Alexandria gazette. [volume], October 07, 1834, Image 2

About Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
THE GAZETTE.
By EDGAR SNOWDEN.
Terms.
Daily paper - - - - $3 per annum.
Country paper 5 per annum.
The ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE for the coun
try is printed on Tuesday, Thursday, and
Saturday. , . ,
All advertisements appear in both papers, and
are inserted at the usual rates.
CAPITAL TRIAL.
From the Springfield. (Mass.) Republican, Sep
tember 20 tk.
The Supreme Court, consisting of Chief Jus
tice Shaw, and Judges Wilde and Putnam, held
a special session in this town the past week, prin
cipally for the trial of two capital offences. The
first was that of Moses Elliot, aged about 12
years, charged with the murder of Josiah Buck
land, aged about 13, by shooting him with a pis
tol, on the 5th day of April last. Josiah died
on the fifth day after the occurrence; the ball
entered his left breast and came out at the back.
The testimony in detail, would occupy seve
ral columns. We can only give the substance,
as near*as we can collect it from memory. On
the part of the Government, it was shown that
the boys had formed the plan to run away toge
ther, to which Josiah said he was prompted by
Moses; that they fired at a mark on Saturday
morning, near the house of Buckland, and soon
after went away together towards the “hop
house” in the field, to'continue their firing. No
thing more was seen or known of either, till
between 12 and 1 o’clock, when Moses ran past
the little sister of Josiah in Walnut-street with
out saying any thing to her.
He was next met, going from his father’s in
the direction of the hop-house with a spade, with
which he said he was going to dig worms,
although there was no evidence of his going a
fishing. He afterwards played ball with two
boys, to whom he said he had sold his pistol to
a fellow down street. In the evening, as Josiah
had not returned, and his father hearing he had
ran away with Moses, went to the house of Mr.
Elliot, Moses’s father, for information. He there
found Moses, who told him Josiah had run off
to Boston, and said nothing of the occurrence
of shooting him. Sunday morning, Josiah’s el
Moses coming from the “hop-house,” who told
der brother (Walter) being in pursuit of him, saw
Walter he had been to the hop-house and that
Josiah was not there—that his clothes were un
der the steps, and he must have gone to Boston.
Upon being urged he went back with Walter to
the spot. On the steps the rammer was found,
and near by, on the ground, the pistol, which
Walter gave to Moses, and requested him to
help to continue the search for Josiah, which
Moses declined, saying he must go home and
f o to meeting. Soon afterwards, Walter found
osiah near the fence, almost exhausted with
loss of blood and cold; said he had been shot by
Moses, and that he had lain under the hop house
steps during the night, on his clothes. He wras
taken home by his' brother and two men in a
wagon, who were passing at the time.
The dying declarations of Josiah, as given by
several witnesses, were in substance, that he and
Moses went out to the “ hop-house” to fire at a
mark—that both fired several times—that when
Josiah put up the mark by request of Moses, the
latter would fire so quick that Josiah could hear
the balls whistle by his head—that he told Mo
ses if he did not wait tor him to get out or me
way, he would not put up the mark; that they
had some talk about dividing Jcsiah’s clothes,
Moses wanting the best suit, which Josiah was
unwilling to give, but that no hard words pass
ed between them, and he did not know what
Moses shot him for. That they went to the hop
house steps to fire again; that Moses threw away
the ramrod and told Josiah to pick it up—in do
ing which Moses shot him. Moses came and
said have 1 killed you? to which Josiah replied
you have shot me, and now help me home, or
go and tell mother; which Moses refused, and
ran off fast. This took place about 12 o’clock.
In the defence, it was stated that from the
place of the wound, the position of the parties,
and the circumstances of the case, the dis
charge of the pistol must have been accidental;
that the shot could not have been given in the
manner described by Josiah; that Moses ran off
and refrained from disclosing the transaction in
consequence of fright natural to a boy so young,
that the falsehoods he told in reference to the
spade—to Josiah’s father in the evening—to the
boys about selling the pistol—and to Walter
Buckland the next morning, were also the result
of boyish fright. That the dying declarations
of Josiah were not entitled tocredit, because,
in the opinion of the physicians, he was insane,
although it was admitted he had lucid intervals,
and his mother and other witnesses testified to
his sanity.
The trial commenced on Wednesday morn
ing, and terminated on Friday. It excited great
Interest, and it is for this reason we have at
tempted a summary of the evidence. It it be
lieved that the criminal annals of our State, and
perhaps of the country, do not present anoth
er instance of the trial for murder of a boy so
young.
The cause was sustained on the part of the
Commonwealth, by Attorney General Austin,
and District attorney Dewey, with their usual j
great ability. The prisoner was ably defended
by O. B. Morris and George Ashmun, Esqs.—
The Attorney General had never before addres- j
sed a jury in this country, and the high opinion
which we had formed of his eloquence and
mental powers was fully realized.
The jury after being out abouttwo hours, re- j
turned with a verdict of not guilty—and the boy j
was immediately restored to his afflicted pa- j
rents.
Hint to the lovers of Terrapins.—A gentleman ’
told us the other day, that say what people
would about this, that and the other recipe for !
destroying roaches, there was nothing equal to
a young terrapin. “ Put him in your closet, said
he, and l dont care how much it may be over- j
run by them, he’ll soon make a clearing out of
the nasty devils.” We remarked that perhaps
such delicate food might improve the quality of
the terrapin. “ That is a fact,” said he. “ Put
a terrapin where it can feed on roaches, and
you may make it as fat as you please; and for
the flavor imparted to it by the roaches, notning
can be finer.” De gustibus non eat disputan
dem, we sa*d to ourselves; but we determined ■
that the hint should not be lost to the lovers of;
terrapins.—Norfolk Herald. \
WHISKEY AND FLOUR.
Barrels Whiskey, from Wasnington
• D County, Maryland, brand Barnes & Ma
son, and a small parcel of very white and supe
rior Shenandoah Family Flour. _
Georgetown, oct 6—3t J* MASON, Jr. I
FEMALE GAMBLERS.
On no occasion did I watch higher play than
on the evening of the dress ball. All the best
company in Baden were assembled, and the
birds of prey, whose profession it was to watch
them, doubtless came armed for the encounter,
and prepared to “ fool them to the top of their
bent.” The following day was Sunday. We
passed through the public walks on our way to
church; and having time to spare, looked into
the rooms, which even at that early hour had a
crowd of people hanging round the gaming ta
bles. On our return we entered them again,
and then this frightful scene of madness was at
its height. I doubt if any thing, less than the
evidence of the senses, can enable any one lul
ly to credit and comprehend the spectacle that
a gaming-table offers. I saw women distin
guished by rank, elegant in person, modest, and
even reserved in manner, sitting at the rogue
et-noir table with rateaux and marking cards in
their hands; the former to push forth their bets
and draw in their winnings, the latter to prick
down the events of the game. 1 saw such at
different hours through the whole of Sunday.—
To name these is impossible; but I grieve to say
that two English women were among them.—
There was one of this set whom I watched day
after day during the whole period of our stay,
with more interest than, I believe, was reason
able; for had I studied any other as attentive
ly, I might have found less to lament. She was
young—certainly not more than twenty-five—
and though not regularly and brilliantly hand
some, most singularly winning, both in person
and demeanor.
Her dress was elegant, but particularly plain
and simple. A close white silk bonnet and
gauze veil; a quiet-colored silk gown, with less
of flourish and frill by half than any other per
son; a delicate little hand, which, when unglov
ed, displayed some handsome rings; a jewelled
watch of peculiar spendor, and a countenance
expressive of anxious thoughtfulness, must be
remembered by many who were at oaaen
in August, 1833. They must remember too,
that, enter the rooms when they would, morn
ing, noon or night, still they found her, nearly
at the same play, at the rouge-et-noir table.—
Her husband, who had as unquestionably the
air of a gentleman as she had of a lady, though
not always close to her, was never very distant.
He did not play himself; and I fancied, as he
hovered near her, that his countenance expres
sed anxiety; but he returned the sweet smile
with which she always met his eye, with an an
swering smile: and I saw not the slightest indi
cation that he wished to withdraw her from the
table. There was an expression in the upper
part of her face that my blundering science
would have construed into something very
foreign to the propensity she showed; but there
she sat hour after hour, and day after day, not
even allowing the blessed Sabbath, that gives
rest to all, to bring it to her; there she sat con
stantly throwing down handfuls of five-franc
pieces, and sometimes drawing them back
again, till her young face grew rigid from wea
riness, and all the lustre of her eyes faded into
a glare of vexed inanity.
Alas! alas! is that fair woman a mother?—
God forbid! Another figure at the gaming-ta
ble, which daily drew our attention, was a pale
anxious old woman, who seemed no longer to
have strength to conceal her eager agitation
under the air of callous indifference, which all
practised players endeavour to assume. She
trembled till her shaking hand could hardly
grasp the instrument with which she pushed or
withdrew her pieces; the dew of agony stood
upon her wrinkled brow; yet hour after hour,
and day after day, she too sat in the enchanted
chair. I never saw? age and station in a position
so utterly beyond the pale of respect. 1 was as
sured she was a person of rank; and my inform
ant added, but I trust that she was mistaken,
that she w’as an Englishwoman.— Belgium ana
Western Germany, by Mrs. Trollop.
Providential Circumstance.—On Sunday
! morning last, about 9 o’clock, the 2d Presbyte
rian Church in this place, the basement story of
which is of brick, and the upper of wood-work,
suddenly parted at the summit of the walls, and
the rafters, joists, guerders, &c. fell, with a
tremendous crash, strewing the interior with
fragments of the ruins. The frame arid roof
are still standing, but in a very dilapidated con
dition. What adds to the rarity ot an accident
of this character to a frame building, is the fact
that it had been very recently erected. It had
given no indications of its frailty, and this ca
tastrophe was consequently entirely unexpect
ed. Divine service, indeed, had been held in
the church on the previous evening, and the
Sabbath on which it fell had been appointed for
a sacramental occasion. The weather was
exceedingly inclement, which might have pre
vented the assemblage of a large congregation,
even had service been held on that day.—But
the imagination shudders at the inevitable loss
of life and limb which would have been the con
sequence of this unfortunate event, had it oc
curred whilst a congregation was worshipping
within the walls of the Church. Providentially,
no person was injured, though we understand
that the sexton, a colored man, made a narrow
i escape, having left the house, which he had been
putting in order for the day, but a few moments
before the occurrence of the accident.
Lynchburg Vir.
Great Printing Establishment.'r-ln looking
over a file of late London papers, we find an in
teresting description of the extensive printing.es
tablishment of Mr. Clawes, where the publica
tions of the celebrated publisher, Charles Knight
and of the Society for the diffusion of useful
knowledge, are printed. There are employed,
30 type founders, 6 stereotype founders, 7 men
damping paper, and 160 compositors. The
principal composing room, where the type is set,
is 270 feet long, and is filled from end to end
with a double row of frames. Two steam en
gines are employed in driving the printing ma
chines, of which there are eight that can each
throw off from 700 to 1000 impressions per hour.
There are 15 common printing presses, of 200
horse power each, for pressing paper. There
are in the establishment about 1000 works in
stereotype, of which 75 are Bibles. The first
cost of these plates would amonnt to £400,000;
the weight is about 3000 tons, and if melted and
sold for old metal would be worth £70,000. The
average quantity of paper printed amounts
weekly to the astonishing quantity of about
2000 reams. When the paper-makers and
other tradesmen are taken into account, the
men to which this establishment gives employ
ment must amount to several thousand.
Boston Jour.
-
WHITE LEAD.
Just received, per Sloop Miller,
1 fill Keg* Pure White Lead
1 100 do No. 1 do
Roberts’ brand, Philadelphia, and for sole by
JAMES W. SCOTT,
oct 2—tf Union street. |
The French Claimt.-\n confirmation of the
rumor which we mentioned on Tuesday of ou
Minister at Paris desiring to ^recalled, we are
now enabled to state that a letter has been re
ceived in this city from one who is in intimate
relations with Mr. Livingston s family, affirm
ing that he is ill at ease both in body and nnnd,
annoyed by the procrastination and evasive po
licy pursued by the French government m re
lation to our claims. It states that the minsters
declined bringing the subject before the Cham
ber of Deputies at their late session, under the
pretext of the shortness of its duration, and the
consequent hazard of defeat. nelt^fr
Mr. L. nor any of the Americans there have the
slightest confidence in the sincerity of the pro
fessions of the Frenchmen, but believe their de
sign to be to gain time by the invention of
these and other frivolous excuses for delay.—
the fallacy of the pretence that there would
have been danger of the bill being lost, is ap
parent to all who are aware of the very great
ministerial majority, in the Chambers; the; ca
binet can carry any measure which they
choose to bring forward, and their shuffling in
regard to our claims, conceded and guaran
teed by their own ratified treaty, affords clear
enough evidences that they purpose to evade
payment altogether if they can. We do not
desire to make any partizan use of this affair,
and it needs no explanation for those who aie
directly interested in it.—S. V. Times.
A good reason for believing the President in
the wrong—The following anecdote has long
had some circulation in private. We cannot
vouch for its truth. But if it is not true, it ought
to be*. It is very like truth.
When General Jackson was first persuaded,
by Messrs. Kendall and Whitney, that the de
posites might be removed from the Bank of the
United States, notwithstanding the resolution
of Congress, and was furnished by K. and W.
with what they called reasons for the measure,
the General called together the Cabinet proper
to propose it. This Cabinet then consisted of
Messrs. McLane, Duane, Cass and Woodbury.
Mr. McLane arrived first, and entered into a
discussion of the subject, in the progress of which
he boldly denounced the measure, as fraught
with the most disastrous consequences. The
General kept his temper pretty well * consider
ing While the argument was going on, Mesrrs.
Duane, Cass and Woodbury arrived, and listen
ed to the progress of the discussion, in profound
silence. The two first were clear against the
measure, and even Mr. Woodbury, not know
ing that the other Cabinet had decided the ques
tion, and not having heard from Mr. Hill parti
cularly on the subject, was too sagacious not to
perceive the mischief that was brewing. These
three gentlemen, however, kept a profound si
lence, being well content, that the General and
Mr. McLane should fight out the battle alone.—
In this state of things, a gentleman, well known
as a universal favorite at Washington, who of
ten, under the cover of a jest, was able to con
vey a home-truth without giving offence, (and
who never failed to improve the opportunity),
was announced anil shewn into the President’s
Cabinet. Being well known to all present, his
appearance occasioned no interruption of the
matter in hand.
“Come Mr.-, said the President, who
happened to be in high good humor that day,
“You shall decide this knotty point for us.—
Here’s Louis McLane and I disputing about a
certain matter, and not one of these gentlemen
says a word. Now 1 want you to decide, which”
- “You need not say another word, Mr.
President,” replied Mr.-. “You are alto
gether wrong, Mr. McLane is right, and you
must give up the measure.” “Now, how upon
earth,” said the General to Mr.-“can you
tell whether I am right or wrong, when you have
not heard one of the arguments and do not
even know what the matter in dispute is?” The
gentleman smiled, and being a priyiliged per
son replied, “ Why Mr. President, did you not
say that you differed from Mr. McLane?” “Yes,
to be sure, and is that any reason, that I should
be wrong and he right?” “Heaven forbid,”
answered Mr. ■ —, that I should insinuate
anything so disrespectful. “But did you not
say that these three gentlemen kept silence?”
“I did certainly,” said the President. “Well
then,” pursued the gentleman, “allow me in
stead of answering directly your question ‘how
I know you are in the wrong,’ to repeat a little
anecdote:
Louis XIV. of whom you have perhaps heard,
was one day playing at backgammon, and had
a doubtful throw. A dispute arose, and the
courtiers around remained in the most profound
silence. At that instant, the Count de Gram
mont arrived. “ Decide this question,” said the
King to him. “ Sire,” said the Count, “ Your
Majesty is in the wrong.’, “How,” replied he
King, “can you accuse me of being in the
wrong, before you know what the question is?”
“Because,” answered the Count, “if the mat
ter had been in the slightest degree doubtful, all
these gentlemen around would have decided
the question in your Majesty’s favor.
Boston Pat.
DR A H'S THIS DA V
Maryland State Lottery, Class 20 for 1834,
To be drawn at Baltimore on Tuesday, Oct 7
CAPITAL PRIZE $10,000.
Tickets $4 50; halves 2 25; quarters 112
For sale, as usual, in great variety, by
JOS* HI* CLARKE,
(Sign of the Flag of Scarlet and Gold.,) King st.
Alexandria, D. C.
JE^No. 4 36 44, a Prize of ONE THOU
SAND DOLLARS, sold at RIORDAN’S office
on Saturday last, to a citizen of Alexandria.
DR A ITS THIS b A V
Maryland State Lottery, Class No. 20 for 1834,
To be drawn in Baltimore on Tuesday, Oct 6
HIGHEST PRIZE $10,000.
Tickets $4 50; halves 2 25; quarters 1 12
On sale in great variety by
JAS. RIORDAN.
D3* Uncurrent Notes and Foreign Gold pur
chased.
DR A WS THIS DA 4
* Maryland State Lottery, Class 20 for 1834,
To be drawn in Baltimore on Tuesday, Oct 7
HIGHEST PRIZE $10,000!
Tickets $4 50; halves 2 25; quarters 1 12
To be had in a variety of numbers of
J. W. VIOLETT,
Lottery and Exchange Broker,
Near the comer of King and Fayette Streets,
Alexandria, D. C.
DR A WS THIS DA >
Maryland State Lottery, Class 20 for 1834,
To be drawn in Baltimore on Tuesday, Oct 7
HIGHEST PRIZE 10,000 DOLLARS.
Tickets $4 50; halves 2 25; quarters 1 12
To be had in a variety of numbers of
J. CORSE,
Lottery f Exchange Broker, Alexandria.
ALEXANDRIA:
TUESDAY MORNING, OCT. 7, 1834.
Latest from Jamaica.—By the Schr. Palestine,
Capt. Wilson, at this port from Jamaica, we
have received files of Jamaica papers to the 17th
September.
The island is evidently in a feverish and un
settled state. And the same may be said of
all the British West Indies. The negroes ge
nerally refuse to work, or work just as it suits
them. Though no actual outbreak or distur
bance has taken place, the universal disposition
seems to be, to throw off all restraint.
Demerara is in the worst condition in this re
spect. There they have disturbances in addi
tion to the determined idleness of the negroes.
The late earthquake was felt throughout the
Island of Jamaica, though no serious loss was
occasioned by it.
Free School—We invite the attention of our
town readers to the communication in to-day’s
Gazette signed “ Many Alexandrians,” in rela
tion to the revival and continuance of the Free
School for the education of poor children and
others, which formerly existed, and which,
much to our regret, and we doubt not equally so
to a large majority our fellow citizens, has,
of late, been discontinued and abandoned.
We hope the subject will receive that early,
and prompt attention,which its real importance
demands. And, as a preparatory step, we trust
proper information will be conveyed to the pub
; lie as to the causes of the discontinuance of the
| Free School—the reasons which have operated
to prevent its revival—the condition of the
Fund left for its support, <&c. &c. A free dis
cussion should then be had upon the means
best calculated to restore it to a permanent
and flourishing condition. Our columns are
open to all that may be calculated to give infor
mation or advice on these points.
Arguments are not necessary to convince the
public of the necessity of a well conducted
I Public Free School, for the education of youth,
I in every community. Ail acknowledge that an
uneducated population is, in every respect, an
evil to be dreaded and deprecated. Education
lias come at last to be acknowledged as the ba
sis of good morals, and the general welfare and
happiness of society. It lays the broad and
deep foundations of character, w hich can after
wards be built upon to the greatest advantage.
Experience and example show the pervading
influence of Education upon the peace, com
fort, and prosperity of mankind in general. De
prive any people of its blessed results and ef
fects, and you do more to corrupt, debase, and
impoverish that people, than you could accom
plish by any other means of mischief which
wicked ingenuity could inventor exercise.
We are called upon to take part in the good
wFork of awakening the public attention to this
i subject. We do so most cheerfully and willing
ly. We will unite with any who may wish to
press onwards the fastest and farthest in an ob
ject so worthy of the exertions of every philan
thropic mind. No man could employ his time,
his means, and his talents, in a higher, or purer,
or nobler cause, than in aiding to disseminate
the blessings of Education amongst those with
whom he was born, and lives, and in whose
midst he expects and hopes to die.
Battle or the Thames.—The Jacksonmen in
Frankfort, Kentucky, are making arrangements
to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of the
Thames. The Lexington Observer justly com
plains that the anniversary of this battle, like
that of New Orleans, is to be played off upon
the co mmunity for party purposes,and that those
who engage in it will be animated less by gra
titude for the past than by hope fur the future.
Thanksgiving.—The Governor of Massachu
setts has appointed Thursday, the 27th day of
November next, to lie observed by the people of
that Commonwealth as a day of public Thanks
giving._
Mr. Brooks, of the Portland Advertiser, is to
furnish the readers of that paper and the pub
lic with notes of a tour he is about taking
through Canada.
The Boston Atlas has been enlarged to the siz«
of the other morning papers. Mr. John O. Sar
gent, who has assisted in the cditoi ;al depart
ment for the last eight months, has become re
gularly associated in the management of that
journal.
The Globe declares that the “North Ameri
can” is not countenanced by “ any portion of
the President’s Cabinet,” but that it has been
“ gotten up to produce a schism.” &c. &c.
It seems highly probable that some retaliato
ry measures of a commercial nature will be
adopted at the next session of Congress, in re
lation to France, in consequence of the recent
conduct of that nation.
The New York Transcript says there is a
gentleman in that city, aged forty-nine years,
who is the father of 17 children, some of whom
w’ere born in every quarter of the globe, name
ly, Europe, Asia, Africa, andJAmericn.
A building spot, opposite Bird’s Hotel, was
sold last week in Boston, for about one dollar
and an eight per square foot, or something like
849,000 per acre!
We had hoped that the Richmond Enquirer
would have displayed magnanimity and candor
in the case of Mr. Leigh’s late letter. That let
ter is full, satisfactory, clear, explicit. The En
quirer knows it is. Why not come out manful
ly and say so? Why quibble with the Globe?
Why hunt after objections? Why not, in this
case, follow the golden rule—“ Do unto others
what you would they should do unto you”?
The Old Dominion.—We are proud of
Old Dominion; we are proud of the high mat: |
she has held in the Union, as the nurVeryt j
Presidents, Senators, Judges, and for till »faK'
of office to which ambition may aspire throu*? ]
out the Union. There are now, it U said
ven Virginians in the Senate of the unit^ ■
States, and hundreds, at least, filling the hiei
offices in the West and South, and we furL ]
that in every such instance we have lostaiv '
uable citizen, whose active mind lound no i
for enterprizc at home. The spirit of emierj 1
tion is so prevalent, as to make it a subject/»
investigation. Is our soil poor? have we v
mineral wealth? no advantageous sites, 0r»V
ter power, for the manufacturer? no market hij
the products of labour? Would it be believe-1
that there is. perhaps, a greater fund of miner.‘i
wealth in Virginia, than in the same extents
surface on the globe. There is iron ore in tl.
greatest abundance, and lead, bituminous an
anthracite coal enough to supply the world, siij
springs of great mrength, and rich mines
gold; her medicinal springs are of suchcelebr.
ty that they are resorted to annually by thouv
ands of visiters from all parts of the Union; h«
soil, a certain distance from the seaboard, >;$
equal to any not alluvial,—and yet, with ai,
these advantages, we are losing ground daily
every census shows a comparative diminution
of Federal Power.
We call the attention ot the serious and re. |
fleeting portion of our community to this I
ject. Although much has been done within*
few years for the improvement of the State hv
rail roads and canals, yet much remains to be
done.
When our legislators shall withdraw their at
tention from politics, and questions of constitu
tional law; and leaving State Rights to be de
cided by the constituted authorities, shall turn
their attention to the developement of the re
sources of the State—then, and then only, mar
we expect to advance to our proper station in
the Union—then may we see our rich minerals
wrought in our own workshops—our cotton and
hemp enhanced in value by our own manufac
turer—and a new, a home market for the pro
ducts of our wheat and our corn-fields. With
a proper direction to her energies, what limit
could be set to the wealth and population of
Virginia?— fVarrenton Register.
There w’as struck the proper chord!—may wc
see and mark its vibrations and effects through
low’land and upland, and over the mountains to
the farthest bounds of the Old Dominion!
If one-half the zeal displayed by the leading
men of Virginia on the subject of politics wore
to be directed in furtherance of any scheme of
internal improvement, calculated to increase
the wealth and prosperity of the State, it could
be accomplished with more readiness than any
similar work executed elswhere. To sav, in
that instance, would be to do.
What we want chiefly in Virginia are practi
cal statesmen, who will be willing to limit their
ambition to state honors, and use their talents
for state purposes. The General Government,
unfortunately, has such attractions in its influ
ence, splendor, and rewards, that it is extreme
ly difficult to prevent prominent public men in
the State from being drawn out of the limited
sphere of its duty, into a service where tame
and wealth are more readily to be obtained,
They soon learn to desire the meretricious em
braces of Power. And once contaminated by
the connexion, they rarely return to their “ first
love;” or if they do, it is with sickly reputations,
worn-out faculties, and minds unfitted for the
•aimer pursuits of mere local ends.
Yet, though “ hope deferred” is apt to “ make
the heart sick,” we do not despair of seeing so
great a change in public sentiment and feeling
in Virginia on this very subject, as to compd
the leading men, if they wish to obtain the peo
ple’s favor or suppoit, to turn their attention,
more than they now do, to the development of
those rich resources with which a bountiful Pro
I vidence has supplied our Parent State.
Mrs. Fanny Kemble Butler’s work will be si
multaneously published both in England and
this country. This is the cause of its having
been so long in the hands of the publishers.
[communicated. J
Mr. Srmirden—^c beg leave, through the co
lumns ofyour valuable paper , to ask the atten
tion ofour fellow-citizens to a subject in which
we are all deeply interested. We do this, if we
may trust our own hearts, from pure motives
only—having no more interest in it—professing
to have no more interest in it, than every man,
woman, and child in the community. It is a
fact as notorious, us to us it is unaccountable,
that the Free School, which was maintained
among us for many years, has been now lor ma
ny months uiscontinued. Through whose neg
lect, or for what cause, we cannot even conjec
ture. We, of course, do not hlame any indivi
dual, or any number ol individuals, lor it. We
know not who to blame, or whether any body
is to blame. Hut it is a fact, that in one of the
towns in the District of Columbia—in sight of
the Capitol of the United States--in a town, ton,
w here there are as many families unable to pro
vide for the education oftheir children as in any
other town of the same population in this coiin
try—there is not, there has nut been Jor many
months past, a Free School for the Education oj
Male Children. We blush as we write it; and
will it not be a reproach to us wherever the fact
shall be known,that in a tow n containing a popu^
lation of seven or eight thousand—lying half
w ay between the mansion and tomb of the Fa
ther of his Country and the city which hears Ids
name—there is no Free School in which boys
can be educated?
Did not Washington leave a fund for main
taining such a School? Where is it—who con
trols it?
If our Council cannot afford to maintain such
a School, are there not individuals among us
who will come forward, and, by iheir voluntary
subscriptions, rescue the hundreds of boys who
now roam at large among us from week to week,
disturbing the peace of our families, and grow
ing up in such ignorance, and contracting such
habits, as can only fit them to be vicious and
infamous, from iheir degraded condition?
Mr. Editor, we call upon you, as the known
advocate and friend of General Education, to
employ your pen in awakening us all to the im
portance of this subject. W'e confess ourselves
to be men of little influence, and we know the
cause demands able advocates. W’e beseecn
your assistance, or rather we beseech you t0
take the lead in this good cause; and we pledge
to you our honor to aid you as far as our time
and talents and property go.
October 4, 1834. Many Alexandrian*.