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150 Years Ago Today...August 22, 1860

Daily True Delta, New Orleans, La., Wednesday, August 22, 1860.

Organize, Organize, Organize!- From the days of the first conqueror to the last; in all ages and at all times, the greatest military virtue that, upon the possession of which above and beyond all others, success depends, has been and is, discipline. Alexander, Tamerlane, Bonaparte, as their predecessors and successors, have dwelt upon it as the absolute indispensable to successful achievement, and as they have regarded it in military affairs, so may society esteem it in civil matters also. At this time preeminently is it the duty of every citizen to contemplate the high estimate placed upon discipline, or organization , which is only another name of discipline, by men of vast military renown, and to rise from the reflections it will naturally create with a fixed and unalterable purpose to introduce into the approaching civil conflict in our public affairs that order, discipline and organization which are the sure auguries of triumph, and without which numbers, enthusiasm, and the best cause will not avail. The time has passed when it was opportune, expedient or necessary to discuss the momentous issues involved in the presidential election now fast approaching; the issues upon which the people are divided, and in regard to which they are soon to be required to record their opinions, are clearly and well defined, and scarcely is there a man to be found who can plead ignorance or feign indifference touching the merits of the question in dispute, or the claims of their respective supporters to the confidence of the people.
The great body of the people are well understood as standing upon the principle which has been so nobly and eloquently maintained by their ablest and most fearless champion, Stephen A. Douglas, who proclaims throughout the land his unalterable addiction and devotion to the great doctrine which underlies and sustains the entire fabric of Republican government, namely, the right of the people to determine for themselves the character and nature of the institutions under which they may chose to live, and that those to be affected by such institutions are alone competent to determine this matter according to the ideas and wishes of the majority acting in a recognized legal and constitutional manner.
Upon the issue thus presented the illustrious Western statesman has taken his stand; his opponents, the abolitionist and secessionists upon one side, assuming the position that Congress, and not the people interested, has supreme power over the Territories of the Union, while the Bellites are silent in respect to the question. It is not, we believe, questioned or denied by the partisans of the rival candidates for the high honors of the Republic, that upon the issue as above presented, by far the largest proportion of the people of these United States are with Douglas, the candidate of the Democratic party; or that, in any event, whether the incongruous combinations opposed to him succeed or not, he alone will represent the actual sentiment of the American people. Some may doubt –although we do not- whether the actual majority of the whole popular vote will be cast for the gifted Tribune, but none are so hardy as to maintain that any of the opposing candidates can, under any circumstances, command to an equal extent the confidence, respect and support of the country.

By party machinery, by a shameless and criminal abuse of public patronage, by a profligate expenditure of money, by combinations among party leaders unparalled in their turpitude, their effrontery, their inconsistency and their vindictiveness, the people, who by a majority of their entire electoral strength, will declare for the man of their free and unbought preference, may be defrauded of their candidate, and some one who has not received one-sixth or one-eighth of their suffrages, may be foisted upon them to administer their affairs. In a word, it may be again as it was in 1824, when the immortal Andrew Jackson was momentarily sacrificed to successful tickery; but that no such fearful calamity may, while it may be averted, befall us, is it not opportune to remind our readers throughout the South and the Union of the necessity to organize, organize, organize! Should the people be defeated by their own supineness; should they be compelled to witness a spectacle so deplorable as the election by Congressional machinery of a candidate to the presidency who was only sustained by a pitiful minority of their number, will their disgust and detestation of such an exhibition mend the matter, or will the perils inseparable from such a condition of affairs be averted by their unavailing regrets of their individual immolations? It is, then, to prevent misfortune so imminent and stupendous, that we call upon the people to give, each in his own neighborhood, his undivided and undistracted consideration to the organization of the strength applicable to the great constitutional duties which will soon require his attention, and trust implicitly to a like spirit animating every patriotic bosom throughout the length and breadth of the land. Nobody can over estimate the importance of polling every vote for the candidate of the great conservative party of the nation; for it is of the very last importance to exhibit to the world that although the machinery of government may lead to the defeat of the public wishes, the recorded preference of the American Democracy, however viewed or contemplated, cannot be slighted or contemned. Before the recent elections we warned our readers throughout the Union that a revolution was at hand. We told them to disregard the prophesies of journals hired to misrepresent; and since then Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama have corroborated the truthfulness of our expectations and fulfilled to the letter the representations we so confidently advanced. It is now almost reduced to a certainty that, owing to the recorded opinions of the people in the States we have just enumerated, Breckinridge will withdraw from the contest, thus reducing the field of candidates and leaving Douglas, the truly national man, as the opponent of Bell at the South, and of the Abolitionist, Lincoln, at the North. To our mind the success of Douglas is assured beyond any and all contingencies, and whether there be withdrawals or not; for we are just as confident the free States will roll up their thousands of majorities for him in November as we were that the Southern States would repudiate disorganization and heresy so soon as the opportunity of so doing were presented to them. True men will not, however, fold their arms or be indifferent because they share our confidence, nor ought they; for, to vindicate themselves and justify the faith that is tin them, each will do all in his power to prove that whatever the discouragements in the way, he is not to be repelled or appalled by them. Here in Louisiana, where the field of success is so inviting, it is needless to urge upon our friends the necessity of thorough organization; or to point out to our young men, full of talent manliness and honorable ambition, how splendid is the opening for them, at a time when, how ever doubtful other things may seem to them, nothing is more certain and assured than the utter extinction of all the old combinations, and with them the host of old politicians who have so long prolonged existence by knawing at the vitals of the Government. The very obliteration of all old party lines in this contest is evidence of more than we assert, and it leaves to the successful nation candidate for the Presidency a boundless choice of men to aid him in administering the Government. Let our young and ambitious men bear this in mind, and to profit by it let them urge the people to organize, organize, organize!

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[Benicia Boy – John C. Heenan- was denied entrance to stay at the Ocean House Hotel at Newport- a hero of the “prize ring”]
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[Saratoga Springs…Beautiful women are here in prodigious force…The flattering parterre of ribands and scarfs, of pert little summer hats, jaunty and lace-trimmed, to be seen at the spring in the morning, is sufficient to plunge any well regulated bachelor into the most hopeless dejection and melancholy.
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Movements of the Prince of Wales…
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The Paradise of Pugilists.- The net profit of the Heenan Festival at Camao’s Woods, near Philidelphia, on Wednesday last, was six thousand four hundred and thirty seven dollars….Our most spontaneous and lavish bounty is for prize-fighters; our highest enthusiasm is for men of muscle. After this, Philidelphia may be called the Paradise of Pugilists.
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A Murderous Gang Repulsed.- A difficulty occurred at Starke, Florida, on the Florida Railroad, on the 28th ult., which resulted in the death of one person, and the dangerous wounding of two or three others. Dr. Hollingsworth, a citizen of Starke, having expressed his disapprobation of the conduct of certain persons calling themselves “Regulators,” was attacked, while in his own dwelling, by a party of them. Dr. Hollingsworth, assisted by his little son, a boy only thirteen years of age, repelled his assailants, killed their leader, a man by the name of Dowling, and severely, if not mortally, wounded several others. A number of shots were fired on both sides.
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Snow and Hail Storms in England- The Liverpool Mercury of August 1st, says that the phenomena of snow storms in the dog days have occurred in Yorkshire. On the previous Saturday a very severe thunderstorm passed over Malton and district, ending in a shower of snow and hail of fully a quarter of an hour’s duration. The ground was quite white, and on the Wolds the snow was two inches deep in some places. …
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A Battle in New Zealand- …A military force under Colonel Gold, and a body of the colonial volunteers, had been sent against the revolted Maoris, but their movement was not successful, and the volunteers were in a position of considerable danger, when the sudden appearance of Captain Cracroft, with a body of sailors and marines, received them and by a gallant attack took and destroyed the fort…Captain Cracroft landed with a further force of 45 seamen and 10 marines, with a 24-pound rocket tube. …Captain Cracroft was ordered to advance to…support, and preceded to the Omata blockhouse, about four miles on the Great South-road. The pah was on the crown of a hill, a mile beyond the blockhouse; a continual fire of musketry was being kept up from the pah on Colonel Murray’s force…Captain Cracoft determined to attack the Maoris’ position at once. He planted the rocket tube about 700 yards from the pah, and after a few discharges his men “stormed it under a heavy fire in the most gallant style.” The first man who entered the pah was William Odgers, a leading seaman, doing duty as the captain’s coxswain. The natives’ flag were captured and the entrenchment cleared; the party then returned to the blockhouse….The loss of the Maoris was 16 killed in the pah, 11 or 12 others were found dead in the road outside it, but many of the wounded must have escaped unobserved…
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Over Exertion- Violent exercise is exceedingly dangerous. Young people are apt to run to extremes,…
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Abolitionist in Virginia- Three men from the North, said to be abolitionists, had to leave Appomattox County, Va., last week, to escape the public fury. They settled in the county six months ago.
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Army Order- The garrison of Fort Kearney having been greatly reduced by a strong detachment sent to the Pawnee reserve, all the available infantry recruits at Jefferson barracks have been ordered, armed, to Fort Kearney for companies E and F, 2d Infantry.
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Killing In the Cherokee Nation. - We clip the following form the Fort Smith (Ark.) Times of the 9th inst.
We are indebted to Col Shaw, of Fort Gibson, for the following particulars. West was killed on July 24, and the affray near Fort Gibson, the same day. Ben West was killed last Sunday evening, 9th July, in attempting to arrest a runaway negro near Fort Gibson. An affray occurred at the House of Amos Thornton, near Fort Gibson. Simp. Bennett, and Jeff. Ratley rode up to Thornton’s house and said they wanted to kill Thornton’s son, Lewis. Amos his father stopped out on the porch to preserve peace, Simp. Bennett fired a pistol shot which took effect in the back of Thornton, the ball entering the spine, and shattered the bones very badly. He is supposed to be mortally wounded, and Ratley then fired four shots at Lewis one of which took effect in the shoulder blade. The wound not considered dangerous.
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By The Pony Express- St. Joseph, Aug. 21- The Overland Pony Express, at this point from San Francisco the 8th inst., brings the following news of interest:
(see yesterdays Boston Evening Transcript…exact copy)
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Attempt To Cowhide,- Several hundred people were yesterday morning collected on Main, new Market streets, by the exciting incident of a young and sturdy fellow attempting to cowhide a gray-haired old man for some offense, the nature of which was not made equally public with the said event. The parties were the clerk and pilot on a steamer. The younger succeeded in inflicting with the raw hide a cut on the lip of the old man, who then vigorously grappled with him, wrenched from him the cowhide, and triumphantly chased him from the spot. The sympathy of the crowd was entirely with the old man.- St. Louis Democrat.
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Reaping Machines On the Prairies.- The Chicago Times and Herald says that an idea of the amount of ground in wheat may be gathered from the statement of a responsible gentleman of Janesville, who says that, with the assistance of a spyglass, he saw one hundred and forty-six reapers at work at one time. This is on the line for the Chicago and North-Western Railroad.
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(Long Article on the Sewing Machine Patent Case)
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East Pascagoula Hotel.- Mr. Gambel proprietor of the East Pascagoula Hotel, as will be seen by his announcement elsewhere, has made a contract to have his wharf set to rights, and this will be done in the shortest possible space of time. Until then, passengers will be landed form the mail boat in the most comfortable manner that could be devised. We notify our readers of those facts with great pleasure.
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The Carrolton Railroad Disaster- The Picayune, in yesterday evening’s edition, commences an article with the words, “the accident on the Carrolton Railroad,” and then proceeds to excuse Sullivan and throw most of the blame on the Directors. Though we desire to see the severest odium and punishment fall upon the guilty parties, we cannot help thinking but that the Picayune writer was wool-gathering when he perpetrated the “leader” of yesterday evening.
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Cowhiding Affair.- Quite an exciting cowhiding affair took place yesterday about noon, in D’Arcy’s hat store, at the corner of Canal and Chartres streets. The muss necessarily drew a crowd to the place and conjecture was rife amongst the outsiders as to what was going on. When the smoke cleared away, however, the facts developed themselves. It appears that Joseph Prins, a police officer of the Second District, has a cousin in D’Arcy’s named Reese, and that Reese has acted disrespectfully towards Prins’ sister. Hence the summary mode of punishment taken by Prins. Reese was flagellated to a considerable extent, and has his face marked. He has selected the law for his second, having had Prins arrested for assault and battery. Recorder Blache will determine the merits of the case.

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David Upton

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150 Years Ago Today...August 22, 1860
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