at 10 o’-|
clock, A, ™, '
The follr o detaill o= »ctine the
ae lollowing detaiis respecting
expecting the expedition are said to be
derived from a source on which reliance
may be placed: It is believed that the |
troops have been divided into three corps;
one, to remain at the place, where the,
landing was eflfected; ancther, to pro-,
ceed along the coast, and take posses
sion of the batteries that skirt it: and the
third, to march upon the heights, in or
‘der to turn the town, and attact it on the
‘vust and south. The walis on that side
‘are said to be in such bad condition, as’
'to require but a few volleys to make a!
‘breach, it is theretore considered not un-|
ikely that by this time the town is lukon,‘
and the expedition terminated. Thci
roadsted of Turetta Chica is an unex
pected safegnard to the expedition, aml’
romoves all anxiety. It is only to be
‘wished that there may be no need ol'cuv—’
‘alry, for, according to accounts from
"]’ulma, almost all the horses perished
{during a thirty days’ stay on board the|
vesscls, The 17th regiment of chas-l
‘seurs will make the campaign on foot,—|
On the 6th, when the fleet was still Pul-‘
fnm, a great number of dead horses were
thrown into the sca; the few remaining
ywere to be employed inthe artillery ser-|
\vice. The point at which the French,
~army landed, was mounted with batteries; |
@ map reeently published marks fivei
‘there must have been a greater number, |
‘as Sidi Ferasch may be considered lhei
}mcrcnntilc port of the Algerine capital;
‘an attack on that side is striking thci
Regency to the heart; It is therefore
(probable that the most powerful means|
‘of defence were directed on that point. I
l Tue Sea SERvENT is said to have been|
in our waters, as near to us as the Isle of
iShouls during the present week. Capt.i
Perkins, of the schooner Alert, a very,
respectable man, and his crew, state that
lie came up toward their vessel, within
20 feet, and then passed round her bow,
so that they had a fair view of his snake
ship ; they saw about 60 feet of his
length. |
Another vessel lying at anchor, saw
him at some distance, lying on the top nl"
the water—the skipper with one other:
person, the only one of the crew that
would go, took the boat and rowed along
side of hiin so near as to be able to break
his back with an oar, if they had dared.
They think him 100 feet or more in
length. g'
Both of these erews agree with former
accounts as to the general appearance of
the monster. |
We are alzo informed by a gentleman
who has just returned from the Shoals, |
that the Serpent passed between the ca-|
ble and the bows of a sr;lmunnr h('lung-!
: . . . ‘
ing to Mr. Caswell, while lying at an-|
chor, and that some of the erew stood at |
the stem of the vessel and looked down |
upon him: they describe him as nlmut]
the size of a lime cask at the middle, and |
smaller towards each end; a smooth
Snake without bunches, the appearance |
of them being oceasioned by his motion. |
Portsmouth Journal, |
| Sea Sereext,—ln another part nfouri
paper it will be seen that the Sea Serpent
has visited our fishermen at the Shoals,‘
since which, as we learn from the Ken-'
nebunk Gazette, his serpent-ship has,
been seen in that vicinity by a My, Gooceh,
who was the third man on board a boat, |
and the only one who dared to remain on
deck to return the glances of his majes
ty. The serpent came within siz feel of|
t{c boat, nm’ raised his head four feet
and looked direetly in upon them, Mr.
(. couldhave struck him with his oar!
but, “he was willing to let the scrpent
‘alone, il the serpent would not molest |
thim.”’— Barnstable Jowrnal, |
NEWPORT,
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1830,
! Avcrst Meering,—The town mcct-l
ing for the choice of Representatives tni
the General Asscembly, for the ensuing
six months, is near at hand; and we thinkl
that there exists evident and clear iudi-l
cations of a determination on the part of
the Jackson party, to run into the Legis-|
lature as many of their men as they pos-l
sibly cun. The leaders of the party have'
frequently expressed a wish to give (iun.'
Jackson a Legislative nomination in:
Rhode-Island.—These same leading po
liticians have recently expressed an npin-‘
ion in terms of triumph and boast, that |
they shounld be strong enongh at the en-‘
suing October session, to accomplish that,
favorite object of their wishes, We con-!
fess with feelings of mortification and re-!
gret, that appearances but too strongly;
show that they are somewhat nearer the'l
accomplishment of their purposes now
than when they first began to threaten us’
with such a ridiculous measure. But w(-!
will not readily yield to the ln-liu-l'tlmti
the frecmen, the intelligent and honest
yeomanry of Rhode-Island;, who hu\'ci
hitherto adhered to sound political prin
ciples, with a stern and uncumprmnising'
severity that has covered them with hu-l
Innr wherever their name is sounded, will
Isndd¢-nly hedge about, and without unyl
sufficient or reasonable cause, barter a-'
}way their character for consistency and
iintvgrity, and ring loud huzzas in favor
of the powers that be. This may all hap
’pen, but we shall not believe it possible
until we are called to witness the x).ctual|
existence of the mortifying event, \\'(»’
will not believe it, because, settled un(li
deep rooted as our convictions are that
;(icn. Jackson is greatly deficient in ull‘
those indispensable qualifications which
|ought to be possessed by him who under
takes to discharge the responsible duties
of Chiel Magistrate of America—we
cannot believe it. Furthermore, there is
no men who has any regard for his own
character for truth and veracity, would
undertake seriously to say thatthere is a
Imajority, or any thing like a majority of
the freemen of this State in favor of Gen.
Jackson. Onthe contrary the preponde
rance of public opinion here is diametri
cally the reverse, and we should imagine
will so continue to be until the force of
education and the influence of habits,
which have been daily gaining strength
for a long course of years, shall be en
tirely effaced {rom our memories. There
are, nevertheless, many and very strong
;reasons that should urge the NarioNawn
Rerunrican freemen of this State to look
}wcll tothe election of Representatives at
the next town-meeting.—We have the
’powcr, and therefore should be careful to
ic.tcrci,ac it with discretion, but still with
promplness and snccess.
Major General Winfield Scott, of the
U. S. Army, arrived in town with his
family, on Sunday morning last. We
understand he will remain here several
weeks, to pass away the heat of the sum
mer.
Goonp News From LouisiaANA.—By the
latest accounts from Louisiana, we have received
the gratifying intelligence that the interest of Mr.
Clay’s friends has triumphed in every direction
throughout that State. The Governor, candidates
for Congress, and for the State Legislature, all
friendly to Mr. Clay, have succeeded by the most
overwhelining majorities over the Jackson candi
dates. The friends of Gen. Jackson iu the west,
are full of confidence that every State in that re
gion, except "Tennessee, will go for Mr. Clay, in
the next great contest for the Presidency.
“ David’s celebrated painting of Carx, medi
tating the death of Acen,” s now exhibiting
(as will be seen by the advertisement,) in Doctor
Moore’s Lecture Room. This splendid painting
has been exhibited in all the principal cities in Eu
rope and America, and has never failed to excite
universal admiration. We would advise the pub
lie, and particularly the admirers of the fine arts, to
avail theinselves of this opportunity of viewing
this extraordinary specimen of genius.
[commuNicaTrp,
Mr. Arxinson, Sir.—A malicious report
having been circulated before 4 o'clock, P. M.
on Monday, that all the seats in the Pit and Doxes,
were taken for that evening, I would respectfully
inform the citizens of Newport, that hereafier a lim
ited number of tickets only will be sold, so that
the Theatre may be visited in future, without the
least wiconvenience from a erowded andience,
GLO. BARRETT
e ) G
Fux.—We publish to day from the N,
Haven Register, a fictitious account of
a celebration of the recent anniversary,
by the people of color <1 that place. We
would not willingly wound the feelings of |
‘any of our own colored popylation any
sooner than we would those of our white
Ifricnds&-—why should we? The people
of color in Newport have always been
‘characteriscd for their intelligence and
‘the correctness of their moral habits.—
] The wit our Connecticut friend has left
off, though a little at their expense,is ncv-;
fcrtheless, complimentary to their jmlg-‘
ment, and patriotism—{or it supposes them
to have Leen zealously engaged inan in-l
teresting celebration and expressing on
that occasion, by their toasts, and othor—{
wise, correct and wholesome political
sentiments—such as Dr. Cooper, Gen.
layne, and Langdon Cheves, need not
be ashamed of] to say the least of the mat
ter, l
' Theatrieal.—Nr Barrett, opened our Theatre
last evening, to a very fu'l and fashionable house.
The celebrated Clara Fisher, made her debut
here in the characters of Albina Mandeville,
and the Spoil’d Child. Ouar engagements prevented
"us from attendihg, but from the accounts we have
heard of the performanecs, they were what might
have been expected—highly grutifying to the au
dience.
——y Q) P
[For the Herald of the Times.
| MOURNING APPAREL,
' AND FUNERAL PROCESSIONS,
i “illa dolet vere, quw sine teste dolet.”
| Mart.
She grieves indeed who grieves when all alone. ‘
. Put the practice of imliscrimiuutcly|
‘wearing the habiliments of mourning,and |
blazoning forth to public gaze the sym-|
bols of sorrow merely pecause it is dicta-!
ted by fashion, and sanctioned by cus—‘
‘tom, proceeds in our opinion from an cr-!
roncous view of moral principles, is often
productive of serious inconvenience in:
the community, (especially to the poorer
class,) is wholly inconsistent with, or at
least totally unavailable to the end pro-i
posed, and deserves entirely to be look
ed out of countenance by those, whose
‘high prerogative it is to reign in the em-!
pire of fashion, or whose more enviable
“and glorious task is to shine as the guid-:
ing stars of customs and morals, It
‘would require but a slight c.\'nminution}
indeed, of this subject, to show that it is
‘both uscless and inconsistent; for whutl
greater indignity can we offerto the mem
ory of departed relatives and fricnds,than‘
that affectation of sorrow for their lossll
i whi.ch !ms i.ts o.rigin in the c:.lpriciousncsfs'
i T)fjashwn, is dictated by pride, and as if’
“in mockery of every true and tender sym-l
pathy of the soul, is brought forward
merely to be seen by others, or for fcur:
that we may be reproached with want of |
‘sensibility because we do not assume the‘
attitude of grief, or at least scem to bc‘
‘sorrowful ? I
‘ How, we would ask, can a greatcrl
outrage be done to all that is humane andl
{tender in our sympathices, or how can wei
‘more effectually publish to all around us|
‘and to the world, the disgraceful fact,l
‘that we have no heart, no feeling, or re
‘gard for the memory of those who have
nurtured and sustained our helpless in
fancy, guided our youth, soothed our af
flictions, or shared our joys, participated
in our festivities, regarded us with affec
:tion, and treated us with kindness, than
by affecting to be grieved for their loss;‘
by putting on the garb of sorrow, and
‘‘Bearing about, the mockery of woe,
. To midnight dances and the public show;"
by bathing the cheek in tears like the
‘heartless crocodile, and giving utterance
to the mimic lamentations of woe, not be
fmuse we feel and sympathize, but merely
that we would be seen and heard. Andi
by whom would we be scen and heard ?‘
Why, we might be seen by those who
. would perhaps, have sufficient regard‘
for our situation to remark (and this is
itukcn as a fine compliment !) that wc;
seemed much affected &c ; and we shall
be heard by those who look with totnl{
apathy and indiflference, both on us nnd‘
our calamities, and who destitute of com-'
‘mon ties and kindred sympathies, can
“neither feel our griefs nor share our nf-‘
flictions, Those too (perhaps not un
frequently) who secretly rejoice that our‘
friend or supporter is no more ; that our
ilpridc (as they have called it) is humbled
‘and our eircumstances and standing re
‘duced to a level with their own, or whose
'lol»jm:ts are put more immediately within
their reach, and whose interests are for
l,wnrdud and prospects heightened by our
downfall and misfortunes. Such then is
the heartlessness of the world, and such
the feelings not unfrequently prevalent
‘and the remarks often elicited by mourn
(ing apparel & funeral processions, Who
l.tlwn, we ask, that views these things in
‘tllcir proper light, would be influenced
1 for a moment in their modes of manifest
ing their sorrow for the loss of friends, or
ywlm would any longer sufler the m(-mory‘
!iofllucm tohe sported with and their most
sacred and tender sj'fnpntlxies mocked by
80 burdensome and inconsistent a fashion?
It istrue indeed that mourning, or rath
er the show of mourning, is a fashion com
mon in some form or other, to almost all
the nations of the earth, and has been
from the remotest antiquity, and the term
instead of being used to signify the gricf
we feel for the loss of those near and dear
to us, has by common aceeptation been
taken to denote some peculiar habit worn
on melancholly occasions, The habits
worn, the ceremonics performed and the
different colors made use of], for these pur
poses, have been dictated merely by the
whims or fancies of different nations, and
have been almost as contradictory and di
versified as the opinions and practices of
the nations themselves, In most Furos
pean countries the color chosen as best
suited to such occasions, is black. In
China, on the contrary, it is white, In
Turkey, it is blue or violet. In Egypt,
it is yellow. In Ethiopia, brown, &c.—
The ancient Sparta and Roman ladies
'muurnvd in white, and the same color
‘was used formerly in Castile on the death
of their princes. Notwithstanding this
’\'aricty of colors made use of to signify
’sorrow, yet every nation so far as we are
t acquainted,assigns some equally pertinent
reason for the particular color they adopt
in its symbolical reference to the changes
which death is supposed to produce in
those for whom it is worn. Thus white
is adopted as the Chinese mourning habit,
%bccause it is supposed to indicate purity,
‘indicating that after death both our relics
| and our memories are sacred. The Egyp
!tiuns sclect yellow, because they regard
fdcuth as the termiration of all human
‘hopes, and because this is the color most
!cnmnmnly assumed by falling leaves and
!fading flowers. The Ethiopians are said
to have sclected brown on account of its
/indicating the color of the earth, whence
'the bodies of the deceased are deposited.
hllack is chosen by most Furopean na
!timns because it denotes absence of light,
;signit}'ing that in death there is no per
icoptiun, and consequently an utter dark
ness or absence of light. Blue is chosen
'bncausc it is supposed to express the in
‘terrupted happiness which it is hoped
‘the departed are enjoying in a future
state. Purple and violet are supposed
lto represent the sorrow of the surviving
lrclutivcs and the hopes of the deceased
'in another world ; this double allusion is
attached to them on account of their
being a combination of blue and black.
Besides a particular manner of dressing
other practices indicative of grief were
adopted by the ancients, such for exam
ple as tearing the hair, rending the gar
ments in pieces, wearing sackcloth, lay
ing aside crowns and sceptres, and ban
ishing for a time every symbol of glad
ness and joy. Public grief was some
times expressed by a general fast, and
Plutarch in his life of Cato tells us, that
from the time he left the city in company
with Pompey, he never shaved his head,
nor wore according to his usual custom,
the garland orthe crown. Various oth
er practices and customs might be men
tioned, but alrcady enough have been
enumerated for our present purpose; al
ready enough have been adduced to
show, that the practice of wearing mourn
ing apparel originated primarily in some
fancied connection between outward
show and what should naturally be our
inward sentiments and feelings, or in
some vague and incongruous notions that
were entertained concerning our future
prospects and destiny by the ignorant and
superstitious childien of an almost barba
rous age. These customs have becn
cherished and adhered to by succeeding
generations, until they have became in
corporated as it were with our very Re
ligion; until they have become in the
opinion of some, a necessary part of our
moral obligations, and of so fsacred a na
ture as not to be criticised or abandoned.
But for our own part we are disposed to
view them in a different light, and while
we would by no means dictate to others,
or wish them in the least possible degree
to deviate from that mode of showing re
spect to the memory of their deceased
relatives which they esteem most hecom
ing and which best harmonizes with the
convictions of their own consciences, yet
we cannot help believing, that the pres
ent fashion of making formal parades,
and incurring expenses for mourning ajp
parel, is hoth uscless and inconsistent,
|lt can certainly be no possible service
to the deceased, and it often involves the
survivors in expense which they must de
prive themselves of the conveniences or
perhaps the comforts of life to meet, or
else be borne by the honest tradesman,
who is in thousands of instances but illy
able to bear them. e, of course, can
not refuse to give ercdit on such ocep
sions, il it be asked, and yet he is con-