tion of the Democratic party, and the latter were of the younger Democracy who were disposed to favor much of the radicalism of the times. Each of these factions claimed to be the legitimate Democratic party, and could not persuade the other of its spurious character. Consequently, both were fully represented at the Baltimore Convention. The final separation of the two parties took place in consequence of the course pursued at Baltimore.

We regard the following as the Principles-the Platform of the Free Soil Movement-the Free Democracy.

1. No extension of Slavery into territory now free.

2. No more slave States unless they be made from territory already settled by Slavery.

3. Freedom of the Public Lands in limited quantities to actual settlers.

4. A divorce of the Government from banks, and a divorce of the people as soon as possible from the same curse.

5. A Tariff for revenue, but direct taxation soon as practicable.

6. Improvement by the Nation of our great commercial thoroughfares-our Lakes and Rivers.

7. Amendment of the Constitution of the Republic, greatly limiting Executive Patronage, and making the Executive Officers eligible by the direct votes of the people.

8. No war except for defence, and no marching of troops beyond the limits of the Republic. A reduction of the Navy to that which will suffice for the protection of our commerce, and of the standing army entirely.

9. Reduction of Salaries.

These are the principles of National action. Among the questions of State policy, the following may be enumerated. 1. Important Reforms in our criminal and civil codes. 2. Homestead Exemption.

3. Diminution of the amount of legislation as far as possible by the passage of general laws.

4.

Land Limitation.

5. Education is the only sure basis of reform, and without it no reform can be permanent.

6. Every child has a right to a complete education, regardless of the circumstances of its parents; and society is responsible for the enjoyment of this right.

7. The State should guarantee the thorough education of the people, regardless of their poverty or fortune.

8. A higher rate of taxation should be assessed upon individual wealth, beyond a living estate.

We would not presume to speak for others in laying down a platform; for we hope it is one of the cardinal principles of the Free Democracy, that each man shall stand by himself, and act with them with whom he finds the most congeniality of sentiment. We are in favor of all the principles here

laid down, and shall advocate them.

We are determined not to bow to party. We shall not suffer a single party feeling to influence us; and when we see the Movement degenerating into mere partyism, we shall lift up our voices against its corruptions, and labor either to eradicate them or defeat the party.

ART. XIII.--THE PLACE OF GRAVES.

How often, in the summers gone

I've stood where these memorials rise,
And every time the spot had grown

Less and less lonely to my eyes.

The first I ever loved, that died,

Sleeps here, where these sweet roses wave,
A maiden, with life's paths untried,
She left the sunshine for the grave.

And what a place of desolate gloom
Seemed then to me the realm of death.
Though she I loved went calmly down,
In all the trustfulness of faith.

The next, a sweet lamb of the fold,
An infant, lulled to slumber lay,
With her pale locks of finest gold
Put softly from her brow away.

But when the patient mother prest
To her meek lips the bitter cup,
And came, with those she loved, to rest,
Till God shall call the sleepers up,

Then the dim pathway grew more clear,
That leads through darkness to the light,
And death has never seemed so drear,
Nor heaven so distant from my sight.

ART. XIV.-A PHILOSOPHICAL SKETCH.

CHAPTER I.

If you are a traveller, reader, and have visited the northern portion of our Great West, you have had frequent occasion to notice those singular bodies of water, which, from their size, you would at once denominate the children of the Great Lakes. You have seen them reposing in the quietude of love amid an amphitheatre of hills which seem to have been planted round for protection. You have looked down into their pure, clear, sparkling depths and seen the inhabitants of the deep darting about in almost frantic sport. You have doubtless bathed in these waters and felt a physical re-invigoration; and then reposing upon the beautiful greensward of the bank and listened to the music of the little waves that break upon the pebbly beach, watched the water-fowl as they sweep through the air and rapidly skim the surface or more deliberately float on the water's bosom, and regarded the green and beautiful outline of the surrounding landscape. And, doubtless, when the spirit of the breeze was awake, you have bounded into the buoyant bark with a laughing, joyous company, spread the canvass to the gale, and been borne lively and lightly over the breast of the deep. In all this you have seen some of the sunny scenes of life, and felt, perhaps, the adaptation of earth and earthly things to the highest happiness of man, and that the miseries of life are the enemy that has invaded the paradise of joy.

Connected with these little lakes you have noticed the fact that while they have a copious outlet pouring down a heavy volume of water to refresh the country through which it flows, they have no visible inlet. They seem to be most beautiful sources of an indispensable blessing-receive nothing and yet pouring out with the largest generosity as though they were created on purpose to bless. And yet nothing but God occupies the position of giver and not a receiver; He puts all things under obligation to him while he is under obligations to none. These lakes receive their supply from unfathomed depths in the earth.

It bubbles up in cold and sparkling volumes like the generous spirit of Hope.

But enough of the lakes for the present. On its banks were several residences, inhabited by families whose pleasant situations were objects of envy on the part of those who occasionally visited the Lake. But alas! we are prone to be discontented with our lots. Every locality has its advantages, and a constant familiarity with any particular delight deprives it of more than half its blessing. Most of the inhabitants around that Lake failed to appreciate the paradise they enjoyed, and wondered at the exclamations of delight that escaped from those who came to admire the scene and recreate themselves. But all the lake people were not insensible to the privileges they enjoyed. There was one family that lived on the western slope of that Lake, whose members entered fully into the spirit of the scene, and made it the means, as it was designed to be, of consummating their earthly happiness.

The Goodloes had passed twenty years of unembittered life on the banks of this beautiful Lake. The plan of life they pursued could scarcely be improved, and as an example for others, we must here furnish the reader an outline.

The first step pre-requisite to success had been taken both by Mr. and Mrs. Goodloe before forming the marital union. This was the determination of general principles of action, so that uniformity might characterize the whole life. The first principle was, that every act of life should have reference to the great end of our being, that of securing the highest possible state of mental and physical health; well knowing that upon these depends happiness, without which life is a curse. Their mental constitutions being similar, they readily harmonized in this principle, and began life together with the determination of carrying it out. To this end they provided for the sustenance and development of both mind and body; in which they differed from the world at large, who, after merely satisfying the body with food and raiment, devote their energies to the accumulation of wealth or a display of ostentatious pride.

They thought rightly that nothing could be done but affected either favorably or unfavorably, the happiness of the doer. Every arrangement of the house, the walks, the gardens, the out-houses and the farm generally, had either a good or a bad influence upon themselves, and the family they might be called to educate. Accordingly in selecting a site for a residence, in VOL. 1-8.

building the house, its architecture and interior plan, in laying out the grounds for yards and gardens, and in planting trees and shrubbery, and cultivating flowers, an eye was kept upon the disciplinary influence all these might have upon the mind. The highest form of architecture was sought, and the highest taste and most pleasing symmetry in all things was studied in devotion to the law that the human spirit receives its impress from the character of external things which come in contact with it through the sensuous avenues. In this we understand the reason of the maxim, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," for that beauty has communicated itself to the spirit, become a part of it, and lives forever an inexhaustible source of gladness. Every pleasant thing, scene or circumstance, with which we come in contact while the mind is receiving the tone of its thoughts, feelings, susceptibilities, emotions and form has something to do either for the right or wrong development of the faculties. This is a fact more momentous than life, and should be more startling than death;-and yet, it is a fact little understood by those who control the means of the development of a human spirit. The effect of external circumstances upon the child is seen in its honest and unstudied expressions. See how a pleasant scene kindles up the countenance with the highest pleasure, and disposes the mind to a cordial greeting of all the world as friends and brethren! See how a beautiful flower in the hand of a child induces a holiness of temper, and makes the bright eye sparkle with joy and the whole being to bound with gaity as if for the return of a pleasure, it had long since cast off among the victims of despair! See too, on the contrary, the influence of ugly objects and hateful scenes. loathing and disgust takes the place of that sweet welcome and overflowing love we saw in the other case. The face, instead of being what always affords us pleasure, becomes a rank deformity, deformed by the evil feelings excited by the abhorrent object, which will never fail to write themselves as indelibly upon the physical constitution as they are impressed upon the mental. The exercise of every feeling, faculty or passion developes it; and a constant appeal made to the evil or rather to those faculties which were designed for our protection merely, developes them into gross inharmony- into excess which renders them vile and abhorrent. This is the secret of so much wickedness among men; children are educated amid evil influences and as surely as an effect follows a cause, they grow up

A