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was in a great degree owing to the sctivity, eloquence, and indefatigable zeal with which he advocated the measure.

In 1832 Mr. Fillmore was elected to congress as a member of the Honse of Representatives, where he at once took a high stand for his industry, his eloquence, and general ability. In 1836 he was reelected, and on this occasion he greatly distinguished himself by his report on the New Jersey case. Mr. Fillmore was again reelected to the next congress by a greatly increased majority, and was made chairman of the committee of ways and means, in which position he added new laurels to his reputation.

At the close of this congress he declined a reelection, and resumed his practice at the bar, of which he is one of its most distinguished ornaments.

He was in 1844 a candidate of the whig party for the office of governor of this state, in opposition to Silas Wright, but was unsuccessful. Last November he was nominated by the whigs for the office of comptroller, and was elected by a large majority, running generally ahead of his ticket. Consequently, his residence was changed to Albany, where he is now fulfilling the duties of his office with eminent ability.

His nomination to the office of vice-president on the ticket with General Taylor, in the whig convention at Philadelphia, on the 9ih of June, was received with universal approbation, not only by his own party, but by all the friends ol General Taylor.

Another remarkable event by which the close of Mr. Polk's administration ind the commencement of that of General Taylor were sadly signalized, was the reappsarance of the Asiatic cholera on our continent. Contrary to its jourse when it first visited us in 1832, it now struck our shores at the Southwest, and for a long time committed the most dreadful ravages in the interior 3f Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico, and along the great Mississippi and Ohic /alleys, before appearing at the North. Its malignancy and fatality at Cineinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and the smaller towns on the Mississippi, Missouri, ind Ohio rivers, was without a parallel in the history of modern epidemics. Probably its fatality was greatly enhanced by the inexperience of physicians, the janic of the people, and, above all, their imprudence in eating and drinking, and the general and disgusting filth of the dwellings of the poorer classes in all our :ities. As it was, the number of its victims was appalling; and so virulent and >rotracted were its visitations, that it served to throw a gloom over the summer jusiness, and especially the summer pleasures, of the whole country. At length, after a season of tho intensest anxiety and suspense—during which the nost strenuous and thorough measures allowed of by the time, were taken to :leanse the city—the dread scourge of man's gross appetites made its appearance in the metropolis on the 14th of May. As the first and several succeeding :ases occurred at the "Five Points," a locality preeminent for its filth, vice, and lestitution, and where appeared to exist every requisite for the spread of the lisease, the question at once presented itself, Where shall the hospital be located? Shall it be in the city and in the neighborhood where the cases are it present occurring; or shall it be remote from the city, and so far secluded as rt prevent any communication with the neighboring population? As the lecision of this question depended entirely upon that of another question, i. e., the contagious or non-contagious character of the disease, it may readily be :onceived that the committee of the Common Council, to whom the subject had leen entrusted, felt themselves not a little embarrassed. They found that nedical men of the highest eminence differed on this subject, and that not merely theoretical opinions, but facts, were arrayed in favor of the opposing doctrines. Vfter obtaining all the light they possibly could from tho testimony of medical nen both at home and abroad, on mature consideration, they came to the conclusion, that however certain isolated facts seemed to favor the doctrine of contagion, yet, as a general rule, the disease did not appear to bo propagated in this ray; that the cause of it appeared to exist in the atmosphere, and that its spread was entirety independent ot any communication between the well and tin sick.

On the 21st of May. the sanatory committee, in company with his honor the mayor and the medical council, made a personal visit to the "Five Points," with the view ot satisfying themselves more completely in relation to the condition of this part of the city. The exhibition of human degradation and wrelchedness which presented itself was truly appalling. It seemed almost impossible .hat such a state of things could exist. In addition to what had been done previously, renewed orders were now given, and efficient measures adopted to cleanse the place. The truth, however, cannot be concealed—the place itself is incapable of proper purification, and will continue to remain so until it i» razed to the ground, filled up, and suitably rebuilt.

As it now seemed evident that we were about to be visited by a severe and long-continued assault of the epidemic, the committee felt it to be their duty at once to enter upon the consideration of those general measures which might be deemed necessary to meet, in the best possible manner, the impending danger. In doing this, they found several important facts, which appeared to be well established, and which might serve as guides in their operations. These facts are the following:

1st. That the general cause of the disease appears to exist in the atmosphere, 2d. That in attacking individuals, the disease generally gives notice of its approach by some preliminary symptoms.

3d. That these preliminary symptoms are usually under the control of medicine, and being arrested, the further development of the disease is prevented.

4th. That the agency of various exciting causes is generally necessary to develope the disease. Among these causes, the principal are the existence of filth and imperfect ventilation, irregularities and imprudences in the mode oi living, and mental disturbance.

With these facts in view, the duties of the committee ware obvious, and they conceived them to be the following:

In the first place, to provide public hospitals for the reception and treatment ot those actually attacked with the disease, and who, from poverty or other causes, might be deprived of the means of being attended to properly at their own bomes. In the second place, to adopt such measures as might counteract the development and extension of the disease, by obviating, as far as possible, aii the exciting causes of it, and also, by prompt medical assistance, arresting the disease in its preliminary stages.

With these objects and purposes in view, the committee commenced and continued their labors throughout the whole course of the cholera. They established hospitals in such succession, and in such parts of the city, as the spreading of the disease required, until the whole number amounted to five. They com menced and accomplished a thorough purification of the city, such a one as the city probably never had before. Through repeated publications from the medical counsel, they kept their fellow-citizens constantly alive to the important fact ttat the progress of the disease depended in a great measure upon their own discretion in their modes of living. They endeavoured to inspire them with mora! courage, as one of the best preservatives against disease; and finally, they sapplied the city with such an abundance of medical attendance as that every person might have the benefits of immediate advice and attention.

In the progress of the cholera, it became manifest that the daily reports of the sanatory committee and the weekly reports of the city inspector did not correspond. The discrepancy, indeed, became so great as to attract general attention. The cause of this discrepancy was self-evident: many physicians not considering themselves compelled to report their cases, neglected to do sr altogether; others merely reported cases, without afterwards feeling themselves obliged to report the result. In this state of things, it was manifest that neither cases nor deaths, especially the latter, could be reported with any degree of accuracy. On the other hand, as no person could be buried without its being reported to the city inspector, his list of deaths would be much larger than tha of the committee.

On the 5th of September the medical counsel of the board of health sent in n /©port to the effect that the cholera, as an epidemic, had in a great measure ceased to exist. There were a number of cases afterwards, but it became hourly more and more evident that the scourge had passed over, and the moral and physical aspect of the city began perceptibly to revive. The following officia. comparative table of deaths from diseases of the bowels, in the city of New York, for twenty-two weeks, from May 20 to October 14, in the two years of 1848 and 1849, will give a clearer and more comprehensive view of the fatality of iho cholera than could otherwise be obtained:

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By this tabic it appears that the whole number of deaths by cholera, dining the season of twenty-two weeks, was 5017. The whole number of cases reported does not exist in any accessible form. The writer, however, from a close and constant observation of the progress of the epidemic, is of opinion that the proportion of deaths, both in hospital and private practice, was from thirtyfive to forty per cent, of the whole number of cases. This frightful rate ot mortality, in the scientific and intellectual capital of the New World, tells badly for the state of the medical art, and ought to arouse the closest and most earnest inquiry into the infallibility of the prevailing mode of practice. It is a startling fact, vouched by authentic and official documents, that the proportion of deaths from cholera in the steppes of Russia, where medical aid was impossible, was less than in the most enlightened and thoroughly-doctored portions of Kurope and America. The same documents prove that uniformly under the homœopathic treatment, in Russia, Prussia, Austria and Germany, the proportion of deaths to cases was less than ten per cent., and under the hydropathic treatment (in the few instances in which records have been published) quite as favorable. Repeatedly reminded of these facts, and solicited by the appeals of over fifty regular homoeopathic physicians, of acknowledged reputation and skill in their treatment of disease, to establish a hospital where patients who preferred it could receive the benefit of the homeopathic treatment—both medical couacil and common council turned a deaf ear, and forced all to submit to the same experimental and random treatment. Opium to check the evacuations—calomel to restore the secretions—camphor and capsicum to stimulate the circulation— leeching, bleeding and cupping, to stop the fierce reactive fever; and blisters and mustard baths as counter-irritants—with an infinity of poisonous drugs administered in the very helplessness of ignorance and dismay—such wis tie terrible ordeal to which all who entered the public hospitals, whsther old cr young, weak or robust, temperate or debauched, were compelled to submit. Add to this, that under the fatal delusion that brandy was a preventive, hundreds literally drank themselves into the cholera, and that nearly every one was continually deranging his system and endangering his health by swallowing quack nostrums, medicaments, and preventives—and we ought no longer to be as tonished at the severity of the epidemic.

Although New York and the Atlantic cities were freed from the cholfra earl) in the fall of 1849, yet it still lingered in the Southwest, and even as tate a» September, 1850, committed ravages more or less severe in various points oJ that portion of the Union. Thus far the fell scourge has not reappeared in the North; and there is no reason to fear that it will do so, at least for the present. Among the important events transpiring in this last year of the first half oj the nineteenth century, the impartial historian has no right to omit the attempted revolution in Cuba and the attack made upon that island by several hundred Americans under the command of General Narcissus Lopez, formerly a commander in one of the South American republics, aided by several American

citizens of more or less distinction.

Ever since the termination of the Mexican war a restless spirit had been manifested in the largo cities, and especially in those of the southwest, on the subject of Cuba. Perhaps at first this feeling was a mere vague Ionging for territory and plunder; but it was adroitly taken advantage of and turned especially in the direction of Cuba, by the most plausible arguments and glowing pictures of the inevitable results of such an enterprise. "Magnificently en dowed (writes one of the most enthusiastic of the friends of Cuban invasion, the editor of the N. Y. Sun) with all the fairest gifts of nature; blesstd with • teeming soil, a genial sky, and presenting every variety ot scenery, from the majestic mountain seven thousand feet in height to the peaceful plain nearly ea a jevel with the sea—the Queen of the Antilles—the land which first greeted the eyes of the great Columbus after his long and dreary voyage over the yet untrodden waters of the Atlantic, and upon whose shores the first Christian rite was periormed in the New World—Cuba is the one spot of earth most deserving

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he attention of the poet, the historian, the statesman, and the philanthropist. And yet, with all these attractions, and notwithstanding her propinquity to our continent, being but six hours steam navigation from the nearest of the States, how very little till within a recent period has in reality been known in this country about Cuba, her history, her condition, her resources! Travellers have from time to time delighted us with glowing descriptions of her enchanting Beauties; but the story of her cruel wrongs has scarcely yet penetrated the heart of the American nation, while well-informed persons, able editors, who set up for public instructors, even now disbelieve, or affect to disbelieve, the yearnings of her sons for liberty and independence. Cuba, such persons would have us imagine, forms an exception amongst the enslaved nations. Her children can patiently submit to servitude, while in their country's sky, her scenery, and her soil, they read their title-deeds, traced by the finger of God, to independence. Lashed, spurned, robbed, and outraged by the minions of a foreign despotism, the Cubans, forsooth, can kiss the hand that smote them; and, lower than the worm, lack the spirit to turn upon the power which tramples them in the dust!

"With the press subject to a grinding censorship, and the right of public meeting proscribed, it is not to be wondered that the world ere this has not echoed the voice of Cuban complaint. Neither is it to be wondered that the smart of the wounds inflicted on the unfortunate islanders by the Spaniards has not revealed itself to the world in a sweeping and terrible vengeance, while one most odious system of espionage that ever disgraced any country has hitherto succeeded in frustrating the plans of her patriots. The fact, however, that the revolutionary spirit actuating the great mass of the inhabitants lives and burns, is evidenced by the number of abortive attempts of which, from the beginning of the nineteenth century down to our day, Cuba has been the theatre. Cuba, contemporaneously, we may say, with the continental colonies of Spain, entered upon the career of revolution. If, less fortunate than they, hor efforts have hitherto proved unsuccessful, the circumstance is to be accounted lor from the vastly greater difficulties which beset her path.

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It shall not be so always; and not in vain shall the people of an American island stretch forth their hands to their free brothers of this continent, imploring, demanding of them, that aid and cooperation which freemen everywhere owe lo their oppressed and enslaved brethren.

"In the year 1823 a vast conspiracy, embracing all portions of the island, and conducted by men the most eminent in all the chief cities for their character, their learning, and their position, promised the certain overthrow of Spanish dominion. This conspiracy was called the "Soles de Bolivar," from the circumstance that the liberator of Columbia had engaged to extend to it the most efficacious support. It failed, owing to the treachery of one of the leaders; and n banishment and imprisonment hundreds of the best men in Cuba expiated the crimes of having loved their country and conspired to set her free. Though oaffled, the spirit of Cuban patriotism was not subdued. We shortly after find a project on foot for the invasion of the island by the united forces of the repubics of Columbia and Mexico. This project was discussed in the congress of Panama, but failed of being carried into execution, chiefly owing to the interposition of the United States. In 1828 another conspiracy, no less formidable in its character than that of 1822, was formed, but again the spy system prevailed and frustrated the designs of the patriots. The years '34, 35, 41, 44, and '48, were each marked by distinct and organized conspiracies, the failure of which, by treachery and subornation, was followed of course by new proscriptions, new banishments, imprisonments, and deaths. Thus have we seen that for a period of at least a quarter of a century, revolution has been actually the normal condition of Cuba."

Incited by arguments like these, in the month of May last some five or six hundred men were got together, and, with arms and munitions of war, clandestinely embarked for Cuba in two merchant vessels, under the command of

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