Lonely Picture, the 137 Love Sketches, by Miss J. T. Lomax 337-379-430-620-750 Sabbath Mornings, three 723 PUBLISHED MONTHLY, AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM THOMAS W. WHITE, EDITOR AND PROprietor. VOL. VIII. RICHMOND, JANUARY, 1842. THE NEW YEAR GREETINGS OF AN EDITOR TO HIS PATRONS AND FRIENDS. NO. 1. knowledge our obligations. And in returning our thanks for past favors, we beg them to have patience with us sometimes, and bear with any seeming neglect of their contributions. We have bushels of these now before us; and every mail adds fresh supplies to the pile. With the growing popularity of the Messenger, such has been the in This is the season of gratulation among friendsof good will among all. The first salutation of the day from the merry lips of thousands, has been "a happy new year." And to each and all of our patrons we wish many and happy returns of the sea-crease of contributors, that it would now keep one son. The new year is the time for reflecting upon person constantly employed to overhaul MSS. and the past, of making fresh resolves, and of renewing do nothing else. Therefore, if those who offer us our calculations upon the future. This is an in- pieces in a difficult hand, be occasionally kept a dulgence which the Messenger craves of those to month or two in suspense as to their fate, they whom it has made its monthly visits in their ap- should not complain. Ours is now the oldest mapointed regularity. It has now completed its se-gazine of its kind on this side of Mason & Dixon's venth year. During this long and tedious time, we line. Near eight years ago, when we undertook its have struggled hard, rising up early and sitting down late, to make our Journal worthy of itself and its readers. Within this period, time and death have done their work-they have taken away many a staunch and valued friend; but time and a kind Providence no publication of the kind could flourish or live at the have raised up others no less loyal and true. We too have had our trials-Planters and farmers have had, with the returning seasons, their seed time and rature. harvest-but we have had one long seed time of South. seven years. publication, we entered upon the work with many forebodings, for there was much to dishearten and to deter. The trial had been often made, and as often failed; until the belief became almost universal, that South-and, though yet in the days of its youth, the Our harvest is now ripe for the tempts spring up and perish. But, thanks to its BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF H. H. BRACKENRIDGE, reaper; and we shall put in the sickle, to gather in and garner up the fruits of our Jacob-like term of labor; for within the last year our subscription list has increased largely, and fresh numbers are daily lengthening it out. Never has the circulation of the Messenger been as great as it now is. To continue in the favor which we have won, we shall relax no muscle, spare no exertion; and the better to serve those who are friends, we are now purging our subscription list of all those who patronize us only in name. The making up of each No. for the mail, after it comes from the binder, occupies alone nearly two weeks. The obligations between proprietor and subscriber are reciprocal, and an Editor can afford, no more than any other laborer, 'to Hugh Henry Brackenridge, (or Breckenridge as work for nothing and find himself;'-we have tried the name is most usually spelled,) was born near it, and find it a hard task. In our literary cater- Campbletown, in Scotland, in the year 1750, and ship, we have marketed at home and abroad; we was brought to America by his parents, at five have gathered up from the sea and the land, and years of age. His father was a poor farmer, with have monthly spread before our readers the costly only su cient means to pay for the passage of his banquet; and we can now promise our readers a family and this he could not have accomplished corps of correspondents in the old world and the but for the sale of some extra clothing on his arrival. new-such as no paper in the land can boast of. The barrens of York county, in PennsylvaOnward is our course. If the Messenger has nia, and the adjacent part of Maryland, eighty been good in times past, it shall be better in times years ago, were pretty much in the same state of to come. It has never had such a list of corres-population and improvements, as our most remote pondents as those whose pens are now engaged to settlements at the present day. Mr. Brackenadorn its pages. To them, and not to us, belongs the ridge's father required the assistance of all his honor of its excellencies; to them, we feel and ac- children on the small farm which he leased; yet, VOL. VIII-1 like the Scotch in general, he neglected no oppor- than by the qualifications of the applicant; and tunity in his power of giving the best education after some hesitation, gave him the place. This to his children. Hugh was sent to the country situation not only required scholarship, but called school in the neighborhood, and was soon remarked for a determined spirit-for several of his scholars for great vivacity and aptitude for learning; the were young men at least several years older than teacher even complained that he discouraged his other scholars. The pursuit of learning soon became a passion in which he manifested that intense ardor and perseverance which characterized him through life. himself. One of them attempted to overturn the authority of the youthful teacher by force, who, seizing a brand from the fire, knocked the rebel down, and spread terror around him. An investigation was the consequence; and Hugh was conIt was the good fortune of the subject of this firmed in his office with honor. He continued notice, to find a friend in the clergyman settled in here about three years, permitting no moment to the neighborhood. This benevolent person, seeing escape without improving himself in knowledge; the passion for learning manifested by a poor boy and his opportunities were now considerably enof obscure parentage, took pleasure in rendering larged. On one occasion, he shut up his school him every assistance in his power. A few lessons for a few days to attend a celebrated trial for at long intervals sufficed to enable the willing pu- murder at Annapolis; and, when he heard the pil, by dint of application, to master the Latin, and great orator Jennings, he exclaimed, like the celemake some progress in the Greek, under every dis-brated Italian artist-soi anche pittore! I too am advantage, before he reached his thirteenth year. a painter! The Saturday evening was the usual time for re- He remained at this place until he had exhausted ceiving instruction, for which he performed various the sources of learning near him; and his thirst little offices in return. At home, by means of the for knowledge urged him to seek more copious dim light made by chips and splinters, he conned streams. At the age of eighteen, with the scanty over his book, or books; for he rather devoured pittance saved by him at the obscure school where than studied them in the ordinary way. It must he had taught, he boldly repaired to Princeton be confessed, however, that Hugh was not as College, and presented himself to the celebrated highly praised for his diligence at out-door work. Dr. Witherspoon, then its president. This was But he was not discouraged by his parents. His about the year sixty-eight or nine of the last cenmother, who was a woman much superior in intel-tury. He agreed to teach two classes, on condilect and education to the generality of persons in tion of being permitted to pursue his studies in the her circumstances, began to look forward with fond higher branches. hope to seeing her favorite son one day a minister of the Gospel. His great difficulty was to procure books. By some means he had become the master of an Horace-every word and line of which he had conned over. This treasure was one day unfortunately forgotten on a stump, and chewed up by a literary cow. The loss was regarded by Hugh as the keenest distress he had yet experienced. He was known to go twenty or even thirty miles to procure the loan of a book or even of a newspaper; starting on Saturday night, and returning to his work on Monday morning. Foggs' Manor, in Chester county, was usually the scene of these excursions. At this time there was a number of young men of the highest promise at this institution, and who afterwards ranked among the most distinguished public men in this country: the Livingstons of New-York, Luther Martin, James Madison, and a number of others, who afterwards became eminent. While at college his ambition urged him to excel, if possible, in every department of learning: but he acknowledged that he had no great aptitude in mathematics; and although he courted the Muses, and in conjunction with the poet Freneau, his classmate, composed a poem on "The Rising Glory of America," he confessed that on his part it was a task of labor, while the verse of his associate flowed spontaneously. His task lay in Great ardor in any pursuit will almost create belles lettres and general literature; in languages, for itself the means of success; but when sustained philosophy, moral science, or ethics in wit and by genius, all difficulties give way before it, and eloquence, he stood unequalled. He could reason impossibilities no longer exist. Once, meeting well, had a fine voice, a fine person, and an eagle with a young man who had made some progress in eye; the last are physical gifts which set off his mathematics, but was not acquainted with the dead accomplishments to the greatest advantage, and languages, he struck up a bargain, mutually ad- are almost indispensable to the public speaker. vantageous, bartering a portion of Latin and Greek The narrowness of his pecuniary circumstances for the acquirements of the other. often depressed him. He used to relate an anec The free school on the Gunpowder Falls, in dote of Dr. Witherspoon, which is worth preservMaryland, being without a teacher, he presented ing. Happening to speak of his limited means himself at the age of fifteen for the situation. The and want of friends, he quoted this line from Juvetrustees were not less surprised at the application, 'nal Haud facilis emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat res angusta domi. " and I'll give you as good a horsewhipping as any "There you are wrong, young man," said the doc- rascal ever received." "Excuse me, General," tor; "it is only your res angusta domi nare, said the other, "I would not go down for two such that do emerge." He also related that on one oc- favors." casion having prepared a public address for a In the following year, 1777, he joined the army young gentleman, whose situation in life was the as Chaplain to a regiment, and for a year lived in reverse of his own, and which gained much applause, camp; experiencing the life of the soldiers, preachhe found in his apartment shortly after, a handsome ing to them, and attending them to the battle-field, suit of clothes, with a cocked hat-at that day very as in the time of the Scotch Covenanters. His commonly a part of a gentleman's equipment. sermons of course were political; six of them were After having graduated, he remained sometime published in a pamphlet, and widely circulated. as a tutor; and engaged in the study of divinity, On the 4th of July, 1778, he delivered a very elountil he was licensed to preach, when he was in-quent oration in the Dutch Reformed Church in vited to take charge of an academy on the Eastern Philadelphia, in honor of the brave men who had shore of Maryland, with a handsome salary. He fallen in the contest. An anecdote of him was continued here during several years until the break-related to me by a respectable old gentleman, well ing out of the American Revolution. He was in known in Philadelphia. The evening before the the midst of a wealthy and highly polished society, battle of Brandywine, in the neighborhood of which and was greatly respected as a man of genius and he then lived, a tall man, with a cocked hat and scholarship; while his wit, and superior social military appearance, came to his house, and, with and conversational powers, always rendered him a welcome guest. He infused into his pupils a love of learning; and used to speak with the pride of a Porson, of the Winders, the Murrays, the Purnells, and others, who were afterwards distinguished. To this day, there is traditionary remembrance of him in that neighborhood. very little ceremony, requested that his horse might be fed-and said that after taking a walk, he would return to tea. He was then observed to direct his course to a spot from which he could have a view of the American army. The host, who was a good whig, suspecting the stranger to be a spy, called in his family and a neighbor who was present; they resolved to examine the saddlebags, which had no padlock: but these suspicions were soon removed by finding nothing in them, but a pocket bible and a couple of shirts rather the worse for wear. The stranger proved to be the subject of this biography. The revolutionary struggle now monopolized the public attention. He took an early interest on the side of those who might be considered his countrymen; for, having arrived in America when a child, all his feelings were naturally on the side of the country in which he had passed his infancy and received his education. These were quite en- Mr. Brackenridge, although licensed to preach, thusiastic, as is proved by the dramatic piece writ- was never ordained, nor formally consecrated to the ten by him for his scholars, and which after due ministry. As he grew older, he became convinced preparation they exhibited before their admiring that his natural temperament called him to the parents; it was called Bunker Hill, composed shortly after the battle, and since published in a miscellaneous volume. scenes of active life. Besides, he found himself unable to yield a full assent to all the tenets of the church in which he had been educated. He declared that for two whole years, he labored most sincerely and assiduously to convince himself; but About the year 1776, that of the Declaration of Independence, he left the academy and repaired to Philadelphia, having about a thousand pounds in vain; and he could not think of publicly mainin the current money-but which depreciated so taining doctrines, in which he did not privately rapidly, that in a short time he was stripped of the believe. On one occasion, in conversation with a labor of years. It became necessary to employ Scotch clergyman, he stated his difficulties. The himself in editing a political journal or magazine other replied to him, that he was pretty much in for his support, and which he conducted with the same predicament. "Then, how do you reability. The United States Magazine, which was concile it to your conscience to preach doctrines of the name of the periodical, abounded with appeals whose truth you are not fully convinced?" "Hut to American patriotism; and its contents were va- man," said he, "I dinna think much about it-I ried by poetic effusions, and strokes of wit. At explain the doctrine, as I wud a system o' moral one time it contained some severe strictures on the philosophy, or metaphysics; and if I dinna just celebrated General Lee, and censured him for his understand it noo, the time may come when I shall; conduct to Washington. Lee, in a rage, called at and in the meantime I put my faith in wiser men, the office, in company with one or two of his aids, who established the articles, and in those whose with the intention of assaulting the Editor; he heads are sufficiently clear to understand them. knocked at the door, while Mr. Brackenridge, And if we were tae question but ane o' these doclooking out of the upper story window, inquired trines, it wud be like taking a stane out o' a bigwhat was wanting? "Come down," said Lee, gin; the whole wa' might fa' doon." As this mode of reasoning did not satisfy Mr. Brackenridge, he In the course of a few years, Mr. Brackenridge resolved to turn his attention to the study of the was elected to the State Legislature, which then law a circumstance, to which may be ascribed the sat in Philadelphia; he took an active part, and unfriendly feeling manifested towards him after-delivered a very able speech on the subject of inwards by some of the clergy, who looked upon structing our representatives in Congress, to dehim as an apostate; denounced him as one of the mand the free navigation of the Mississippi. He wicked; and which led him, on more than one oc- displayed on this occasion, a scope of intellect, casion, to retaliate. His writings display a libe- which, in the opinion of the best judges, fitted him rality on the subject of religion, which is thought for a wider sphere of action. Here he had the by some to border on free thinking. It is true he misfortune to fall out with his colleague-a selfhated hypocrisy, but reverenced the Christian re-taught man of some sagacity, but a mere popular ligion as taught in the Scriptures; he was only weathercock-a demagogue, of that species which skeptical as to some of the tenets of different sects; follows and flatters the ignorance and caprices of yet he did not pretend to call them directly in the people, without ability or integrity to set them question, preferring to pass them in silence, from right. Some unguarded expressions derogatory unwillingness to lessen that general respect for re- to the majesty of the people, were carefully trealigion and its teachers, which he considered neces-sured up, and displayed by this man to their consary to the well-being of society. Whatever sa-stituents; and for a short time served to injure the tirical freedom may be discovered in his works, is popularity of Mr. Brackenridge. The effect proaimed at certain professors of religion, and not at duced by it on his mind, may be slightly traced in religion itself, of which he always speaks with re- "Modern Chivalry." spect-frequently referring to the Scriptures, of which he was a perfect master. When the great struggle, for and against, the Federal Constitution, came on, he took an active He now repaired to Annapolis and placed him- part-and to use his expression, "fought a hard self under the celebrated Samuel Chase, after- battle in its defence." Findlay, Gallatin and othwards one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of ers, with whom he afterwards acted in the Westhe United States. Having completed his studies, tern Insurrection, were in the opposition. The Mr. Brackenridge resolved to seek his fortune parties of federal and anti-federal, ended with the West of the Allegheny mountains, as affording a adoption of the Constitution. The original elefield where his talents could be brought into imme-ments of these parties became commingled, after diate requisition, He accordingly crossed them in having been distributed like the types of the printer. the year 1781, directing his course to the source Luther Martin and Patrick Henry, the most arof the Ohio; where there was, at that time, a dent opposers of the Constitution, took their stand small village, at the junction of the Allegheny and with the federal administration, under Washington Monongahela rivers, now the great manufacturing and Adams. Mr. Madison, Mr. Brackenridge and city of Pittsburgh. At that time it was not the seat others, united with Gallatin and Findlay in conof justice of a county, but a part of Westmoreland. demning some of the prominent measures of that He was not long in establishing a reputation in the administration. Hence, the names of federal and three counties of Westmoreland, Fayette and Wash-anti-federal, have nothing in common with the ington; and sometime afterwards, when the county subsequent division of parties, into federal and of Allegheny was established, he was already at democrat, or republican. The names are apt to the head of the bar of Western Pennsylvania. lead into error those who are not acquainted with There is nothing surprising in this, when we con- the minute history of our political parties. sider the nature of new settlements, where the Mr. Brackenridge prospered in his profession. population are, for the greater part, strangers to In the course of ten or twelve years, he laid the each other, and no overgrown reputations to over- foundation of a fortune, married, built a large and shadow aspiring young men. Besides, Mr. Brack-commodious dwelling, and was universally respected enridge was a man of decided talents, with a com- for his integrity and talents. As is generally the manding person, highly popular manners, and a case with popular lawyers, he was looked up to as mind richly stored with various learning. He had the champion of popular rights. He defended the a profound knowledge of men; possessed great twelve individuals, indicted for tarring and featheraddress; could raise a laugh at pleasure; could ing an exciseman of the name of Graham; and was reason clearly, and make the blood run cold by employed in the "great case" of the seventy distouches of genuine eloquence. He did not attempt tillers, who were prosecuted for not entering their the pathetic, either because he thought it a proof stills according to law. A popularity of this kind of weakness, or because it did not accord with his no doubt led to some inconvenience, as it in some firm and decided character. He was, notwith-measure identified him with opinions and movestanding, a great master of the human passions; ments which he did not always approve. Neither and could touch at pleasure, the secret springs by did he escape those personal rencounters, so apt to which they are moved. prevail in the new settlements, which seem to be |