Huntingdon Gazette

              Volume
Huntingdon, ( Pa.) Thursday Morning, November 7, 1816.
[Ntimber 32
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raoat T«-E  COMNECTIOUT COURANT.
BRIET REMIRKER.
Nothing is more common than the dis¬ content of those who have not even a shadow of cause for discontent. They are neither sick, nor pinched with pover¬ ty, nor calleil to sustain distressing hard¬ ships. They enjoy both food & appetite. They h,ave nViment to put on, and trien<ls to converse with ; and if not rich, have fully enough for the moderate supply of all their real wants : yet arc these enjoy¬ ments, these bounties'of indulgent heaven, poisoned as it were by the discontent of their minils, so that they are wrethced a- mid health arid competence.
What are the illusioni that thus ob- sttnct the sources of enjoyment, and, in this favored country, cheat so many mert and women out of their happiness which Providence had put theni in possession of? They are such as Usually spring from one or other of the three following causes— Perverse'less'of Temper—False theories of worldly happiness—the influence of o- pinion.
VVith respect to enjoying ourselves well or ill in life, a great deal more depend* up¬ on Temper than upon circurastances. Not that our enjoyment* are always consKle^ ralily affected by onr worldly circum* stiances, sometimes in a very gre'at degree} hut if they are such as that we are able to siipply ourselves with all the real ne¬ cessaries and essential comforts ol life, it is' not our circumstances, but our ternpe't'S that are in fault, if we are not too happy to complain ami too grateful to repine.— The root of our uneasiness i* altogether irt our own minds, and without a thorough change there, no change of place or of outward circumstances could quiet U4. What though all our present ideal wants were satisfied ? Other ideal wants- v.'ould presently start up. and we should stiil.btf weaving for ourselves the web of miifry'. A temper that inclines to be satisfied with its present lot, is worth more tliail thou¬ sands a year; whereas utter rcatleasness of temper is one of the greatest misfor- tuues, A full moiety of hu . an trouliles would vanish, and the rest be lightened, if there were a thorough cure of this one scrofulous disease of the heart.
Our False Theories of worldly happi¬ ness constitute another hngeclaHs^of trou¬ bles of our own inaking: and thc elTccts of these false theories are the more de- ¦ plorable, inasmuch as the diaappirirttriients inevitably resulting from them, sour the disposition, and thereby enhance the num¬ bers of ths wretched victims of temper. Ci|rporeal enjoyments are few Sind simple: neither wealth, nor any of the art^ of re- fiaeraent, can add considerably to their number, or any thing at all to their relish. The pleasures of sense arc limited by nar¬ row boundaries which never can be p.-iss- ed without instantly turning pleasure into pain: and how much soever we may refine upon the pleasures of sense, our refine nients can increase thum but very tittle^ The most relined epicure, for example, has Scarcely any more enjoyment of the table, than one who eonnnes himself to the plainest viands. Wherefore nothing is more plain and easy of comprrliensiun than the true notion of tnere worldly liiap-
Siness :—the whole sum of it results from Icalth, Competence, the friendly society of neighbors and acquaintance, and the pure joys of Domestic life. He that has these, though he have neither wealth nor rank, enjoys about all the world can bes¬ tow. But these real and unsophisticated tojoytaents, which are bestowed in fully as large measure upon the peasant as up¬ on the prince, are too vulgar for the fas¬ tidious taste af visionary apeculatists : ihey must find a something that is quite Above and beyond the blessings common to Adam's children, else they are deter¬ mined not to enjoy themselves at all, not fliey. Thus they lose the good that lies fairly within their reach, by laying out their endeavours to grasp an abstract «onietliiog, that is conceivaole indeed, but ftot attainable—an Ignis Fatuus, which the eye plainly sees, but which evadei thc touch and bailies all pursuit.
The last brood of artificial troubles which I proposed to notice, are those that are generated by the influence of Opinion : X mean not one's own opinion, but the o- |ttnlon of othen. We are such strange and unaccountable creatures that wc are OlSre s^iciUuB to ¦i>p«»r happy than real¬
ly to be so; and hence we willingly a- brldge our real enjoyments for the sake of seeming to possess enjoyments supe¬ rior to those that arc altogether common to maokind. Novy the general opinion of soeiety' (a very erroneous one indeed) makefs the pomj> of show a prerequisite for the being deemed happy, rir at least for obtaining the credit of refined enjoy¬ ment ; and this general opinion, how mubh soever wc may despise it in our judgments has an astonishing influence upon our conduct and our feelings; an inlluence that precipitates hundreds and tens of hundreds from atondition of competence to that of poverty.
That njsf ttemarker. Dr. Franklin, ob¬ serves, « The eyes of other people are the eyes th.at ruin us. If all but myself were blind,-1 should want neither fiiie clothes, fine houses, nor fine furniture.'- It is e- ven 80: and is it this supreme regard to the eyes of others that leads multitudes of men and women into extravagant & ruin¬ ous expenses. Without adequate funds they build them fine houses and purchase thetn fino furniture and array themselves with costly apparel, that others may gaze Upon thera aa persons possessed of taste and of refined enjoyments: and by these means they are presently stripped of the very necessaries of life.
ZAMEsvrtLK, (Ohio) Sent, 12, A person named Benjamin Powell, of aboiit 45 years of age, passed through this town last week on his return from Indian slavery, after an absence from his friends (such as suririve) of ncarjy . five years. He appears to be a maii of truth', and considerably intelligent. His siniple but affecting narration excited a lively inte¬ rest, in His behalf, in tiie feelings of se- terai citizen^ in tliiS place : they admi¬ nistered to his necessities by furnishing him with pecuniary aid suiricient to de¬ fray his (Jxpencea to Dayton, where hc e.tpects to find some of his stnviving friends. In confirmation of his interest¬ ing story hc exhibited a h*ad nearly burnt off, and shewed upwarils of twent}'j.-crtr» on his bodv, most of which were evident¬ ly made with a tomaliawk. AccDinprtni- e«l ^ith such evidence, his statements gaini^d him credence; of vvhich state- liients, thc following !^ a brief sketch.   -
Benjamin Pbwelfj in the year 1808, re- tiioved from Kentucky, to tlie iipjier fork of the .Sandusky rivor, and settled on a trart of iand belongin"; to Col, Patterson, The surrounding was then a wilderness, except that Powell Ijttt! one ncighljor who lived at a short distance from him. Pow¬ ell had a wife & three children, his neigh¬ bor had a family also.—They had fre¬ quent intercourse with the Indians, who were apparently very civil and friendly for upwards of tvvo years after their set¬ tlenient in that part of the country. Soon after the battle of Tippecanoe, (of which Powell and his neighbor had not heard a syllable) to wit, on the 27th day of Oct. l!^11, about tn iiight in the evening, the cabbin of Powell wasattacked by a num¬ ber of Indians, His wife and eldest son vvere shot desrd, and the other two chil¬ dren wftVe killed wiih the tomahawk, Pow ell liimself was ihot through the body, & then t<ini;ihaM'hed ina most shocking ma'n- ni^p, tbc Indiiin having given him betiveen twenty and thiriy vvoiinds and supposed him dL'iid, stayed fis buthcring haTjd and left liim, Powell's neighbov and all his family were killed at the same time. Powell was left in that dreadful situation until morning, enduring tbe most exqui¬ site pains of body from his numerous wounds—his distrese of mind no pen can tlescribe ; the darkness'of night was ren¬ dered tenfold horrible by the surrounding scene, vvhile the * king of terrors' in his most terrific forth was staring him In the face. As sooir as it was light hc saw an Indian approaching him, who he recog¬ nized to bc an old acquaintance, a Shaw¬ nee Cbief named the Little Captain. Powell besought the savage to put an end to his misery. The little captain gajted at bim a while & said, 'no, no, the Great Spirit u'on''t let me kill you.^ He then dressed his wounds, telling him it was the Prophet's orders not to kill any whom the Great Spirit would not let them die; (meaning perhaps that where the life of a vicera was presurved as it were by a miracle, as was the case of Powell, it in¬ timated that it was thc pleasure of thei Great Spirit, that such a person should live.) Powell thinks the Indians are ex¬ cellent surgeons—they cured his wounds with thc nicest skill and most astonishing rapidity, although mostuf the bone ofhis left thigh was taken uut during the cure. As soon as practicable Powell was car¬ ried to the oldShawne toicn situate about twenty miles from Lake Erie ; tliere af- ter he'had continued 8 moons, he £otac- -^uaiated with the famous Mird—He sftff
his thumb nails twisted olf by the Indians in endeavoring to make him disclose some Illot which thcy suspected. After Bird had got away and was brought back, Pow¬ ell heai-d him adjudged to three daysFwi^n- ing, and all the white prisoners in the town wcrc compelled tobe witness of thc distressing scene, Burd's hand was burnt off, and one of hid arms consumed to the bone ; when providentially a Scotchman Hl*chased bis life for a galhm of rum as statcd in, Bird's story.
Powell remained with the Savages up¬ wards of four years ; he was a slave to the Little Captain, who i-epeatedly threat¬ ened him with certain death should he attempt to make his escape, and who also reckoned his sca^u among his trophies of victory, often talking of taking it off,— Thus Powell lived in continual fear for his life. He learned to speak the ShaW- tiee language fluently^ and got arquainied with thc manners and customs of thc In¬ dians, He says they can scarcely be cal¬ led idolators in the common ricccptatiort of thc word; for the worship the Great Spirit whose place of special residence they conceive to be in the Sun—thcy do Kot render religious homage to any crfta- t'lre. The Prophet is a grand impostor rot more remarkable for the ugliness of llis person than for the deformity of his mind—a wretch destitute of feeling and abandoned to every thing that is bad.— To this dernoii in human form may be at¬ tributed most of the enormities commit¬ ted by the savages in thc late war. He had a liberal education, and has been in¬ structed in the Christian religion having been designed for a Roman Catholic Priest, lie therefore sins against know¬ ledge.—This imposter made ttie credulous Indians believe thatthe Earthquakes in IS 12, were (.(ccc'sioned by his slinking himr^elf, r.nd tliiit l.c fad done it to punisli thern fur net !:<';lithi^^ better ag.iinst the Americins. Ife also toi'l them that he had stopped a large bole Rt the bottom of Luke Krie, whirli occasioned the unusual rise of the vvater i n that lake. Being able to foretell eclipses, he derived nota little cnneequence fiumthatcircumstance. Pow ell related a number of anecdotes con¬ cerning tbe Indians, but we have not room to insert them. here.
When Powell had remained a pnSoner about 40 moons, he concerted a iHclieme with a couple of women wh(» wore pri- soiiers« in live sume tuvvi;, of effecting their escape. There was an oUI wigwam stand¬ ing in the tovMi in whirh they agreed to coi\ceii\ jerked veni::on, &c. as they could obtain it, until they should accumulate suffir-ieot for t'.eir purpose—Provisions Were de osited in thut place. The wo¬ men )i!iil co.u-oaled two foinah.iwkg. As Powell vvas coiniugout of the old wigwam one night, he was discovered by an In¬ dian who had been a notorious and bitter enemy. The alarm . was given ; Powell vvas secured and tied to a post in his mas¬ ter's wigwain. In the morning the old wigwaui was torn down, and the provi¬ sions and tomahawks vvere foutid. Evc¬ ry circumstiince was against Powell, and had nothing to expect but a three days burning. lie says it came into his head to tell a lie, and if possible, throw the whole upon his accuser. He accordingly statcd tu his master, that notwithstanding appearances were against him, still he was innocent, that his master knew how in¬ imical the Indian had been towards hiin, that undoubtedly he had taken this me¬ thod to ruin him. Thc little Captain seemed somewhat staggered, & conclud¬ ed not to burn hirn until he should con¬ sult the Big Cnptain. The big captain carried the cause of the Prophrt, vvho consnitcd the Great Spirit, and decided that Powell nvjst be burnt until he would confess who were accomplices, as it was evident others were concerned with him, tbe circumstance of there being two toma- havvks concealed in the old caobin.—The decision of the Prophet is conclusive. The unhappy Powell was stretched upon his back on the ground, and Secured with thongs, The white prisoners as usual, were brought to witness his torments. The tv.'o women v*ho were concerned with him in the plot, were exceeding agitated, expecting every minute tbat Powell wuuld bring them out, for then their destruction would bc inevitable. Fire was occasion¬ ally put to Powell's right hand until it was nearly consumed. At this time, Powell says his feelings were indescriba¬ ble—eternity with its important conse¬ quences rusfied upon him with such over¬ whelming concernment, that he, for a while, forgot the excruciating torments his body was enduring—and felt the full force of the expression of the poet: <.%re 'tis a serious thing to dic !' He was deternuned to make uo disco¬ veries ; because if he had revealed thc truth, not only his own life, bnt thtt of
the two women would liave been the for¬ feit.    He spoke to the Little Captain and observed, tbat as he (Powell) waa inne- cent, the captain ougiit to take a toma¬ hawk, and dispatch him at once,     The captain replied that he had all along sus» pected his innocence.     The fire was re¬ moved for a while.     The Big Captain tfe the Prophet were again consulted;  and as Powell had  long stood the ordeal of fire, the Great Spirit had admitted lie wus innocent,     Powell, to his inexpressible joy, was released.     Agreeably to a cus¬ tom of the Indians Powell now had it in his power to inflict the same punishment on his accuser, who  was tied  dowu foi- burning, but forgave him on his paying the hiin of a large buck;   vvhich act a( humanity gained him the love and friend¬ ship of the Indians during his stay among them,    Powell says he saw one prisoner, a Kentuckian, burned three days before he expired.   In deeember tast, a Canadi¬ an by the name of Ranafl M<Donald, pur¬ chased Powell's liberation from captivity, and at the same time, obtained the free* dum of B. Jones, J. Anderson, and Sarah Price,     They were taken to Kingston, from thence to Quebec,  where tbey ex¬ perienced  McDonald's  hospitality until the first df June last, then receiving ivc dollars each, they proceeded to the Unil^ od States,
FOREIGN.
[From French papers received at Boston. I PARia, Sept, 13.
The president of the A nti-Barbarian Institution, had yesterday, a private aadi- ence of his majesty ; who, before he pass¬ ed into his cdbinet, publicly compliment¬ ed the president Upon the accomplishmeiii-. of the great object of their wishes and la^- bors, by the brilliant success of the com¬ bined expedition against Algiers ;—thc nevvs of which had been received by ti^s majesty in a despatch from the French, consul residing in that regency—The im¬ mediate result nf this great success, so a- bly conducted by lord Exmouth, has beetu besides the destruction of the piratical cruisers, the-liberation of all tlie Europe¬ ans in slavery, and the abolition of the capture of thsm in future*
The details of the opcni;tion of tliia. sig¦•" nal act of vengeance against tiie neft. (foyer) of the piratical aysfem, we shal^ not delay officially to pubHsh, In the mean tinie the following particulars are authentic.——Jtfbmtewr.
Accordingto the accoUHtsfrom Algiers, dated 31.st August, the English fleet pre¬ sented itself before that city onthelrtli August, at about one in the afternoon, to thc number of SP. sail, of wbich six were Dutch friga.tes.
Afler hfiving fruitlessly tried negociSl'- tions, lord Clxmouth cAuscd his vesiels to be moored at half cannot shot distance, under the batteries of the purt and road; his own ship placed at the entrance uf the port, and so hear the wharves that his yards toucheil the hoii&es; and hia batte¬ ries taking in iiank those of the interior of thc port, bore directly upon all Mie can- nonicra of tiie port, -ivho remained cntirQ<^ ly exposed. ...
The fire of iUe English was sustained more than six hours, but only served to increase the rage of the enemy, when two English oflicers dendanded pernussion to go in a sinall vessel, and set fire to (the first Algerine frigate, whieh blocked up the entrance of the port—-thia h^ng com¬ plied with, the operation had entire auc- cess i a fresh invest wind in a few minates set fire to the whole fleet, 5 frieatea, four corvettes and GO gun-boats, Wnich v/eve consumed.
The city had suffered less, altliough tl^ bombs had occasioned considerable des¬ truction there. The English fleet expe¬ rienced a very lieaTy loss. It is estimat¬ ed that the loss on each aide i^ 1060 men.
An Algerine frigate heing oa fire, MiA driven by the winds upon theEngliah ad¬ miral, forced the latter to cut his cables, and withdraw frora the battle fi>r some. time. His lordship was wounded, and a captain of one of the frigates waa killed. The dey did not cease, during the vvhold action, to pass from pott tojiost, aoimHt- ing his soldiers.
It is said that the loss on hoafd of lord Exmouth*8 sbip was £00 men.
Onthe 28th, the English squadron an¬ chored in thc great harbor, but out of cao- noQ shot from tbe town. Go tlie 29th, an armistice was concluded, upon ibe baai^ which lord Exmouth had previously pro¬ posed. The following are thc priucipat conditions:—
1st. Tlie Algerine regency ciiUheiitato .ihollsh the Khavery of Europeans .iu Al- gict* ; •«->•' '•" '^ns«2«r:i(^5to«i^t.^lj||ji-