Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
Pußlieation Rooms—27 and 29 South-Broad Street
Editorials.
Now, since the Supreme Court has
decided a man has a right to waive
his homestead, we suppose many mav
be led to resort thereto. We have a
word of caution to suggest. Every
body, we know, can volunteer advice to
others, and they will accept or reject,
as they see fit. But it seems to us, if we
are not cautious, we will be led again
into the abyss of speculative farming,
and end in final loss of home. In our
privation and distress, mainly resulting
from failure of crops last year, we
may rush into the folly of pledging our
all to run the uncertain ordeal of mak
ing remunerative crops. In the event
of failure again, what will be the effect,
upon us and our families. It is sad to
contemplate. It leaves us at the mer
cy of those to whom we have pledged
our homes. From the condition of
landlords, distressed, it may be, we
may be reduced to that of tenants and
hirelings, with all its train of humilia
ting privation and suffering. Curtail,
then, say we, to the utmost limit of
possibility, before we pledge the hearth
stones of our wives and children.
Whenever it becomes an absolutely
necessity for support of family, and
where it will meet the requirements of
those who help us with their money or
supplies, waive the right to only a por
tion of your lands, and hold on with a
dying tenacity to some refuge for your
companion and little ones.
The unanimous re-election of Mr. 8. K.
Johnson as Superintendent of the Georgia
railroad is one of the greateat compliments
ever paid to a young man in this country.
It is safe to say that Mr. Johnson is emi
nently worthy of the honor conferred upon
him, and we predict that his career will be
more than a justification of the confidence
reposed in his energy, talents and accom
plishments.—Augusta Constitutionalist.
We copy the above because it is a
well-deserved compliment, and because
we desire to give the article our cor
dial endorsement. There is not a
more able and a more popular railroad
manager in the United States than
Col. Johnson. His unanimous re
election to the important position he
holds is the fittest expression of the
universal esteem in which he is held.
The Georgia State Dental Associa
tion convened in Atlanta on Tuesday,
May 9. After a harmonious, pleasant
and interesting session of three days
they elected the following officers for
the ensuing year: L. D. Carpenter, of
Atlanta, President; M. H. Thomas, of
Monroe, and J P. Holmes, of Macon,
Vice Presidents; Wm. Crenshaw, of
Atlanta, Recording Secretary; M. S,
Jobson, of Perry, Corresponding Sec
retary, and H. A. Lawrence, of Athens,
Treasurer. The next annual meeting
will be held in Macon, the second
Tuesday in May.
You must have clean lips. One of
the higest characteristics of ministe
rial manhood, is purity ot speech. If
all other men are careless of their
words, he must have a watch upon his
lips and put a bridle on his tongue.
Nothing will send a minister’s influence
and reputation below par more speedily
than improper conversation. An un
chaste story, a lewd entendre, a filthy
joke, a questionable word or gesture, a
sentence that would make a pure
woman blush in public or in private, in
select or in a mixed company, is a burn
ing shame and scandal to any minister
of the Gospel. An impure story is
next to an impure action; a filthy joke
is morally as wrong as a filthy deed.
He who has impure lips, ar.d who in
dulges in impure speech, be he divinity
student, doctor of divinity, or bishop,'
is a disgrace to the church, a grief to
the Saviour, and a corruptor of the
morals of the young. Clean lips are
essential to the success of a minister.
The people watch the words of a young
minister with the closest and sternest
criticism.
At the regular weekly meeting of the New
YorL Melliodist Minister’s Association a com*
mittee was appointed to report at the next
meeting on the desirability of using unfer
mented wine in communion in place of the
fermented wine now in usr.
LITERARY GOSSIP.
—What we want is thought, steadily
directed to single objects, with a de
termnination to eschew the besetting
evil of our age, the temptation to
squander and dilute it on a thousand
different lines of inquiry. The philos
opher must be wedded to his sub
ject, if he would see the children and
the children’s children of his intellect
flourisning in honor around him.
—ln a review of a volume of Theo
dore O’Hara's Elegies and Poems, the
editor of the Mobile Register apprecia
tively says:
Sitting in the same chair on which Theo
dore O’Hara sat; writing of hint in the same
columns he illustrated so long, we have never
been able to regard notice of our dead as
sociate in any other than a holy light. Many
a time we have paused in busy career, to
point out instances of his nobility and geni
us ; often, since its composition, we have re
produced that splendid elegy. Now we
thank Mr. lianck for putting it beside its
worthy fellow, and sending both forth wed
ded to his honest praise ot him we all hon
ored and loved. Still, we regret the too par
tial pen that wrote O’Hara the “ one elegaic
poet of America.” YV ith the classic, gemmy
polish of Thompson’s “ Latane,” the mus c
of his “ Ashby,” in our ears; with the lusty
and liitful “ Jackson” of Harry Flash,
sending its shout back out of the darkness,
with the loving caress of Randall’s “ Pel
ham,” glorying in the martyrdom; with these
fresh and living, there must be others to stand
side by side with O’Hara’s muse and share
its well-won laurels. It is not saying too
much to declare the “ Bivouac ot the Dead”
almost perfect. With that let it rest; for it
alone would make the fame of him who is
at rest, while
Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.
—How touching, how womanfully
sweet, are these tender lines from the
pen of the foremost poetess of the
South, Mrs. Margaret Preston:
O hands that lie crossing so saintly
The bosoms on which I have leant I
Could I press them, though ever so faintly,
Just once—l would wait with content
For the time that so loiters, so lingers,
tv lieu, with rapture undreamed of before,
I catch to my lips the dear fingers,
And loose them no more 1
—Mr. Longfellow has nearly ready
for publication, through J. R. Osgood
& Cos., a series of volumes entitled
“Poems of Places,” grouping together
what the poets have written concerning
special localities, towns, moun'ains,
rivers, lakes and forests. Nearly every
poet of ancient aud modern times is
represented in this collection, which
will be a cyclopedia of the poetry of
history and geography.
—“ The History of Independence
Hall,” by Colonel Frank M. Etting,
with wood-cuts, heliotypes and fac
similes of documents, will be published
about the middle of the month by J.
R. Osgood & Cos., and will be an ac
ceptable contribution to the literature
of the Centenary.
(.KMS BESET.
God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts ;
Who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best;
His state is kmglv; thousands at His bidding
speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.
—Those who quit their proper char
acter to assume what does not belong
to them, are, for the greater part, ig
norant, both of the character they
leave, and of the character they as
sume.
—Then said Mr. Greatheart, “We
need not be so afraid of this valley, for
hore is nothing to hurt us unless we
procure it to ourselves. ’Tis true,
Christian did here meet with Apollyon,
with whom he also had a sore combat j
but the fray was the fruit of those
slips that he got in going down the
hill; for those that get slips there,
must look for combats here. This val
ley of Humiliation is, in itself, as
fruitful a place as any the crow flies
over. It is the best and most fruitful
piece of ground in all these parts. It
is a fat ground, and, as you see,
aboundeth much in meadows * * *
Behold how green this valley is ! also,
bow beautiful with lilies !
—And all my time on earth I shall
remain but a child in the sight of God !
Let me never, then, presume to take
upon myself, more than He intended
me to; never let me assume greater
dignity that does not belong to my
condition. Let me think, understand,
and speak as a child ! and let the spirit
of innocent, childish simplicity and
meekness, be the ornament about my
neck, as I stand seeking for this dear
charity of God.
Thomasville is delighted with her
new public library.
Literature Secular Editorials Current Notes and News
ATLANTA, GrA., THURSDAY, MAY IK, 1870.
INTERESTING HISTORICAL PAPERS.
The very interesting aud invaluable
historic papers which have been in
course of publication for some time
past under the auspices of the Southern
Historical Society, have been brought
to a close as far as they discuss the
treatment of prisoners during the late
war.
The following is a brief summary of
the whole matter, establishing the fol
lowing important points :
1. The laws of the Confederate Congress, the
orders of the War Department, the regulations
of the Surgeon-General, the action of our Gen
erals in the field, and the orders of those who
had the immediate charge of the prisoners, all
provided that prisoners in the hands of the Con
federates should be kindly treated, supplied
with the same rations which our soldiers had,
and cared for when sick in hospitals placed on
precisely the same footing as the hospitals for
Confederate soldiers,
2. If these regulations were violated in indi
vidual instances, and if subordinates were
sometimes cruel to prisoners, it was without
the knowledge or consent of the Confederate
Government, which always took prompt action
on any case reported to them.
3. It the prisoners failed to get their lull
rations, and had those of inferior quality, the
Confederate soldiers suffered in precisely the
same way, and to the same extent, and it re
sulted from that system of warfare adopted by
the Federal authorities, which carried desola
tion and ruin to every part of the South they
cotdd reach, and which in starving the Con
federates into submission brought the same evils
upon their own men in Southern pi iaons.
4. The mortality in Southern prisons (fear
fully large, although over three per cent less
than the mortality in Northern prisons), re
sulted from causes beyond the control of our
authorities —from epidemics, I fete , which might
have been avoided, or greatly mitigated, bad
not the Federal Government declared medi
cine “contraband of war”—refused the propo
sition of Judge Ould, that e ich Government
should send its own surgeons with medicines,
hospitals stores, etc., to minister to soldiers in
prison—declined his proposition to send medi
cines to its own men in Southern prisons, with
out being required to allow the Confederates
the same privilege —refused to allow the Con
federate Government to buy medicines for
gold, tobacco or cotton, which it offered to
pledge its honor should be used only for Fed
eral prisoners in its hands—refused to ex
change sick and wounded—and neglected from
August to December, 1864, to accede to Judge
Ould’s proposition to send a transportation to
Savannah and receive without equivalent from
ten to fifteen thousand Federal prisoners, not
withstanding the fact that this offer was ac
companied with a statement of the utter ina- (
biiity of the Confederacy to provide for these'
prisoners, and a detailed report of the month
ly mortality at Andersonville, and that Judge
Ould, again and again, urged compliance with
his humane proposal.
6. We have proven, by the most unim
peachable testimony, that the sufferings of
Confederate in Northern “prison pens,” were
terrible beyond description—that they were
starved in a land of plenty—that they were
frozen where fuel and clothing were abundant
—that they suffered untold horrors for
want of medicines, hospital* stores and
proper medical attention—that they were
shot by sentinels, beaten by officers, and
subjected to the mo3t cruel punishments upon
the slightest pretext —that friends at the North
were refused the privilege of clothing their
nakedness or feeding them when starving—and
that these outrages were perpetrated not only
with the full knowledge of, but the under orders
of E. M. Stanton, U. S. Secretary of War.
We have proven these things by Federal as
well as Confederate testimony.
6. We have shown that all the suffering of
prisoners on both sides could have been avoid
ed by simply carrying out the terms of the car
tel, and that for the failure to do this the Fed
eral authorities alone were responsible ; that
the Confederate Government originally pro
posed the cartel, and were always ready to car
ry it out in both letter and spirit; that the
Federal authorities observed its terms only
so long as it was to their interest to do so, and
then repudiated their plighted faith, and pro
posed other terms, which were greatly to the
disadvantage of the Contederates; that when
the Government at Richmond agreed to ac
cept the hard terms of exchange offered them,
these were at once repudiated by the Federal
authorities; that when Judge Ould agreed
upon anew cartel with General Butler, Lieu
tenant-General Grant refused to approve it,
and Mr. Stanton repudiated it; and that the
policy of the Federal Government was to re
fuse all exchanges, while they “fired the
Northern heart” by placing the whole blame
upon the “Rebels," and by circulating the most
heartrending stories of “Rebel barbarity” to
prisoners.
If either of the above points has not been
made clear to any sincere seeker after the truth,
we would be most happy to produce further
testimony. And we hold ourselves prepared
to maintain, against all comers, the truth of ev
ery proposition we have laid down in this dis
cussion. Let tlie calm verdict of history de
cide between the Confederate Government and
their caltimn •;
The highest moral heroism, is not
that which is free from the approba
tion of our fellow men, even from the
approbation of the best and wisest !
The heroism which is known only to
our Father who seeth in secret, the
God-like lives lived in obscurity ; a he
roism rare among us men, who live per
force in the glare and noise of the outer
world; more common among women
women of whom the world never hears,
or who, if the world discovered them,
would only draw the veil more closely
over their faces and their hearts, and
entreat to be left alone with God.
Prater is a sincere, sensible, affec
tionate pouring out of the soul to God
through Christ, in the strength and
assistance oi the Spirit, for such things
as God has promised.
GEORGIA RAILROAD,
The exhibit of the working and
earnings of this road for the last year
is certainly most creditable to those
who have been charged with this great
interest. We doubt if there is another
corporation of a like character in all
the country which can truthfully make
as good a return for ten years when all
the circumstances are fairly consider
ed. To take a road as the Georgia
was left by an invading army, every
thing swept that fire could burn or
ruin, the road-bed scarcely remaining
to the corporators —with n engines
and 6o cars left of the magnificent out
fit which the road possessed before and
during the war, and then make
per cent, on capital is surely a wonder
ful showing. And it must not be left
out of the account that in the decade
which |ias aggregated these earning s,
industry was discouraged by a thous
and drawbacks and hinderances, which
were occasioned by unfavorable sea
sons, afid the necessary results of a
grievous war. We admire, too, the
quiet and unostentatious manner in
which the business cf the Georgia rail
road has been conducted.
But all who know the venerable
President, now upwards of eighty years
old, must have looked for this. Of all
the men on earth who are deadest set
against humbug, commend us to Joe
Johnstojn and Jonn P. King. We
would like to be permitted to say, how
ever, to the managers of the Georgia
railroac| and all other roads in our
State, tiat some radical overhauling of
their iceasof the statemanshin involv-
ed in failroad management must be
had. To run a great road successful
ly, we mean for corporators and coun
try, upon any other notion thanttiis ,
that at last and forever, a road’s only
reliable support must be had from the
country iit penetrates, is a sad mistake.
We shalLilways maintain that there are
reciprocal obligations and burdens to
be borne between people and corpora
tion, and . hile the rights and interests
of property must be looked to and re
spected, the creation of the railroads
of Georgia was the result of a bargain
which it took two parties to make. No
amount of defence and explanation
that we ever heard yet has removed or
disguised the supreme folly to our
mind of carrying freights for nothing,
and less than that for strangers, and
then crushing domestic friends by ruin
ous charges to pay for it. Why com
pete for terminal freights when on all
hands it is avowed they can’t pay ?
Why, what is all this fuss about the
thing for if it does not result in secur
ing additional business from some quar
ter? Will that increased trade come
from extra-terminal points ? Well,
if it doss, the more business the more
loss, and the more tribute to be levied
on home resources and industry to re
pair the damage. Why not look at
first rather than at last to home sup
port by such encouraging rates as, for
all time, will build up and increase
home resources. Every ton of fertiliz
ing matter, which a road will transport
at encouraging rates from point to
noint in the State, will return, in the
shape of augmented production, this
liberal treatment. By this policy a
country grows richer all the time, while
by an opposite one, it is inevitably im
poverished.
How to charge is one of the most
vital displays of business sense. Thou
sands of intrinsically good enterprises
fail utterly for want of this sense,
which, but for extortion, could survive
and flourish. It does seem hard to
believe it possible that a Board of sen
sible business men will run trains al
most empty at five cents a mile charge
to passengers, when at three cents they
could crowd their coaches. Not one
more employee, or stick of wood, or
drop of oil would be required to take
sixty-four passengers in a car than
would be needed to take ten, and yet
we see travel prohibited, and the trade
that would result from it by such rates
as no poor people can pay, or provi
dent people will pay.
This whole question involves the
weightiest consequences, and we deep
ly regret that the right sort of consid
eration has not been given to it. In
the Northwest, on the part of the peo
ple, an acrimonious spirit inspires all
that is said on the side of low rates,
and a dogged and callous disregard of
the public good on the part of corpo
rations, marks the controversy.
We would be profoundly gratified if
Judge King would give the sanction of
his truly able intellect to a radical
change in railroad policy in regard to
home interests.
GEORGIA NEWS.
—The Rome Courier says : “We
regret to learn that the rust is on the
blades of wheat, on most all the farms
in this county. It has appeared unu
sually early, and serious apprehensions
are entertained that it will get on the
stalk; if it does there will be almost a
total failure in the crop.
The Public Library in Thomas
ville was opened last week. It already
has over a thousand volumes.
—The Thomasville Enterprise,
speaking of the recent Baptist State
Convention held in that city, says:
“ The personnel of the late Convention
was remarked by all who visited the
hall during their session. It would be
a difficult matter to get together a
finer looking or more intelligent
body.
—The Bainbridge Democrat, of a
recent date, says : “ Mr. John Harrell,
of this county, one of our oldest and
best known citizens, died very sudden
ly at his residence eight miles from
Bainbridge.”
—The Ellijay Courier says : “ The
wheat is looking unusually well for
this season of the year. A larger area
than usual has been sown this spring.”
—Hon. Thomas Jefferson Heard,
one of the most prominent citizens of
Elberton, died at that place a few days
ago. Born on the 21st day of August,
1801, he was in his 75 th year. He
served two terms in the Legislature —
one in the Lower and one in the Up
per House, and also served four terms,
or sixteen years, as Justice of the In
ferior Court of the county, and wher
ever placed, he served his people with
that fidelity which was a marked fea
ture of his life.
—The Americus Republican says :
The late splendid seasons have been quite
beneficial to crops. Corn and cotton are
growing fiuely, and as far as we have been
able to get information, the stands of both
are excellent.
—Col. H. D. Greenwood, of Jeffer
son county, died a few days ago.
—Hon. Smith Turner has been
nominated for Senator from the jFour
teenth District.
—The Stockholders’ Convention of
the Georgia railroad, which was held
in Augusta on the nth inst., elected
the following officers : Hon. John P.
King, President; E. E. Jones, James
W. Davies, James H. Hamilton, Ste
vens Thomas, W. H. Stovall, Geo. T.
Jackson, L. M. Hill, Josiah Libby, D.
E. Butler, George Hillyer, John Darien,
W. M. Reese, W. W. Clark, Charles H,
Phinizy, John H. James, F. H. Miller,
Board of Directors. All the old
Board were re-elected except Mr.
Poullain, who was succeeded by Mr.
Frank H. Miller.
—Columbia county is out of debt,
and above par in farming.
—The Senior class of the Griffin
Female College are going to imitate
their LaGrange cousins and graduate
in calico.
—Pneumonia is very prevalent in
Dalton.
—The Berrien County News says :
Sheep in this section done extremely well
the p Ist winter, and farmers are looking
with bright anticipations to shearing time,
when they will be enabled to handle a few
greenbacks.
—There are forty applicants to fill
the vacancy in the Naval Academy
from the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict.
—ln consideration of the fact that
there will be no State Fair this year,
the Bibb County Agricultural Society
has determined to hold its annual Fair
in October, instead of in June, as has
been its custom heretofore, and will
not make it an exclusively County
Fair, but will invite contiguous coun
ties to unite with Bibb and have a Dis
trict Fair which will be a credit to
Middle Georgia.
—The Valdosta Times says :
Rev. James Mcßryde, Col. R. A. Peeples
and B. T. Allen are in attendance upon the
Baptist Sunday-school Convention and Insti
tute which commenced in Boston, Ga., yes
terday morning. Our Baptist trieuds are
bestirring themselves in behalf of the Sun
day-school interest in Southern Georgia.
The Oglethorpe Echo says: A gen -
tleman from Athens inform -d us Wed -
nesday that information had reached
that city that a brother to Busby, who
was connected with the Kelly gang of
horse-thieves, had stolen a mule in
$3 A YEAH IN ADVANCE.
Jackson. A party of men armed them
selves and started in pursuit, but soon
returned with the stolen mule, but not
the thief, whom they said had escaped.
The next day someone found the body
of the thief swinging to a limb and rid
dled with bullets. It is generally sup
posed to be a case of suicide.
—Strawberries are thirty-five cents
a quart in Savannah.
—Five thousand boxes of vegetables
per week are shipped North from Sa
vannah.
—The Dawson Journal says :
Oats in this section are looking well—
much larger area sown this year than any
year since the war. Wheat is also fine, but
not enough planted. Corn never looked
better at this season of the year than it does
now—many farmers regret not having plant
ed more.
—A colored Episcopal church has
just been dedicated in Darien.
—The Valdosta Times says there
are now more candidates in Clinch
than Carter had oats, for Representa
tive. We think it is almost too early.
—The Rome Courier says :
Mrs. Mary Hazleton attained her hundred
and second year on the 2d inst. She is still
hale and hearty—with more vigor of spirits
and mind than many octeganarians, and
gives promise of several years yet to come.
She speaks of visiting the Centennial. She
has seen a great deal of the world, having
traveled in her younger days extensively in
Europe, and she yet retains many pleasant
recollections of her travels.
—The Thomasville Times says :
A planter in this county in
formed us this week, that he was employing
good hands, as well as his neighbors, to work
in the crops at nineteen and two-thirds cents
a day. Surely, farmers ought to keep their
crops clean when labor can be had at these
figures, and make their production profitable
beside.
—With a machine for washing the
ore the Bartow iron Works have been
enabled to increase the production of
pig metal five or six tons per day more
than heretofore. The works are turn
ing out thirty tons a day now.
—Work on the Presbyterian church
in Fort' lley is progressing.
—Four negroes will be hung in Ef
fingham county on the 15th of May.
—Work on the North-Eastern rail
road is steadily progressing—rails wil 1
soon be laid to Harmony Grove, with
in 18 miles of Athens, and the remain
der will be pushed vigorously to com
pletion, which, it is hoped, will be done
by the first of July.
—The Fort Valley, Perry and Mar
shallville Sunday-schools will excurt
to Macon Park on the 16th.
A party of three men from North
ern Missouri, in a three-horse wagon,
passed through Perry Wednesday on
their way to Florida. They have been
on the road just a month. They say
that they want a milder climate, and
that many others will follow them next
fall.
—Col. W. T. Young, a distinguished
citizen of Eatonton, died after a long
illness on the 4th inst.
—The Monroe Advertiser says :
From all portions of the county comes the
cheering intelligence that thegraiu crops of
small grain are very promising. The acreage
is larger than for years past, and the extra
attention given the crops in the preparation
of the soil and fertilizing, together with fa
vorable seasons, have given our farmers a
prospect unequaled for years. The mould is
reported as having attacked the wheat gen
erally, but many think that the damage from
this will be slight. The rust has not yet ap
peared, at least we have not heard any re
port to that effect. Monroe county will have
a large quantity of wheat for sale and ship
ment after retaining a supply for home con
sumption. This begins to look like a return
to the good time of long ago when the peo
ple “lived at home.”
—The Rome Daily Bulletin is the
name of a handsome new paper, of
which we have just receieved a copy.
It is published by Mosely & Cos.
—There are forty persons provided
for in the Rome Alms House.
—The Forest News says : Mr. Rowe
Garner sheared six sheep one day re
cently, and obtained thirty pounds of
wool. That beats guanner and cotton.
Mr. G. lives not far from Jefferson.
—lt is understood by the Thomas
ville Enterprise that Mr T. A Hall has
s old out the Quitman Reporter to Mr.
J oseph Tillman, ot Madison county,
Florida.
—The Georgia Fress Association,
which met in Savannah on the nth,
had a very pleasant meeting. All the
old officers were re-elected.
—There are now seventy applications
fo r admission into the Georgia Insane
Asylum. The Institution is over
crowded.