USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 54
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that day forth this chief would never trust a white man to accompany him again to war.
During the Presidency of Washington, the Lit- the Turtle visited that great and just man at Phil- adelphia, and during his whole life after, often spoke of the pleasures which that visit afforded him. Kosciusko, the Polish chief, was at the time in Philadelphia, confined by sickness to his lodgings, and hearing of the Indians being in the city, he sent for them, and after an interview of some length, he had his favourite brace of pistols brought forth, and addressing the chief, Turtle. said-I have carried and used these in many a hard fought battle in defence of the oppressed, the weak, and the wronged of my own race, and I now present them to you with this injunction, that with them you shoot dead the first man that ever comes to subjugate you or despoil you of your country. The pistols were of the best quality and finest manufacture, silver mounted, with gold touch-holes.
The white people, by their knowledge of let- ters, are enabled always to exhibit a long cata- logue of grievances against the Indians, whilst they not possessing the same advantages, their wrongs are in a great measure unrecorded and unknown. I will cite two instances of many that occured during my long intercourse with the Indians, which for cold blooded, unprovoked, and premeditated cruelty, has never been exceed- ed and seldom equaled, among savage or civili- zed people.
In the time of sugar making, 1824, one of the subordinate chiefs of the Seneca Indians, with eight of his people, were hunting within the limits of Madison county, Indiana, a new county then, and thinly populated. Having spent the previous fall and winter there, they were distin- guished for their inoffensive, orderly and peacea- ble conduct. In March of that year, Bridge, Sawyer, Hudson, and a youth under age, the son of Bridge, with another person whose name I have forgot, and who made his escape to Texas, the common refuge of all bad men, matured and perpetrated a plan for murdering the unoffending Indians. Those five white persons repaired early on a certain day to the hunting cabin of the In- dians under a pretence that they had lost their horses, and asked the two Indian men to go with them in the woods in different directions to search for them, each party taking an Indian. When they got them out a sufficient distauce they basely murdered them; and after covering up the bodies, returned towards the Indian camp. The poor women seeing the white men return without their husbands, came out to meet them. One of them in front, who was a Delaware, half white, and spoke English, asked, much agitated, for her husband. They told her that he would
come by and by, and to turn and go into the house. It appeared by the confession of these monsters in human shape, that they had not the heart to shoot her down facing them, but as soon as she turned away from them, they shot her, though not mortally. She fell on her knees, im- ploring mercy for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, telling them she was of their own flesh- alluding to her colour-and in that condition they knocked out her brains with a homony pounder, and with knives, tomahawks, and the same instrument, they murdered the remaining women and children; whole number murdered nine. To cap the climax of this tragedy. and to shew what a degree of callous, hard-hearted de- pravity, men calling themselves christians may arrive at, the whole of these murderers were next day found in attendance on their knees at a reli- gious ªmeeting in the neighbourhood. As soon as the murder was known among the Indians, many of whom were in the neighbourhood hunt- ing, having met, the declared if the murderers we're not secured and punished, satisfaction would fall upon innocent persons, as they could not re- strain their young men. The frontier became alarmed; the murderers apprehended with the ex- ception of the one who fled to Texas. An ex- press was sent to myself with the news; I re- paired to the spot, took immediate measures for the security of the prisoners, reported the case, first to the Governor of Indiana, who declined acting, and second to the Secretary of War, Mr. Calhoun, who promptly acted, giving me ample powers to prosecute to conviction and execution, and to spare no expense. The conduct of this upright and able secretary in this and many other cases which fell under my notice, placed him above all praise. He filled that department, in my estimation, better than any other man since the days of Washington. At the time of Gen. Jackson's coming into power, I was at the seat of government settling my accounts. A friend of
holding office, called on him to solicit his influence with the President in favour of his be- ing continued. Mr. Calhoun appeared to be sur- prised that any fears should exist on the part of any faithful, competent man, and expressed his utter abhorrence at having anything to do, pro or con, with such dirty work.
Foreign Correspondence.
I am in receipt of a letter from Buenos Ayres, from our late fellow-citizen, T. B. Coffin, under date of October 22d, being the latest advices from the Argentine Republic. At that date the port of Buenos Ayres had been thirty days under blockade by the English and French squadrons. on that coast, and all business in the city was in an absolute paralysis.
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The Buenos Ayreans were in an exasperated [ of all property, in less than a month you would be as destitute as ever."
state of feeling, the British having not long be- fore taken possession of their national fleet at Montevideo, and the Argentine Legislature was at that date deliberating on a declaration of war against those powers. The allied invaders had made a descent on Gualaguchu, in the province of Entre Rios and on the river Uruguay, and after being guilty of the most atrocious violence, had carried off a booty of $150,000 in value. The - writer adds, that there is no doubt that Great Britain is about to take the same steps to force a commerce up the La Plata, Parana, and Uru- guay, as she has done with China and would up the Mississippi and Ohio, if she had to do with same kind of people.
Going the whole Figure.
At the late meeting in New York of Robert Owen's Convention for National Reform, the principle was laid down that no one should be permitted to hold more land than would consti- tute a suitable farm. This was going a step farther than that body laid down " the principle" in 1844, when they resolved that the General Government had no right to dispose of the public lands, which they alleged belonged to the whole country, and should first be allotted to the set- tlers free of cost-to the extent they would be needed for that purpose. But revolutions neither go backward nor stand still, as the following colloquy which appeared in a late New York paper, serves to prove:
" Bill," said one fellow to another, " I'se a National Reformer, I is."
" Vy, is that our party?"
" Vy, yes, hossy, it is that. If you puts in a vote for that ere party, you votes yourself a farm."
" Vell, I don't go that onless they'll go a little further. I vants a farm, and somebody to work it besides."
This is carrying out " the principle," and re- minds me of the views expressed by a sailor, du- ring a nautical row in New York in the time of the " long embargo."
" What do you want, my good fellow?" asked the Mayor of the city, in a deprecating tone.
"Want?" exclaimed the spokesman, an old weather-beaten tar, about " three sheets in the wind" -- " we want our rights. No land-lubber should be allowed to live on fried halibut, sea-pie and soft tommy, while poor Jack is starving on mouldy biscuit and salt junk. We want an equal division of property and provisions!"
" My good friend," exclaimed a sedate and portly-looking alderman, if we should comply with your demands, and make an equal division
" Perhaps so," replied the old tar, with a sly wink and a significant grin, " and then we will divide again!"
Transcendentalism.
The Chinese and Hindoos occasionally furnish us specimens of " orphic sayings," which throw into the shade their brother savans of Germany and Boston City. The following letter was writ- ten during our last war with Great Britain, by a merchant in extensive business at Calcutta. It is a curious document, and in no respect more remarkable than in the writer's ability to express himself in good English when he comes to treat of money matters.
CALCUTTA, 10th December, 1831.
Sir :- Having favoured with your kind Epis- tle of the 16th December, 1812, and received it with the best promulgation of Joy, with a view of renewing our reciprocal friendship again to its former state, but it solely partitioned by the pres- ent serious warlike intercourse existed between you and the British Government, which common- ly occasioned an obscurity amongst the inclina- tion of the Mankind, who originally entered to improve their Commodities in Traffics. However we confide these serious resistances will not re- main for a longer, and will accordingly orifice an way on a reasonable time to enable us to pro- mote our Mereantile purposes, as it was before .- We had once learned that an amicable arrange- ment on the subject have had taken place, and which caused to demonstrate our Joy, and ac- cordingly we had the honour to sent the intelli- gence in circulation under cover of the Envel- opes, but it instantly regreted us by perusing the advertisement, announcing the refreshment of the American War over again; however we hope that the Providence may determine the present hostility, and exist a tranquility between your territories and the Great Britain.
In regard the remittance of the Proceeds of Peace Goods, I beg leave to request you that if you think the present war to be immediately con- cluded and your coming out to Bengal will be taken place, I hope you will bring the amount with you, otherwise you will please to remit the same to Messrs. Farlie, Bonham & Co. of Lon- don, directing them to send the amount by a bill of Exchange to Ramdullol Day.
I hope this will meet you and family in a per- fect health and happiness.
And remain with due respect, Sir,
Your most Obedient and Humble Servant, RAMNARAIN GHOSS. To G. W. J., Philadelphia.
The Dutch of Pennsylvania.
A traveler through York county, Pennsyl- vania, having lost his way, hailed a man he saw in a garden hoeing cabbages. " Hallo! I say, can you tell me the way to Daudel's mill." The man thus accosted, and who was, to use a Penn- sylvania simile, as dutch as Hiester's horse, turn- ed round and replied-" Py sure; I gin dell you
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so pesser als any potty. You see dat pridge; | witchcraft which have been made in all ages, are yoost make dat pridge ofer, den durn the riffer just as full evidences of the existence of that art as the presence of a counterfeit note is of the fact up schtream, biss you gum to a finker bose py a gross rote; dake down dirty oder forty bannels of | that there arc genuine ones, since without an fence on dat rote and you will gum on a gavern original, there could be neither imitation nor сору. house mit a pick jerry dree at the toor, durn de gavern round und yoost pefere you is my prud- der Hans' parn schinkled mit schtraw. When you kit upon his house you ax him, und he gin dell you so pesser als me."
" Let me see," said the traveler, reflecting- " make a bridge over, turn the river up stream, turn a house around and take forty panncls of fence down; my gracious what a day's work I have before me! Good bye."
Chronological Table.
Jan 1st-New Year's Day. Anthony Wayne, born, 1745.
2d .- Edmund Burke, born, 1730. Lavater, died, 1801.
3d .- Battle of Trenton, N. J., 1777. General Monk, died; 1670.
4th .- C. C. Pinckney, died, 1812; Roger As- cham, 1568; Sir Isaac Newton, 1642.
5th .- Duke of York, died, 1827.
6th .- The Epiphany, an Appearance or appari- tion is kept in commemoration of the manifesta- tion of our Saviour to the Gentiles, and first ob- served A. D., 813-Old Christmas Day.
7th .- Fenelon, died, 1715.
8th-Battle of New Orleans, 1815. Galileo, died, 1742.
9th .- Archbishop Laud, beheaded, 1645.
10th .- Stamp Act passed, 1765. James Watt, born, 1736. Linnaeus, died, 1778.
Review.
A Sermon on Witchcraft. By J. L. WILSON, D. D .: preached at the First Presbyterian Church, November 9, 1845. pp. 23. Published by re- quest.
This is a remarkable production, which ex- hibits all the learning, fidelity to duty, deference to the word of God, and boldness in avowing most unpopular opinions, which have characteri- sed the whole course of the writer's life. The author holds that witchcraft has existed for ages, as he proves by the word of God; that it still ex- ists, in the Papacy, in the New Jerusalem Church, the Shakers, the Mormons, and among the prac- titioners of the Mesmeric art. He adjudges the miracles wrought by Prince Holienlolie and the Holy Coat of Treves, effected by the power o witchcraft; Emanuel Swedenborg to be no im- postor, but deceived by lying spirits, and as such became the " prince of modern necromancers;" and mesmerism he considers founded on the same principle. He insists that the vain pretences to
I cannot concur with Dr. Wilson in all his views; and regard Mormonism as simply an un- principled movement of artful deceivers, whose dupes are sufficiently ready to be deceived. What is new of Shakerism and Mcsmerism is not true, and what is true is not new. A consid- erable share of the phenomena in both these, is referable to the nervous system; the residue a sheer imposture of men who begin dupes and end deceivers. In this category I place the whole horde of neurologists, mesmerists, clairvoyants, &c .; such as Professor Brownson, Drs. Buchan- an, Parnell and June. Nor can I perceive in what respect these men are working miracles, any more than Signor Blitz or the Fakir of Ava.
Dr. Wilson's pamphlet is, however, worthy of a careful perusal by all who take an interest in the subject on which he treats.
The Sermon is from Donogh's press, and is a beautiful specimen of Cincinnati typography.
Address at the Fair of the Hamilton County Ag- ricultural Society, at Carthage, Sept. 18, 1845. By JOHN W. CALDWELL, President. pp. 12.
I should not have felt called to review this production, but for the vigour and originality of the author's views and illustrations.
He commences by elevating to a proud emi- nence the agricultural employment. " What would our cities be without the farmer?" he asks. True, if we had not known it before, we should have found it out since we have had to pay five dollars per cord for wood. But it is not merely in provisioning us, we are under obligations to the sons of the soil, in the author's judgment.
" The very population itself of your crowded cities, is gathered from, and replenished by, the bands of healthful yeomanry, who till the soil. No city could long exist in prosperity, were it not for the commingling of its blood with that of the robust sons and daughters of the field."
This is hardly stating the case fairly and fully, for we are getting an admixture also of Saxon blood from German emigrants to renew the Hep- tarchy element in our ancestors, now nearly run out. ·
Mr. Caldwell contrasts agriculture as a pro- fession, with that of the pulpit, the bench, the bar, the faculty, the political press, and the ranks of commerce and of the meclianic arts, of all which, as a class, he speaks with sufficient ir- reverence, although making the necessary cx- ceptions.
I must turn him over to brothers Drinker or
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Taylor, for his attacks on the political press. As to the bar, of which Mr. C. is a member, wait till the lawyers catch him in court, for him to get jessc.
He is in his element, as I have intimated, when he eulogises the farmers. Even Dr. Overton at Memphis, did not lay it on with a trowel, heavier, when he pronounced that convention the most able, enlightened, intelligent and influential body of men that ever had assembled or ever would assemble in the vast succession of ages to come, on the face of the wide earth. Still Mr. C. has a few things against his friends, the farm- ers. He thinks log cabins should be entirely ob- solete-that the farmers ought to read more, and mind what they read. Above all they should pay the printer. I like the last suggestion-as such; but not the insinuation it conceals. My farmer subscribers do not want dunning, and arc the best pay in the world.
Besides these things he hints to them that they are raising but thirty bushels corn, and a large share even less than that, where one hun- dred have heretofore been raised, unstinted both in grain and ear. And he tells them boldly if they don't spur up and remedy this state of things, the Dutch-who can produce on two acres as much as our farmers do upon ten, will get possession of their land and take the country. Hear this ye Native Americans and blow the trumpet in time!
The author closes his address in these words, every one of which is as true as it is important, · and all said in the right spirit and taste.
" Indulge me, fellow-citizens, in the expres- sion of a hope that the day is not far distant when the effort will be as well to improve the mind, as the crops of the tiller of the soil; when no farmer will consider his whole duty accomplished, whilst his children have not the facilities and opportunities of a good education; and when farmers will be men of literature and science, capable of analy- zing their own soils, of applying science to their art, and of gracing the journals of the day with interesting reports of their operations. Then, and not till then, will you know and feel the full strength of your order; then, and not till then, will you obtain your true position, that which a high grade of intelligence, united to your per- manent wealth and overwhelming numbers, will entitle you.
The Debate on Slavery, held at the Second Ad- vent Tabernacle, in Cincinnati, by Rev. Jona Blanchard and N. L. Rice, D. D. pp. 482. Published by W. H. Moore & Co., Cincinnati.
This " Debate," long looked for by the thou- sands who were present at it, and the tens of thousands who have heard of it and take a deep interest in the subject, is at length before the pub- lic. As an individual, I have my own opinion which side has a right to claim the victory in ar- gument, but it is not necessary, and would be in-
vidious in me to use these columns for that pur- pose. I can, however, freely and truly say, so far as I am competent to judge, that the deba- tants are mncn of signal ability, who have left little to be said on the subject beyond what is presented in this volume. My business with the book rather refers to its character for paper, printing, binding, &c., than to its subject.
The volume then is beautifully got up, the pa- per clear and white, the typographical arrange- ment ucat and perspicnous, and the binding and general outside appearance surpassing that of any volume of the Cincinnati book issues heretofore. In this respect it is a perfect contrast to its pre- decessor, the " Debate on Universalism," which was on inferior paper and in an inferior style of cover and binding, and disfigured with such a profusion of italics and small capitals as to mar the general effect of its being read to advantage.
I can fre ly, therefore, recommend the volunie to thousands who need light on the interesting subject to which it relates.
Clerical Eccentricity.
Rev. Mr. S. was a man of many eccentricities; and not a very animated or interesting preacher. As he advanced in years he became even less en- gaging, and his people-although they respected their good old pastor, and were disposed to keep the right side of him in expectation of a legacy -felt it quite a relief if they could find a plausi- ble excuse for absenting themselves from his meetings. When any family was absent two or three Sabbaths in succession, Mr. S. would pub- licly state to the congregation that as Mr. - 's family had been for some time absent from pub- lic worship, he presumed there was sickness or trouble in their household, and would appoint a prayer meeting at their house on the next Tues- day afternoon. For a while this answered the purpose, and it was found that the people pre- fered even to hear Mr. S. preach in the great con- gregation, than to have the almost exclusive benefit of his prayer meetings. He was, how- ever, at times, obliged to adopt other measures to fill his house; for although the families took care to be represented on the Sabbath, they took spi - cial carc not to come out en masse, so that the hearers of the parson, in his spacious temple, were generally few and far between. On one Sabbath afternoon, he told his people that lie should take a journey the next day and be ab- sent for a short time; but he would take care that some person should come from Boston on the next Saturday and supply his desk the next Sab- bath. On the next Sabbath morning, the mcet- ing house was filled. The whole town turned out to hear the Boston minister. They waited awhile in eager expectation of his entrance, when in marched the Rev. Mr. S., aud walked up the broad aisle as he had been accustomed to do for many years gone by. On ascending his pulpit he smiled graciously upon his large audience and . said, " I am glad, my dear hearers, that I have got you out-you're all here as you ought to be -and I hope your minds are prepared to receive instruction-I came from Boston yesterday my- self!">
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Flour Mills in St. Louis and Cincinnati.
I propose to institute a comparison between the flour milling operations in St. Louis and Cin- cinnati. It will be recollected that it is only within a few years we have manufactured any considerable quantity of flour in the city, while it has been an established business for many years in St. Louis. Under these circumstances the comparison is quite favourable for Cincinnati.
The number of mills here is fifteen, all but one of which are steam mills. The water mill belongs to Mr. Chouteau, and is propelled by water from the pond bearing his name.
Page's Mill, 8 run of 4₺ feet stones.
Union,
3 do of 5 feet do.
Star,
3 do of 4₺ feet do.
Eagle,
2 do of 13 feet do.
Washington,
2 do of 43 feet do.
Missouri, .
2 do of 4} feet do.
Phœnix,
2 do of 42 feet do.
City, 2 do of 4₺ feet do.
McKee's, .
2 do of 43 feet do.
Franklin, 2 do of 4} feet do.
Tucker,
3 do of 3 feet do.
Mound,
2 do of 3 feet do.
Park,
2 do of 3 feet do.
Pearle,
1 do of 3 feet do.
Chouteau,
3 do of 4¿ feet do.
Making,
40 run of stones.
In the above there are three run of stones of five feet diameter, twenty-four of four and a half feet, and fifteen run of three feet diameter-being equivalent to upwards of twenty-eight run of four and a half feet diameter.
I copy the above from the St. Louis New Era of the 20th ult. Our city mills are-
C. S. Bradbury, .
5 runs.
West & Co.,
do.
Atkins & Blair, .
3 do.
John Elstner,
3 do.
C. C. Febiger,
3 do.
Atkins & Co.,
3 do.
Franklin Mills, .
3
do.
Fagin's, .
3
do.
Twenty-seven, all of four and half feet stones. Hardly more than one run of stones as a dif- ference.
about equal. West & Co., on three pair of four and a half feet, have made in three consecutive weeks three thousand and thirty-three barrels, which is an extraordinary performance. Our city mills usually command a small advance on other brands, even of first rate quality.
Our capacity being within a fraction equal to that of St. Louis, I presume the actual manufac- ture is in about the same proportion, probably greater, as besides our supply of grain from the the interior of Ohio, we get ample consignments of wlicat from the St. Louis region itself.
Unaccountable.
A remarkable fact, and one which all my pre- vious experience in statistics affords me no means to account for, may be found in the following cir- cumstance.
The pews of the newly erected Central Pres- byterian Church afford a remarkable contrast in the appearance of the backs. The ends next their doors are all distinctly marked at their up- per edges with dark shade, as of coal dust pressed out against the paint by the men who occupy that part. The inside ends on the contrary, have the same impression made from the ladies' dresscs, some twelve inches above the seat.
I hope the announcement of this remarkable contrast will not produce a bustle to ascertain the cause of the difference refered to.
Dr. Buchanan.
The following letter explains itself. I am per- fectly willing that the Dr. should be heard through these columns, so far as his letter goes. The extracts accompanying that document, al- though termed " short" by the Dr., would take up more room than I can spare in my columns. They are the testimony of a writer in the Demo- cratic Review, to the originality as well as the value of Dr. Buchanan's neurological discoveries.
As to the " best minds" refered to in the letter, what determines their right to that attribute? Who shall indorse the indorsers? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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