1EW-Y0HKE 
1111 
McGrath, of Now York, who sent fire after fire from 
his battery into the enemy’s ranks after he had been 
commanded to leave the Heights, and whose splen¬ 
did shots and rash bravery was the enthusiastic 
admiration of all, being told that all was surren¬ 
dered, threw up his arms, burst, into tears, exclaim¬ 
ing, ‘ Boys, we have no Country.’ It was then, 
amid the resounding fire and the cries of the dying 
and wounded, that imprecations and curses broke 
from the ranks. ‘ It is well that he is wounded; if 
he was here we would shoot him,’ was the cry of 
the outraged soldiers.” 
love and regard it. and secondly, that it must render 
implicit obedience to them, no reasonable teacher 
will ever have any trouble with that child : and 
when public opinion shall be made up from such 
minds, “YoungAmerica” will have improved most 
amazingly. Tobias Witmer. 
Williamsville, N. Y. 
[Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker.] 
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. 
For the last twenty-five years a sentiment has 
been growing up in this country, averse to using 
the rod in schools. Very many good teachers have 
taken up the discussion on the side of “Moral Sua¬ 
sion” nemes Corporal Punishment: and the teacher 
who dared to stand up for coercion in the manage¬ 
ment of a school, was generally measured by the 
keen eyes of his more humane disputants, to see if 
he was not rather full above the ears. Even Prof. 
Page, who dared, in his “Theory and Practice,” to 
set forth the plain truth that, “in extreme cases the 
rod must be used.” bas brought down upon his de¬ 
voted head the sharp criticism of some good men, 
and perhaps many more good women. 
A mong the lormer is Mr. S. Graves, of Marcellus 
Falls, X. Y.. who, in an article which appeared in 
the Rural some time since, undertakes to show that 
Prof. Page was quite wrong, and theorizes as fol¬ 
lows: “Bin if extreme cases need the best means, 
and if those are love and kindness, bow can the rod, 
an implied interior means, ever be better? And it 
the rod be best in extreme cases, why not in all 
cases': But if gentle firmness that never yields—it 
kindness that uever fails to inspire respect—and if 
patience that never flags, are essential qualities of a 
teacher, then extreme cases grow out of inefficiency 
of teachers, as often as out of fault in scholars,—for 
the cause is but a demand exceeding the supplying 
stock of such essentials.” 
Now all good men and women will agree with 
[Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker ] 
WHISPERING IN SCHOOL. 
Ip there is one thing more than another which 
wearies and perplexes the teacher iu school, and 
tends to increase the discouragement so natural, 
especially to young teachers, it is whispering among 
the scholars. There is something about the hissing 
sound, emitted from the unconscious offender, that 
makes it worse than any other school evil. As 
money to the world generally, so whispering to the 
school, is the root, of all evil. 
It has been observed that only two of the animal 
species are addicted to hissing—the snake and the 
goose. The inventor of the idea could hardly have 
been a school teacher —or he would never have 
made the statement All teachers will agree that 
the tongue creates more uoise in the school-room, 
than all other causes combined. It is the origin of 
all sport and all mischief. The simple noise made 
Thoroughfare Gap — Its Passage. 
A correspondent of the Philadelphia In¬ 
quirer gives the following description of Thor¬ 
oughfare Gap: 
When within about three miles of Thoroughfare 
Gap, our com mand baited for the night. This morn¬ 
ing some of our pickets came into camp, stating that 
they had been fired at from a house near Ihe Gap. 
The brigade was Immediately ordered forward, and 
together with the artillery proceeded as rapidly as 
possible to the Gap. J ust before entering the Gap, 
we observed one of our soldiers lying on the ground. 
U pon examination it was discovered that he had 
been shot while doing picket duty, only half an 
hour before by a guerrilla. Ilis name was John 
W. Brock, Co. D, Oth N. Y. cavalry. Further on 
was seen a dead horse, with his saddle and bridle 
still ou him. The artillery was then pushed for¬ 
ward, and the passage ol the Gap commenced. To 
those unacquainted with the mountain gape, a slight 
description may not prove uninteresting. There 
are not many gaps in the Virginia mountains more 
wonderful than the Thoroughfare. 
The immense Bull Run Mountain seems cleaved 
in twain as if by some mighty power. The way is 
scarcely wide enough to admit of the passage of a 
wagon. To an immense height, on each side, rise 
huge piles of limestone rocks, from whose crevices 
spring a thousand fountains, whose plashing upon 
Me. r.imc/i.v 
We present our readeis with au engraving of the 
Vulture of California, one of the largest birds found 
in that State. The drawing from which our engrav¬ 
ing is taken was made by II. G. Warner, Esq., of 
this city, when on a visit to California some years 
since, the bird being captured in the Sierras, among 
the Red Woods. Mr. Warner says, “ He measured 
about nine feet across his spread wing, and is near 
half that length from the tip of his bill to the end of 
his tail. The bird is quite black, except one tier of 
white feathers across his wings. Upon the lower 
side of the wings are more white feathers than out¬ 
side. The head is nearly bald, something like the 
native wild turkey of the Western States, and the 
neck bare, as represented iu the picture. The bird 
seems not to be very rapacious, but of great power. 
Stories are told of some of them being seen with ani¬ 
mals in their talons, weighing 20 or 3d pounds. 
They appear to have great strength, and doubtless 
subsist upon small game, reptiles, and dead animals. 
They are not often seen far from the large timber in the 
mountains, and mostly confined lo (he Red Woods.” 
niz'mg the practical neutrality of the States of Cali¬ 
fornia and Oregon, and of' the territories of Nevada 
and W ashingtoo. suggesting the advantages which 
would result to the people there from the immediate 
assertion on their part of their independence ot' the 
United States : and 
“are essential qualities of a teacher.” But I am 
not so clear to see how “extreme cases [?'. e., cases 
where the rod must be used,] grow out of iueffi- 
ciency of teachers, as often as out of the fault in 
scholars.” This stereotype expression has become 
very popular, and has become incorporated into the 
“customs of American society—for surely nothing 
is more customary than to hear a delinquent charge 
bis delinquency upon some “higher power." Nor 
will I agree with friend Graves that “the cause 
[of such extreme cases] is but a demand exceeding 
the supplying stock of such essentials.” This in¬ 
deed would round up the argument thus 
proposing, upon their so doing, 
the formation of a league, offensive and defensive, 
between said States and Territories and the C. 6. A. 
Georgia Repudiates the Confederate Gov¬ 
ernment,— Much care has been taken to conceal 
the fact of the great dissatisfaction of the State of 
Georgia with the Confederate government , but the 
evidence uuw and then pops out in spite of their 
teeth. Not long since we recorded the discharge of 
a conscript by a Georgia judge, who boldly declared 
the conscription act illegal and void. We have not 
heard that the judge was molested. But here is 
stronger evidence. In an article about differences 
between the State of Virginia and the Confederate 
Government, the Richmond Examiner of the Gth 
says: “Such a correspondence, for instance, between 
the State of Georgia, which quietly prohibits the 
enforcement of the Conscript law in its limits , and 
the Confederate government which pocketed the pro¬ 
hibition. will never see the light, for it will never be 
undertaken." This is a positive statement that 
Georgia repudiates the Confederate authority, and 
that the ceutral government is too weak to enforce 
its laws, even the law of all others most indispensa¬ 
ble to Its existence. 
Trow hue between Vice President Stephens 
and Beaubkoard. — The Richmond papers publish 
a letter from Alexander II. Stephens, addressed to 
James if. Calhoun, of Atlanta. Georgia, on the 8th 
of September, in relation to martial law and military 
usurpation. Mr. Calhoun was recently appointed 
civil Governor o 1 Atlanta by General Bragg, but 
was uncertain as to the nature of his duties. Mr. 
Stephens undertakes to enlighten him, and begins 
by telling him that the office to whiclUbe has been 
appointed is “unknown to the law;” adding this 
curious defiance ot the military power : 
“Your appointment, in my opinion. La simply a 
Because g0 necessary to sure progress. It is. iu tact, just 
the teacher is not very kind, nor firm, nor patient, w h a t should not be allowed in our common schools, 
Bill Davis abused little Emma Milton most shame- or by any teacher iu any school. But that too many 
fully, by throwing stones at her. while the teacher teachers do allow it, and excuse themselves by think- 
was absent” Such would be the conclusion from j U g doesn't do much barm after all, is a fact; 
Mr. Graves’ premises, unless he can show that by an( j t hey do it simply because it is too much trouble 
firmness, kindness , and patience , abounding iu the g e t 0 f it. They do not like to ask their 
teacher, the boy would not have been disposed to scholars if they have been whispering for fear ot 
throw stones 1 their learning to quibble, or the parents won’t like 
This problem ol coercion vs. “letting alone ” is it, and it will cause trouble, and a dozen other et 
now being worked out before the world; aud happy ceteras, when all the trouble is that the teacher is 
will it be for our country, for future generations, it afraid to take any decided step, fur fear of giving 
the Great Ruler of Nations so orders that not a 
man, woman or child iu the land shall escape feel¬ 
ing that the best way is to obey lawful authority, 
aDd that the Law must be obeyed. That, when 
kindness, firmness and patience have all been exer¬ 
cised in vain, there is yet a Power that asks not agaiu 
“ will you?” but says, “you must.” That, though 
the mother’s arm has failed, and the father's hand 
has been resisted, and the teachers authority is set 
at defiance, there is yet the strong arm of the Law, 
which will take the body, though a rebellious spirit 
still chooses to hold its courts within. 
Begging pardon of some modern “reformers," 
who have so long promised us “ Ihe good time com- 
imr," when mankind will be “free" from those old 
Thbrb's a bright and starry pennant 
Floating tvide upon the air. 
With its hues of changeless beauty, 
Borrowed from the rainbow fair ; 
Tis our banner, our proud banner. 
The glorious emblem of the free ; 
’Tis the life boat of our nation— 
’Tis the smile of Liberty ! 
ROCHESTER. N. Y., NOVEMBER 1, 1862. 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
EULES FOE YOUNG TEACHERS 
is fit to be promoted to the grade of colonel, and 
no officer remaining in a company is competent to 
command it as captain. Legislation providing for 
the selection in such eases of competent officers from 
other regiments of the same State affords a ready 
remedy for the evil, as well as for the case where 
officers elected are found unlit for the positions to 
which they may be chosen. This selection can be 
made in such a manner as may seem to Congress 
most advisable ; but this or some other remedy is 
iudispensable for filling numerous vacancies now 
existing. 
“ While the deficiency of competent officers exists 
in some cases, there is a large excess in others. 
Numerous regiments and companies have been so 
reduced by the casualties of war, by sickness and 
other causes, as to be comparatively useless under 
the present organization. There are companies in 
the army in which the number of officers exceeds 
that of the privates fit for duty, and regiments in 
which the number of such privates does not exceed 
that required for a single effective company.” 
Tin: Rebel Finances.— According to the official 
report laid before the rebel Congress, the rebel debt 
on the 1st of August was $347,272,958, and the 
appropriations required up to the 1st of January 
next are $209,550,487 — making a total of $556,823,- 
445. It is supposed that Congress will he under the 
necessity of providing for another war tax. 
A Wail from Ex-Gov. Lowe of Maryland.— 
E. Lewis Lowe, formerly Governor of Maryland, 
wrote a letter to the Richmond Dispatch, on the 
25th of September, deprecating the censure east by 
rebels upon Maryland for her failure to fall into the 
arms of Lee. and requesting a •• suspension of judg¬ 
ment.” He declares that the people of Maryland 
are all rebels, ready to juin the South, but kept 
under by fear of federal bayonets and the lack of 
support from the rebel armies; aud in one passage 
thus indulges in a tling at Gen. Lee for his sudden 
evacuation of that State : 
“ Consider that the people of Maryland never had 
arras or ammunition ; that for fifteen mouths their 
houses have been searched and their private arms 
taken from them : that they have not been permitted 
to hold meetings, public or private ; that they have 
been completely isolated and constantly subjected 
to the most vigilant espionage ; that no effort at 
organization could possibly fie made ; that in this 
condition of things our army suddenly appears in a 
remote portion of the State, and as suddenly disap¬ 
pears. Surely, sir. no reasonable man could expect 
an uprising of the people of Maryland under such 
circumstances.” 
A Bid for California and Oregon. — The 
rebels having failed in their bid for the northwest, 
have turned their eyes to California and Oregon. 
In the rebel House of Representatives on the 2d 
instant, Mr. Foote reported joint resolutions recog- 
Master and Scholar.— “ When I was a boy,” 
said an old man, “ we had a schoolmaster who had 
an odd way of catching idle boys. One day be 
called out to us—• Boys, I must have closer attention 
to your books. The first one of you that sees anoth¬ 
er boy idle, I want you to inform me, and I will 
attend to the case.' ‘Ah,’ thought I to myself, ‘ there 
is Joe Simpson that I don't like. I U watch him. aud 
if 1 see him look off his book. I'll tell.' It was not 
long before 1 sas Joe Simpson look oft' his book and 
immediately inlormed the master. ‘Indeed,’ said 
the master, ‘how do you know he was idle?’ •! 
saw him.’ said I. ‘ You did, and were your eyes on 
your book when you saw him?' I was caught, and 
never watched for idle boys again. If we are suffi¬ 
ciently watchful over our own conduct, we shall 
have no time to find fault with the conduct of 
others.” 
