THE OREOON ARGUS
by d. w. cnw.
TFRMS OP SUBSCRIPTION.
fit Argat will bo furaitkid at Tkm Dollari
r unum, v f'
r ..J,, ,1), men' it ait paid in adtatui. Four
Dalian ' tkarpi 1 paid in tit month,,
irPit Dollari at tho tad af tht ytar.
TV Dalian vill a tkargtdfor lia mantha
, nateripliaaa ricoitidora Itu period.
f,; paper diitanlinutd unlit all arrearage.
ir, jut, -j r--
Sixglt taputtanata-fiTttinti.
Tb ilvW,
0d bU-M III girl,
Who gulden cur!,
Blrad wild our vuiiig dream
They haunt cur live
Lia pi'it wiv,
Or, a naiad btunl ill itrram.
They oii our p-tint,
They fill our bmin
With dimf ninny btnra 1
Oodblrnth('rl,
God bin Ui ourl,
God blfoi our human flower.
Tk Avtraach of Dratk.
Tin article 00 Death in the New En-
.rcleinedie, has tho following: Ai lift
approaches extinction, insensibilty super
venes, a numbness and disjiosition to re'
pote, which (loci not admit tho idea ofsufF-
tring. Ev en ' lncse casci wncre activi
ty of mind remains to the last, nnd where
Dirioiis sensibility would seem to continue,
it is surprising how often there linn been
observed happy state of feeing on tho ap
proach of death. ",If I had strength
enough to hold a pen, I would write how
ear sod delightful it is to die," were the
last words of the celebrated Win. Hunter
during his lust moments. Montaigne, in
one of his essays, describes an nccident
which left him so senseless thut he was
taken up for dead. Ou being restored,
however, he says: "Mcthought my life
only hung upon my lips; and 1 shut my eyes
to help thrust it out, and took pleasure in
languishing and letting myself go." A
writer in the Quarterly Review records
that a gentleman who hud been rescacd
from drowning, declared that he had not
experienced the slightest feeling of suffoca
ted. The stream was transparent, the day
brilliant, and ns ho stood upright ho could
see tho sun shiuing through the water, with
a dreamy consciousness that his eyes
were about to be closed on it forever.
Vet he neither feared his fate nor wished to
avert it. A sloppy sensation, which sooth
ed and gratified him, made a luxurious bed
of awatory grave.
Prolific. A gentleman near town re-
reircd a letter from Putman county, Indi
ana, the other day, informing him that Mrs.
, a former resident of this county, had
presented ucr lord with five heirs nt a sin
lu birth, three boys and two girls, who
were alive and doing well. The samo ludy
has twice given bir.h to triplets, nnd al
though she hug been married but. five years,
she Inis a proin's'ng family of eleven chil
dren. If any btate in the Union can pre
sent a better item for the census taker,
Hoosierdora will CMc.Shclbiville Vol
enter.
Very Fink. There is no conceit like
that of cightceo to twenty-two, inclusive,
If you want to hear heavy and unflinching
assertions about things and persons, look
for them there. The maturo man, if he
has never bowed to men, has been beaten
by circumstances, nnd the veriest old buck
Ui the martingale of fnintness at heart,
from tho consciousness offuiliug powers and
supplementary decorations.
Fkmai.e "Pop.'" Miss Muloeh has es
tablished this word to mean the conditional
secrecy of woman, by the following sentence
in her lust book: "And here is one accusa
tion which I must sorrowfully bring against
women, as being much more guilty tliun
men. We can keep a secret aye, against
all satire, I protest we can while the con
Jider remains our friend; but, if tiiat tie
,. ceases, Poi'l out it comes."
Mi Fust Kiss. She put one arm round
my neck, and tother wun whar the circin
' gle gees round a hos, tuk the inturn on
me with the left foot, and gin me a kiss.
My lo;s felt as if minners were nibblin at
lai a cold strcek run up and down my
hack like a lizzard with a turkey hen after
nini in setting time, nnd my stummick was
not an onsntisCed liko. Mr. Fudge.
Dr. Steinroth, a German economist,
proposes to add to the food of man by bleed
'"S oxen, eowes, and sheep, and using it for
food. Blood contains all the elements that
fender meat nntritious, and he thinks the
niinuls might be bled ouce a week without
'"jury to their health.
"Young Lovk. "Horace Walpole, in
N 1 of his letters, wrote: "Corydon firmly
Sieves he shall, be wretched forever
I' hi does not ruarr Pliillis That miserv
tut Inst till she has lost her bloom.
' eternal woe would vanish if her nose
grew red I"
.W The follies, vices, and consequent
Hweriea of multitudes, displayed in a news
P4per, are so many admonitions and warn
,DS', so many beacons continually bnrning,
J turn others from the rocks on which they
"are been shipwrecked.
' 19 By command of the Emperor of
iwissia, the end of the war in the Caucasus,
cn has lasted 30 years, will be celebrated
jronjhont the whole of that country on
tt 6th of September.
19 A short man became attached to
? T'7 ' u11 woman, and somebody said that
bad fallen in love with her. "Do yoa
IM fulling in lover said an old bach-"or-
"It is more like climbing np to it."
A Qrisnos fob Railroads. Doea the
arDing( "piRsepgerg tn rNjnegUd not t0
totiLht,platSorm'n PP'r to delegates
10 toe Charleston Convention?
" Te Coaviuc wm Rr. n n..n
7: Uya quarter on the table at a grog
P. nd they will .how themselves in-
themselves in-
A Weekly Newspaper, devoted to the Interest of the Laboring Classes, and advocating the
Vol. Vf.
Drmocratle VtcUrlra,
No I. Tho murder of Broderick, "bo
canso ho opposed a wicked Administration
und the extension of slavery."
2. The destruction of the Fret South
(newspaper) in Kentucky, because it op
posed tin extension of slavery.
3. Arresting Dr. Breed, of Washington
City, and placing him under $5,000 bond,
for stating that he was opposed to the ex
tension of slavery.
4. The whipping, tarring and feathering
or an Irish mechanic at Charleston, 8. C,
for Buying that it was disgraceful for a
white man to work besido a negro.
5. Tho expulsion of a colony of while
men and womon from Madison Co., Ky., for
giving it as their opinion that Kentucky
would be more prosperous without slavery.
u. urenaiiig up a Mcinouist tonrerence
in isonlium, iexus, because they feared
that they would procluim liberty through
out the laud, to the inhabitants thereof.
7. The defeat of a bill in the Missouri
Legislature for the charter of a Methodist
L Diversity, because tho Methodist Church
prohibits the traffic in bumun flesh iu her
discipline
8. Gov. Black's veto of a bill, passed by
the Nebraska Territory Legislature, a
bolishing slavery in tho Territory.
9. Gov. Mednry's veto of the bill abol
ishing slavery In tho Territory of Knnsna
Thi is a great Democratic victory. The
eople dou't want slavery, but a Locofoco
Gov. snys they must have it the South de
mands it.
1 0. Pouring thousands of dollars into the
State of Connecticut previous to tho late
elections, with the hope of bribing the State
to repudiate the principles of freedom, and
to aid in propogntiug slavery and negro la-
uor.
1 1. Taking up the candidute of the
Know-Nothings and conservatives for Gov
ernor of Rhode Island, securing his election
uy f eiteral patronage end corruption, and
then claiming the result as "u great Dcm
ocratic victory."
Political. The Washington corres
pondent of the New York Journal of Com
merce snys thut a majority of the Southern
Senators agree with Mr. Benjamin ic say
ing that if the seceders should be compelled
to withdraw again from the Democratic
Convention they will no longor be a min
only of tho South, but a majority. That
is, they will curry the whole South with
them.
Thu New York Freeman's Journal (Cath
olic and Democratic) says the Charleston
Convention " has not expressed, directly
or indirectly, approbation of a single action
of Buchanan since his election in fact,
wishing success before the people, it dared
not, if it would."
The Washington correspondence of the
New York Evening Post has the following:
" The Kentucky Democrats assert that.
with Mr. Douglas in the field ns a can
didate, that State would be lost by ten
thousand majority, nnd Governor Wise
has declared that Virginia would give her
vote for the Union Convention candidate as
against Douglas. The factions are at work
i i 'lit nnd day. Douglus and his friends
are on their knees to Southern members.
They try hard to conciliate, yet sicretly
plan his nomination by force of numbers,
by a majority vote, at Baltimore.
Non-IxTEncocnsK" Exploded. The
New Orleans Picayune notices the fact
that notwithstanding all the clamor about
non-intercourse, the export of shoes from
Boston to the Southern States shows a con
siderable increase for the last three months
over the corresponding period of 1859, and
nsks: " Of what effect is all the cry of non
intercourse, when, in the very heat of the
excitement against Northern manufactures,
the trade of the South with the most ob
noxious of Northren States grows, as shown
by these statistics?"
Bkigiiasc Young has furnished the Rev.
Elia Nelson of Medford, the following facts
concerning his personal History; "1 was
born in Whittingham, Windham county,
Yormont, June 1,1801. I have living, four
brothers, John, Phineas H. and Joseph,
older than myself, and Lorenzo D., young
gcr, and a sister named Nancy, all of whom
live in the Great Salt Lake City. My
father's name was John. H was born in
Hopkinton, Middlesex county, Massachu
setts."
Pbettt Good A Chinese merchant in
San Francisco tersely gave an American
friend his ideas en the Japanese Embassy's
reception in this country, as follows:
"Japanese great men now Americans
want more Treaty by Vhy Treaty be sign
ed, Japaoese like anybody just like Chi
nesejust like dam nigger."
The London correspondent of the
Manchester Guardian Bays that a list of
those who attended the Sayers and Heenan
fight would be curious. It would show
how largely a relish for 'gymnastics' enters
into the natures of many quiet scholars,
dignified politicians, hard-wronght 'rro.
tturs, and even grave magistrates and
zealous divines.
fTbe latest suggestion for the torture
of the coming Japanese recommends that
all the Missionary Boards send delegates to
Washington to lay before the Princes the
leading points of doctriue, with a tw to
their proper onderstanding of the religious
condition of the United States.
ja Rev. Dr. Archibald Maclay, an
eminent Baptist clergyman, died la ew
York lately, at an advanced age.
OREGON CITY, OREGON, JUNE 30, 1860.
Flrt-F.aur lat'.atkU la Ik Heath.
Rev. J. S. C. Abhott writes thus kindly
and flatteringly of the South, in which be
must have been particularly favored, and of
the people he met there:
"The society I meet hero Is frank and
agreeable. Indeed, it icemi to me that
there must be two classes of Southerners,
as different from each other as light is from
darkness. I oflen wonder if our brethren
at the Sontb are bewildered bv the same
diversity of character in our Northern men.
The Southerners whom I meet at the South
in social intercourse, to whom I am intro
duced at hotels, in steamboats, and at the
fireside, are genial, friendly, courteous
gentlemen in lone; kind and polished in
manners, ever recognizing the courtesies
of refined society. But there is another
class whom I never meet, whom I seek for
in vain, but who arc revealed to me in
newspaper editorials, in the Convention
speeches, nnd in Congressional debates.
The difference between the two classes is so
vast as to excite astonishment. From
what I read, I should infer that there was
a very numerous class at the South, com
posing the great majoritv of its population.
whose mothers had fed them in infancy, if
i may qnote an expression or i estus, ou
"buttered thunder."
It is difficult to account for the fact that
one never meets any of these fierce crea
tures in his travels. I have not met with a
single one. I have seen, of course, some
uncultivated men, some poor and debased,
some profane men, but I have met with not
a single specimen of this kind of character:
and I can truly say that almost everv
Southerner whom I have thus far seen, has
seemed to me a courteous, unassuming,
kind-henrtcd gentlemnn. I expected to
have caught a glimpse of some of these
creatures, tearing over tho hills like a loco
motive nndcr an attack of delirium tre
mens. But thus far I have been disap
pointed, l have met witu many who were
truly genial companions, and whom any
gentleman would love as estimable associ
ates and neighbors and friends. Do those
fierce men, who utter such terrible men
aces, liko lions, sleep in their lair by day
and niver come out but in the night?"
As TjKrRoriTAOi.it Pint of WmsKEy.
A case has been decided in the Court of
Common Pleas, in Champlain county,
Ohio, which is a loud caution to liquor
sellers. Peter Lawson sold to one Reed
Brush a pint of whiskey; Brush got "in
toxicated and drunk," as the law states it;
Brush did furiously seize an axe, and with
force and violence did cat and chop off the
left foot of his wife, Mrs. Brush. There is a
wise and salutary law in Ohio, giving to
wife, child, parcut, guardian, employer, or
other person who shall be injured in person
property, or means of support, by an intox
icated person, a right of action ngnii.st the
person who sold the liquor to the intoxicu
the person. Under this law Mrs. Brush
sued Lawson, the grocer, for $20,000 dam
ages for the loss of her foot by the meaus
of this pint of whiskey. . The defence alleg
ed that the maiming wss the result of a
domestic quarrel, brought about by the
unchaste conduct of the wife. But the
judge very properly ruled that immortal
conduct on the woman's part could not
forfeit her claim to legal protection, nnd
that the law considered her drunken hus
band as merely the instrument of Lawson
in cutting off her foot, and held the latter
as truly responsible for it as if he had done
the act with his own bauds. The jury,
therefore, fonnd a verdict of $5,000 dara
ajes against Lawson, and in favor of the
abused wife.
Arizona Sihmf.d up with a Discount.
An officer of the United States Army, who
has traveled, thus expresses his opinion of
Arizona.
"We have just traveled over the much
talked of territory of Arizona. Such an
other God-forsaken, untimbered, unwatered,
and nnfinshed cunutry, never before fell
under my vision, and my optics have run
over a good deal of what is called bad
country."
A Good Law. The late Legislature of
Massachusetts passed an act whereby "any
person who shall wilfully send to the pub
lisher ef any newspaper, for the purpose
of publication, a fraudulent notice of the
birth of a child, or of the marriage of any
parties, or of the death of any person, shall
upon conviction thereof be punished by
a fine of not exceeding one hundred dollars."
Divorces in Indiana. Indiana is rea
ping a rich harvest in the divorce line,
bnt can scarcely be said to 1 adding to
ber reputation. Divorces are granted on
the most shallow and frivolous pretexts.
Among other recent cases is that of a wo
man in Clay county, who was married to
a different person fifteen miuutes after ob
taining a divoree from her husband.
Improvements or thc Aoe. Two cen
turies ago not one in a hundred wore
stockings. Fifty years ago not one boy
in a thousand was allowed to ran at large
at night. Fifty years ago not a girl in a
thousand made a waiting maid of ber moth
er. Wonderful improvement m this age 1
gtT Our exchange! all contain brief ed
itorial headed, 'Prepare for the Onsus.'
'A woman in Herkimer county, New York,
has dona to. She presented ber husband
with two fine boys and a (id.
Tk Jaaaant.
At first signt they will be called Chinese,
a they resemble them in general appear
ance very much, so much so the majority of
people cannot be made to believe that the
Chinese and the Japanese art not en and
the same. It U on becoming acquaint
ed with them that we see the difference,
and wonder why it Is that they can be call
ed the samo people. The Chinese, as seen
in this country, are stupid, sulky, lazy aud
dirty, who live by begging, or " business,"
as they consider it, of sitting on the side
walks with two or three dozen, perhaps, of
penny cigars. Thli they call burnesi.
The Japanese are sprightly, Intelligent.
very sociable, quick to understand, and
very cleanly. Nothing annoys them more
than to ask tbem if they are not descend
ants of the Chinese they tell yon "No;
that their country was a powerful nation
before the Chiuese existed." The Japanese
have never been couquercd; they are proud
and rather haughty one of their peculiar
characteristics is their national pride.
Their present dynasty dates back 2,400
years. As to the primitive occupants of
Japan there Is a great diversity of opinion.
They are supposed to have passed from
Mesopotamia to the shores of the Caspaln,
thence a long journey to the A moor, eas
tern shore of Asia, thence to Japan.
Some assign to the Mongol slock, and
soius to the Tartar family. This seems to
be the more generally received opinion,
although they do not ell resemble each
other in complexion or physiognomy. The
characters which they nse In writing, their
mode of living, their habits, customs and
general appearance, are certainly very
much like the Chinese.
The Japaneso insist that there are no
words in their language which resemble
words of the esme meaning in the Chinese
language. It U a singular fact, that there
is great similarity between the Japanese
and the North American Indian languages
some words being identical showing
that It is not at all improbable but that
our native Indians first came from Japan
having been blown off in their junks ou to
the Oregon coast.
The mystery which lias surrounded this
wonderful people for thousands of years, by
its non-intercourse with the rest of the
world, will no longer exist. Onr country
has done that which no nation of the East
could effect, although centuries trying to do
what we have the first time trying open
ing tho ports of Japan. They have done
as the honor of sending to this country the
first national representation, and we hope
their mission may be a successful and pleas
ant one.
For tho Arg it.
Preytt.
In concluding my last article, I remarked
that the earnestness and fervor with which
any favor is craved, is generally lu propor
tion to the feelings we have of the want of
that favor, the urgent necessity of our ob
taining it, nnd the ability of the person
from whom it is craved to grant it. And
so with prnycr. Tho mere fluency and
flippancy of the tongue are not prayer.
The most consummate arrangement, elo
quence, and correctucss of language do not
constitute prayer. The lips givo but the
utterance. Words are but the signs of
ideas. It is the heart that prays.
Among the many instances of prayer to
which it has been my privilege to listen, or
that have come within the range of my ex
perience, there ire two in particular to
which I shall briefly refer, as an illustration
of the foregoing views.
I happened at one time to be In St. Pe
tersburg!), the capital of Russia, and, In
company with an English gentleman who
had for many years resided there, was vis
iting some of those public placet in that
magnificent city to which the curiosity of
strangers and foreigners is most commonly
directed. In passing through the spacious
barrack-yard, I observed a column of sol
diers drawn np, apparently on parade, but
accoutred in their side-arms only. In a
momcDt, at the word of command, they
stood as a unit, solid as a marble atatue.
A tap of the drom, and their tall fur caps
were off like a glance, and their beads
gracefully bent over their bosoms, their
cap being held np before their facet. I
asked my friend what this meant. " They
are now praying," said he, " or supposed
to be praying." A few minutes more, and
another tap of the drum, when, with the
quickness of thought, their cap were en
again and the whole column marching off
to the music of the band. This I was told
wat on of the holidayi of the Russian
Church, and the soldiers were marshaled
to prayers before goiDg on duty. "Every
thing," said my friend, " it done here by
system, even to that of saying prayers,
and should any of these soldiers be unhap
pily overcome by a spirit of more earnest
devotion than bit comrade, and continue
in a praying attitude longer ' than the law
allow,' or should any of them show any
ind fffwic whilst it the hgil attitude of,
side of Truth iu every issue.
No. 12.
praying, he would be severely punished,
Here, than, It teems, we htvt the (acred
ordinance of prayer reduced to a mere sys
tematic formality, governed, not by " the
soul' sincere desire," but by th coercive
discipline of military despotism, which,
lik the laws of tho Medcs and Persians,
altereth not. How many may b tb fer-
Tnt and earnest supplications, howtver,
and how pure the Inccnso arising from this
singular altar, are known only to that Be
ing who " undcrstaiidcth all tho Imagina
tions of th thought."
A few more yean of changes, and the
scene is shifted to thc Pacific coast, where
we find another Initanc of prayer, arising
from different motives aud controlled Ly
different laws, but exemplifying such a
spirit of earnest and fervent pleading, such
determined and unyielding, but humble
faith, at, if carried Into the pulpit, the
closet, and to the family altar, might well
remove mountains yes, might storm the
very portals of heaven and enforce showers
of blessings from the hand of God on the
strength aud credit of his own word and
promises.
I happened to have business with tho
Governor, and by appointment called on
him one forenoon, when I found him enjoy
ing an hour of leisure from business, in the
best of humor, and, as usual, with his fam
ily around him. We tulkcd over our busi
ness. Everything teemed satisfactory.
We were all cheerful, or tried to appear so.
The Governor Is well posted in a multitude
of Interesting little anecdotes, and has
withal the native faculty of telling them off
to the greatest advantage. Every miuute
came laden with happiness, and, is is gen
erally thc case at such times, passed away
without notice, for the pleasures of sociul
and friendly Intercourse are said to " add
wings to the flight of time." But, be this
as it may, could we, whose " Hues had fall
en iu such pleasant places," the face spark
ling with smiles, and the heart joyful with
gluduess, could we suppose that there was
sorrow in the world? that at that very mo
ment, perhaps, the hearts of thousands of
our fellow-beings were being wrung with
all the anguish and suffering which the
wrongs and injustice of malevolence and
cruelty could inflict? Could we, " basking
in sunshine and flowers," bend our minds to
suppose that even within hearing of our
merry laughter there was one whoso soul
was wrapt in the dark panoply of wretch
edness and despair? But it was so. For,
alas, how true it is thut " the one half of
the world docs not know how the other
lives."
A rnp at the door, and a voice announc
ed that a ludy was waiting who wished to
have an audience with the Governor.
How quickly the sceno changed I How
soon the countenances of nil assumed a se
rious and anxious cnstl Curiosity was in
stantly on tiptoe. Every eye aud every
ear was open. The Gov. had not had any
previous uotice of such an Interview, or of
the business for which It was required, but
being informed that it was not of u private
nature, he requested his secretary to show
her iuto the parlor, the other members of
the family having by this time withdrawn.
I had remained by iuvitution, and had ta
ken my seat in the background, and with
no small anxiety waited to see what would
be tho nature of tho scene about to be
enacted.
The lady was uow received by the Gov.,
with the most cordial aud respectful cour
tesy, a friend who had accompanied her
carrying in his baud a large roll which he
placed by her side when she was seated.
Sbo wss dressed In a suit of plum but deep
mourning. Iu her aspect and appearance,
she was rather a young woman, but tho
finger of sorrow had written its name, but
too plainly, on every feature. Oppressed
with grief, care-worn, sorrow-stricken, are
but feeble expressions to afford any ade
quate idea of the heart-broken appearance
which the poor woman exhibited. Be th
canse what it may, it wat evident that she
was " a woman of a sorrowful spirit"
that she wat drinking the enp of sorrow to
the dregs. There was nothing effected in
ber appearance, however, nor in her de
portment was there a single movement or
feeling betrayed but what plainly arose
from the spontaneous impulse of a bursting
heart. For a moment, all wat profound
silence, solemn at the stillness of the grave.
The Gov. sat waiting on ber unfolding the
object of her visit, which, by the way, he
bad by this time fully anticipated, whilst
she wss evidently stroggling bird to do,
bnt seemed incapable of making a begin
ning, having virtually lost all power of ut
terance. The contemplation of Despair
taking a last farewell of Hope, but still
clingiug to hit garment, it not more melan
choly than the feeling which her appear
ance suggested to the heart. Pale and
motionless, 'a moonlight on a marble
statue,' bt teemed wrapt in ber own,
thoughts a If ruminating on tb fearful
ordeal on which ib bad just entered.
Iter atf lac assumed a bright hectic
flash, and ber bosom beared Incessantly, at
KATES OK ADVKUTIHINU:
Ob M)ur (lwl liar, or Im, bruvir nwamr)
on luwrlioa g 1 UU
Kni-li hiIfiuiiI inwrliun 1 VO
UuainMourdiiyr SOdO
A liberal oYluotiwu will b wail to Ibu who
Jttriixi by lb yr.
1T Th nurntwr of liwtrlion ahould b notrd
a ill nurgin of a lvriirninl, iirwl it
will b pubiulied till forlxJiUu, ud elurgta' o
cordwgly.
OT Obiiutry notion will ba charged bslf the
abm mtr nt aikcrlUing.
HT Jot Psintiko icHt! with ntna and
diIMlt'll.
taymtnt far Job Printing mutt i, mod,
drltrrry af th, ten It.
if the could not much longer repress th
turbulent commotion within. Her cheek
was not moistened by a single tear, how
ever, but it wat evident, let the cause be
what it may, that the fountain was full to
overflowing, und I Involuntarily thought
what a relief It must bring her should the
at this moment break forth in tears.
Sho now commenced to unfold ber pain
ful mission, and, in subdued tones of de
jected embarrassment, laid, " Please Your
Excellency, I am tho unfortunate wife"
But hero, as sho pronounced thnt sacred
name " wife," that namo so hallowed to
every virtuous and manly bosom, although
pronounced by her own lips, It brought
ith it such a crowd of endearing associa
tions, of such holy and binding relations,
that she could no longer restruiu the with
ering nnguikh of her heart, the fountain
gave way, and she yielded to an over
whelming flood of tears. Hero the Gov.
for the first time Interposed a few words of
sympathy and encouragement, when, as If
summoning up all the energy and fortitudo
of her woman's heart, she dried off her
tears, assiucd a determined calmness, and
again commenced, In tho following words:
" Please Your Excellency, I am the wife
of , who was scuteuced to be hung on
Friday, the 18th of , for the murder of
, nt on tho 7 th of last. But,
Your Excellency, my husband Is a good
man and a good citizen, and never would
have committed thnt unhappy deed, only
that ho was provoked to madness by the
wrongs which he suffered, and could get no
remedy, as this etition will prove to Your
Excellency, which is signed by all the re
spectable cilizeus where we lived." These
words were spoken with so much simplici
ty, and with looks of such interested ear
nestness, as might well have reached the
compassionato feelings of any human heart,
whilst she, with apparently assumed confi
dence, commenced opening out the large
roll ul ready referred to, which proved to
bo a petition to the Gov. in behalf of her
husband. The whole mystery was now un
raveled. Her husband had been convicted
of the murder of a man who had 'jumped'
hs mining claim ami would not relimmish
it becauso it hud turned out to be rich.
He was to be executed in about two weeks
from this time. As she unraveled the pe
tition, which contained three long columns
of names, her spirit seemed to return
her miiuner becume quite buoyant a ray
of hope had darted through tho dark por
tentous cloud which had hitherto envel
oped her and sho referred with considera
ble emphasis to I lie number and retqiccta
bility of the citizens who had signed her
petition.
ll:s Excellency listened with great at-
tion, read tho petition twice, nnd looked
carefully over tho names ns she unrolled
them out beforo him, pointing now to this '
one, and again to that one, and with al
most childish simplicity commented on their
great rcspcctapility, their moral standing,
and how anxious they wcra thut the sen
tence of her husband should be commuted.
During all this time, tho Gov. did not any
a word but when tho poor woman hud
retired back into her chair, evidently pleas
ed with what sho had done, as though she
felt she had made soma considerable im
pression in favor of her husband, he asked
her why she did not get the Humes of tho
Judjjo nnd District Attorney who triodtho
case. To this site replied, iu the most can
did and artless manner, "O! indeed, Your
Excellency, I did all thut lay iu my power
to get them to put their mimes to it, but
they would not do it for ms." Tho latter
part of this sentence was pronounced in
subdued tours of the most touching patho-.
Here tho Gov. assumed an aspect of omi
nous solemnity, nnd after a moment of pro
found stillness, replied, " I am very sorry,
Madam, thut these gentlemen felt it their
duty to withhold their names from your
petition, as it shows that they have not
found any motivo for palliation of tho
crime of which your husband has been
convicted, that would justify the interfer
ence of the Executive in tho administration
of thc law." Thesu words fell upon her
heart like a shower of fiery lava. Her
breat heaved her wholu form becnm ogi
tatcd she wrung her hands " I saw tho
iron enter her soul," yet not a word es
caped her lips. Political office is what I
had never coveted, never wished for, but
here I confess my ambition took a new di
rection. One ollice, and one office ulone, I
wanted. I would have given the world to he
Governor, even for a single hour. Then I
should have made, at least, one heart glad.
Gently would I have withdrawn the poi
soned arrows which were rankling in thnt
poor woman's soul, and poured " the oil cf
joy into her wounded spirit." Stand cr
full, right or wrong, in the eye of man, I
would have taken all risks. Sho should
have had the full free pardon of her hus
band, ' signed, sealed, and delivered' rij;ht
on the spot. And I think thnt my en
trance iuto heaven would not be the less
welcome because I had done so much "to
bind np a broken heart." The poor wo
man sat for a moment as if spell bound,
when all at once she raised her eyes, and,
with clasped hands, ejaculated, in tones of
the most solemn supplication, " The I,ord
help me!" Then, throwing herself almost
prostrate at the Governor's feet, there com
menced one of the most affecting scenes I
ever witnessed. With tears gushing from
ber eyes in torrents, she besought him, she
entreated, the prayed, the pleaded with
bim, witn an earnestness and . a lervenry, ;
and in language sonatnral and so touchiug.
that surpassed anything in tba line of
pryer I had ver witnessed before. Tt:s,
thought I, it prayer. This it, indeed, a