JOHN BROWN'S SPEECH Mr. Emerson in his remarks at the funeral services held in Concord, April 19, 1865, on the occasion of the death of Mr. Lincoln, said: “His brief speech at Gettysburg will not easily be surpassed by words on any recorded occasion. This and one other American speech, that of John Brown to the court that tried him, and a part of Kossuth's speech at Birmingham, can only be compared with each other and with no fourth. This speech of Brown was at the time of his trial much commented upon and praised. It hardly seemed possible that in the hurry of his trial and when suddenly and unexpectedly called upon that he could pull himself together and make so extraordinary a response. It so often happens that fine speeches owe their existence to reporters or biographers, as for example, in the case of the great speech of Patrick Henry which was made bodily for him by his biographer, William Wirt, that there was room to doubt the genuineness of the report, I know that Judge Thomas Russell, sometime justice on the bench of the Superior Court, went to Charlestown, was present at the trial and heard John Brown's speech, and I took occasion to ask him, now some fifty years ago, how much of that speech Brown really delivered. His reply to me was "Every word of it." This evidence is so direct and conclusive that it should be made of record somewhere, and I know of no better place than the pages of the Transript. It should not be left in doubt. that John Brown himself and no other was the author of this great speech. BOSTON Transcript. GEO. A. KING. ANOTHER DESERTED VILLAGE The tragedy of a town's death is written plainly across the landscape of Weymouth, N. J., where once industry hummed in one of the busiest little manufacturing settlements of South Jersey. Fifty years. ago Weymouth, known now only to deer hunters, who make the deserted village their headquarters for a few days in the fall and to autoists who catch glimpses of tree-hidden ruins as they speed by on their way to the seashore, was the thriving centre of a great paper industry, and had proud ambition of some day becoming a metropolis. Few now living remember those days, but among the survivors of the town's greatness is Postmaster A. G. Stewart-for Weymouth still claims a post office, and its venerable postmaster claims a longterm record of forty-five years of continuous service. He is said to have been in office longer than any other postmaster in the United States, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that he has no opposition for reappointment when his present term expires. His is the only modern dwelling in the town proper, although summer residents have erected a few bungalows along the shore road in the outskirts of the town. What was once Weymouth's residential section is back from the present road, hidden among the bushes and young trees of the typical pine-belt wilderness. Here is what is left of the dwellings that once lined the streets of a busy manufacturing village. Roofs of some have fallen in, side walls of others are tottering and, except for the four or five that are occupied which are Postmaster Stewart's only neighbors, these once pretentious houses know no human inhabitants except when the deer hunters make the town their rendezvous and some of them take up their temporary abode under the leaky roofs. The wilderness is fast swallowing up what is left of the old village. Some inhabitant, more industrious than others, planted his corn last year in what was once the central village street. The chief monument of the town's past is the picturesque ruin of the great mills of the Weymouth Paper Company. Pioneers of an earlier generation saw great opportunities for the manufacture of cheap paper from the great forests of central New Jersey. The Egg Harbor River was dammed to form Weymouth Lake and supply waterpower, and the industry developed rapidly. Pine was not much of a success as pulp material, but other varieties of trees growing in abundance in this section were available and were made into a product that found quick sale. Salt hay entered largely into the manufacture of paper in the mills about the centennial year. Promoters of the industry became wealthy, the business paying big profits, but efforts to branch into other fields of commerce proved fatal at the very height of the paper mills' prosperity. The chief owners became interested in constructing the famous narrow-gauge railroad across New Jersey, tying up most of their available funds, and pledging the mills as additional security. Forced to the wall later by persons who obtained the railroad for the Philadelphia & Reading, the original promoters lost not only their fortunes, but the mills. The mills were closed temporarily, it was announced, but they never have been reopened, although the profits of the last year's business are said to have exceeded $80,000. Fire later invaded the main buildings, which were used at times as sawmills, but even this industry has passed into memory. Weymouth Lake, which furnished the waterpower for the old mills, has become a famous Mecca for anglers. Its waters abound with pike, pickerel and bass, and in season it is also famous for the wildfowl gunning it affords sportsmen. The beautiful sheet of water fronts the town and stretches away between pine ridges for several miles. On its sloping shore to the left from the town is the old mansion of the former proprietors, now another pathetic reminder of the days gone by. The lake and its waterpower are considered valuable assets of the property and are said to be held at a high valuation by the present owners. There is talk, even now, of rebuilding the mills and utilizing this waterpower for electricity to supply many towns in Atlantic and Burlington counties. Postmaster Stewart believes prosperity will come again, to Weymouth. He, the only man who has remained faithful to the old town, dreams of a revival of its industries and the eventful development of the once-planned metropolis. PHILADELPHIA Record. NOTE-In an preceding issue, credit should have been given to the American Historical Review for the article on "The West India Trade before the Revolution," by Mr. H. C. Bell. We apologize for the inadvertent omission. ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WASHINGTON RECOMMENDS A CLERGYMAN (This is the only letter of the kind I have met with, among the many of its author. He was then only thirty years old. The person addressed is not named, but apparently was the Governor of Virginia.-ED.) MOUNT VERNON, MARCH 26, 1762. Be so good as to pardon the liberty I presume to take in recommending to your Excelency's notice the Revd Mr West, a young Gent" lately entered into Holy Orders, of a good Family, and unexceptionable Morals this with truth I can venture to certifie as he is a neighbor of mine, and one of those few of whom every body speaks well. At present he is engaged to officiate as Curate to the Rev. Doct' Swift of Port Tob°* who it seems is in the last stage of consumption, and attempting by a Voyage to England, the recovery of his health, but, shou'd he fail this (as most probably he will) and the Parish becomes vacant by his death, M' West would think himself very happy in the honour of your presentment of him to the Cure, and I am fully pursuaded that his endeavours would merit the favour. Your Excellency sometimes makes excursions to Potomack on partys of pleasure. I cannot conclude therefore without expressing the satisfaction I should recieve in having the honour of a visit from you on one of those Tours. With very great esteem, I have the honor to be &c. G. WASHINGTON JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (when Minister to Russia) TO GOVERNOR (On the probable effect of a war with England) ST. PETERSBURG, MAY, 13, 1813. 'Although more than three months have passed since I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of 25 October last, I have hitherto had no safe opportunity by which I could have transmitted to you the acknowledgment of its receipt. It is but a few days since the wall of icet which bars all intercourse with America more than half the year, *Port Tobacco, a petty hamlet of Charles County, Md. The freezing of the Neva. was broken, and another month at least might elapse before a vessel can be dispatched from this frigid region. 66 I have seen since I left the United States only one number of the Boston Anthology, but I had known long before that there was nothing to support it but the spirit of faction. The Port Folio* has for several years lived upon the plunder from the English periodical Journals Mr. Walsh'st learned labours had also reached me. They had proved acceptable in England, that sufficient care had been taken to circulate them from thence upon the Continent. Walsh's picture of England was utterly false, and adapted to flatter the prejudices of the party among us, who having more money than wit, eagerly snatched at everything, which with an appearance of information and argument furnished a proof to their darling delusions The true picture of England would have been as dark and odious as he has made that of France. The proceedings in Congress having relation to foreign affairs are generally noticed in the English newspapers though occasionally distorted by Comments, which have their primary source in America. Most of my friends are deterred from writing by an apprehension which our experience has shown to be too well founded, that their letters, if they ever reach me, will have been broken open and read by others on their way. The same consideration has often restrained me from writing and will serve now as my excuse to you for saying only what privateersmen and admiralty judges, Lieutenants of Men of War, and Ministers of State, pickpockets and highwaymen, by land and sea, may read without temptation to divert it from its destination or pervert it to their own purposes. In reflecting upon your observations with regard to the policy of a War with England, I am happy to find your opinion perfectly concurring with my own. We want neither provocation for cause of war The effect of a war upon our national character and institutions would probably be great, and I hope favorable. That we should be destined to enjoy a perpetual peace, however ardently humanity may desire it, cannot reasonably be expected. If war is not the natural state of human society at all times, it is that of the age upon which *Joseph Dennie's celebrated publication, Philadelphia 1801-12. He and Charles Brockden Brown were at the time the only Americans who made literature a profession. †Robert Walsh, (1784-1859) editor of the American Register and American Review (Phila.) Adams' reference is probably to his book, "Essays on the Future State of Europe". |