SHALL TEMPERANCE HOUSES BE SUSTAINED AND CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN SPEAKS

 

McGrawville Express, Thursday, January 20, 1848.

EDITORS TABLE.

Shall Temperance Houses be Sustained?

   They ought to be, and are to some extent, but not always. We are not so foolish, however as to affirm that Temperance Houses should be patronized by temperance men, merely because they are Temperance Houses, irrespective of the men who control them, by no means. Were we to make this assertion, we should be laughed at, and well we might be, knowing as we do, that temperance men are a wise and discriminating class, and have too much regard for their own convenience, and their own safety, than willingly submit themselves to the charge of any person, merely because he hoists a temperance sign, and professes to be governed by temperance principles, when his house is destitute of public convenience.

   One great reason why Temperance Houses are not sustained any better than they are, is simply because they are controlled by individuals who, although they may be very intelligent, professedly so, yet in too many cases they prove to be shiftless and wholly incompetent for the stations they have assumed. From mistaken notions, they have supposed that the temperance community will, and of necessity must, support a temperance house, whether it be controlled on right principles or not. But experience has proved this to be an idle assumption, and it ever must, so long as such persons seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the travelling community. Temperance houses can be sustained, if they are conducted on right principles, and by proper persons. It is not enough that they should know how to make money by gouging; but they must know the wants of community, and knowing them, make provision accordingly. Too many think that if the stranger is merely taken in, all is well; but too many have been taken in to their cost. Any liberal and high minded man, who thinks more of accommodating the travelling public, and providing for the interests of his guests, than promoting his own selfish purposes, can succeed; but he who is controlled by other motives, and seeks to enrich himself without regard to the interests of others, might as well abandon his post before the public abandon him.

 

   ◘ The writer of the article signed "Scribbler" to be found in another column, is a stranger to us; yet his article possesses so much good sense, and so much human nature, withal, that we have thought proper to lay it before our readers, not to gratify any idle notions of our own, but that the community may see how "prejudice" is wearing down, and that our paper is "hoeing it way" tho' silently, yet successfully.

   About lending your paper, brother, to a "kind neighbor" is a very delicate matter, to be sure. We would be the last to deprive any man of his privilege to borrow—especially if he is poor. Yet we do honestly think that a newspaper borrower is entitled to rank with a certain quondam friend of ours, who came to us upon a time, wishing to borrow his breakfast!

   Thank you for the compliment; tho' we do not consider that the best part of the article; still it will do to laugh at. Come again.

   ◘ To-day, the weather is remarkably cold—to-morrow it may be equally warm. No snow to-day; yet to-morrow there may be an abundance. Truly we cannot tell what a day may bring forth; if we could, we might make some calculation for that WOOD which is always coming but never arriving. O dear, O. [Reference to a request by the newspaper for stove wood in exchange for a subscription—CC editor.]

   ◘ "Cortland Minstrel," this young poet, (for he is only 17 years of age) is destined, at no distant day, to be ranked high as a poetical writer. His lines are beautiful, and full of poetic fancy. We are proud to class him among our regular contributors.

   ◘ NO HARM DONE.—Placing those names in lower case was an oversight. Praise us for our good intentions, but do not curse us for our errors. There is time for repentance. Do you believe it.

   ◘ SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY.—To hear a man pretending and aspiring to many things of which he knows nothing. If he speaks from prejudice only, set him down as a fool.

   Be sure and read the sayings of Franklin. We can well afford to give room to the sound philosophy of Poor Richard.

   ◘ From appearances we are led to believe, that at the State Temperance Convention to be held at Syracuse on the 19th inst., an effort will be made to repeal the resolution passed at the Albany Convention, recommending to the people to petition the Legislature to repeal all License Laws, and to leave the Liquor dealer to his responsibilities for the traffic under the common law, and to pass a counter resolution, recommending the prohibition of the retail trade, except only as a medicine, under the most severe penalties.

   ◘ Read the proceedings of a Plank Road meeting held at Jamesville, in our columns. It is proposed to build a Plank Road from the City of Syracuse to the City of Binghamton. It will be a grand thing when finished, as the man said of New York.

   ◘ The Small Pox still rages in Dundee. It is also carrying its terrors into Jefferson and Steuben Counties; and it is rumored that it has broken out between Italy Hill and Penn Yan. It is at Geneva; but to what extent, we are not informed.

 

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Faith Manifests Itself by Works.

   At a meeting of the citizens of Jamesville and Syracuse, held at the Plank Road House of W. Hamilton at Jamesville on the 12th inst., Major M. C. Brown was called to the chair by a unanimous vote, and Samuel Hill was present and presided as secretary.

   The meeting was called to order, and addressed by several able and talented speakers from abroad, as well as from the learned cabinet of Jamesville. The subject of public improvement was introduced upon the occasion. The projected Plank Road which is to start from the Rail Road in the City of Syracuse, and terminate upon the Rail Road in the City of Binghamton, passing through the Ainslie Gulf, over the Buena Vista flats and fertile valley, amidst the richest hills of Pister, the mountains of Blue arid Gray Lime upon either side, and then coming square in the sweet shades of the great maple orchards; and then next, to be almost lost among the lofty hemlocks, that passengers, as they glide up and down this great valley, will need to carry a spy glass in one hand if they mean to see their tops, &c., and so into Solon and be lost. [Suspect sarcasm for not placing McGrawville, N. Y., on the route map.—CC editor.]

   And then after proceedings above just hinted at, the meeting delegated 3 persons, whose business it should be to draw up a notice to be published in the leading journals of the day, preparatory to holding meetings along the whole route of the said projected road, the next of which is to be at Apulia village at the house of one, Lansing, an Inn-keeper; meeting to be on Saturday next at 1 o'clock P. M.

   The meeting then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to attend and to influence all others to attend the meeting above notified at the village of Apulia, on Saturday, the 15th inst, at 1 o'clock P. M. precisely.

   And then the meeting adjourned to that place, and so we parted to meet again.

   Signed, THE COMMITTEE.

   Huzza! Huzza! for the Plank Road leading to the rich mines, deep and broad Coal beds of our sister State, Old Pennsylvania. The Stock for the above Road is all taken as far south as Jamesville, and pledged as far south from there as Apulia. More about this Saturday next.

 

General Winfield Scott.

GEN. SCOTT MOVING

To Occupy the Whole of Mexico.

CONGRESS DISSOLVED.

   NEW YORK SUN OFFICE, Thursday night—By the Pony Express we have been put in possession of New Orleans papers of the 7th, two days in advance of the mail. There had been another arrival from Vera Cruz, by which we have dates from that place to the 27th, and several days later from the city of Mexico.

   Gen. Scott had issued orders announcing his proposed intention of occupying the whole of Mexico by the United States army.

   All the public revenues are to be appropriated for the support of the army. Lotteries were abolished.

   The old Mexican Congress have dissolved, and the new congress was soon to assemble. The Mexican government was taking measures to suppress the intrigues of the monarchists.

 

FROM WASHINGTON.

   NEW YORK, Jan. 15.—The Philadelphia North American has a dispatch from Washington by Telegraph. The President has this day ordered a court of inquiry for the purpose of investigating charges against Gen. Pillow and Col. Duncan, which have been preferred by Gen. Scott.

   The charges against Gen Worth submitted by the commanding General, has been dismissed by the President.

   It is directed to assemble at Perote, at as early a day as the members can convene. It is to consist of Gen, Tawson, Paymaster General, Gen. Cushing, and Gen. Butler of Louisiana. Gen, Tawson will start for Mexico on Monday. The selection of Gen. Tawson is an anomaly in Court Martials, and will doubtless lead to difficulty. His office of Paymaster General is a civil one, which might be conferred upon any individual in private life, and as he holds no rank in the regular army of Mexico, will necessarily devolve upon Gen. Butler of Kentucky, he being the officer next in rank to Gen. Scott whose presence will be required at the Court of Inquiry.

   The idea of recalling Scott is abandoned for the present, but it may be renewed.

 

SENATE.

   Mr. Hale, in the Senate presented petitions from New Hampshire and Maine, praying for the withdrawal of our troops from Mexico. Mr. Clayton, who spoke in opposition, contended that the policy of the Administration was to annex the whole of Mexico, and spoke of the important affect of adding eight millions of colored Mexicans to the Northern Abolitionists.

 

Abraham Lincoln.

HOUSE.

   Military Committee reported a bill amending an act of last session, raising military force for limited time. Bills from Senate providing clothing for Volunteers, appropriations for the Brooklyn Dry Dock, and appointment of Assistant Pursers, and for the purchase of the Madison papers were read twice, and referred.

   Mr. Holmes, of New York introduced a bill for erecting fortifications and establishing a military depot at the mouth of the Genesee river.

   The Committee of the whole took up the President's Message. Mr. Lincoln spoke on the Mexican boundary. Mr. Jamison got the floor. Adjourned.

  

   GEN. SCOTT—The Herald has a dispatch stating that at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was determined to recall Gen. Scott from Mexico as speedily as possible, leaving Gen. Butler in command. The other officers involved in the dissensions in the camp will also return.

   LOST CHILDREN—One thousand eight hundred and sixteen children, lost in the public streets, were taken to the several police district station houses and restored to their parents in the six months ending the 31 of October.—N. Y. Express.