259,800 votes. Ten Departments sought the honour of being represented by Lamartine. and the number of votes which he gathered in France at a single election, amounted to one million six hundred thousand. He was again appointed a member of the Provisorial Government, an office which he held until the insurrection of June deprived him altogether of the popular favor.

Since then his political occupations have been limited to one or two speeches, and a great many noisy articles in a paper, modestly called "The Counsellor of the People." Having spent a large fortune that had been left to him by an old aunt of his; and being unable to live in the extravagant style to which he always was accustomed, he pawned his needy pen to a publisher, who extorts from it wretched novels unworthy of his literary talent, injurious to his fame.

Although much overwhelmed by the indifference of his countrymen, he still possesses a noble independence, which now and then breaks forth. A publisher lately offered him a large sum of money if he would write a panegyric on Napoleon the Great and his cotemporaries. "It is impossible"-replied Lamartine-"I have just finished my History of the Directory, in which I have devoted a few pages to stigmatize, as he deserves to be, that ungrateful son who murdered his mother. There are enough writers without me, who will extol the warlike genius of Bonaparte; my pen belongs now to the holy cause of democracy." His last work, the History of Restoration, is an evident proof of his threats.

We often see emerging from political convulsions, men who for a while enjoy an unbounded popularity. As soon as experience gives its verdict, indifference succeeds to that ephemerial glory; leaving in its place, to those favorites of a day, the bitter remembrance of their deception, and the blind hope of regaining an influence which they have lost by their own fault. To some people, such a fall is perfectly intelligible; to others it is a great puzzle. But let the observer weigh with impartiality the causes of the change, and then he will discover that the vox populi is often the vox justitiæ. Mr. de Lamartine-more than Lafayette, and less than Odillon Barrot-is a living proof of our assertion.

In our age, we so seldom see a politician who remains incorruptible, especially when he rises to the very summit of political distinctions, that we shall say-so that it should palliate many faults -that Lamartine is, and always was, profoundly earnest, of an undoubted honesty, and remarkably disinterested. After having endeavored to review his life with impartiality, we feel happy to conclude in rendering full justice to his moral and religious sentiments, and without thinking with his panegyrists that "by his eloquence he has risen above the greatest orators, both of ancient and modern times; that as a man of character and energy, he realizes the ideal of Horace's Justum et tenacem propositi virum,"

we shall always praise the lofty character and the amiable qualities of ALPHONSE PRAT DE LAMARTINE.

This is the place to say, with Timon, that Lamartine is tall, has blue eyes, the forehead narrow and prominent, the lips thin, the gestures noble, and a sort of stateliness, a little of the Grand seigneur. The women, charmed with his sentimental melodies, which touch so well their souls, looked but for him, amid the multitudes of the deputies, and asked each other: Where is he?

Juvenile Reform Schools.-Memorial.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Missouri, in General Assembly convened:

The undersigned, a citizen of the State of Missouri, respectfully represents to your Honorable body that the large number of legal arrests, in the city of St. Louis, for offences committed by individuals under the age of fifteen years, is evidence that in our own highly favored land, as in other countries, vice in all its varied forms is a natural fruit of populous cities.

In the early stages of a nation's history, cities are the seats of intelligence, of science, of useful arts, and, the civilizers of rural districts; but, in time, their vices, like a slow yet fatal poison, by degrees prevail over their virtues, and spreading throughout the nation, sooner or later terminate its existence. Such is the history of the more renowned nations of antiquity, and the present aspects of the social condition of Europe would seem to indicate similar results in respect to modern civilization, especially on a portion of that continent.

Thus admonished, it is among the highest duties of the American people to guard against, and, if possible, suppress this fatal evil before it becomes irremediable.

Observant of every vice that threatens the well-being and progress of society, and ever active in the cause of humanity, a few philanthropic individuals of the city of St. Louis have made liberal donations, and organized under a charter authorizing the establishment of a Juvenile Reform School, near this city, for the instruction and reformation of children addicted to vicious practices.

But individual liberality is totally inadequate to the end proposed. To be efficient and equal to the objects in view, the institution must be based upon a more solid foundation; it must possess a large and permanent endowment, such a one as can only be expected from the State or General Government-and to the latter your memorialist now proposes to look for assistance.

The sixteenth sections reserved for common schools, were donated to the townships respectively: from which it may be inferred that Congress designed to place the inhabitants of each, as nearly as practicable, upon an equal footing in respect to the means of education.

According to the census of 1850, the population of the State of Missouri, exclusive of St. Louis, averages about nine persons to the square mile, which gives about two acres of school land to each inhabitant of the rural townships. By the same rule, St. Louis, if placed upon an equal footing with the other townships in the State, would be entitled to about 200,000 acres of public land; that much, at least, in the opinion of your memorialist, the city of St. Louis may claim at the hands of Congress upon principles of justice and national policy.

The report emanating from the General Land office for the year ending 30th June, 1851, shows that the General Government then owned 26,635,589 acres of land in the State of Missouri: the whole of which Congress will, in all probability, give away, by virtue of the Homestead Bill now pending, to a certain class of individuals, provided they will settle upon it.

If Congress be moved to vote for the Homestead Bill by sentiments of philanthropy, surely the children of poverty and vice, destitute of moral instruction, growing in crime as they advance in years, relying upon begging and thieving for subsistence, while on their way to the poor-house, the penitentiary and place of execution, are objects which claim the active exercise of that amiable quality in as high a degree as the class of individuals intended to be benefitted by that measure. If moved by a far-seeing national policy, which looks to the conservation of our excellent institutions through an indefinite period, and to the continual advancement of civilization with all its blessings through countless generations then, instead of attempting to supply the temporary wants of individuals now existing, Congress will, doubtless, give lands not only to St. Louis, but to every large city in the Union, with a condition that the money derived from the sale thereof shall constitute a perpetual fund to aid in the education and moral improvement of indigent and vicious children.

In view of these objects, the undersigned respectfully asks your Honorable body to memorialize Congress soliciting a grant of land, either to the State of Missouri or the city of St. Louis, for the use and benefit of a Juvenile Reform School, to be established at or near this city. M. TARVER.

PERIODICAL LITERATURE.

"THE MISCELLany and Review," devoted to Education, General Literature Agriculture, Reminiscence, the Science of Government, Social and Political Progress, Manufactures, Home Commerce, Internal Improvement and Family Reading. T. F. RISK, Editor; RISK and EBBERS, Publishers. The first number of this work is before us, and we are constrained to say that it is highly creditable to both Editor and Publishers. The matter, good in itself, is selected and arranged with taste and judgement; while the material and mechanical execution will compare favorably with the most popular works of the day. In the Miscellany and Review, western readers are presented with an opportunity of aiding in building up a literature in their midst; a literature as varied, as interesting, and far more profitable than that obtained through Eastern Periodicals. That the opinions, the taste and moral tone of the West should be directed and controlled by the eastern press, must be a source of humiliation to every independent mind; and we trust the time is near, when the inhabitants of this broad valley will come up to the support of a home literature. Few, perhaps none, fully appreciate the importance of such a movement. Then, and not until then, will the people of the West begin to think, and act for themselves; then, and not till then, will their influence be felt, and properly respected in the councils of the nation, and their opinions and moral character have their due weight with the people of other lands.

The "Miscellany and Review" is published simultaneously at St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn., at $2.00 per annum payable in advance.

"THE VALLEY FARMER." This useful and interesting monthly has entered upon its fifth volume; and we are pleased to observe that it improves with age. This should be regarded as conclusive evidence that its Editor is made of the right kind of material; and gives assurance to the farmers of the West, that it will be their own fault if they do not profit by his labors.

"SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER." This pioneer of southern Periodicals has entered upon the 19th volume. This fact alone is a strong argument in favor of its claims to public patronage. The prospectus for 1853 contains a list of able contributors whose names constitute a sufficient guarantee, that the interesting and useful character of the work will be sustained. The price has been reduced to $3 a year.

"THE COLUMBIan and Great WEST." This, in our judgement, is not surpassed by any family newspaper of its class published in the United States. It has been established at Cincinnati as a Pioneer of Western Literature, and we cordially recommend it to western patronage. Price $2 per annum.

Being a Collection of Veracious Memoranda, taken during the Expedition of
Exploration in the year 1845, from the Western Settlements of Missouri to the
Mexican Border, and from Bent's Fort on the Arkansas to Fort Gibson,
via South Fork of Canadian-North Mexico and Nort" Western Texas.
By FRANCOIS DES MONTAIGNES, of St. Louis.

CHAPTER THREE.

Wherein the Great north-western-mule-wag:0 and pack-addle Exploring-Expedition makes a grand movement, and its historian, one still more grand, though rather mixed with Geometry.

All persons and things being now ready for a start, as might or might not have been inferred from the preceding luminous chapter, Captain John C. Frémont issued orders for a general Catching and Saddling up.

It may be as well to mention that this important movement took place on the 23rd of June, 1845 as the reader of these invaluable memoranda may feel a laudable curiosity respecting a fact so intimately blended with the main end and success of this great Expedition.

Whoever has beheld a Buffalo-chase upon the broad prairies, where the ferocious and murderous hunters, rush into the terrified herd as it flies like a storm cloud over the wastes-or been present at an immense deer surround by a large band of Indians, may have a faint imagining of the lively scene which now ensued. In action it defied description, and though there are certain followers of Daguerre who pride themselves upon having obtained the fac simile of a streak of lightning, there is good reason to believe that a camera of more than ordinary power would have been requisite to have caught even a shadow of the queer and stirring panorama now on exhibition.

Quadrupeds, like certain other animals, will, at times, be contrary, as was fully demonstrated in the present instance;-a naturalist having any doubts in this respect, would have had them removed in a moment,-and could a bona fide philosopher of the Archimedean school have witnessed a portion of the experiments now performing on Boone's Fork, the rising generation would have discovered a mule with a long rope attached to his neck, no insignificant mechanical power in assisting the transit of half a dozen greenhorns over the surface of the globe, and that too in a manner, at once rapid and salubrious.

Here some unhappy man would spend ages, as it were, in vain endeavours to secure his treacherous animal with rope or halter, and just at the moment of success. when with caressing voice and hand he touches the wretch with the rope, the latter with a snort and a whistle like the combustion of a half-pound of gunpowder, flits away over the grassy knolls like a moon beam, and with the speed of an autumn blast.

The next we see of the fellow, perhaps, is his return over the hills at the same headlong speed; captured,―lassoed, to be sure, but with a nondescript attached to the rope. looking more like a tineup, in his birdlike flight, than a member of the Great United States Exploring Expedition.

Here again with a deep puff, like some ponderous locomotive, comes a huge American mule trailing a long cable with a number of stout explorers for cars attached, blowing and swearing as much unlike cars as possible, and impelled onward in the wake of the powerful "Iron Horse" by some mysterious influence, as startling in its effect as this is alarming to them. And there-see there! No! T'was but a shadow-a ray-a glance. Yes, there he goes! Head over heels, heels over head; up in the air, down in the grass; head first, heels last; thrown, capsized, no mistake! And then with a whiz like a sudden whirlwind, away darts muley like a rocket or some erratic comet into unknown regions. There was no apparent termination to these unheard-of proceedings, and though the prime movers in the revolt were the Mexican mules, who had seen the elephant before and were well up to all tricks, yet the green ones just purchased which had never cropped a blade of buffalo grass, appeared as skillful in queer manoeuvres, as their more experienced brethren who had no doubt taken extra pains to perfect them.

The veterans of the expedition had served their time at this wild sport and had, therefore, a comparatively easy time. But even they were frequently deceived