It craves
restlessly its natural food, and in the absence of all others, it seeks
for this in the intoxicating bowl or the gaming-table. How many
brilliant examples of this fatal fact does memory call up from the
untimely grave? These, culled from my seniors when I was a youth, from
my compeers in early manhood, from the youth I have seen grow up about
me, make a host whose usefulness has been lost to the world. Well may
the poet sing in melancholy verse that genius is a fatal gift. It
dazzles as a meteor with its superhuman light, and as soon fades into
darkness, lighting its path with a blaze of glory, astonishing and
delighting the world, but consuming itself with its own fire.
Poindexter had won greatly upon the affections of the people of the
Territory, in the active part he had taken, in connection with General
Ferdinand Claiborne and General Hinds, in stimulating the people to
prepare to meet the exigencies of the war of 1812 with Great Britain.
Her eastern territory was exposed to the inroads of the Creek Indians,
a large and warlike tribe, who were hostile to the United States, and
were in league with the English, and being armed by them.
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