"Woodbridge And Reform."

Those of our readers who were residente of this State in 1839 wil) doubtless rernember that these three words very often met the eye &c the ear. But we were never able to sec the proper connection of the words. We have not learned tliot the Judge wns ever successful ni achieving any considerable politicul re form, or tliat he was personally on advocate of any moral enierprise of the doy. His onJy connection with Temperancc that we recollect was on elabórate report m tht Senate of MichigoH a-gainst a luw for prohibiling Jicenses for retailing liquore. In this article of wo or three column in length, he ridiculed the idua of legnl ret-trictions on this 6ubject, 83 being as absurd and ineffectual as wouid be a stalute respecting the cut of ihe hair, or the fashion of wliiskers. Nor hnve we ever learned that his lúdividunl effurts in behalf of tlie Temperance cause were uny more favorable to iis progress than were his theoreiical sentiments; but we have heard the variety a:;d choiecness nf the wines and liqjors dis- played by him at his public entertainmenls, mude a subject of praise. In the matter of Abolition aleo, we do not find him ohead of other reformere. if our memory serve ue, at the time of the formalion of the State Constitution, he wns a strong and influential advocate for inserting the word ;wniTK" a9 a quahficatiou for votere, and wlien questioned on that subject m 18S9, he was opposed to its removal. The next specimen of his anlislavery zeal we find in the debate in the Sécate of the United States, on the resolutions introduced respecting the "Slavea of the Brig Creóle," who had men upon their masters, whileon a voyage 10 New Oleanp, and achieved their liberty by laking the vcssel into a Britisli port. Mr. Porler, the other Senator from Michigan, moved that the word "slnves" be stricken out, and "persous" insertcd, as being more conformable to the Jangnage of the Constitution. This brought down a torrent of southern abuse nn Mr. Porter, but ho stood it all like a man until his colleague, "the venerable Gov. VVoodbridge," turned to him and besought him to withdraw the amendment, as "no principie was volved in it!" Mr. Porter was thus induced lo do so, aud the 6torm of southern fury was allayed. The newspapers at the time eave the credit of the withdrawal to Gov. Woodbridge, and we believe that he deserves it. But the regult was uecisivc of the career of Mr. Porter, as a free, independent, Northern man. Up to March 4, 1845, when his term of service expired, he was nevcr again known to anger the southern overseers, but he and his colleague Woodbridge snffered a standing Gag against antislavery petitions to remain in the Senate, and it is in forco al this da}'. In the debate iu the Señale on the admission of Florida and Iowa, we find that Governor Wooúbridge participaled. We invite the attention of some thousand antislavery men who voted for him in 1830 to his remarks in the Senate on certain clauses in the Constitution of Florida. We find the report in the Cincin nati Hcrald.1 Mr. Woodbuidok, of Michigan, opposed the obnoxious clauses. The gentlemen of the Soulh were fuily protected in thcir rights. - 1'here tcere lo he sure, enthusiasts and INCKNDiARrts ín many uj Ote Stuttt% but the insertion of such clau&es as tbcse would only stimulate the worst effbrls of crazy Abolitionists. He was far from defending these people; he never liad excnsed or palliated their proceecüngs; and no human beino could bk MORE OPPOSKD TO THKM THAN HE WAS; but by sucb measures as these, Soutnern nien were only Abolitionists." Reader, did you ever see a specimen of more abject douglifaceism íji a siraller compasa?- One cluuse undcr debate declared that The General Assembly (of Florida) shall have power to pasn laws to prevenl free pogroes, muluttoes, and other persona of color from emigraiing to this State, or from being diecharged from on board any vessel in any of the ports of Florida." Translated into plain English, the argument of Senator YVoodbridge reads thus: "I know this provisión is utterly inconsistent wilh the U. S. Constitution: bnt then tliat is no great matter. The worst of it is, these 'IwcKNDrARÍES'' - "E.NTHUSIASTö" - a 11(1 "CllAZY AflOLItionists" - wil) be mad about it, &l make great disturbance. So the beet way will be to strike t out !' What a fine representative of the freo men of Michigan.' Are they not proud of him? - We commend his case to the attention of our ne'ghbor of the State Journal, who contends that the Whig is "the only true Liberty party." What does it think of this specimen of the acts of one of its public functionariee?ffTReadthe following from the N. Y. Sun. It furnishes a fair specimen of the economy with which things are managed in the Navy. Twenty-seven thousand dollars a year for only one branch of knowledge, conveyed to three hundred persons! Twenty-three teachers to 300 scholars!"The plan of education in the navy is I so lotally devoid of proper system, entails , such a heavy expendiluro upon the coun. , try, for which so little return is received, I and is so faulty anomalous, the same not I being the custom in any other service, that the pruning knife of reform should be here applied to extírpate it altogether, and to begin entirely afresli. Twentythree mathematical professors are now maintained by the United States at a salary per head' of $1200 annually, and three teacliers of languages at $600 a head. For the single branch of mathematics alone, therefore, taught by twentythree professors to three hundred midshiptnen, the government pays 827,000 annually. But the most singular feature in the case is that the information is imparted at the most inopportune time,when the midshipmen are at sea, and should be engnged about other duties appertaining to their profession in seamnnship." QZF The Boston Clironicle lias a history of the capture of Lotiisburg in 1745, and a pruposition to celeliratc the hundredth anniversary by a proecssion, !kc. and crect a monument to be ' calle-l "The Louieburg Mo lu.-nent." What j(L? Some two weeks ago the Signal of Liberty made a savage attnck upon the members of Congress from this State, with regard to a certain appropriation for books. The Signal bases its remarks upon an extract from a correspondent of the N. Y. Journal of Commerce, which asserts that 70 members sold their right to the books for $200 each. Now, we have good authority for saying that the statement of the Journal of Commerce is utterly untrue in every important particular. The total amount of the cost of the books, we are informed, was about $400. The Michigan delegation voted, at two different times, against the appropriation; but it was passed, and each of our members took their portion of the books. Mr. M'Clelland brought his home, and they are now at the service of any of his constituents who may wish to peruse them. Will the Signal set the matter right so far as the Michigan delegation are concerned? - Michigan Argiis. We stated three things: 1. That the Members of the House voted themselves Books to the amount of $600 eiich: that this amount increased their wages to Twknty Five Dollars a day: that we considered it the same as filching that amount from the pockets of their constituents, as a despicable and mean acL To all this the Argus has nothing to say, except that the amount of Books voted was $400 apiece, instead of $600. Against the nalure of the act the Argus has no defence to make. So far, then we agree. 2. We stated that about 70 members disposed of their right to these Books for $200 each. The Washington correspondent of the Journal of Commerce was our authority. The Argus says it hus "good authority" for saying the statement is utterly untrue. If so, we cali on it to produce its authority. The Journal of Commerce has a good reputation for statements on such subjects; and it is quite as likely that their reporter at Washington would know what was done in that city, as that the Editor of the Argus would know what wa3 not done there. -it you nnveany "good authonty," produce t, or the case will go ogainst you. An affirmativo witness to a fact which he claims to know, cannot be silenced by the mere denial of one who claims no personal knowledge in the matter. 3. Westated on the authority of the Boston Chronicle, whose Editor was then a reporter in Washington, that the ayes and nays were not called on this vote. - We still suppose so. If they were, the fact can be shown. Will the Argus produce the evidence1? If it will exhibit the vote, with the "Michigan delegation" twice on the negative, we will "set the matter right" with our readers, in the most honorable manner. 13 ut how can we do it without evidence that they voted at all? The Argus cha rade rizes our remarks as "savage." We meant to speak plain, and this paragraph in the Argus shows that vhat we did say was understood and appreciated. We intend in all cases tobe sure we are right before we pass judgmentupon public men; and we have the testimony of two of the most respeclable papers in the country, and of two gentlemen who resided at Washington to the truth of our statements. There is nothiug to meet this but the naked denial of persons who do not pretend personally to have known any thing about it! Can't let you off, gentlemen, on such terms! - You will hear from us again.ftr" A colored man, named Zephon, was recently hanged in Philadelphio. A paper of that city thus describes the effect upon that communify: "The district of Moyamensing,in which the gallows performed its barbarous task, instead of being awestruck and solemnized, was for several days afterwards converted into a pandemonium. The spint of violence and ruffianism was never so rife. Revelry and riot assumed unbridled license. The annals of Philadelphia have seldom if ever exhibited a Sabbath so stained with drunkenness, disorder and confusión as that following the Friday of the execution. To the moralist and the jurist the lesson should not be lost. Let it be remembered, that the district whichwitnessed the solemn and awful spectacle of a malefactor strangled to death on the charge of killing a fellow man, was the very next day the scène of another murder, and for several days after the theatre of almost incessant fighting in which a number of persons were severely injured, and the livesof many others jeoparded, and that in the course of a week an infant child was murdered in the same district! These facts are especially worthy of the consideration of such persons as claim for the gallows a useful and a moral inflence." Ö55 Mr. Polk has appointed simultaneously Iwo duclists to office in the city of New Orleans. Air. Labranche, who has lately imbrued his hands in the blood of a fellow being, to the 8tntion of Nuval Officer, and Judge Leonard, also an honorable murderer, CoiHiil General to Cubn. 'And yet,' 6oys the Ballimore Visiter, Mr. Polk has the reputation as wel! as theappearance of aCbristian!' - Amer. Citizen. fcf" We learn from the Hillsdale Gozctte that Iron worka have been erectcd at Oranje Mills, Branch County, in this State, and opcrfttions have been commenced.