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About Oregon spectator. (Oregon City, O.T. [i.e. Or.]) 1846-1855 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1847)
-H ? M THINK HOT 0MIV . ar runtvek .. Tkkk Mt af tfcnl W f ' Go sskun ! wkssaey, Itolesdia4eatalastBfeB; Gaaakkaaaottotfa: Go Mk tea BMoaUiB tsmat, as It eaabes to the Ma, To ate Ma oawaia ewuae, toil Reaula awhile far thee: Go Mk the whlriwiad rafiag with DtatncUaa la Us path, Toaaaia mom lowly maBeion, from The toy of Ita wrath: (toaaktiMcaatWefatiaf.fmn . Hkprkoa window hifh, To lean blacoU, daikdomlcUa, Aad walk 'aeath tbo bine aky. If than wi8 headway anmmoae, then Will I ekey thee too, Aad wifl lesaeaiber when Thoaa thiaga aha ocsne to view, For, Oh! -'iSa Tata to atrante 'gaiwt The feelings of the aouL Tlraia to atrira 'gain nature, for She wills bide coatraL THE IRON COLLAR. "By the rood, father, I mark not tho drift of thy speech. la not the deed morciful ? Nay, i it not reasonable ?" This question was put by a man, appa. rently about tho mid-day of life, who, lean ing on an iron-pointed staff, his cap half pulled across his brow, his lips suddenly com. pressed, and his eye fixed stedfastly upon another's face, seemed as he would snatch an answer from tho simple look of him he had so earnestly addressed. The monk for it was a son of the church from whom tho speaker waited for counsel was unmo ved by the energy of tho question, and with his still, passionless eye, glanced at a man, standing submissively apart, vet evidently BJt without a violent effort feigningcompo sure, nay indifference. There wpre three acton in'the scene. The first was the mas. ter of the anxious wretch, whosSTTate was about to be decided. A told, open-featured toss, with, it would seem, his heart in his eyes a man of good worldly substance and of cheerful mind ; ft strong contrast to the churchman, whose mealy features told more of the chine and the wassailbowl, than of holy thoughts and nocturnal meditations; and, in truth, tho. monk was one of those who as it were done with all secrecy would change the rib of a canonized saint, for the body of a capon. He seemed expressly- made to eat, drink, move slowly, talk gravely, and wear a gray gown ; he fulfilled his ordinance. The third man was a slave. He looked wan and shrunk ; he had a restless eye, and his lip moved with ill-suppressed emotion, as he cast a sidelong look at the priest. He bore about his neck the badge of bis condition an iron collar. Tho speaker, vainly waiting for the an swer of the monk, repeated his questions " Ii not tho deed merciful ? Is it not rea sonable?" , The priest replied with another question, put in a tone or seeming wonder " Why, air, what hath urged thee to this business ? Take off the iron collar of thy villain? Why, when didst thou first dream of this ? Tell me the history of this strange matter." " I know not, father, if it be not a thought sent from heaven itself. It hath been with roe sinoe last spring. I was abroad early, and all things about me seemed living with a new life ; tho young corn shot up freshly and strongly the air quickened the blood bout my heart all things looked of a brighter color tome; the birds were sing, ing in the sky and on the boughs, and I saw the hand of Gtyd working in the trees." "A goodly matin meditation. Well, what didst thou see next ?" "Looking round, I saw the iron collar of my serf." "Ay, thy lawful bondman. Well?" " Prom that moment doubt possessed mo and I did think it but a fitting deed, to take that iron badge away." "Then thou hadst no other communion ? By my order, I did look foi some angelio de- oast thou hadst' no divine intelligence, the?"' "' None but ,my own thoughts none but" . " Have a care, son lest, in the idleness of thy Blind, thou dest take its wanderings kbh feheata. Q see nothing in these med- i'JUtftnfr1 should call on thee to remove 7 'SfcMf ; Why should thou object to place aiavf inai aaancvi ww iawuu ksjt'fc trut, fthtr, I bajia to doubt-ajr, aad I ,date i-f ; 3oubt from the tuce of whloh I have spoken the aaeroy, tka reason of that custom ; it is on this that I would have thee resolve me?" "Speedily. And answer, my son so shalt thou profit. '81noe thou hast possessed the lands,' have they not been tilled by serfs, each with his iron collar ?" " Ay and many a day before us, father." "Hath the earth proved stubborn and unfertile ? Hath not the' seed burst in the ground, though cast there by oollared vil lains ? Hath not tho green blade shot up hath it not ripened in the sun, but cut down in its fulness, and returned thee seed a hun dred fold, though' reaMd by serfs with iron collars ? Hath not all this happened ?" " Even so." " They who take thy swine to mast wear they not badge V "Ay!" "And yet the hogs stray not, but fatten ; and when killed, are nourishing aud tooth somethough tended, killed, cooked, and served by men with iron collars?" "All this is true." " Then wherefore move tho collar ?" " As an act of justice to him who bears it. Thy arguments are subtile, father, but to my mind, selfish and tyrannic. I will remove the badge from his neck, and from the necks of all my bondmen." On this, the speaker departed with his sorf and the monk wenj his way, loudly prophecying tho sudden dissolution of tho social fabric, from the instant that the " low. er orders" were relieved from iron collars. The legend is somewhat old, but there may be curious people who even now may fit ii with an application. NON-RESISTANCE. Mrs. Childs, in a lato work, entitled " Let ters from New York," gives a beautiful illustration of the practical application of t .... !- !. I... ll me principle oi non-resisiunuu, uv muhi party of peace-loving emigrants, who star ted for tho "far west." and made their homes in the wilderness. They were industrious and frugal, and all things prospered under their hands. But soon wolves came near the fold, in tho shape of reckless, unprincipled adventurers ; be lievers in force and cunning, who acted ac cording to their creed. The colony of prac tical Christians spoke of their depredations in terms of gentlest remonstrance, and re paid them with unvarying kindness. They went farther they openly announced, " You may do us what evil you choose, we will return nothing but good." Lawyers came into tho neighborhood, and offered their services to settle disputes. They an swercd " Wo have no need of you. As neighbors, wo receive you in the most friend ly spirit ; but for us your occupation has ceased to exist." "What will you do if rascals bum your barns and steal your harvests?" "We will return good for evil. We belicvo this is tho highest truth, and therefore tho best expediency." ' When the rascals heard this, they consid ered it a marvellous good joke, and sajd and did many provoking things, which to them seemed witty. Bars wero taken down in the night, and cows let into tho cornfields. The Christians repaired the damage as well as they could, put tho cows in tho barn, and and at twilight drove them gently home, saying, " Neighbor, your cows have been in my field. I have fed them well during the day, but I would not keep them all night, lest tho children should suffer for their milk." If this was fun, they who planned the joke found no heart to laugh at it. By degrees, a visible change came over these trouble some neighbors. They ceased to cut offhorses' tails and break the legs of poultry. Rude boys would say to a younger brother, "Don't throw that stone, Bill ! When I killed the chioken last week, did'nt they send it to mother, because they thought ohicken broth would be good for poor Mary? I should think you'd be ashamed to throw stones at their ch'okens." Thus was evil overcame with good, till not one was found to do them wilful injury. Years passed on, and saw them thriving in worldly substance beyond their neighbors, -yet beloved by all. From them the lawyer and the constable ob tained no fees. The sheriff stamered and apologised when he took their hard-earned goods in payment for the war-tax. They mildly replied, "Tisa bad trade, friend. Examine it la the light of conscience and a if it be not so." ' But while they refused to pay suoh fees and taxes, they wore liber al to a proverb in their contributions for all useful and benevolent purposes. At the end of ton years, the publio lands, which they had chosen for their farm, wore advertised for sale by auotion. According to custom, these who had settled and cultiva ted the soil wero considered to have a right to bid it in at the government price, which at that time was five shillings pur acre. Hut the fever of land speculation thon chanced to run unusually high. Adventurers from all parts of the country were flocking to tho auction, and capitalists in Baltimore, Phila delphia, Now York, and Boston, wore send ing agents to buy up western lands. No ono supposed that custom or equity would be .re garded. The first day's salo showed that h peculation ran to tho verge of insanity. Land was eagerly bought in at i As., 5, and 6 5s. an acre. The Christian colony had small hope of retaining their farms. As first settlors, they had chosen the best land, and pcrsovorins industry had brought it into the highest cultivation. Its market value was much greater than tho acres already sold at exorbitant prices. In view of these facts, they had prepared their minds for an other remove into the wilderness, perhaps to bo again ejected by a similar process. But the morning their lot was offered for salo, they observed, with grateful surprise, that their neighbors were everywhere busy among the "rowd begging and expostulating, " Don't hid on these lands ! Thoso men havo been working hard on them for ten years. Dur ing all that timothcy never did harm toman or brute. They are always ready to do good for evil. They are a blessing to any neighborhood. It would bo a sin nnd a sliamo fh bid on their lands. Let them go at tho government price." The salo came on ; tho cultivators oi mo son oiicrca live hillings intending to hid higher if neccssn rv. But amonjr all that crowd of selfish, reckless speculators, not one bid over them ! Without an opposing voice, the fair acres returned n them. I do not know a more remarkable instance of evil overcome with good. Procrastination. "Wait till to.mor row," says the procrastinator as his already Datienco-wom creditor asks him to discharge a debt of many years' standing ; ' have pa tience and 1 will pay thee all.' To-morrow comps, and ins creditor again sianus uciore him. Ah. vou have coma too soon I have ....... --.r j . - been unablo to make a raise the times are hard, and money is scarce call another rTltti tlati dAim1dV haaaaa flU'DlS Ikllf still the tune is the same, ' wait till to-mor- row.' See that young man lingering in the corner near the doggery. His aged father ...fL ! t-I .. 1.... j.klBAlj tttrwt it wiin lean in nw eyca " kiiiihiku !" v forsake his dissipated companions and the nimrtwi an i,n I norfl i nn nnnrrnr. no says jocosely, 'do you think I am going to be a drunkard ? You were once a young man yourself, give yourself no uneasiness, when I have seen a little i.'.ore of the world, nil aninvail B fniv flllVB nf Bmill IlPnt. I shall, like yourself, put away ehildit. Mugs.' C S. ! ...S.t. .!. ...nal1 . umI till tn.mnvmw ' OO II IB Willi MIO WUHU , Wl- Mil H-IMW", is enstamped in iron fetters upon the mind of every thing human. Whether it regards our temp' al concerns in lifo, or tho moro importai '.nd decisjvo matters which relate to our spiritual and eternal welfare, we aro ever ready to exclaim, go "thy way this time and when I havo a more convenient season, I will call for thee," and thus it will ever be until tho angel of tho Lord with one foot upon the land and the other upon the sea, shall lift his hand and swear by Him that liveth forever, that ' time shall be no more ,' then the tune will be changed then the fearful cry will bo, 4 alaB ! it is too late, the term of ourprobation has expired, tho just sentenco oftiod is irrovo. cable, and we are lost.' ThisWHL be the language of tho procrastinator, and this will be his doom if ho changes not his course, for he that is dilatory in secular matters, will be much more regardless of his spiritu al interest. Remember that delay is dan gerous, therefore, never put off till to-morrow what may be done to-day.' John Jacob Astor. Tho incomo of John Jacob Astor, says an exchange, on a mode rate estimato, must be 12,000,000 a year, or 160,000 a montbTwhich is about 41,500 a week, 95,700 a day, 9240 an hour, and $i a minute. Hew miserable it must make him to dovise mean to spend it all; . ' 1 J 1 An Editor's Sub.-An editor in Indiana has a journeyman printer worth hit weight In sold a sort of rare avis, a quiz, a wit. a poet, at; orator, a man who is up to every thing under the sun. Jn the summer, wne businosslsdull, and news becomes scaroa, our editorial iriena nas nothing w uo oui ring tho bell for his journeyman. ' Tom, says ho, " l want a speech to-day nan column, done up tyw- "4JI1 fix it sir," replios Tom, who proceeds forthwith lo case, and, without copy or previous preparation, sets up an admirable speech, purporting to havo boon delivered by some crack orator be; fore tho last meeting. If necessary, Tom makes a wood cut, representing the orator in ono of his happiest flights. The speeoh takes like wild.fire, and is considered a splen did effort of genius. Occasionally Tom is called on to grace tho editorial chair. Tom, I shall bo 'absent for a couple of weeks koop up the steam. Yes, sir,' says Tom, and, sure enough, tho paper goes along liko a locomotive. Sometimes Tom is requested to knock the argumont of a political oppo nent or a blackguard editor into pi. No ooner said than done, lorn goes io ms case, with dire indignation upon his brow, and sets up a perfect smasher. The offend ing wretch is killed, to all intents and purpo ses. In addition to all these qualifications, Tom does all the pugilistic business of the establishment reports the proceedings of the Legislature, duns the subscribers, keeps the books, attends the public meetings, offi ciates at the balls and parties, docs tho stump speaking of the county, exhorts at all tho Methodist revivals, and makes himself gen orally useful. i i r (r The New York Senate continues lo bo the scene of disgraceful personalities, says the Newark Advertiser, during the (lis cussion of a motion to expel the reporter of the Argus, senators Clark and Young ap pear to have exhausted the vocabulary of Billingsgate, in abusing each other. Tho members of tho lowor House, and tho peo plo from the streets, crowded the chamber to witnossthe fray. Wo are told by the re ports, that Young asserted that a respectable individual, from Washington county, had told him (Young,) that Gen. Clark wbs re. garded in his neighborhood, as a notorious liar!! And, in reply, senator Clark pro. ceeded to give tho inscription which would shine on Col. Young's monument, after his death. He premised that Young had never been in the Senate, without disturbing that body. He was always -quarreling, and was a morose and petulant old man. The fol lowing, said Mr. Clark, will bo inscribed, on Young's" monument. On ono side will bo " To the memory of one whoso temper had become fretful and morose, on account of disappointed ambition and ungratificd vanity." On tho other side will be " Pwm, gentle reader liarhtljr tread For Uod'asake let him lie ! We live in peace, aince he is dead, But hell Ulna fry!" Labor to Make a Watch. Mr. Dentr in a lecturo delivered before tho London Royal Instituto, made an allusion to the for mation of a watch, and stated that a watch consists of 902 pieces ; and that forty-three trades, and probably 215 persons, are cm ployed in making ono of these little ma chines. Tho iron of which the balance spring is formed,-is valued at something less; than a farthing ; this produces an ounce of steol worth 4Jd., which is drawn into 2,250 yards of steel wire, and represents in the market JE13 4s.; but still another process or hardening this originally farthing's worth of Iron, renders it workablo into 7,050 balance springs, which will realize, at tho common price of 2s. (Id. each 040 5s., the effect of labor alone. Thus it may bo seen that tho mere labor bestowed upon one farthing' vmrik nt Irnn frivnsit tllO ValllO 01 050 5s.. or $4,552, which is 75,080 timcs(its original value. Tbttth in Beautiful ArPABEL.-In Doug lass Jorrold's now play is uttered thufbetu- tiful sentiment : True gratitude, in the very fullness of ita soul, knows not tho limit of its debt ; buj when It weighs each little gift, books down each passing courtesy, it ceases to be grati tude, and sinks to calculation. Why,! hop I am grateful for the flowers at my feet, but I were unworthy of their sweetness could J coldly sit down and count thorn. S