Franklin Repository

As a general rule, we think girls had better learn modern languages than ancient. One reason for this opinion is, that a girl of good abilities and superior resolution can obtain a respectable knowledge of a modern language in two or three years; whereas to become truly proficient in Latin or Greek is a ten years' labor. A moderate acquaintance with these two languages would, however, be beneficial to any young lady, and two or three years' study of them, in connection with other branches, could do no harm. The study of a foreign language is, in the highest degree, beneficial and educating. With regard to mathematics, we should not desire a daughter of ours to go beyond arithmetic, algebra; and the first six books of Euclid's geometry.

The position of the Republican party has been, from its formation, one of hostility to the spreading of Slavery over the fair, fertile surface of our wide-spreading western Territories; without, in the least, desiring to interfere with that system of labor, and domestic polity, in the States where it exists. Our doctrine has been, Free homes for Free white men; the Territories ar for the sons and daughters of poor whites, and are not intended as places for rearing human beings for the auction block.

There could not, therefore, be anything more highly appropriate than the selection by the Republicans of Abraham Lincoln as the standard-bearer of that party. He is the son of a poor man; he, by indomitable perseverance, raised himself from the depths of poverty and obscurity to be one of the first men of a great nation of Free men. He was reared in the wilds of our new western country, and is an excellent proof that Freedom is the proper condition of our broad, smiling Territories. Had he been raised in the South--where he was born--in all probability he would never have raised above the level of that abject, depressed class of human beings, the most wretched on earth, the poor whites of the South; but a kind Providence led his mother to emigrate with her small children, after the death of Abraham's father, to a young Free State, and great things are in store for the self-made man, as a necessary result of the Free institutions of Free States.

His high moral character, not being addicted to any of the vices of the age, renders his selection in other respects highly appropriate. The object of our form of Government is to elevate mankind, raise the bowed down, and provide an asylum for the oppressed and down- trodden sons of grief and sorrow, wherever they may hail from. The design of the founders of the Republic was to people the far West with toiling, intelligent, frugal farmers to our shores for the stricken children suffering from wrongful treatment are thrown wide open, so that the seekers after quiet homes from every nation on earth might enter freely and find the object of their search.

Elect Abraham Lincoln, the man of the people, the child of poverty, the youth of perseverance and application, the successful lawyer, the gifted statesman, the champion of Freedom, of Free homes for Free men, of keeping Slavery out of, so that poor white men may enter into the rich, teeming Territories of the great West, and the objects and aims of the great and good men who established our Free form of Government will be carried out in every particular. There is no man in the nation whose selection would have been so highly appropriate. From the ranks of poverty and laborious industry, he can fully appreciate the position of the millions of poor men in the land; raising himself, by herculean efforts, under the benign influences of Freedom, his election will prove of incalculable benefit to every class of our citizens--especially will it be calculated to increase in the minds of the people a proper admiration of Republicanism.

The anniversary of our Nation's birthday, passed off very pleasantly. The day dawned amidst the thunder of cannon by the Chambers Artillery, Capt. P. B. Housum, commanding

The morning sky was overhung with clouds, and many hopes for a pleasant day seemed to be blasted; but at last the clouds were dispersed, and the weather turned out most propitious.

The Lutheran and Presbyterian Sabbath Schools of this place, according to previous arrangements, proceeded to the Rail Road, where a very large train of Cars were in readiness to convey them, the former to Greencastle, where they where [sic] to meet the Lutheran Schools of Greencastle and Hagerstown in a union celebration of the day; and the latter to Hagerstown, where it united with the Presbyterian School, of that place in a similar demonstration. We have understood that at both Greencastle and Hagerstown, the best of feeling prevailed, and that all were delighted with the ceremonies of the occasion.--Hundreds of our citizens had assembled at the Depot to witness the departure of the train that was to convey such a dense mass of our cherished ones to these distant points.--When the train was put in motion, with the flags and evergreens, and beautiful devices with which the locomotive was decorated, it presented a sight long to be remembered. All returned about 7 o'clock, in the evening, much delighted with their excursion, and without an accident or any circumstance occurring to mar the pleasures of the day.

With the departure of so many children from our midst, with their teachers and many of their parents, our streets were left comparatively deserted.

Social parties celebrated the day differently, in pic-nics, fishing parties, &c.

The Chambers Artillery, Capt. P. B. Housum commanding, paraded our streets in full feather, and we must say, that we never seen the Company present a finer appearance. Their ranks were well filled; their marching, counter-marching and other evolutions that we observed them going through, we thought well done. As thy marched through the streets, they fired a National Salute of thirty-three blank cartridges, by sections. In the Diamond several discharges of musketry took place by Company, and in each instance, the report was as the report of one gun. The firing by Company was better executed, in our opinion, than that by sections. The Company then proceeded to the residence of Hon. Geo. Chambers, after whom it has been named, and saluted him by a discharge of musketry by company, which was exceedingly well done. The Judge came to his door and in a neat, appropriate and patriotic address acknowledged the compliment.

A workman in a paint factory in Thirty-ninth street, while busily at work one evening recently, fell into a caldron of boiling tar and was scalded to death. He was rescued alive, and his agony during the few hours that he survived was terrible to witness.

The counties along the Southern portion of Pennsylvania at this time offer inducements to enterprising and intelligent settlers rarely to be found, even in our country, where broad acres are so abundant. We will state a few of the reasons.

The Counties of Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Somerset, Fayette, Huntington and Washington contain a large number of as fine land as is to be found in the country. The bottoms are broad and rich, most of the hills are arable, there is an abundance coal and iron, the country is all healthy and the climate mild and favorable; yet the lands can be had for a very moderate price. Speculation has never visited the region and therefore the actual settler can go there. There are reasons for this. In past years the taxes have been high in the state and these counties, except a small part of Huntingdon have enjoyed no benefits of the works for which the tax has been levied. The state debt is now being decreased while the property is being enhanced, and the days of high taxes have therefore gone by, and the seeker after good positions can therefore turn his attention there with every prospect of satisfaction.

There is no class of our population that so directly feels the benefit of works of internal improvement as the owner and tiller of the soil, and while rail roads add to the value of far western lands, it has now come to be well known that the long distance from market is a heavy tax on the products of the soil, and therefore the high price given by the first impulse has not been maintained and sensible men are in a way to look nearer home for investment of money and muscle.

The question then occurs, will the southern counties which we have named in Pennsylvania, be opened to market by rail road, and how soon, who will do it? We will answer these questions from our stand point and as the case presents itself to us.

Gov. Clinton and his compeers, many years ago, wisely built the New York Canal, necessarily through the state and to the great lakes. It built up towns and created wealth along the line. That was the foundation of the Central N. Y. rail road which was built from city to city as a local road, not as a national highway. New York wanted a road into the City to cut off the trade taken by the Central and Great Western to Boston and the Erie rod was built where it is United States the state of Pennsylvania was not then open to the construction of roads to New York. Wisdom has come by age and now all states welcome roads from all points; but many of the prominent men of New York had deep interests in these roads; the crash of 57 exposed the grade, with many sharp curves and twenty miles longer from Harrisburg to Pittsburg than the line we have named.

At Pittsburg the river is bridged and the whole northwest is open by the shortest possible rail road to Chicago. A road is being built to Steubenville, Ohio, where another bridge is incourse of erection across the Ohio, River, opening the centre of the state through roads already made.

The side of Pittsburg, by the construction of some thirty miles to Washington, the Hempfield road is reached, terminating at Wheeling Va. the western terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio road, where another rail road bridge is being built across the Ohio river thus at once opening the shortest and best possible route from New York to St. Louis thro' the Central Ohio and its connections.

The distance from New York to Cincinnati by this latter route will be 705 miles with light grades and few curves, while by the Central N. Y. road it is 922, and by the present Pennsylvania route 763.

How much is to be made? About 150 miles all together which will cost to make and stock as a fist [sic] class road not more than eight millions of dollars, and probably much less. And being built with cash instead of bonds at 50 cts. to the dollar, and for a great through national road, instead of turning aside to every man's farm, it will be a paying road.

Do you think the owners of the soil along such a route will be content until it is made? They will not let it sleep; but give to it all the energy and means they can raise, as it will enhance their property beyond measure. They will not probably be able to raise all the means; but what they cannot raise New York will so soon as the matter is fully understood,

There are now circumstances that are directing the attention of thinking men in this city more than ever before to this matter. The British Grand Trunk rail road through Canada has made giant strides during the last year. It is now finished to Detroit, and better stocked than any road in this country, at a cost of over $60,000,000. It is now absorbing a large amount of the western produce and extending its arms in every direction by the leasing of our western roads, evidently aiming to secure an interest in and control of the Pacific railroad whenever our Congress shall provide for its construction. We all know New York must defeat this effort. She cannot do it by the Erie road and the broad guage extension. It is too long, crooked, of high grades, runs through too poor a country, and like the Grand Trunk too liable to obstructions by snow and ice. The enlarged cana- [sic] will not fully serve because half the year closed by ice; while the great Washington route rail road through Pennsylvania will have none of these difficulties to contend with, and with a double track and ample stock will pour more produce into New York than she now receives by any other route, and forming the shortest line between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, will soon become the world's favorite highway.

When will it be made? It may be delayed by the inactivity or folly of interested parties along the line, or the want of intelligence or concentration in New York but we believe it will be completed in three years.

We have given our reason at length why we suggest to enterprising correspondents to seek locations in Southern Pennsylvania.--N. Y. Homestead Journal.

RANAWAY from the subscriber near Double Springs P. O., Oktibbeha Co., Miss., on the 8th inst., my negro Boy LITTLETON, said boy is of Copper Colour, about 5 feet 5 inches high, about 37 years of age, with a shot in his right wrist on the inside of the arm, if not extracted, has a small scar over one of his eyes, not recollected which, has large eyes, teeth sound in front, between points of shoulders 15 inches, rather thin from Breast to Back, rather stooped shouldered, has a rocking walk, inclined to run down his shoes, has several scars on the right leg and thigh. he makes some pretension to proper language as he can Read, Write and Cipher a little, he may have a pass of some sort and can tell any kind of a tale to suit his purpose, as he is anxious to get to the Black Republicans.

The above Reward will be given to any Person for his apprehension if taken out of this State, or Twenty Five Dollars if taken in the State, and lodged in any Jail so that I get him or for such information as will secure his recovery.

Double Springs: April 17, 1860

SAMUEL COOPER, M. D.

P. M.--Please put up in some conspicuous place.

You dam black scoundrel, do you know any thing about this nigger.

The above handbill was sent the Tribune, and, in accordance with the request in P. M., we put it in the most "conspicuous place" we know of. We regret to be obliged to inform our esteemed correspondent--if we may use that endearing term--Samuel Cooper, M. D., that none of the "dam scoundrels" of any color in this establishment, have any knowledge whatever of the "nigger" Littleton, who is copper colored, nor of the "Boy," who is a boy at 37 years of age. If we hear of him however, we promise to let the Dr. know. And being thus candid with that gentleman, having thus done all we can for him, under the circumstances, in advertising this errant, and undoubtedly ungrateful fugitive, who makes so many pretensions, has cleverness enough to invent so many tales, and is covered with so many scars--will the good Dr. in return, answer us a question or two? We want to know about those scars, partly from moral, but chiefly from surgical motives.

How cam there to be a shot in Littleton's right wrist on the inside of his arm? The Boy, we presume, is not trusted with firearms, and if he were, we do not well see how he could shoot himself in that particular spot. Neither is it very likely that he could have been shot by any of his companions when sporting, as recreation of that sort, we believe, is not a favorite in his class of the happy prolaries of the sweet South. If we were a Northern white man and mechanic, one of our unhappy "mud-sills," we should think he had been shot at with some murderous intention; but that, we know, is a thing they never do on the other side of the border.

Now, on one of his eyes is "a small scar." Is this also from a shot? Did a part of the charge that lodged in the wrist just fall short of a lodgment in the brain also? Or was it some other assailant of the citadel of life that failed to make a breach here in the walls.

"On the right leg and thigh," also, there are "several scars." Possibly, gun shot. That they are on the right side, also, favors that supposition. Perhaps it is these that cause "the rocking walk," for gun-shot wounds are sometimes known to be inconvenient, and even crippling. But if the supposition be correct that a charge of buck-shot has left these wounds and scars, propound to us the occasion, good Doctor, of such shooting. Here and there among us is a man who has brought home from war some honorable scars; here and there a man whom some accident has crippled; but we do not remember ever to have heard before of a case like this, where a wretch is scarred over half his body with marks of wounds, one of which, at least, was made by shot, and others, it is rational to conclude, have a similar cause. Hides so peppered are unknown among us, except it be of beasts. Are men thus used in Mississippi?

We reiterate our promise--Dr. Cooper shall certainly hear from us if we hear from Lit. But our report may not be as mollifying to the Doctor's outraged fellings, as his salve, we do not permit ourselves to doubt, has always been to the wounds of Lit. On the whole, we think that Boy has had shooting enough. We hope he has a pass of some sort. We trust his ability to "tell any kind of a tale to suit his purpose," will stand him in good stead; and his laudible anxiety to get to the Black Republicans shall be gratified, if we fall in with him, for he shall go at once to the headquarters of the nearest Republican Club. They are law-abiding men, and will render due obedience to the Fugitive Slave law, when properly brought home to their consciences and reason. But if Littleton gets among them, and Samuel Cooper, M. D., is not very close behind him, the chances of a Commissioner for a ten dollar fee will be, in that case, small. As Littleton makes "some pretension to proper language, as he can read and write," a pretension and accomplishment to write, it is very clear, that Dr. himself has no title, we should not be willing to guarantee that some rough fellows in this neighborhood might not, if they are caught the two together, give up the M. D. to the copper-colored as a fugitive from justice, with rather more readiness than they would hand over the boy to the M. D. as a fugitive from labor. Not that we approve of such conduct, but we think there might be some disposition to such behavior among the rougher sort of the "dam scoundrels."