6. When you shall have returned to the solitude of your prison, where you will be permitted to remain for a few short weeks, let me entreat you by all that is still dear to you in time, by all that is dreadful in the retributions of eternity, that you seriously reflect upon your present situation, and upon the conduct of your past lives. Bring to your minds all the aggravated horrors of that dreadful night, when the soul of the murdered Love was sent unprepared into the presence of its God; where you must shortly meet it as an accusing spirit against you. Bring to your recollections the mortal struggles, and dying groans of your murdered friend. Recollect the horror which seized upon you, while you dragged his mangled remains to the place of concealment ! 7. Think of the situation of your aged father, to whom you are indebted for your existence. Think of the grief of your distracted and disconsolate mother, who has nursed you in the lap of affection, and watched over the tender years of your infancy; who must now go down to the grave, sorrowing over the ruins of her family. Think of the dreadful agonies, think of the unnatural and desolate widowhood, to which you reduced the unfortunate partners of your beds and of your bosoms. Think upon the situation of your poor orphan children, on whom you have entailed everlasting disgrace and infamy; and who are now to be left fatherless and unprotected to the mercy of the world. 8. And when by such reflections as these, your hard and obdurate hearts shall become softened, let me again entreat you before your blood-stained hands are raised in unavailing supplication before the judgment seat of Christ, that you fly for mercy to the arms of a Savior, and endeavor to seize upon the salvation of His cross. Listen now to the dreadful sentence of the law; and then farewell, until the court and you, with all this assembled audience, shall meet together in the general resurrection. And may that God whose laws you have broken, and before whose dread tribunal you must in a few days appear, have mercy on your souls. On the 25th day of April, 1825, at Buffalo, Judge Walworth, the present chancellor, delivered the charge, from which this extract is taken, previous passing sentence upon the three brothers, Nelson Thayer, Israel Thayer, jun. and Isaac Thayer, all of whom, had been indicted by the grand jury of the county of Erie, and pronounced, by petit juries of that county, guilty of the "foul and aggravated murder" of John Love, in the town of Boston, December 15th, 1824. In pursuance of their conviction, and in obedience "to the dreadful sentence of the law," they were all executed; i. e. in the language of the court, "hanged by the neck until they were dead," on the 17th day of June, 1825. 120. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.-Samuel N. Sweet. 1. GEORGE WASHINGTON was born February 22d, 1732. He lived at Mount Vernon, Fairfax county, Virginia. At the early age of 19 he was appointed adjutant general of his native state. In 1775, he was appointed, by the first continental congress, commander in chief of the American army, and he performed the duties of that office without any pecuniary reward! The colonial settlers numbered only 3,000,000 of men, England 40,000,000; but notwithstanding this great difference in numerical strength, at the expiration of seven years, passed "in the tented field;" upon the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, in 1781, at Yorktown, the English government acknowledged the independence and sovereignty of the United States. Neither Britons, nor Indians, nor traitors, nor all combined, could prevail against the widow's son from the woods of Virginia. General Washington was elected president of the United States in 1789, at the age of 57 years. In 1793, the electors of the states, notwithstanding his strong desire to retire from the cares of public life, again unanimously elected him chief magistrate of the union. He died at Mount Vernon, Virginia, December 14, 1799, at half past eleven o'clock, Saturday night, at the age 67 years, 9 months, and 22 days. of 2. JOHN ADAMS was born October 19, 1735. He lived at Quincy, Norfolk county, Massachusetts; was vice president of the United States during both terms of Washington's administration; was elected to the presidential office in 1797, at the age of 62, and died July 4, 1826, at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, aged 90 years, 10 months, and fifteen days. 3. THOMAS JEFFERSON was born in the county of Chesterfield, April 2, 1743. He lived at Monticello, Albemarle county, Virginia; was secretary of state in Washington's cabinet; was elected vice president of the United States in 1797; the house of representatives, voting by states, chose and elected. him to the presidency in 1801, at the age of 58 years, for four years, his term of office commencing on the 4th of March. Sixty-five electors for president, voted in favor of Mr. Adams's reëlection to that office; Mr. Jefferson and Aaron Burr had each seventy-three votes. Under these circumstances the constitution required the house to decide between the two gentlemen, having an equal number of votes. The unsuccessful candidate, Mr. Burr, was elected to the vice presidency. In 1804, the vice president killed General Hamilton in a duel. In 1805, Mr. Jefferson was re-chosen president of the United States, and George Clinton of New-York was elected vice president. President Jefferson died July 4, 1826, at one o'clock in the afternoon, on the same day, and five hours before President Adams died, at the age of 83 years, 3 months, and two days. 4. JAMES MADISON was born in 1756. He lived at Montpelier, Orange county, Virginia, was elected president of the United States in 1809, at the age of fifty-three years. June 4, 1812, a bill was passed by congress, declaring war against Great Britain, which received President Madison's signature. The emperor of Russia offering to meditate between Great Britain and America, Messrs. Albert Gallatin, James A. Bayard, and John Quincy Adams were appointed commissioners to Russia in 1813, and they met those sent by the British nation at Ghent, where they signed a treaty of peace, December 24, 1814. The treaty was ratified by the president and senate, February 17. Mr. Madison was reelected president of the United States in 1813. DeWitt Clinton of New-York was the opposing candidate. George Clinton died, and Elbridge Gerry succeeded him, as vice president. 5. JAMES MONROE was born in 1758. He lived in Loudon county, Virginia; was elected president of the United States. in 1817, at the age of 59. Daniel D. Tompkins was elected vice president. Mr. Monroe was almost unanimously reëlected to the presdidency in 1821. Mr. Tompkins was reelected vice president. The second session of the 16th congress closed March 3, and on the 5th Mr. Monroe took the usual oath of office. He died at the house of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. Governeur in New-York, July 4, 1831, at the age of 73. This is the third American president who has died on the day of the month the Independence of the United States was declared. 6. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, son of John Adams, was born July 11, 1767. He lives at Quincy, Norfolk county, Massachusetts. At the age of 14 years, Mr. Adams was secretary of legation to Judge Dana, minister to Russia; when 27, he was appointed ambassador to the Hague; was minister to Russia in 1816; secretary of state in 1817, being called from Russia by President Monroe; was chosen and elected president of the United States, February 9, 1825, by the house of representatives, and entered upon the duties of the office March 4. Soon after his term of office expired, he was elected a member of the house of representatives of the United States, and has been repeatedly reëlected to that office. 7. ANDREW JACKSON was born at Waxaw, South Carolina, March 15, 1767. He lived at Nashville, Davison county, Tennessee, where he went in 1788. During Mr. Madison's administration, General Jackson achieved a great victory at New Orleans. He was elected president of the United States in 1829, at the age of 62. He was re-chosen by the people to that office in 1833. He died June 8, 1845, at the Hermitage, near Nashville, at half past six o'clock on Sunday evening, at the age of 78 years, 2 months and 23 days. 8. MARTIN VAN BUREN was born at Kinderhook, Columbia county, New-York, December 5, 1782. Mr. Van Buren was appointed United States senator in 1821; was elected governor of the state of New-York in 1829; was secretary of state in General Jackson's cabinet, when it was first formed, until he resigned that station; was vice president of the United States during President Jackson's second term; was elected president of the United States in 1837, at the age of 55 years; and, after taking the oath of office, March 4, he entered upon the presidential duties. 9. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON was born February 9, 1773, at Berkley, on the James river, in Charles City county, Virginia. He lived at North Bend. He was appointed governor of Indiana in 1801; was re-appointed in 1809; was appointed commander in chief of the northwestern army in 1812; was elected to congress in 1816; was elected president of the United States in 1841, at the age of 68 years. He died at Washington, April 4, at thirty minutes before one o'clock in the morning, one month from the day of his inauguration General Harrison is the only president that has died while occupying that station. 10. JOHN TYLER was born in the year 1790, in Charles City county, Virginia. In 1816, he was elected a member of the house of representatives; in 1825, he was chosen governor of Virginia; in 1827, he was elected to the senate of the United States; in 1841, he was elected vice president of the United States, at the age of fifty-one years. Immediately after the death of President Harrison, Mr. Tyler, in obedience to the provisions of the constitution, entered upon the discharge of the duties of president of the United States. 11. JAMES K. POLK was born November 2, 1795. He lives near Nashville, in Tennessee; has been governor of that state; was speaker of the house of representatives of the United States in 1836; was elected president of the United States in 1845, at the age of fifty years. President Polk's term of office will expire March 3, 1849. Brighter names than those of our American presidents cannot be found on the executive calendar of any country. We can exultingly say of our first president: 'Description cannot suit itself in words, Almost every body has occasion to do business through the post office,it is, therefore, deemed advisable, to publish such provisions of the law, passed by congress in 1845, regulating the rates of postage, as will be most convenient for reference. On letters single, or any number of pieces not exceeding half an ounce, sent any distance not exceeding 300 miles, If sent over 300 miles, For every additional weight of half an ounce, or any fractional On a letter dropped into the office for delivery in the same On circulars, handbills, or advertisements printed or lithograph- When sealed these are rated as letters. On pamphlets, magazines, and periodicals, except newspapers, circulars, handbills, and advertisements, unconnected with 10 5 cents. 2 " 2 |