jury gave Mr. James Gordon Bennett six cents damages!

Let me next pay my respects to Col. Webb, who had all his arrangements made for Berlin. He had been studying high Dutch for the benefit of the corrupted aristocracy of Prussia, and had made his calculations for the summer months at Baden-Baden, and a September voyage up the Rhine. On the last night of the session of the Senate he was superseded by Mr. Hannegan, and he has delivered himself over to the Dutch for nothing. The funniest part of the transaction is, that the Whigs of the Senate assent to the supersedeas, and that old Zack himself is supposed to have agreed to it, and Col. Polk had the power to enforce the appointment. The exact limits of his constitutional term had expired.-he sent in Mr. Hannegan's nomination,--the general appropriation bill was yet to be signed; a rejection of Mr. Hannegan might have cost the Whigs the experiment of an extra session; and I venture to say the confirmation of Mr. Hannegan will be respected. Col. Webb has now turned his attention to the Spanish language. He muses on the bull-fights of Madrid.--on

"The dark-eyed ladies
Of the city of Cadiz,"

and on the ruins of Alhambra: on the pleasures of a summer excursion, at the public expense, among the guerrilleros of the Pyrenees, and the exploration of the subterranean excavations at Gibraltar. In short. Col. Webb now puts in his oar for the mission to Spain. Sour-krout or olives; sausages or oranges; it is all the same to him.

There was a little paragraph in the Sun" today which told a mournful story. Charles Fenno Hoffman, the poet of the heart, and of all its gentle and kindly sentiments, is not just now with the the world, whose soul he warmed and drew nearer to himself, and perchance elevated above him and

He is insane! If deep

nearer to its great source.
sympathy, which is unwritten and unspoken, and
fervent prayer and invocation, can bring back the
subtle elements which direct harmoniously and in
order the action of a generous heart and noble
brain, the poet Hoffman's lyre may yet breathe
melodious music, and not as now

"Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh."

The famous elephant, which once caused such a sensation in Philadelphia, defying alike his keepers and the city government, has been causing an even greater sensation in New York. On Thursday evening he broke loose and commenced an investigation of the "mysteries of New York." After perambulating the streets for a while, much to his own enjoyment and the public consternation, he entered a grocery store,-leaving the door open behind him, in consequence of the owner having put him to the inconvenience of battering it down before him, but not liking the quality of the liquors, after bespattering the proprietor for his incivility, he passed on. Demolishing some iron railing, as if it had been pipe-stems, to express his contempt for the unsubstantial character of the New Yorkers, he sought to enter the Hoboken hotel. Although the door was soon demolished, the granite pillars each side did not afford sufficient space for an entrance, and his keeper coming up just at that time, he allowed himself to be conducted back to his quarters. convinced that they were as good as any he could find in the city. The animal will now become as great a "lion" in New York as he was for a while in Philadelphia, and no one can be considered fully booked up" who has not seen the elephant.

From the Vermont Family Gazette.

HON. ISAAC HILL.

Hon. Isaac Hill died at Washington, D. C., on Saturday, March 22d, 1851, aged 68 years. He was a native of Ashburnham, Mass., and was the son of a farmer. He was early apprenticed to the printing business in the office at Amherst, N. H. At the age of 21 years, with only a dollar in his pocket, he went to Concord and commenced the publication of the "New Hampshire Patriot." His industry was intense, his talent soon became manifest, and the enterprise succeeded. During the war with Great Britain the Patriot attained a larger circulation than any other interior paper had received in New England. Its columns blazed with the steady fire of patriotism, and gave courage and animation to the supporters of the war. Before the close of the struggle, the name of Mr. Hill, as a printer and editor. was as well known as the names of our military chieftains. For many years afterwards he held unbounded sway over the political destinies of New Hampshire. He served as Senator in the Legislature of his State, and was also its Governor, and a Senator in Congress. He was promoted to the latter office on account of his nomination by the President as second Comptroller of the Treasury having been rejected by the Senate. In this we see the indomitable energy and perseverance of the man.

But at length his star waned. Perhaps it was his own fault, -perhaps because younger men became tired of waiting. He lost possession of his press, his pecuniary affairs became embarrassed, and his political influence was well nigh extinguished. Though he never regained his political standing, yet he always adhered to the party" which claimed to be Democratic. Though industrious and frugal, at his death he could not be regarded as wealthy. He held the office of Pension Agent at Concord for some years, and at one time was sub-treasurer in Boston.

Latterly Mr. Hill has been much engaged in agriculture. and edited in a most able manner a monthly publication devoted to that object. In all the private and social relations of life he was kind and amiable. For several years he had been afflicted with asthma, which no doubt shortened his days. He leaves a wife and three sons, who were sent for from Washington and were present at his death. We knew him well and know whereA. B. F. H.

of we affirm.

Bradford, Vt.. March 27, 1851.

HOLYOKE WEEKLY MIRROR.

EDITORIAL.

Kind Reader: Once more we take the editorial chair. As you are doubtless aware, some time since the proprietor of the Holyoke Freeman" took possession of our column to announce that thenceforth the publication of the Freeman was suspended, except under certain contingences not likely to occur. Since that time the town of Holyoke has had no newspaper of its own. We venture to say that no town ever felt such deprivation more sorely than this.

Having devoted a large portion of our life to "the art preservative of all arts." and having sold out and retired from the business some time since, we designed not to engage in that particular vocation again. Since the suspension of our town paper our many friends have almost daily importuned us to re-engage in the printing and newspaper business. We have at length yielded to their solicitations, and having bought out the Freeman establishment, once more we find ourself embarked in the hazardous and toilsome undertaking incident to the editing, printing and publishing business. In these combined pursuits we do not and cannot expect to give universal satisfaction. Certain it is, however, that we shall strive to do all things well; but we have long since

learned that mankind are too fickle in their opinions and too diversified in their tastes and wishes to be permanently and entirely suited with the public labors of any one, especially an editor. We shall, however, be guided by the light of experience; and, while we cannot please all, we shall endeavor to suit at least one,-ourself.

To those who know us it would seem a matter of supererogation to announce that the "Mirror" will be a plain spoken, frank and independent sheet. It will aim to deal fairly and courteously with 'all; and while, in its political bearings, it will sustain the more prominent principles of the National Whig Party, it will endeavor to treat party politics in such a manner as not to be justly offensive to any one. Moreover, a distinction should be made between politics and party politics. Politics has been beautifully defined to be the art of making a people happy," and this certainly is a vocation worthy of the greater statesmen and philanthropists. Not only will Whig politics receive our attention, but all politics; and especially in our own State of Massachusetts, where we have so much of the good thing, will the movements of all the various political parties be represented in our columns. But in our hands the Mirror cannot be a venal sheet, serving the mercenary purposes of any clique, party or sect. It will aim at a high and independent course; such, it is hoped, as shall render it a welcome visitor at every fireside,—in every domestic circle,-in every workshop,-in every counting room.

The Mirror will be "held up to nature," or, in other words, it will seek to give a true reflection of men and things as they shall appear from week to week. It will strive to be fully up to the times of this fastly "progressive age," and keep its readers fully and promptly advised of whatever may be of local or general interest, whether of politics, literature, news, the arts and sciences, "trade and commerce," &c., &c. It will thus be seen that, if