MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
(Bbutational Jj^inrtrarat 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
SHALL THE FREE SCHOOL LAW BE 
REPEALED I 
The New York Freeman's Journal ad¬ 
vocates the repeal of the Free School Law, 
because the schools are not subject to the 
Catholic clergy. The Albany State Regis¬ 
ter advocates the repeal on another ground, 
to wit, the inequality of taxation. “ The 
old system was equally wrong,” says the 
Register. “Those who sent to school and 
were able to pay, had to furnish schooling 
to the children of all those who were un¬ 
able ; which they were no more bound to do 
than those who did not send.” 
Will the Register show where taxation is 
less unequal than in relation to the subject 
under consideration ? Unless this can be 
done, why urge the repeal of the School 
law on this ground ? Why not rather ad¬ 
vocate the repeal of all laws concerning the 
levying of taxes, until each man can be 
made to pay just according to what he hath ? 
If you say this cannot be done, then why 
single out our school system and apply to 
it an objection which is general and bears 
with equal force against all modes of rais¬ 
ing money by taxation ? The Journal, like 
the Register, is opposed to the old system; 
its objection, however, is one of a very dif¬ 
ferent kind, as seen above. 
A correspondent of the Albany Evening 
Journal, “ A Farmer,” says, that, “ the ad¬ 
vocates of the present law, in all they have 
written and spoken op the subject, confine 
themselves to the great advantages and the 
glorious results that are to flow from the 
general diffusion of education. Their re¬ 
marks and arguments are all confined to the 
general ininciple, upon which there is no 
difference of opinion among the people.— 
But not one word can be found in these 
glowing eulogiums which goes to show what 
are the best practical means of accomplish¬ 
ing these great results. In Avhat any one 
particular system possesses over another 
particular system, and least of all, to prove 
that the present sj-^tem possesses one single 
advantage over the old one to compensate 
for its burdens, except its high sounding ti¬ 
tle. The importance of‘extend¬ 
ing education’ is all their theme. But how 
it is to be done, and the warj it can be done 
Avith the greatest advantages and the fewest 
disadvantages, are what the community are 
concerned to know. On this point they'’ are 
silent.” 
This quotation from “ A Farmer’s cutting 
letter," in the language of the Freeman's 
Journal, shows great ignorance or dishon¬ 
esty on the part of the writer, either of 
Avhich totally disqualifies him to write on 
the subject. The friends of the Free School 
system have again and again shown “ the 
best practical means of accomplishing” the 
end in vie^v — “ its advantages” over 
every’’ other system yet devised for the ed¬ 
ucation of the whole people—“ how it is to 
be done”—“ the way it can be done”—and 
the way it has been done, for more than tAvo 
hundred years, in some parts of our own 
coAintry. One prominent advantage of the 
present system over the old, is, that the 
number of children attending school has 
been greatly increased—thus furnishing an 
opportunity for mental culture to thousands, 
who, under the old law, were compelled to 
grow up in ignorance. As “A Farmer” 
admits the “importance of education” some¬ 
thing Ave think is gained by adopting a sys¬ 
tem that puts education Avithin the-reach of 
all. This the Free School Law does. If 
mental culture be important to mankind— 
and that it is none Avill deny,—then, that 
State should be regarded as the wisest that 
has adopted a system of instruction, Avhich 
furnishes the means of obtaining a good 
common education to all within her borders. 
This, the State of Noav York has done by 
making her schools free to all her children. 
There are those, Ave will admih and the 
number Ave deem small, that really believe 
that the Empire State is about to retrace 
this glorious step of advancement in her ed¬ 
ucational policy. The present system was 
adopted by £f majority of about 250,000— 
fifty-five of the fifty-nine counties giving a 
majority in its favor. Free Schools had be¬ 
fore this been established in nearly all the 
cities within the State and many of the 
toAvns besides, and in every instance had 
given good satisfaction. Now in vicAv of these 
acts does any man suppose that the Free 
Schools system, Avhich has been adopted by 
such a majority, can be taken back ? It 
will be found by looking over the State that 
where about two-fifths of the whole number 
of voters Avithin the State reside, the schools 
were free by special enactments, made pri¬ 
or to the adoption of the law under consid¬ 
eration. Noav in view of the facts, that Ave 
have two-fifths of the voters already pledg¬ 
ed as it Avere, for free schools, and of the 
majority by Avhich the laAV Avas adopted a 
feAv months since—does it look much likely 
that the new law will or can be repealed ? 
We must say that we do not see the least 
probability of it. 
That the present huv should be amended, 
all its friends desire. Thousands voted for 
it last fall, not because they liked the law 
as presented, but because that it made the 
schools of the State equally accessible to all. 
Let the law be amended, then, as it unques¬ 
tionably Avill be—-but as for its repeal, let it 
never be done so long as there are tens of 
thousands of children over the State, whose 
parents are too poor to educate suitably for 
the business of life. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Elkments of History, Ancient and Modern.— 
By Joseph E. Worcester, LL. D. A new 
Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Boston: Wm. 
J. Reynolds & Co., 24 Cornhill. 1850. 12 mo. 
pp. 408. 
The first edition of this Avork Avas pub¬ 
lished Avith an Historical Atlas, in 182G.— 
The reAUsed edition contains a series of Ta¬ 
bles and Chart of General History, Avell 
designed to present and illustrate the out¬ 
lines of history and to impress them upon 
the mind of the learner. The Avork is well 
Avritten. The questions are placed at the 
end of the volume. It has been adopted as 
a Text-Book in the Grammar Schools of 
Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, Salem, Wor¬ 
cester and many other places. Candidates 
for admission into the Freshman Class at 
Aarvard College, are examined in Worces¬ 
ter’s History. 
Hand-Book of Media-wat, Geography and His¬ 
tory. By Wilhelm Putz, Principal Tutor at 
the Gymnasium of Duren. Translated from 
the German, by the Rev. R. B. Paul, M. A., 
Late Fellow of E.xeter College, O.^forcl. New 
York: D. Appleton & Co. 1850. 12mo. pp. 211. 
This Avork combines History and Geog¬ 
raphy. It begins with the migration of the 
Germans .and the Fall of the Roman Em¬ 
pire, and ends Avith the discovery of America 
—embracing that period of time called the 
Middle Ages. It Avill be found by the stu¬ 
dent in History, “ a sure and conscientious 
guide through the crooks and tangles of 
media3val history.” It is such a book as 
none but a German scholar can make. We 
commend it to all Avho desire to become fa¬ 
miliar Avith the important- events of this 
highly interesting epoch of man’s history.— 
For sale at D. M. Dewey’s, Arcade Hall, 
Rochester. 
We have received from Messrs. Fowler 
(fe Wells, publishers, the first number of 
“ The Student,” neAv series. This is de¬ 
signed as a substitute for reading books in 
school. It furnishes a good variety of ex¬ 
tracts, Avith original matter, and is publish¬ 
ed monthly at $1 per annum. They have 
also sent us the “ American Phrcnolomcal 
O 
Journal” and “The Water-Cure Journal,” 
both of Avhich they publish. The former 
of these journals is edited by 0. S. & L. N. 
Foavler, the most successful as Avell as the 
most celebrated Phrenologists in our coun¬ 
try. These and their other cheap publica¬ 
tions are for sale at D. M. Deavey’s. 
The Portfolio. —A Repository of Ori¬ 
ginal matter, published every tAvo months, 
by the scholars of the Spring-field High- 
School, has been sent to us by a friend.— 
It reminds us of the time Avhen Ave Avere 
employed as a teacher in the beautiful toAvn 
of Springfield. We are glad to see in the 
Portfolio, presumptive proof of faithful 
teachers and diligent scholara Sic itur ad 
astra. 
Inattention among Scholars. —There 
are scholars that are inattentive Avhen teach¬ 
ers explain something contained in the les¬ 
son, or Avhen some remarks are made, Avhich 
it is Avished all should hear. This is treat¬ 
ing the teachers Avith disrespect. It em¬ 
barrasses them so that they cannot say what 
they desire to Avith any satisfaction, as it is 
not agreeable to talk to those Avho do not 
Avish to hear. Scholai-s that are so inatten¬ 
tive, often loose A^ery important instruction. 
Let all listen attentively to Avhat teachers 
say to them.— Youth's Companion. 
Yale College.— The third half centuiy 
of the existence of Yale College, Avill be 
celebrated at Ncav Haven, on Wednesday, 
the 14th of August next—the day preced¬ 
ing Commencement. 
N. y. STATE TEACHER’S ASSOCIATION. 
The annual meeting of this Association 
Avill be held in the city of New York, on 
Wednesday and Thursday, the Vth and 8th 
of August. 
Lectures are expected during the session 
from the following gentlemen, viz: 
From the Rev. Professor J. Proudfit of 
Rutger’s College, N. J., on College Educa¬ 
tion, its adaptation to the interests of our ‘ 
country. 
From S. B. Woolworth of Cortland, on 
Vegetable Physiology. 
From D. H. Cruttenden of New York, 
on the Connection of the Sciences. 
From G. L. Farnham of Jefierson, on the 
Study of Natural History. 
From S. S. Randall of Albany, on the 
Importance to the Teachers as a profession 
of the Adoption of Free Schools through¬ 
out the State. , ^ 
From 0. B. Pierce of Oneida, on the Ed¬ 
ucational Condition and Statistics of the 
several States of the Union. 
From Prof. Taylor LcAvis of Union Col¬ 
lege, Schenectad 3 % on Synthetical and An¬ 
alytical Modes of Teaching. 
From Thomas Valentine of Albany, on 
the Peculiar Duties and Responsibilities of 
Teachers at the present time. 
From D. P. Lee of Buffalo, on the Pro¬ 
fession of Teaching. 
From F. W. Phelps of the State Normal 
School, Albany, on School Classification. 
An Essay may also be expected from 
Miss Susan A. Bandell, a distinguished 
Teacher of Chautauque County. 
Other business of importance to the cause 
of Education, and perhaps other Lectures 
in case of the failure of any of the above 
mentioned, will be presented to the Associ¬ 
ation. 
At no time since the organization of the 
Association have the Teachers and friends 
of (Mucation throughout the Avhole length 
and m-eadth of the State, been called upon 
for a more deliberate, judicious, and at the 
same time decided expression of opinion, 
than at the present time. 
From the character of the appointments, 
the diversity of the topics to be considered, 
and from the advantages afforded from this 
central place of meeting, high expectations 
are entertained that the annual meeting of 
1850 will exceed in importance and interest 
any Avhich have preceded it. 
The Erie Railroad Companj’’ Avill, if they 
are properly protected against imposition, 
give passages for half price, and it may al¬ 
most be presumed that the liberal managers 
of the Roads betAveen Albany and Buffalo, 
(as they haA'e hitherto done,) Avill do the 
same Avhen our application comes properly 
before them. The Committee of Arrange¬ 
ments in New York, of Avhich S. S. St John 
is Chairman, Avill attend to the providing of 
the best accommodations to Delegates at re¬ 
duced prices. 
THINK AGAIN. 
It is related that during the first feAvdays 
of the reign of Queen Victoria, then a girl 
betAveen nineteen and twenty years of age, 
some sentences of a court martial Avere pre¬ 
sented for her signature. One was death 
for desertion — a soldier Avas condemned to 
be shot, and his death warrant Avas present¬ 
ed to the Queen for her sig-nature. She 
read it, paused, looked up at the officer who 
laid it before her, and said: 
“ Have you nothing to say in behalf of 
this man ?” 
“ Nothing! he has deserted three Jimes,” 
said the officer. 
“Think again, my lord,” Avas her reply. 
“ And,” said the veteran, as he related 
the circumstance to his friends—for it Avas 
no other than the Duke of Wellington— 
“seeing her majesty so earnest about it, I 
said, ‘ He is certainly a very bad soldier, but 
there Avas somebody Avho spoke as to his 
good character, and he may be a good man 
for aught I knoAV to the contrary.’ ” 
“I thank you a thousand times,” ex¬ 
claimed the youthful queen, and hastily Avri- 
ting Pardoned in large letters on the fatal 
page she sent it across the table Avith a hand 
trembling Avith emotion. 
What a Avorld of instruction, goodness 
and true philosophy is contained in these 
tAvo words, think again. Could Ave adopt 
their spirit as the rule of our lii-es one and 
all, Avhat a happy change Avould come over 
society. In all our business concerns, in 
our social and moral relations, our political 
and religious duties, Avhat important results 
might folloAv, if, on many, very many occa¬ 
sions, we Avould think again before deciding 
upon acting. 
A Striking Thought.—T he death of an 
old man’s Avife, says Lamartine, is like cut¬ 
ting doAvn an ancient oak that has long- 
shaded the family mansion. Henceforth 
the glare of the Avorld, Avith its cares and 
vicissitudes, falls upon the old Avidower’s 
heart, and there is nothing to break their 
force, or shield him from the full Aveight of 
misfortune. It is as if his right hand Avas 
Avithered—as if one Aving of the eagle Avas 
broken, and every movement that he made 
brought him to the ground. His eyes are 
dim and glassy, and Avhen the film of death 
falls over him, he misses the accustomed 
tones Avhich might have soothed his passage 
to the grave. 
Mataral Histori]. 
imitaq 
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AMONG BIRDS. 
It is well known that crows have for ages 
sanctioned capital punishment—but accord¬ 
ing to the folloAving paragraph, which we 
copy from an English paper, those feather¬ 
ed bipeds have made an important step to- 
Avards civilization, in the mode of punishment 
They now hang the culprit, instead of peck¬ 
ing him to death:. 
Hanging amongst Crows. —The rookery 
in front of the Uxbridge Arms Hotel, in this 
town, was, some six weeks ago, tl)|j scene of 
a most extraordinary occurrence, Avhich has 
been related to us in the folloAving manner: 
One morning a solitary crow Avas observed 
advancing towards the place, and three of 
the feathered tenants of the said rookery 
sallied forth to meet the apparent stranger. 
The company having entered the halloAved 
precincts of the rookery, amidst a good deal 
of cawing and other peculiar noises the vic¬ 
tim was pounced upon, and vi et armis borne 
to a tree, Avhere its neck Avas firmly fixed 
between two branches, and while one of the 
executioners stationed himself above, the 
others rendered material assistence by sus¬ 
pending themselves a dead weight to the 
feet of the unfortunate culpriL The Avork 
was soon accomplished, as life in a feAV min¬ 
utes became totally extinct. The carcass 
still remains dangling in the air, probably to 
serve as a warning for others! We are 
credibly informed that this summary mode 
of judicial administration is by no means an 
unusual proceeding amongst these sagacious 
birds, several instances of the kind having 
been knoAvn to occur in this identical rook- 
CULTIVATING PEARLS. 
Pearls are deposited by the interior part 
of the shell-fish, Avhich may be made to de¬ 
posit this in the form of trops or globules, 
instead of spreading it naturally over the 
surface of the shell. This art of causing 
the pearl oyster to deposit its secretion in 
this Ava}^ has long been known to the Chi¬ 
nese, Avho have long practiced it Avith great 
success and very considerable profit, procu- 
cing by its means pearls of good size. The 
celebrated Linnaeus discovered the method 
of effecting this, and is said to h ive dispo¬ 
sed of the knoAvledge to some of the pearl 
dealers for a considerable sum. Almost 
every species of biv.alve shell-fish secrete 
this matter more or less plentifully. The 
unio, of our fresh water streams, or common 
fresh pater clams, often produce A’ery pret¬ 
ty pearls. 
The great secret of making thease crea¬ 
tures deposit pearls, is to disturb the natu¬ 
ral process, by placing a small piece of pearl 
next the shell and the mantle or membrane 
that coA'ers the body. This forms a nucleus, 
and is made to increase by the deposit of 
pearly matter over it 
The Encyclopedia Britannia gives the 
folloAving as the method of producing pearls: 
—“The shell is to be opened Avith great 
care, to avoid injuring the animal, and a 
small portion of the external surface of the 
shell is scraped off. In its place is inserted 
a sperical piece of mother of pearl, about 
the size of a small shot or grain. This 
serves as a nucleus, on Avhich is deposited 
the pearly fluid, and which in time forms a 
pearl.” 
The Elephant and the Camel.—E le¬ 
phants have the bitterest enmity to camels. 
When the camel scents the elephant it stops 
still, trembles in all its limbs, and utters an 
uninterrupted cry of terror and affright.— 
No persu:ision, no blows can induce it to 
rise-, it moves its head backwards and for- 
Avards, and its whole frame is shaken Avith 
mortal anguish. The elephant on the con¬ 
trary as soon as he perceives the camel ele¬ 
vates his trunk, stamps Avith his feet, and 
Avith his trunk thrown backAA'ards, snoring 
with a noise like the sound of a trumpet, he 
rushes towards the camel, Avhich Avith its 
neck outstretched and utterly defenseless 
aAvaits, Avith the most patient resignation, 
the approach of its enemy. The elephant, 
with its enormous shapeless limbs, tramples 
on the unfortunate animel in such a manner 
that in a fcAV minutes it is scattered around 
in small fraa'ments. 
The Home of the Dead. —Public taste, 
the requirements of enlightened opinion, the 
dictates of the holiest human affection, im¬ 
peratively require, for a cultivated and so¬ 
cially progressive community, places of sep¬ 
ulture that shall not be repulsive charnel 
houses. The grave should be made beau¬ 
tiful and holy Avith pleasant paths around 
it, and SAveet floAvers upon it, Avith ever- 
blooming verdure around, and the eternal 
marble above, to consecrate it as a sacred 
place apart Such care for the rest of the 
dead tolls of yearnings for Immortality—of 
aspirations above the clod of the valley, 
that Avould simulate here on earth the para¬ 
disial bloom of the spirit-land. It indicates 
that higher civilization of the soul, Avhich is 
not the mere result of scientific culture and 
legal restrainings—it elevates our physical 
being above brute existence, which perishes 
and passes utterly aivay. 
SPIRITUAL RECOGNITIONS. 
A little girl, in a family of my acquaint¬ 
ance, a lovely and precocious child, lost her 
mother at an age too early to fix the loved 
features in her remembrance. She was 
frail as beautiful; and as the bud of her 
heart unfolded, it seemed, as if won by that 
mother’s prayers to turn instinctively heav¬ 
enward. The SAveet, conscientious, and 
prayer-loving child was the idol of the be¬ 
reaved family. But she faded away early. 
She Avould lie upon the lap of the friend 
who took a mother’s kind care of her. and, 
winding one wasted arm about her neck, 
would say, “ Now tell me about my mam¬ 
mal” And when the oft-told tale had been 
repeated, she Avould ask, softly, “ Take me 
into the parlor; I want to see my mamma!” 
The request was never refused; andFthe af¬ 
fectionate sick child would lie for hours, 
contentedly gazing on her mother’s portrait. 
But 
“ Pale and wan she grew, and weakly— 
Bearing all her pains so meekly, 
Thai to them she still grew dearer. 
As tile trial-hotir drew nearer.” 
That hour came at last, and the weeping 
neighbors assembled to see the little child 
die. The deiv of death Avas already on the 
flower, as its life-sun Avas going down. The 
little chest heaved faintly—spasmodically. 
“Do you knoAv me, darling?” sobbed, 
close in her ear, the voice that Avas dearest; 
but it aAvoke no ansAver. All at once a 
brightness, as if from the upper world, burst 
over the child’s colorless countenance. The 
eyeleds flashed open, the lips parted, the 
Avan, curdling hands flcAv up, in the little 
one’s last impulsiA^e effort, as she looked 
piercingly into the far above. 
“Mother!” she cried, AA’ith surprise and 
transport in her tone—and passed Aviththat 
breath to her mother’s bosom. 
Said a distinguished divine, Avho stood by 
that bed of joyous death, “ If I had never 
believed in the ministration of departed ones 
before, I could not doubt it now!” 
“ Peace I leave Avith you,” said the wis¬ 
est Spirit that ever passed from earth to 
Heaven. Let us be at “peace” amid the 
spitit-mysteries and questionings on Avhich 
His eye shall soon shed the light of Eterni¬ 
ty.— CorresiJondent of National Era. 
JOYS AND SORROWS. 
” Still where rosy pleasure leads 
See a kindred grief pursue— 
Beliind the steps that misery treads 
Approaching comforts view.” 
Life is a continued succession of joys 
and ills. As a traveler, Avith measured 
speed journeying through a diversified land, 
successively meets Avith Avearisome and de¬ 
lightsome scenery; so Ave, travelers on life’s 
higliAvay, are the recipients noAv of pleasur¬ 
able sensations, noAV of those that cause us 
lassitude and disquiet! Never should the 
youthful heart impose upon itself, with the 
treacherous hope of passing a life unruffled 
by incidental storms! 
” Into each life, some rain must fall. 
Some days must be daric and dreary.” 
Nor should one, whose lot perchance for 
a time has seemed unpropitious, suffer him¬ 
self to become the sport of fears and appre¬ 
hensions that his life is to be made up Avhol- 
ly of sorrow. “ The web of our life is of 
a mingled yarn,” joy and grief alternate.— 
By some undetected provision of Nature, 
sadness and pleasure are made to succeed 
each other. And Avith what wisdom; for 
intermingled woes serve but to impart to 
pletisures a sweetened flavor. As the light 
bursts upon us with more beauteous eff ul¬ 
gence Avhen the sun-excluding clouds have 
passed away, so the bosom is filled with 
deeper thrills of joy, Avhen the murky gath¬ 
ering of misery in the soul yields to the be¬ 
nignant sunbeams of prosperity! 
In the chalice of life there seems not to 
be the same mixture for all. Here an indi¬ 
vidual seems to be struggling through an 
incessant storm of ills—there, to be calmly 
at rest in a stormless and sunny clime.— 
And it is safe to suppose, though the exte¬ 
rior is by no means a sure criterion of the 
inAvard emotions, that the same evils do not 
beset the patliAvay of all ? But since pleas- 
sure, recurring at long intervals, is therefore 
the more grateful to the hearty let each one 
bear patiently the misfortunes incident to 
life, and from the sunny hours of pleasure, 
he will gather the most exquisite delight! 
Hoav much unhappiness, discontent, and 
“all uncharitableness” might be avoided, if 
men Avould daily school themselves to con¬ 
template and realize the truth, not only of 
their own mortality, but of the transient and 
perishable character of all human fame.— 
The applause of the multitude is sweet, but 
the thing of a day — the flower that is fresh 
and fragrant in the morning, but droops in 
hot noontide, and dies after a brief season. 
The cultivation of the heart after all pro¬ 
duces a more desirable result than the cul¬ 
tivation of the brain, for its fruits are un¬ 
affected by the heat or cold of human vicissi¬ 
tudes, and yield their choicest satisfaction in 
that dying hour when man most needs con¬ 
solation and support 
Covetousness disbelieveth Godandlaugh-' 
eth at thd rights of man. 
