[From the North American Quarterly.] CANON CHET. BY ALBERT G. GREENE. [THE early history of New England contains no narrative of deeper interest than the story of the brave and unfortunate Canonchet, the "Great Sachem" of the Narragansetts, and the last who exercised actual supremacy over that powerful tribe. He was the son of Miantonomi, the noble and generous friend of Roger Williams, and the protector of the infant colony at Providence. Miantonomi had been defeated and captured by the Sachem of the Mohegans, who has been well described as the "Cannibal Uncas ;" and after the ceremony of a trial before the Commissioners of the United Colonies, was, by their order, delivered to his captor to be put to death; and was, by the latter, murdered in cold blood. At his father's death, Canonchet became, by inheritance, Chief Sachem of the tribe, and held that station at the time of the celebrated battle between them and the Whites, familiarly known as "The Great Swamp Fight." This desperate conflict occurred in December, 1675, on a spot within the present town of South Kingston, in Rhode Island, and was long sustained on both sides with terrible energy and great loss of life. The fort, occupied by the Indians, contained a great number of cabins, (probably five or six hundred,) which had been erected as a shelter for their women and children, and as places of deposit for their entire stock of provisions for the winter. During the battle, the cabins were fired; many of the wounded, and of the women and children, perished in the flames, and the whole of the corn and other stores of the tribe were utterly destroyed. Their defeat was disheartening and irretrievable. They lingered through the remainder of the winter; and, in the April following, Canonchet, having rallied the remnant of his broken forces in a distant part of his territory, intended there to commence a new plantation. The distressing circumstances, arising from these events, induced him, soon after this removal, to engage personally in a daring and romantic expedition, to procure means of relief for his suffering followers. That expedition resulted in his death. He was intercepted and seized by the whites-delivered to the Mohegan Sachem, Oneco, the son of his father's murderer, and by him put to death, by order of the English captors. The last scenes of his life form the subject of the following imperfect sketch. In the variety of incident contained in the whole record of Greek or Roman heroism, there is not a more noble picture of high and unbending honor, of stern, enduring firmness, of proud elevation of soul, than was exhibited during the last hours of this "untaught savage." His character has already given beauty to the page of the historian; and it will, in future time, furnish to the poet who can fully comprehend and delineate it, a rich and inspiring theme. To those who are fully acquainted with the historical narrative on which the following poem is founded, it perhaps need not be said, that the most characteristic expressions in the language, which, in the latter, are attributed to its hero, are words which are recorded as having been actually uttered by him. These are given as literally as it was possible to give them in a metrical composition.] THE following curious scrap is preserved | possible, and to cause them to nominate six from the moths in Valentine's Manual for 1850. persons as burgomasters, and fifteen as sche- Done at the City New Orange this EDITORIAL. THOMAS R. WHITNEY, EDITOR. 1 So far as the attempt aimed to entrap the larger class of politicians, it was a total failure. The mesh was too visible to the great minds of the nation, and not one of them attended. Their letters responding to the invitations were barely respectful, and fell far short of what must have been the anticipations of the reverend demagogue. The politico-religious banquet, therefore, did not accomplish the desired end, and the Bishop must needs try again. The moral character of the Banquet may be judged by others. The gathering together of a mass of sinners (many of whom are notorious) at a boisterous wassail, where some became worse than brutes by intoxication, in the name of the Christian religion, is too disgusting for contemplation; and as they drank applaudingly to the Pope, who in the ritual of that church is regarded as the vicegerent of God, they might easily have gone one step further, and over the red wine toasted the memory of the martyr of Calvary. THE POLITICO-RELIGIOUS BANQUET.-The with eyes open, molding them to become his return of Bishop Hughes has afforded an oppor- | tools and operatives. tunity for as neat a piece of jesuitism as ever was attempted by the most zealous zealot of the political Catholic church. It cannot be, and is not disputed, that the Roman Catholics in this country exercise, as a class, great political influence, nor that our leading politicians of both parties are eager to secure their suffrages, and yield much to them in legislation and patronage. The late banquet given at the Astor House, under the pretence of welcoming home to his flock the new Archbishop, John Hughes, was nothing but a cunning attempt to commit the prominent men of the country on the side of the Bishop, and to learn, if possible, the extent of his political power over them. We are sorry to know that some of our small politicians fell into the trap, and joined in the orgies; and as they saw the portrait of the Father of their country desecrated and insulted by the proximity of that of the greatest foe of human freedom now living, they gulped their shame and champagne together, and drank long life to Pope Pius IX., under the delusive notion that the cohorts of that blood-stained wretch, whose foot is at this moment on the necks of a struggling people, will aid them in their hold upon the offices which they occupy, or in their future efforts at individual aggrandizement. We know there were men there present, who hate Hughes and his whole cabal as heartily as Hughes and his satellites hate them, and that, while they discussed the wine and viands of the Catholic Church, (?) they inwardly cursed the whole proceeding, and wished "Pio," Hughes, and the "pallium" to boot, in the crater of Vesuvius or Etna. They severally intend to use each other, and in order to accomplish their ends a show of seeming respect is necessary; yet if these men who strive to flatter Bishop Hughes for political effect, could see how transparent their motives are, and how contemptible they render themselves in the eyes of the community and the world, they would not only stay away from his jesuitical banquet, but blush at being among the invited. Hughes understands their motives as thoroughly as they do themselves, and while they foolishly imagine that they are winning his influence in their favor, he is deliberately, and A GOOD MAN GONE.-General Henry A. S. Dearborn is no more; he died at Portland on the 29th of July last, at the age of 63 years. Gen. Dearborn was a firm, active, and consistent advocate of American Republican princi ples, and during the campaign of 1842, 43, 44, and '45, was earnestly engaged in the cause of the American party. At the National Convention of that party, held at Philadelphia, July 4, 1845, he was chosen president of the body, over which he presided with great dignity and cour tesy. Under the administration of President Madison, he was appointed Collector of the port of Boston, and filled the station efficiently, and to the entire satisfaction of the mercantile com munity, until the advent of President Jackson, who removed him to make room for a partisan of his own. In Massachusetts, his native State, he held various offices of honor and trust, and at one time represented his district in Congress. In 1846 or '47 he was elected Mayor of Roxbury, Mass., and by subsequent re-election, has held that honorable station up to the time of his death. As a politician, Gen. Dearborn was able and patriotic; as a citizen and a man, he was 1 admired and respected; and as a friend and relative, beloved. As an author, he has left many valuable works, among which is the Biography of Commodore Bainbridge, and another of his own father, who was an officer of the Revolution, and a participator in the brave enactments on Bunker Hill. UNION OF THE WHIGS OF NEW-YORK.-The disagreements recently existing between the Unionists and Sewardites of the Whig party, in this State, have been so far adjusted as to produce a platform wide enough for the whole party to stand upon, and, we should think, liberal enough to satisfy their friends at the South, and bring about a harmonious action in the presidential campaign. This result has been accomplished at a joint meeting of the State central committees of the several wings, and a committee appointed by the Whig members of the Legislature, at which the Union spirit in every sense seemed to prevail, and the Union men were successful in establishing their whole creed as the platform of the State. The manifesto issued by the joint committee establishes the following as the doctrine of the party : 1st. To abide by the Constitution of the United States, and receive as the true construction of that instrument, the decisions of the judicial tribunals created for that purpose.-In this "the higher law" doctrine is wholly repudiated. 2d. To implicitly obey and enforce the laws of Congress, and of State Legislatures, which are pronounced constitutional by the judicial tribunals.—This sustains the fugitive slave law of the last Congress. 3d. The right of the people, or of individuals, to discuss the constitutionality of any law, and if oppressive to seek by constitutional means its repeal or amendment.- No new principle is involved in this, since the right of discussion and petition has never been denied to the people of this country by any of its laws. 4th. The right of every State to regulate its own municipal and domestic concerns, is avowed, and it declares that they may do this without any interference, directly or indirectly, by the citizens of other States. This is good national, as well as State-rights doctrine, and utterly knocks in the head Governor Seward's plan of agitation." 5th. It is opposed to the passage of any law, by which slavery shall be engrafted upon territories now free, and leaves to the people of new States the right to determine whether slavery shall exist among them or not.-This does not prohibit the slaveholder from removing with his property into free territory, unless special laws to the contrary shall be enacted. 6th. It reaffirms the old, and seemingly legitimate Whig doctrine of protection to American industry, by means of a discriminating tariff, and avows that the Whigs of the State are in favor of a system of internal improvements at the expense of the general government. The importance of a protective tariff was never more apparent than at the present time, when the entire products of the gold region are withdrawn and conveyed to Europe, to pay for importations of goods which can as well be manufactured here, and with such a tariff the government can well afford to embark in a broad system of internal improvements. On the strength of this platform, a convention of the Whigs has been called for the nomination of State officers. As a whole, the Whigs have accomplished more towards a harmonious reunion of their ranks throughout the State and country than even the most earnest of the party could have anticipated. It was supposed by many that the "higher law" theory had made maniacs of men who were otherwise sane, and the idea of a restoration to reason was regarded as hopeless. Our friends, the Democrats, will doubtless be a little disconcerted at this result, but with them "the hair of the same dog will cure," and they have nothing to do but call in the stray woollies of their flock, pick their flints, and go at it in the old way. NEW HAVEN RAILROAD.-This road realizes in its operation the vast benefits to be derived by the public from this mode of transportation, viz., speed and comfort, so far as comfort can be found in rail-cars, combined with economy to the traveler, and profit to the company. The regular time occupied in passing between the two extremes, a distance of seventy-six miles, is three hours and a half, including sixteen intermediate stopping-places; and the precision with which their business is conducted, is shown in the fact that there is seldom a variation of three minutes from the time advertised for the arrival and departure of a train at any of the stations. Their cars are of the most approved construction, with the adaptation of the improved rubber spring, and the fare through is but $1 50-the prices being graduated in an even ratio at the intermediate stations. At this season of the year there is not a more delightful route to be found in any direction from NewYork, and those who intend taking a short trip in the country would be interested, and find many a charming place for a short sojourn on the route of the New Haven Railroad. While on this subject we may as well add, that those who visit the City of Elms, will find at the New Haven Hotel a place of real comfort and elegance, realizing all the desires of the wayGo there. worn. |
