A LITTLE MARTYR AND A MONUMENT. "The noble army of martyrs praise Thee." IN the month of October, 1844, a poor but pious family of the name of Dannan came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Trevelyan, Cornwall, England. The family consisted of nine persons, Benjamin Dannan and Mary his wife, and seven children; Emanuel, the youngest, was born in Trevelyan, February 25, 1844. In March, 1847, the father died of consumption, brought on by severe labor and exposure. When cautioned in reference to it by a friend, he said, "God has given me this wife and these children, and I wish not only to provide for them, but also to teach them by my example, to learn and labor truly to get their own living, and to do their duty in that state of life unto which it shall please God to call them." In July, 1847, the mother also died, and the children were left alone, yet not alone, for God watched over them, and kept alive in their hearts that love of truth which had been implanted there by the teachings and example of their pious parents, and which "Emanuel," in the language of one of his sisters, "was old enough to learn and not forget." After the death of his mother, Emanuel remained two months with the Rev. Benjamin Akerly of Milwaukee, who was ever ready to aid the orphan and the destitute, and was afterward placed by him under the care of Joseph Moore, Emanuel's uncle, with whose family he remained until the death of Mr. Moore and his wife, when he was taken into the Milwaukee poor-house, where he remained until the spring of 1850, when he was adopted by Samuel W. Norton, a man residing in Marquette county, Wisconsin, with whom he resided two and a half years, and until he was found in the house of his adopted father dead, having been, by Norton's own confession, whipped to death. Norton and his wife were arrested for manslaughter. In the language of the Hon. Judge Larrabee, before whom they were tried, it appeared that— "The defendants-husband and wife-were respectable farming people, residing in Marquette county, and were childless. They had two orphan children bound to them-one a little girl about ten years of age, and the other the boy Emanuel, eight years of age. I have no means of ascertaining any thing of the previous history of Emanuel, and only know that he was taken from the Milwaukee Poor House. He was a fragile child, and had never been in robust health. Those who knew him spoke of him as an intelligent, bright blue-eyed boy, and very winning in his playful little ways. "It appeared from the testimony of the little girl-who was the sole witness to the torture-that Emanuel was charged with having told a lie. What the lie was we could not, by either persuasion or by fear of punishment, induce her to tell. The counsel for the State exhausted their ingenuity in vain; nor could I, after drawing her to me, and by soothing words endeavoring to quiet her fears, induce her to tell what the lie was. The child had evidently been intimidated by threats of personal injury. This was afterward ascertained to be the fact, when the trial was over, and her fosterparents safely lodged in prison. She then said that Emanuel had, by chance, discovered the woman in a criminal act, and had told her, and she had told her wicked parents. Hence it became allimportant to the woman (who had succeeded in quieting her husband) that the lie should be whipped out of Emanuel. Accordingly, the man procured six whips-the toughest kind of swamp willowwhich, by his own confession, were four feet in length and as large at the butt as one's little finger, and about 9 o'clock at night took Emanuel-who still persisted in telling the truth-to the loft of the cabin, and having stripped him to his shirt, wound that around his neck and tied him up by a cord, by both wrists, to a rafter, so that his feet but barely touched the ground. "Here he whipped him for two hours, only resting at intervals to procure a fresh whip, or to demand of his victim that he should own that he told a lie. The boy's only answer was, 'Pa, I told the truth. Pa, I did not lie.' Pa, I did not lie.' The girl said that Emanuel did not cry much; and it is probable that he fainted during a portion of the time, as the injuries on his body testified that there was not a spot, from the arm-pits to the ankles, large enough to place your finger upon but was covered with livid welts, and that in very many places the skin was broken! "And still the brave boy held out! He must have had a sainted mother, for the teachings of none other could have so implanted truth in his every fibre. "Yes, still he held out: and when he was taken down, with the cords cutting deep into his little wrists, and the warm blood trickling from his limbs, with his head upon his murderer's shoulder, his last words, 'Pa! I am so cold!' and then his pure spirit fled for ever, beyond the reach of torture and inhumanity, to that bright world where wrong and oppression can never be known. "He unquestionably died with the TRUTH still in his heart, and was a martyr to it. "The whips were quite worn up, as the splintered fragments were afterward found. The trial, as you may imagine, was one of deep and painful interest. There was scarce a dry eye in the court room. The verdict was manslaughter in the first degree, and the convicts were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in the State Prison-the extreme penalty of the law." At the last Convention of the Wisconsin Sunday School Union, a committee were appointed, who, with others, were subsequently incorporated by Act of the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin into an association, entitled the Dannan Monument Association, with power to erect a monument or such other testimonial as they might deem proper, to perpetuate the memory of Emanuel Dannan. PERSEVERANCE. J. V. E. "Attempt the end and never stand to doubt, THIS has been one of our own mottoes since we commenced battling, individually, with the world. It has done much to encourage us under the trying and discouraging conflicts of life. When the dark clouds of adversity hovered thick around us, and when the future objects of our desires were apparently hidden from us by impenetrable barriers, a resort to memory's store for this motto would inspire us with new vigor and determination, feeling assured that what others had accomplished could be done again. It is not so much our intention at present to speak of our own trials and encouragements, as being anything different to what is common to all who live to be useful; but our design in this article is to inscribe on the memory of aspiring youth this excellent motto, which is fraught with so much power to impel those who can be moved onward. "Attempt the end"-that is, let him who would desire to arrive at any worthy and honorable position in life, not sit down and wonder whether it is attainable by him or not, but at once, after he has fully resolved, attempt the end, and he need not fear disappointment. It matters not what useful position in life we have a desire to occupy, the attempt to reach it is the very first condition of success. The mechanic must "attempt the end" by making the first effort. ✓ Poor John Fitch, and Fulton, had to attempt to make their simple steamboats before the "Great Western," "Atlantic" and others could sail the ocean. Hiram Powers, the eminent American sculptor, had to attempt to finish the common monument before he presented to the world the "Greek Slave." So with all the great works of art, attempts at the end had first to be made by beginning with small things. In science and literature, also, perfection was not reached at once; but the steps were gradual. Attempts at the end impelled the philosopher, statesmen and divine to attain the end. The reflections of Newton, on the falling of an apple, led to the discovery of the laws of attraction and gravitation, and the solar system. Had he not attempted to find out why the apple fell toward him, instead of flying in some other direction, these discoveries and results would not have been the end of his studies. Had not a few Americans attempted to throw the tea overboard in Boston Harbor, perhaps we would not this day be a free people. "Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth." Had not Franklin attempted to catch the lightning with his silken kite and wire-string in a bottle, perhaps we would not this day be sending news instantaneously thousands of miles, in all directions, by means of the Telegraph. Had not Columbus attempted the uncertain voyage of discovery, when he launched out on the Atlantic from Spain, perhaps centuries might have passed before this continent would have been discovered. Had not the pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock attempted to find an asylum for the oppressed and persecuted, they would not had the consolation and happiness of worshipping God according to the dictates of their own consciences. Had not the renowned Neal Dow attempted to restrict the despotism of King Alcohol by prohibition, in Maine, perhaps he would yet reign triumphant over the whole Union. But that small attempt will find its end in the entire overthrow of his authority in this country. God speed the day. So we might add example to example, both great and small, to prove that the end is only within the reach of him who Attempts the end and NEVER stands to doubt." To "stand to doubt" is as much as to say, This thing has been done, but never can be done again. If a young man wishes to be poor all his days, just let him stand to doubt the possibility of getting rich. If he wishes to remain ignorant and die in obscurity, just let him stand, doubting his ability to become learned and eminent. If he wishes to get feeble and morbid, just let him imagine he is so, and doubt the fact that, through exertion and business, he can become happy and strong. If a young lady wishes to fit herself for the follies of the ball-room only, just let her doubt the fact that she was created for something better. If she wishes to paralyze her nerves and weaken her mind, just let her stand and doubt her ability for solid reading, and continually doat and weep over novels. If she wishes to get a light-minded, foppish husband, just let her never be seen in the kitchen, but always visiting, and doubt the fact that men have brains. In a word, if young men or ladies wish to be useful and wise, they must not stand and doubt their ability to do so; but let them attempt that end and persevere, and they will reach it. Doubting has damped the ardor of many a promising genius. Doubting has cast a gloom of despair over the brow of many a hopeful youth. And doubting has made scores of infidels, and has consigned thousands to present and future sorrow and disgrace. "Then stand ye not in doubts and fears, Still search and hope, and search again, Whether the end be heaven, or any earthly object, we must attempt to gain it by bending all our energies in that direction; for there is "Nothing so hard but search will find it out." The scriptures saith, "Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." And this is not only true in a spiritual sense, but also in a temporal sense. It is only by search that we find out the hidden gems of science. It is only by search that we find out the hidden treasures of the earth. It is only by search in the regions of thought that the mathematician is able to measure time, space, surface and bodies. It is only by search that the theologian can find out the deep things of God. It is only by search that the regular and orderly movements of the heavenly bodies have been found out by the astronomer. In a word, it is by search only that all that we know, or can know, is and can be found out. Then let us Attempt the end, and never stand to doubt, We will now close, hoping that the readers of The Guardian will faithfully attempt to find out all the wisdom that it contains, by searching carefully every page as its makes it monthly visits to them. For we feel convinced from experience, that from it they may collect a goodly store of truth and knowledge. May the life and character of many a young man and lady be shaped under the pure and healthful influence of The Guardian. "DOUBT NOT." THOUGH Sorrow's clouds seem o'er us, Hanging like palls forever, Hope's star, still bright before us, For though our Father frown to-day, Our God, in his good pleasure, Is a vail that Christ hath riven; Are the glorious joys of heaven. |