Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume], January 22, 1822, Image 3

About Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume] (Harper's Ferry, Va. [i.e. Harpers Ferry, W. Va.]) 1821-1824

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THE FREE PRESS.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1822.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
The House of Delegates of this state
have been principally engaged, for the
last two weeks, on business of a private
nature, a detail of which would not inter
est the reader.
Three new counties have been formed ;
®ne bearing the name of the celebrated
Indian princess, Pocahontas ; one named
Smith, in honor of the heroic leader of
the first settlers of Virginia ; and another
to be called Alleghany,
On the 8th instant, on motion of Mr.
Sherrard, leave was given to bring in a
bill to amend the act, entitled “ An act
concerning the Potomac river, and for
other purposes.”
The house spent some time on the re
port and resolutions of a select committee
on the subject of the petition of the sure
ties of John Preston, late Treasurer of the
Commonwealth, which rejects the prayer
for a release of the interest, and part of
the principal, upon the judgment render
ed against them by the General Court at
their last term.
Mr. Morris, of Hanover, moved a refer
ence of the resolutions to a select com
mittee, with leave to report by bill or
otherwise, which was finally carried.
Bills have passed both houses “ to in
corporate a library company in the town
of Hillsborough, in the county of Lou
doun,” “ incorporating the trustees of the
Martinsburg Academy,” and “to incor
porate the Academy in the town of Straws
burg, in the county of Shenandoah.”
Gen. Joel Leftwich, of Bedford, has
been elected major general of the first di
vision of militia, to supply the vacancy
occasioned by the resignation of General
.John Pegram.
Gen. Robert B. Taylor, of Norfolk, has
been chosen major general of the fourth
division, to supply the vacancy occasion
ed by the death of Gen. Alexander Parker.
Col. Bernard Peyton has been elected
adjutant general of the militia of the state,
to fiil the vacancy occasioned by the re
signation of Claiborne W. Gooch.
William G. Pendleton has been re-elect
ed register of the land office.
The Enquirer thinks the session will be
a protracted one.
REMARKS ON EDUCATION.
CONTINUED.
FOR THE FREE PRESS.
While the Swiss Reformers made this
bold attack upon false philosophy and cor
rupted theology, an obscure individual
arose on a sudden in the year 1517, who
became the great leader in the long ex
pected Reformation: this was
Martin Luther, who was born at Eisle
ben, a town in the county of Mansfeld in
Upper Saxony, in the year 1483, and be
longed to the mendicant order of the Au
gustines, and at the same time held a pro
fessorship in the academy of Wittenberg,
which, a little before that time, had been
erected by the elector Frederick, surnamed
the Wise. In a letter to Jodocus, a pro
fessor in the University of Erfurt, a zea
lous defender of Aristotle and his former
preceptor, he stated his aversion to the
philosophy of Aristotle and Porphyry,
lodocus looked upon the contents of this
letter as innovating and dangerous, and
was much offended with Luther, who 'soon
after wrote him a second letter, in which
he boldly declared, that the Scholastic
Philosophy and Logic must be exploded,
and a new system introduced.
Luther in his youth had studied the
writings of Augustine, the founder of his
Order, with great diligence, and made
himself thoroughly acquainted with the
doctrines of Aquinas and Duns Scotus,
and had attached himself to the Nomi
nalists ; but on mature inflection and de
liberation, he changed his opinion. He
considered the Scholastic Philosophy as
pernicious to liberty, and as the source ot
innumerable evils. He expressed the
greatest contempt for Aristotle and his
admirers, and declared with more pro
priety than that philosopher had done:
£< I respect Socrates, I respect Plato, but
Truth I respect much more/’ What busi
ness have we, he often exclaimed, with the
trifles and cavils of Aristotle, concerning
matter, form, motion and time ? for they
cannot contribute any thing towards our
knowledge either in theology or philoso
phy. Was Luther then an enemy to phi
losophy ? No, indeed 1 for we have suffi
cient testimony from his own words, that
he was a real friend to sound philosophy.
The qualities and talents that distin
guished Luther were not of the common
or ordinary kind His genius was truly
great and unparalleled ; his memory vast
and tenacious ; his learning extensive ; his
magnanimity and fortitude invincible and
independent of all the vicissitudes of hu
man life.
His fortitude was put to the trial, when
he appeared before the Diet, assembled at
the city of Worms to plead his cause.
Promises and threatenings were employ
ed to shake his firmness and weaken his
resolutions, but they were employed in
vain. Neither the power of the emperor,
Charles V. the presence of the German
princes, nor tile archbishops, bishops and
abbots, who composed the Diet, could in
fluence or intimidate the intrepid mind of
this Reformer to change his purpose, to
make any concessions or abandon the
cause he had undertaken. He declared
in the presence of that whole assembly,
that he would not recede one single step
from the positions he had maintained, un
til the Diet would convince him by the
true Word of GOD and the dictates of
right reason, that his opinions were erro
neous and his conduct unlawful. In a few
words, vast was the extent of his learn
ing; irresistible the energy of his argu
ments ; unshaken his constancy; and all
his views were disinterested. He was
superior to all selfish considerations ; a
stranger to the luxuries of life and every
sordid, avaricious feeling; and as he con
sidered every thing as subservient to truth,
so he expected submission to it from eve
ry body. His constancy did not, for a
moment, forsake him even at the approach
of death. He died in the year 1545, the
62d of his age. He had begun the Re
formation in his 34th, and was engaged
in it 28 years.
The elector of Saxony ordered his fune
ral to be celebrated with the ereatest so
lemnity. -
His doctrines affected and interested
not only Germany, Europe, and the age
in which he lived, but the world and pos
terity.
Another illustrious instrument of the
Reformation and Luther’s colleague in the
University of Wittenberg was Philip Me
lanchton, horn in the town of Bretten in
the former palatinate of the Rhine (now
Baden) in the year 1497. At the age of
12 years he was sent to the city of Hei
delberg' to commence his studies in the
academy. He there distinguished,, him
self by his great capacities, his politeness
and mildness of temper, that he eiroved
the friendship and confidence of his pre
ceptors and many'learned men. Such was
his proficiency that, at 14 years of age, he
wrote “ Rudiments of the Greek Lan
guage,” and paid particular attention to
rhetoric and ancient history. From Hei
delberg he was sent to Tubingen in the
duchy (now kingdom) of Wuertenberg,
where in his 17th year, he received the
degree of Master of Arts, and became a
teacher of the Latin language and rheto
ric. In the Scholastic controversy he at
tached himself, as Luther had done be
fore, to the Nominalists. From Tubingen
Melanchton was, through the favor of
Frederick, elector of Saxony, removed to
the new academy of Wittenberg, which
had been erected by that prince, and af
terwards formed into a university, where
he was made a professor.
At this time the. Reformation was in a
progressive state. Luther immediately
embraced this favorable opportunity of
entering into friendship with this young
but extraordinary man. The happy ef
fects of this union were soon experienced.
The Reformation received in Melanchton
a strong and ornamental pillar. His
knowledge in the humanities and theolo
gy was extensive; his comprehension of
the most abstruse things, quick ; his ge
nius fertile. To Philosophy and the Belles
lettres he rendered great service. By
purging literature from the dross mixed
with it, he was able to rouse in the most
persuasive and powerful manner the youth
of Germany to adopt the cause he recom
mended, and thousands flocked to his
standard. Throughout all the schools of
Germany a spirit of emulation was exci
ted by his useful writings. Flis whole
design in all his labors was to free the
schools from the puerilities, froth and
nugatory arguments of the Scholastics.
His warning voice extended wide and far:
“Students, trifle not your time away in
philosophical nonsense, lest you loose even
commonsense.” Melanchton had purged
the Aristotelian philosophy from errors
in.such a manner, as to produce a new
system, which after him was called, the
“ Philippic Method.'”
It may he asked, how can two men of
opposite dispositions and different natu
ral tempers be supposed to unite ? and if
such a union should happen to take place,
it could not, on any ground of reason, he
of long continuance. Luther zealous, hold
and of an independent spirit—Melanchton
circumspect, timid and yielding, it might
reasonably be thought, that there could
not he any congeniality of spirits between
them : the case, however, was different.
Melanchton moderated Luther’s zeal by
his circumspection, and restrained, in a
certain degree, his boldness by his own
mildness and timidity. Luther’s zeal, on
the other hand, roused the languid spirit
of Melanchton ; and his boldness changed
Melanchton’s timidity into heroism : for
when certain and just occasions demand
ed and the time of danger approached,
then this wonderful man, whose timidity
bordered on cowardice, was totally chan
ged. Protected by the shield of truth, he
wielded the sword of argument to great
advantage. He had a delicate constitu
tion, but his temperate mode of living
enabled him to struggle a considerable
time with his bodily infirmity. Fie had
the pleasure of seeing his labors prosper
in his hands, and died in the 63d year of
his age, leaving behind him an immortal
name.
[to be continued. 1
Caesar A. Rodney, now a representa
tive in Congress, from the state of Dela
ware, is elected a Senator of the United
States, from that state, for six years from
the 4th day of March last.
FROM THE WEST INDIES.
NEW YORK, JAN. 8.
By the arrival last evening, of the brig
Mattewan, Scribner, in 16 days from Cur
racoa, we have received from our atten
tive correspondents, regular files of pa
pers to the 15th ult. inclusive. By this
arrival, we learn that the U. S. brig of
war Spark, capt. Elton, has arrived at
Curracoa on the 9th Dec. from a cruize
to windward.
The second expedition of general La
1 orre, consisting of the Hercules brig of
war, and 10 other vessels, with between
5 and 600 men on board had made a land
ing at Los Sagos, in the gulf of Maracay
bo. A curious sight must have present
ed itself on the landing of the troops;
every soldier having in addition to his
baggage, a pig, a turkey, or some other
description of live stock, slung over his
shoulder.
A felucca belonging to La Torre’s ex
pedition having a great quantity of arms
and ammunition on board for the use of
the troops, ran ashore at Cumarcbo, and
was taken possession of by the Indepen
dents.
Bolivar is reported to be in Maracaybo
with six thousand men, and was about to
proceed with this force for the reduction
of Puerto Cabello.
By this arrival we have received the
IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE OF
THE INDEPENDENCE OF SPAN
ISH ST. DOMINGO, being a confirma
tion of what we published a few days ago.
It appears that the whole of the Spanish
part of the Island of St. Domingo, had de
clared its independence of Spain on the
1st of December, by the unanimous voice
of the people, not a drop of blood having
been spilt, nor any excess committed on
the occasion. The ACT OF DECLA
RATION consists of 39 articles, but
from the late hour it was received at Cur
racoa, they had only time to translate it
as far as the ninth, which, however, are
said to contain its principal features.
Extract of a letter, dated
HAVANA, DEC. 14, 1821.
“ The cruizers are again plundering the
vessels of the United States, as soon as
the latter leave the coast, and there are
now three out from Regia, full manned,
who board every vessel they fall in with,
and have this week ransacked several,
and maltreated the crews. We do not
know where the vessels are who were sent
out here for our protection, as none of
them have appeared for manjfc^iys^ nor
entered the port.
“ The Cabildo of Guatemala has invi
ted the Cabildo of this city to follow their
example and become independent ; to
which the latter have given an angry re
ply, and have published the letter and
answer. The captain general has added
an address to the loyal and constitutional
people of Havana and the island.
“ A new election has taken place; the
deputies illegally elected to the Cortes
are left out, and new ones chosen in their
stead.
“ Our market offers no encouragement
to ship any thing to this place at present.”
The following intelligence is extracted
from a letter received at Annapolis by the
sch’r Mary & Ann, capt. Gates, arrived
there in 14 days from Aux Cayes :
PORT AU PRINCE, DEC. 7.
“You have no doubt ere this heard of
the energetic measures taken by the Pre
sident to compel the inhabitants to indus
try—-he has given orders throughout the
republic to put the whole military force
in requisition to enforce his orders that
every planter should cultivate all his
plantations to their full extent.
“ News has arrived here to-day, of the
taking of Carthagena by the Patriots,
which gives a fine opening for specula
tion. Flour is selling there at 30 to $>35.
“ The city of St. Domingo had also de
clared itself independent. The Patriot
flag is now flying on its walls.”
As Dick and Tom in fierce dispute engage,
And face to face the noisy contest wage;
Don't cock your chin at me, Dick smartly
cries;
Fear not—Tom's head's not charged, a
friend replies.
'IThe next number (26) will com
plete a half year of this paper, (exclusive
of the period of its suspension.) Those
who feel disposed to discharge their sub
scriptions are respectfully informed that
the payment of TWO DOLLARS, at any
time previous to the first of February, will
be considered in full for one year's sub
scription, and will very materially aid the
establishment as well as subserve the inte
rest of our patrons. Distant subscribers
may transmit the amount in any of the
notes of solvent banks.
Persons indebted for advertising and
job work will confer a favor by discharg
ing the same.
The number of deaths in Baltimore da
ring the year ending the 1st of January,
1822, were 2015, of which 423 were of
colored persons-—935 were under 20—892
under 60—and 188 above that age, of
whom 15 were between 90 and 100, and 5
above 100 years of age. There were 173
persons died of yellow fever, and 336 of
consumption.
FIFTH CLASS
WASHINGTON MONUMENT
LOTTERY,
BEING for the completion of the no*
bie work,in the city of Baltimore
bearing the above name.
SCHEME. 'IL
1 prize of §30,000 is
1 prize of 20,000 is
1 prize of 10,000 is
5,000 is
3,000 is
2,000 is
1,000 is
100 is
50 is
20 is
10 is
2 prizes of
2 prizes of
2 prizes of
20 prizes of
50 prizes of
100 prizes of
500 prizes of
6000 prizes of
830,000
20,000
10,000
■ 10,000
6,000
4.000
20,000
5.000
5,000
10,00.0
60,000
§180,000
6,679 Prizes—13,821 Blanks.
20,000 Tickets.
Stationary prizes as follow:
First drawn 3000 blanks each §10,
First drawn number - §300(
First drawn number 4th day lpoo
First drawn number 6th day 1QO0
First drawn number 8th day 2000
First drawn number 10th day 1000
First drawn number 12th day 1000
First drawn number 14th day 1000
First drawn number 16th day 10,000
First drawn number 18th day 1000
First drawn number 20th day 1000
First drawn number 22d day 5000
First drawn number 24th day 1000
First drawn number 26th day 1000
First drawn number 28th day 20,000
First drawn number 30th day 1000
First drawn number 35th day 30,000
This lottery will commence drawing o?i
Friday the 22d of February, the birth-dajfl
of Washington.
Tickets are now selling at §10 ; shares}
in proportion.
Punctual attention will be paid to
ders (post paid) from all parts of tV
ted States, addressed to
W. C. CONINE,
No. 32, Market street, Baltim
|CjP Prize Tickets in the di_
teries, and most kinds of foreign
notes received in payment for tick
Ail lottery information given gratis.
Baltimore, Jan. 1822.
Great Gain ! Little Risk !
THE Lottery for the benefit of the
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND is
regularly drawing, in the city of Balti
more, once a week. Twenty drawings
are over—-ten more remain to finish it.
No prize has yet been drawn over g> 1000.
Prizes undrawn are*—
830,000, 10,000, 3 of 5,000,
11 of 1000, 4 of 500, 60 of 100, besidefc
numerous smaller ones.
Tickets are now selling at 12 dollars,
but will shortly advance to %15.
Particular attention will be paid to all
orders (post paid) addressed to
Lottery & Exchange Office, 32 Market
street, Baltimore. Warranted undrawn
tickets will be furnished at the same price
they are selling at in Baltimore at the
time a letter directing tickets is mailed.
Baltimore, Jan. 1822.
FERRIAGES.
I 4 LL persons indebted to me for ferri
j\ ages are requested to settle the same
immediately with William Cahill or my
self. Those neglecting this solicitation
will have their accounts placed in the
hands of an officer, without respect to
persons. JAMES B. WAGER.
Jan. 22..
PUBLIC SALE.
% %7^ILL be sold, at sheriff’s sale, on
ff Saturday the 26th instant, at Jo
seph Spencer’s tavern, at Mud Fort, all
my HOUSEHOLD Sc KITCHEN FUR
NITURE, amongst which are Beds and
Bedding ; there will also be sold, a Milch
Cow, and a quantity of Plank and Scant
ling. The sale will commence early in
the day. THOMAS THROPP.
i Jan. 22.
NOTICE.
HAVING dissolved partnership with
my former wife SUKEY, I feel it
my duty to inform the public, that 1 will
be responsible for no other debts, after
this date, than such as are contracted by #
myself, no person having authority to con
tracts debts on my account.
WILLIAM PRIMM,
Who is ever ready to wait on gentlemen
at their houses, or elsewhere, to dress
their hair or shave them, in the most ap
proved style. Jan, 22.