Texas Presbyterian. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 17, 1847 Page: 1 of 4
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IF
.re
TEXAS
BTER
J
A FAMILY NEWSPAPER. DEVOTED TO RELIG1Q1
MORALITY TO EDUCATION. TO AGRICULTURE AND TO THE NEWS OF THE DAY.
I.
HOUS
IXAS SATURDAY JULY 17847
NO. 18.
PRE
IAW
r?
t&
THE
Ecpas JJres&nttrian.
A Family Nerpar df rottJ lo Chri-iianilr to
Morality lo unration to science. 10 asticoi
tare and lo ihe diffusion of useful Knowledge.
Re;v .Andrew J. McGjwn
Editor & Proprietor.
TEEMS.
T."tc Texis Pac-BVTEaus will be published on
a Urae fice i iipciial sheel vuh Dewandbeaotilut
ij-pe at $3 per annum in advance or 54 at the ei-
piratton of the year.
Subyzrip'iua received at any lime and the pap-
er lo'warded until the subscriber orders iisdicoa-
tinuance and par np arrearages except at the op-
tion utibe Editor.
Letierstbrou;hthe Post-office most be postpaid
otherwise they u ill not be attended lo.
13-Adrer.ieinent-. inserted allbe usual prices
the tduor reemns the risntto reject all adrer
Usements not deemed compatible with the charac-
ter of the publication.
Agents Tor the Presbj tcriau.
IN TEXAS.
Jas M Baker Eq Cuero Do Witt co.
A. Jones Clerk Gonzjles.
Thoj. H. Daggan noil Andrew Neill Seguin
Rer. Mr. MrCullough Bexar.
John. F. McKinney OoliaJ.
Benjirain II. Si-ibling Stiibling's Mill.
Post Master Matagorda.
Samuel Blvthe Peicb Creek.
Win. J. E.'lleard.E;ypt
George W. Gardner Columbus.
Robert Harris Ctirisman's SLttlement
Elder J is. II. Stubling Independence.
A. M Lewis. Bicnham.
Hon It E. Li Baylor upper Brazos coumrv.
Ur. 1 nos J. ttearu itasnington.
Mr Mungcr Clerk Sin Felipe.
I'aschal P. Bord-n Richmond.
James Butke Brazona.
E. Floyd Funthorpe's Glimes county.
m I MtGowi Huntsville nalkcr county
. Mr. Nevil. docked.
Sh-urje. Douglass
use Lee and Gen. T.J. Rusk Nacogdoches.
Rev Finis E. Foster San Augustine.
Rev. John Barnett Sabine county.
Charles Stewart and Rer. Mr. Henderson
Galves'on
Sam'l Cotlcy and S. F. Donncll Ktd Rtf er.
David Love Robertson county.
Judge Gragg. Buileson county.
Dr. Manlrv. Li Grange.
Sr-'-Sr'r"Cots'hioton.
T. M. Bigby J
Tbaddeus C Bell Columbia.
Rev. Henry Itrnick. city of Austin.
James Plant New Yoik.
W. D Smith
VALLEY OF EL PSSO ITS PRODUCTIVE
QUALITIES.
Wc find the follo'ting interesting letter in
the Washington Union ofthc I3th ult.
For lie cauaderatian of tie War Department.
El Pa-so January 23 1347.
The United States Sirces under the com-
mand of Col. Alexander W. Doniphan took
possession of the city of El l'asso department
of Chihuahua on Sunda the 27th December
1810 tuu days after the battle of Ilracito tbc
strength of bis command being about 900 men.
My object in this communication is to give
" the War Department and the country at large
some idea ofthc resources of the fruitful 1 al-
ley of El Passo and of its importance to the
United Slates. The settlement of El Passo
extends from the fells of the llio Grande on
the north to the Presidio on the South a
distance of 32 miles and is one continuous
orchard and vineyard embracing in its am.
Jf pie area an indutrious and peaceful popula-
tion of about 6000. litis spaciuus 1 alley is
about midway between Santa Fe and Chi-
Jiuahua and is isolated from all other Mexican
settlements by the mountains that rise un the
Jeast and nest and clcsc into the river on the
north and south. The breadth of the valley
is about 10 miles. The falls of the river are
about two miles north of the "Plaza publico"
or public square and aftird sufficient water
power for grist and saw mills enough to sup-
" ply the entire settlement with flour and lum-
ber. The most important production of the
' S. -valley is the grape from which arc annually
"manufactured not less than 200000 gallons of
perhaps the richest and best wine in the
world. This wine is worth 82 per gallon
and constitutes the principal revenue of the
city. The El Passo wines are superior in
richness of flavor and pleasantness of taste to
any tLing of the kind I ever met with in the
United Slates and I doubt not that they arc
fax superior to the best wines ever produced
in the valley of the Rhine or on the sunny
hills of France. Also great quantities of the
grape of this valley are drlCd in clusters and
preserved lor use during the winter: in this
state I regarded them far superior to the best
raisins that arc imparted into the United
States.
Pears Peaches apples quinces and Sgs arc
produced in the greatest profusion. Tho cli-
mate of this country is most salubrious and
healthful. The inhabitants bere suffer more
from the depredations of the Apaches than
from any other cause. They are frequently
robbed of all they possess in one night by
T the ineirrsions of these lawless plunderers. A
Jew eornpartH dragooossrould however
soon drive 'OrSLjbm their hiding places in
the mountains and put an end to their depre.
Add to the fruits and wines of this rich
Tiilej a vast quantity of corn wheat and ether
small grain and thft surplus production ofthc
place will under its present state of agricul-
ture amount to nearane million of dollars per
tmmmi. What then would bo the amount of I
the surplus under the adTantages of American
arricihnre t JOHN T. HUGHES.
His Excellencjj Wx. L. Makcv. Secretary
Ot WIT.
t.lSSBBBBBBn
THE 1IUSB INOMAN.
BY REt. J. fTEELTVJ.
EittTti of Man the beauteous Mother
k'td him slII n itli corn and wine ;
lie who bttt would aid a brother
Miaro tilth three the gifts diTine.
Maii a power tvithui hrr bosoin
Xoteele hiJJcu work beneath ;
Hence are feed and leaf and Uowom.
Golden ear and clustered wreath.
These ti n ell with ctrength and beauty
I the roj al tak of Man ;
Man 1 "" b throne is doty
iuee liis work on earth beau.
Itud and liarret.1 bloon and Tiutaje
TIi-e like man are fnnlf of earth ;
Stamped in clay a heaveuly mintage.
All from dost receive their birth.
Barn and mill and wine-rat's treasure
Earthly -ood for earthly lives
Theco are Nature's ancient plr-naure.
htcli her child from her denres.
Tiat the dTani but Tain rebelling.
If from earth wecoughttoruel
Trf oar !ored and ample dnelling
Tu from it we see tho elue.
AMnd and froxt and hour and seanon.
Laud and water mm and shade.
Work with the as bids thy reason.
For the) work they toil to aid.
Sow thy wed and reap in gladness!
Man himself w all a feed ;
Hope and IiardtJiip joy and sadness
Now tho plant to npene: lead.
rnoDucTs ok the west.
Tlie fot'owmzsinridar Etotenicnts are vouched for
by the Cincinnati Citron clc. It sas that by the ag-
ricultural atmics of the ceuMW of 1840 and ether
reports since it appears that a section of the country
around that city mclud twenty -nine counties in
Ohio tnenty-oiie in Eastern Indiana twenty-six in
Xorth-Eaxteru Kentuckj and eleven in Western ir-
gnna. making in all el2ht-elen comities prod icetl
in lS-lG at follows: Of Indian com 5IbT0013
bib-hels; of wheat 104ti5Ji7D buhels; of oats.
132332$ biAlirb; of barley 124)fi6 busheis
1 lie IvVaw m; conclu-oons are addaceu :
I. That the corn and uheat raised around Ciacm-
nati in lc40 wa eijnai to enfttghth that of the en-
tire United &Utc?. Tliat at the rate of cuIliTatioii it
would be one ha'f of tho whole nused m the United
States.
2. That the quantity actually raised in 134C tiithm
lhe!imtwou'd feed ffumiWioji of people and their
catUe and liore.
3 That Xew ori and Ifcwton citiM with half a
million of Inhab tants : are the marts of a country
with but tire muhons inhabitant and whose people
do not ralt-e wheat aVl corn enough to feed them
elrcs.
. Tliat if Coiciunati was now as (opu!oui as the
citr cf Xew York it would not have attained the size
of act projiortncd to the feeding capacity of the
couutrv inmed-ately adjacent to it m the )ear IS4G.
J. That of the right -eevcu counties thus estimated
that tf them (Iluthr and Clcnnout) raue more Indian
Com than the United Stats rer exported in aiy one
year prior to IS 16-
G. 'ihat fifteen only of these eihty-even (vit:
Hamilton hutler Warren Preble Montgomery Clrr-
mont BrownLhntont;reen rajetteMaditon Clark
Chan'pain M iitna and IfOj'au.) rated more com m
IP46 than the c ntire anmuit exported to Europe in
1S1G-T with the fannue of Ireland and half of Europe
to make tl e demand !
7. That the amount raUrd in these ejghtj-seven
eounU s was four-fold the boaled cpurt of the Untied
Mates in l4t-
We c.to these extraordinary facts as a uetv form of
the TidnT which shows the fertility of Mature in
this part of the word ; the renonrce ulitcIiCincmuati
lias to ma.ntain a C"11 population and the Lttlo prch-
alklitythat European demand wJl amount to any vrrj
Iarc proort:ou of the crops of the United Stated.
The tab' e abjve raiit be greatly extended m its de-
ta.1 taid llie ininiry mijht be extended to mineral as
well as vegetable uroductioni. In that retpect the
ininrer noidjtw even more surpri!ed by the facU
than lie w ny Vi exnm tion. i ne preoeui calculation
may howeicr ho taken as one glance at both the
present and future of the Ohio valley.
Exjnrts of HrcaiUtvjfs. Tho exports of
breaUiiuiis iroin tuc pons oi uosion sa
York an J Ha It t mere d jring the month ol May
to Eurwpcan ports were as follow:
Boston. iV. York Baltimore.
Floar.hVi. 8.74J M&'J 503L
Wheat bu-hel 21144 CI.16S
Corn hushrls 15016 434750 231)5
Ornmea!bLKLV'I7U 21773 I4.1CI
During the uck there hae cleared from
the port of Hahirmre. for Great Britain fire
vessel- bilen with 3.313 barrels of (lour 3-
173 barrels of cornmcal ; 3lJ07 bushels of
corn and 2952 buahels of i heat besides
other articles.
'Iliere are now in port loading n ith brcad-
stufii for Knrojie ttcaiiy-fre rebels.
Tlwro are aUo nine essels ol large dxsst
taking in cargoes of tobacco.
Canada 'Tho Pimincial Parliament was
opened by the new Governor Lord Llgtn on
the 2d last. The following is tho most im-
portant paragraphs of bis speech :
By a statute passed during the last session
ofthc Imperial Parliament the Colonial Le-
gislatures are empowered to repeal the differ-
ential duties heretofore imposed in the colo-
nies in Javor of British produce. It is possible
that by exercising this power you maybe
enabled to benefit the consumer without inju-
ry to the revenue. I commend the subject to
jour consideration ami I shall lay before jou
certain communications relating to it which I
have received from her Majesty's Secretary of
State for the colonies and from the Lieut.
Gocrnors of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Measures will be submitted to you for ex-
tending more generally warehousing facilities
to inland ports and for effecting other ira-
prorements in our commercial system; all of
which will 1 am sure engage yrr attention.
The aggregate amount received for tolls on
the New York Canals from the commence-
ment of navigation to the lstofJune(3ldays.)
is : 8709607 54
During the same period in 1916
(40 days) is 598759 91
Increase
8110937 03
A Cherolce in the Anyt is not gene
rally known to tho public that B. F. Ross
Adjutant of the Arkansas regiment n ho fought
wilh such distinguished bravery at Buena
Vista and was otienrards rewarded for his
irilnriiMii lint ii ii i'ii lii nriiinntinn trvm flin
PUIl it 3 IU llw l II ill. J iv l tit tit t gisii.ai la n
'Cherokee and has numcmu relations in the
C1 A A tA titvtiitf.- nf tla-it hiiftmnnf ?
there (or many j cars liai ing aJcptcJ Arkan-
sas as his homo.
From the ClinUdn Objcrver.
txcouiaoiarcNT ix tub woiiic
OF 3IlSS10Xi.
n1:. cox s adiris4.
The llrv. Dr. Cot. ofthc city of Brook-
lyn X. Y. then ofierccl tho" follow ing
resolution :
Jlaohctl That the present condition
of this world socially politically and
morally considered should he to us :i
prevalent inccnth c to hasten the nrK
ufi viii:; the gospel to every creature.
The goodness and grandeur of the
missionary cnterprize said Dr. C is
best ascertained in the fact that it makes
a person a win even to form a correct
. j r:. .'.:... t r .i
MltlltUlt - IJl 113 lll.ltiuilllllll. 11 IS II1C
highest nobleness to be able to look will
pity on heathen fooleries and et lift
up the heart in prajer to God in behalf
ol the heathen Imiiscll ; ami it own re
quires something of this same nobleness
to make one independent. An intelli-
gent ph sician for hose con crsion I
had long been anxious once unbosomed
to me his conictionson the subject of
Christianity. ell said J "dont you
feel better.' and jet what a fool on
are to make a friend'of me and forget
Christ!" The haician then went on
to say he had one dilficulty remaining
he was afraid if he eamcouta Chris-
tian his infidel companions would say
it was to get practice. "Well" said I
"can't jou nlford to despise their follies
for the sake of doing right? Cheisthn-
itv will make a man of you at once P
So it is in the cause of missions ; we.
can afford to be laughed at by the weak
in our labors for the necdv. There arc
three judges that must in turn pronounce
sentence upon us ourselves our fel-
low men and our God ; hut we sadly
pervert the order in which the-should
be regarded and u bile some are kept
from sal ation by the fear of man oth-
ers by the same fear arc deterred from
f.uoring the cause of missions.
We are apt to iew the spread ofthc
gospel too much as a commercial thing
while in truth the irit of it is greatest
where the duraml is least. But if Christ
had offered the riches of his grace only
to meet the ikmnml for it he would ne-
er have come from hea en to earth.
The want of the sinner is a double need
the greater his wants the less he sus-
pects it ! Hut happily on the other hind
the line of the gospel is in the language
of Matthew Henry a queer commodity
which the more one gic the more he
will hae; and if you wish as much as
j ou can get send w hat you have got lo
Kamtschalkii 1
l'ut another benelit of the missionary
cnterprize is the same as that which
com s of foreign travel ; our ideas are
expanded and by laboring for the good
of all our fellow creatures wc feel more
and more the meaning ofthe declaration
that God hath made of one blood al!
nationsaud that we are all the children
ofMr. and Mrs. Xoah ! But this cnter-
prize is one of the best things to try the
Christian character. The temper of
sin is known not so much by what it
ur.v as by w hat it would do if it could.
The chained hyena is a hj eua neverthe-
less though it may appear as tracta-
ble as the hotiirc-dog. So if sin had the
power it would annihilate Deity itself
for when God came to earth it did kill
all that was mortal in him. And on
the other hand the value of love lies
not so much in what it docs as in what
it icould do ; and the thief on the cross
in rcprm ing his fellow sufferer and the
widow in gi ing her two mites virtually
converted the whole world; for it was
in their hearts to do it. And now I ask
you w here are your hearts in this busi-
ness ! not jour opinions ofthc Mexican
war and who shall be President of Tex-
as ; but w here are your hearts in the
kingdom of Christ 1
1 have been abroad enough to look at
our country from the other side of the
Atlantic and to knowhowwc arc look-
ed upon by friends and foes ; and let it
be said to our credit that our mission-
ary operations have their favorable at-
tention. Dr. Chalmers has said to me
"I study your missionary documents not
only to know what God is doing by you
but to get 'the philosophy of their phi-
lanthropy. It is something new in the
history of Christianity."
In conclusion the Dr. alluded to the
condition ofthc heathen world as open-
ing to the influence of Christianity.
Sir Henry Pottinger had come in con-
flict with the celestial empire and Chi-
nese vanity has passed oil. Dri Porker
could now take a mote ont ofthe empe-
ror's eye and improve the opportunity
to instruct him mildly in the truth of
Jesus.
The Rev. J. B. Townsend of St Louis
in seconding the resolution said that
"when the fathcrspeaks the sons should
keep silence" and ho would only cx-
press his hearty approval of the resolu-
tion. Adopted.
!! Wiix$ Wfc$fykwM-
For the Tcxm rrtbjlf nan.
EDUCATION7.
Xo. IV.
Hcltool System of the Slate of Tixas.
V'c would not presume to call the at-
tention ofthc people of this State to this
subject if the literary association to
w hich wc have attached ourselves was
of tcry recent origin. If wc mistake not
it was organized in the year ISIS in
the city of San Augustine and the Trus-
tees ofthe University there opened their
plcndid building for the period of three
j cars that it might he tested and its
practicability made evident. That the
efforts of this society were crowned
with complete success the citizens of
San Augustine and surrounding coun-
try who know anything of the subject
will bear testimony if then the part
ofthc system which has been tried has
worked so admirably it is a strong pre
sumption in faor ofthe whole sjstem
w hich has for its object "the extension
ol Popular Education in the State of
Texas." Wc are in fa or of all other
similar societies but we merely wisli to
draw the attention of the people to a
system which has already been tried
and which is free from speculation.
Wc do not wish to dictate to the people
of Texas we only desire to lay before
them a plan of State Education forthcir
consideration. Wc wish no monoiiolit
on this subject. We only hope that the
Legislature of Texas may not copy their
plan of public instruction from that of
any State in the Union but that they
may profit by their imperfections and
adopt a system which is practicable
and will be certain to throw no obsta-
cles in the way of "universal know-
ledge." Wc arc not opposed to Academics t
and Colleges but only to their organiza-
tion on the plan of the other States.
Common Schools if left to themselves
and no connection between them and
higher institutions will dwindle and
become insignificant. And this is one
ofthc errors ofthc other States. They
have left the Common Schools to the
nurture of School Commissioners Trus-
tees and Committee-men. Xow in the
majority of instances these men were
totally incompetent to employ and ex-
amine teachers : and under such cir-
eumstances.no school can succeed. If
the Academy of each county had the
control of the Common Schools within
its bounds in relation to the employ-
ment and examination of the masters
such responsibility would be apprecia-
ted and the edicts most salutary. The
President ofthc county Academy would
be certain to do hisduty on this subject
because responsible to the Superintend-
ent for the success of the Common
Schools in the county and he would al
so fulfil tin' duties of the institution over
which he presided because he himself
was responsible to the Bureau of Edu-
cation at the scat of government. Thus
there would be a chain from the Com-
mon Schools of each county continued
through the higher institutions and ter-
minating at the office appointed by gov-
ernment for the promotion of education.
Such a connection it is c ident would
be most efficient. It is by the absence
of this connection that the Academics
and Colleges of other States have re-
tarded their respective inferior schools.
Let us then shun this error and reme-
dy the defect Now if tho Texas sys-
tem exclude the higher institutions the
Common Schools will be left to shift for
themselves and will not fail tobe under
the same species of control as that of
Pennsylvania New York and other
States where the majority ofthe teach-
ers are employed examined and promo-
mot ed by men who arc ignorant of such
offices. Like causes produce like ef-
fects. Let us not exclaim away with
the Academies and colleges. Troethey
can take care of themselves; but while
they do this they will throw obstacles
in the way of the common schools.
Then let the Texas system be a. unit
and take control of all the institutions
in the State. The result will be most
happy because then there would be no
sectarian schools chartered the gov-
ernment schools would answer all their
purposes and their young men after
complctinga scientific education would
resort to the respective Theologic Sem-
inaries to study the "sublime truths of
the Bible."
There might be two Universities in
the State but we arc of the opinion that
one with all the Professorships well
endowed would answer all purposes.
Also to have connected with it depart-
ments of Law Medicine and a Normal
School. The object of this institution
ought to be the reception of members
who already had completed a literary
scientific nml -classic course and none
ought to be admitted whose education
was not equivalent to graduates ofthc
best Colleges. This would tend to ele-
vate the professions and exclude final-
ly all pettifogging and quackery from
the State. It w ould exercise the cen-
sorship ofthc professions and all prac-
ticians of this State would emanate
from this authority w hcthcr they come
from other States with diplomas or not
This subject is a matter of great im-
portance especially ia a country where
geniui it so precocious and prolifc Utnl
from tin ec lo six tnontlis' study can over-
come comprehend and retain tlie most
complicated and abstruse subjects.
Wc will conclude our remarks at
present on this part of the subject by
observing that one ofthc duties ofthe
learned faculty of this University will
be to grant diplomas and other honor
to students who have completed their
course of studies at the county Acade-
mies according to the standard prescri-
bed ' by law each student presenting
his certificate to that effect from the
President and Trustees of the Texas
Academy in w hich he was educated to
the President and Faculty of the Uni-
crsity whose duty it will be to exam-
ine said student and confer upon him
the Baccalaureate degree if deemed
worthy and in possession of sufficient
attainments. Though students might
rcceiv c an equivalent education in the
county Academics to that of any Col-
lege in the Union j-ct the cause of lite-
rature w ould not be sufficiently guard-
ed had the President and Trustees the
power to grant diplomas ; therefore let
that power be vested in the President
and Faculty of the State University.
Wc will now speak of the object ofthc
Normal School to bs attached to this
University.
The State may adopt the best system
possible yet without this department
the cause of popular education will not
advance. It would be necessary for
an institution of this description to flour-
ish that the profession of teaching be
made an object of attraction upon tho
principle that young men attend Law
and Medical schools because of the
emoluments and honor of such profes-
sions. A Normal School may be estab-
lished ; but few members will attend
to learn the art of teaching if the pro-
fession will not yield a competent sal-
ary. Hence in some countries they
have been aware of the importance of
Normal Schools and have caused them
to bo organized but they have failed
ofthe object intended because school-
teaching was considered the dernier re-
sort of the poor and unfortunate. Let
the tuition fees of those on the poor list
bo paid at the public expense and also
a certain dividend ofthe public money
and the -tuition fees of those who are
able to pay let these compose the sal-
ary ofthe school-master ; then the bu-
siness will be an object and hundreds
will crowd to the Normal School to
study the science of teaching. They
will not be ashamed as is often the case
to acknowledge they arc school-masters.
As an inducement some Normal Schools
are free for such as promise to continue
for three years in the State and during
that period to teach in some of the Dis-
trict Schools. Upon these conditions
thev receive boarding and education
'-!
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McGown, Andrew J. Texas Presbyterian. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 17, 1847, newspaper, July 17, 1847; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80399/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.