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EUtomcle anfc Sntffnel._ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5,1877. CROP NEW!*. The friends of the Chbosiclh and CossnrmoNALisT in Georgia and South Carolina will greatly oblige us by sending, from time to time, brief let- j ters showing the condition of the crops. | We would like to have a letter onoe a ; week from every locality where the Chronicle and Constitutionalist cir-! calates. The National Republican attributes the escape of Capt. James Fobnet, of the Marine Corps, from court martial and military disgrace, to one potential reason. He is the son of John W. For ney, of the Philadelphia Pres*. When Bosapabtb was at Bt. Helena he predicted that Europe would become either Cossack or Republican within an indefinite short time. If the Turks go on in their present ways the Cosßack business will not cause Europe half the trouble that Qambktta and those rest less Frenchmen are likely to cause it. Accommodation for Hindoo women on the Eastern Bengal Railway is receiving unusual attention from the company. Hpeciul and well retired waiting rooms are to be provided at the principal sta tions, with screens placed across the platforms leading from the rooms to the reserved carriages. Sedan chairs will be used in conveying female passengers from the rooms to the cars, and the present practice of reserving a particu lar compartment by painting on the door “Reserved for native females” Abandoned. Thk Prussian Government baa taken action with reference to the cruelties of the belligerents iu the present Tarko- Rassian war—especially those practiced by the Turks, which are at variance with the usages of civilized warfare. There is, undoubtedly, cause of com plaint. But it is impo-isible to divest war of cruelties and wrongs. War, at best, is i custom more befitting beasts than men, and more tolerable for ma nines than rational beings. “Love your enemies; do good to them that .hate you,” sayetli the Scriptures. But bow can you love your pnemies, and kill them ? According to an Atlanta correspon dent of the Inter-Ocean, Judge I-och hane, attorney for some of the holders of the bogus bonds which Georgia has ignored, is about to briDg the question to an issue by a coup dr, guerre. He loft for Chattanooga a few days since to begin suit against the State, as tru-*< e of the German bondholders, holding that Georgia assumes a trust by aa act of legislation. He proposes to levy on so much of the property of the State as lies in Tennessee, and thns, if possib.e, force a suit. A oase is in progress in North Caro lina whicli is of interest to insurance companies by way of information and warning. A gentleman who had insur ed in the Southern Underwriters' Asso ciation demands the return of his pre miums on the ground that they were ob tained by falso representations. The company published a statement that it had a oash capital of $150,000 and no liability, whereas it had no such capi tal, but only a small fraotion of it and the balance is notes of its own stock holders, given ostensibly for their stock, and had, besides, large liabilities, which it had concealed. The Chioago Times says of theoh\nge for tho bettor in business in that city : “It is barely a month ago that tho country lay struggling in the throes of what was little short of a civil war, and it seemed for a time that chaos aud utter ruin would be the portion of the whole community. For four years things had been going to pot, pieoe by piece, and at last oame the engulfing climax. All this was but a month ago, yet to-day tho very face of nature seems transformed, and the look of despair has, as if by magic, changed into a broad smile of prosperity. It is as if the entire West, all of a sudden, was revitalized.” The destruction by a wind-storm of the railroad bridge across the Missouri river, from Council Bluffs to Omalin, furnishes another illustration of tho weakness and insecurity of the bridges built by railroads and contractors iu this couutry. This particular bridge slid not happen to have any body on it when it weut down, but that was only a fortunate accident. Its fall might have been as fatal as that at Ashtabula. These accidents ought to draw the at tention of Legislatures to the necessity of stringent State examination of rail road bridges by unprejudiced experts, and the condemnation of all which are not perfectly safe. The State of New York ever siuce 1852 has been collecting tonuugo dues from vessels touching at the ports of that State, and now the Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the act of the Legislature imposing said dues is clearly iu ooufliet with that pro vision of the Federal Constitution which prohibits any State, without the oou eeut of Congress, from levying any duty of tonnage or laying any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws. As it costs something to keep a port in repair for the uses of commerce, the New York ers want to know how the cost can be raised without levying snoh tonnage dues on shipping, and whether the West will agree that Congress shall consent .thereto. Richard Grant White has a pleasant article in the (talary for September on “ Americanisms.” He takes the posi tion that moat of the so-called “ Ameri canisms” are really of English or Euro pean origin, and have been simply trans planted to our shores, receiving a sort of intensity by the way. We were edi fled by his remarks on the Louisiana provincialism —“ bull-doze”—a very ex pressive and vigorous word. Mr. Wuitk thinks it is not an “ American ism” really, but has been borrowed from over the water. He says doze is a time honored English word, and is used to express the idea of physical force. Scott wrote all of the mottoes to his chapters credited to “ Old Play," “Old Song,” Ac, In one of the “ old play” quotations from “ The Fortunes of Nigel," one of the characters, Swash Buckler, remarks cheerfully : “ I’ll doze the mongrels, or in plain terms, 111 use the private knife.” To this time-honor ed doze has been added the intensive participle bull. The newspapers lately have had sev eral reports of the recent private exhi bitions of the Krbhet motor, and from these it would appear that the machine not only produces an astonishing and unprecedented pressure to the square inch, but that it operates a small engine. In spite of these things intelligent per sons will continue to regard the whole thing as an arrant humbug. There are several reasons why they are entitled to do so. In the first place, the so-called motor does nothing more now than it did three years ago. If it is a fair aDd honest invention it can move a locomo tive as readily as it can operate a sta tionary engine, and it would have proved its value in that manner long ago. In the next place, the metor does nothing which could not be done by an eleotric contrivance of some kind or by an earn est colored man attached to a crank in the oellar. In the last place, it is an es t tblished law of this universe, a law es t tblished by somebody greater than Mr. Kkklxt, that there can be no force with out a corresponding expenditure of fuel. If the KeeliKT motor is not a fraud, it transcends and defies that law. That it must therefore be not at all what it pro fesses to be is just about absolutely oertaih. THE t'SF. OF TOBACCO. The New York Sun says a correspon dent propounds to us a question which it is not difficult to answer, and we are somewhat surpri ed that a man who seems to be iu other respects intelli gent should ask it. This is the qnes tioo: Being undecided mto the presence of sny poisonous substance in tobacco. I ask your opinion, hoping you will oblige by answering in your columns. Being a consumer. I will stop its use in chewiag if your answer is in the affirmative. First, we will observe that of all the forms of using tobacco the chewing of it is the most offensive. This practice is one no gentleman should indulge in, for it carries in its train disgusting ne cessities, and really renders a man unfit for the society of people of refinement. A tobacco chewer pollutes the place he frequents, and outrages the society into which he intrudes himself. The longer he indulges in the habit, the more care less he becomes of exhibiting its odious incidents, until he grows to be a verita ble nuisance, with his discolored lips and bulging cheek, his profuse expecto ration and offensive breath. He onght not to be tolerated where ladies are, oertainly; and, unless he can keep his quid out of his mouth while in their so ciety, he should not venture into the company of gentlemen. There is much excuse for the tobacco chewing of sail ors, for pipes are not available at sea; but no man who lives on shore, and who pretends to the least good breeding, should disgust people with the filthy habit. All forms in whioh tobacco is used may be made offensive, and they are so made by men who are careless, whether they annoy people or not, and pay no heed to the sensitive nostrils of others. A man may so impregnate his clothing with stale tobacco smoke as to make himself disgusting when he goes into oompany. This he has no right to do, and no man of proper sense will do it. Before entering a mixed society he will take pains either to change his clothes or to air those he has on; aud hewill not suffer himself to become such a slave of the habit that ho cannot go without his cigar or bis pipe when they may prove disagreeable to his neighbor. Snuff taking, which used to be so general among ladies and gentlemen, has for tunately passed out of vogue, for it was an unclean practice, though some of tho courtiers of a former day used to take their snuff with a degree of grace and the management of thp snuff box was a great art as the handling of the eyeglasses may be made now. It is painful to have to add that large quauti lies of Scotch snuff ore now sold for the disgusting and pernicious purpose of • dipping” by women. There is no other way of using tobacco so fatal to health and character as this. Now, as to the poison of tobacco. There is in it one of tho most violent poisons—nicotine, which produces tre mor, palpitation of the heart, and, in sufficient quantities, paralysis. If you wish to find out whether tobacco has a poison or not, blow the smoke of it on an insect and see tho result; or try it on a bird, and see how rapidly it succumbs to the effect. Tobacco, however, is not a poision that leaves important disease of any particular organ or class of or gans in its track; and hence it is not an especial object of attack by physicians, the majority of whom, indeed, use it themselves. But that its excessive use seriously damages the nervous system is a fact proved beyond dispute, and one of which large numbers of smokers have personal experience. Tobacco is an irritant of the nervous system, but the body becomes accustomed to it, and iu moderation it may be taken by many people with slight injury, though no man addicted to its consumption can be said to be in perfect health from day to day. HEBREW.** IN EANTERN EUROPE. If the Jews in Poland, Russia and Roumania are as much oppressed as all accounts represent, it may be considered certain that ultimately an exodus will commence that must be a general out pouring of the crushed and persecuted race. It is true that this work has been going on for ages, and that those who have practised it have uniformly prided themselves on their Christianity, and are eveu now invoking the sympathies of Christian Europe in a war against the Moslems, so that the persecution is hereditary, and originates in religious hatred and bigotry. But no race can become permanently accustomed to such injustice, aud, therefore, we look for a Jewish exodus from Russia, Poland and Roumania as certain, and we regard America as the land of promise for this ill-used race, as the only one where it is sure of complete equality. The influx of Jewish emigrants has never attracted attention, beoause the race has never come as a recognizably distinct element. But its increase has been marked iu a degree of material prosperity far beyond its numbers, and this ought to be sufficient to attract in creased multitudes ot Hebrews from Europe. The numbers of these people in Eastern Europe are stated in almost inoredible figures ; in Poland and Rus sia alone the total being considerably over three millions. They are also very numerous in Bohemia, Hungary and Roumania aud the provinces of tho Turkish Empire. But these countries are so remote from America that emi gration overland to England or the Ger man ports to take passage for this Re public is too eipt'P s ive, aQ d thus far we are without direet lines pf emigrant ships to the ports of the Eastern Mcui* terranean. The German Mennonites who came hither from Russia migrated from the Baltic ports, and by that route we could reach the Polish and Russian Jews. So many grevions burdens have ueen laid upon them by the Russian Government that no opposition would be likely to be made to tho emigration of the race to America. The business capacity of the Jews is too well known to need praise; but in these countries of Eastern Europe they are said to be extensively engaged in mechanical occupations, and to be the best manufacturers and skilled work men. They were so long prohibited from owning land that they are not far mers. Yet, if an organized effort were made to iuangurate a Hebrew movement on a large scale, to some of our Western States or Territories, the chances are strongly in favor of its success. The poor Jews of Poland and Russia wonld be glad to secure the possession of land in a free Republic which they had been forbidden for ages to own in monarchi cal Europe. When a suggestion of this kind was made some years ago, in ref erence to the persecuted Jews of Ron mania, we were surprised to find it op posed by the most intelligent Hebrews of our Atlantic cities. Their reasons were not stated, but it may be presum ed that they related to the low preju dices against the race, and the possible danger of their being increased by a rapid immigration of poor Jews from Europe. To all appearances the race in Eastern Europe is desperately impoverished and suffering, but it is quite probable that this aspect is assumed to avoid the plun dering to which they have been subject ed for ages, and that in a free Republic like ours, where equality is assured to all, they would live in better style. Very few Hebrews ever come hither who do not bring with them some capital to be gin life upon, and this fact has made them exceedingly active and busy in most departments of trade, and fostered an unjust prejudice based on their re markable prosperity. It is their capital that gives them the advantage in trade, to which may be added a business train ing that is traditionary and faoultiee in that line abnormally developed by in heritance and the practice of genera tions. The Griffin News says that there is considerable sickness, mostly fever, in that city at present. THE STATE OF TRADE. The Bureau of Statistics has publish ed its comparative statement of imports and exports for the seven mouths end ing with July. The vtluea given are specie. For the entire period in this year the exports in merchandise have in creased over the corresponding period last year by 810,366,403, or 321 per cent.; the imports have increased by 835,257,381, or 12.4 per cent. The ex oess of merchandise imported last year was $59,300,024. This year it is bnt $35,422,046. This change is still more conspicuous in the trade for Jnly, when the exports fell off slightly and the im ports increased a little over33j per cent, and instead of an exoess in exports of 89,236,241, which we had last y9ar, give us this year an excess of imports of $2,- 380,767. Turning to the specie move ment we find that while we have export ed only 837,680,460 this year, agiinst 842,677,790 last year, we have imported 812,618,549 this year against only $6,- 320,765 last year, reduoing the excess of exports from '836,357,025 to 825,061,911 —a difference of $11,295,114. The to tal amount of the transactions with for eign countries for the first seven months of 1877 is $680,007,557. For a corres ponding period in 1876 it was $634,198,- 319, an increase for this year, so far, of $45,811,238, or 7.2 per cent. THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ARMY. The future attitude of Austro-Hungary towards the Russo-Turkish war is ex pected to be governed by circumstances. Should the war oontinue for any length of time, it is not doubted but Austro- Hungary will be compelled to take some part, offensive or defensive, which gives interest to an inquiry into her military strength. The Pall Mall Budget has compiled some figures under this head which convey the neoeseary instruction. Universal compulsory servioe was intro duced into Austria in December, 1868, aud under its operations the annual con tingent of recruits for the army is fixed at 95,000 men, of which number the western part of the Empire furnishes 55,000 and Hungary 40,000. Tho in fantry consists of eighty regiments of six battalions each, amounting to an ag gregate strength of 456,080 men. Iu an emergency Austria can plaoe in the field sixty battalions of rifles, numbering 54,- 780 men. The oavalry oonsists of forty one regiments, numbering 49,369. The artillery consists of thirteen regiments for field service, with 1,560 guns, and twelve battalions of fortress service, numbering 5,154 men. Including the engjppeys and telegraph and ambulance servioe, the total strength of the army, when fully mobilized, amounts to 23,- 457 officers, 761,041 men, 157,582 horses, aud 1,600 field and mountain gnns. The Landwehr amounts to 7,615 officers and 300.469 men, of whom 269,212 are con sidered corphatant troops. THE DEBTS OF CITIES). The September number of the Galaxy contains a valuable contribution on the interesting and almost exhaustless sub ject of municipal indebtedness. The author is Robert P. Porter, who has been at great paiflP to collect informa tion. He gives statistics showing the debt, valuation apd annual taxation of one hundred and thirty cities in 1876 and in 1866. The totals are as follows: Total debt 1876 $ 644,378,663 Total debt 1866 221,312,009- Valuation 1876 6,175,082,158 Valuation Iftfifi 3,451,619,381 Annual tax 187tt 112,711,275 Annual tax 1866 $4,060,098 Population 1876 8,570,249 Population 1866 4,919,914 The following shows the per centage of increase in debt, valuation, taxation and population in these oitfe# from 1806 to 1876: Per cent. Increase of debt 191 Increase of voluation 78 Increase of taxation 74 Increase of population 74 It will be seen that while nearly two dollars of debt have been added to every dollar of existing indebtedness in 1866, the value of the proppfty has been en hanced only about three-fourths, with this difference, in addition, that where as every additional dollar of debt rep resents a real addition to the municipal burden, the inorease in valuation is not wholly gepnine, but iu some cases is merely the result of charge in the method of estimating the vaiuau^. — Thus Detroit appears, iu the table com piled by Mr - Roberts, as having a valu ation of *21,373,921 in 1866, and $94,- 570,095 in 1870. The former figures represented but thirty per emit, of the actual cash valuation, while the latter represented the actual valuation. We have no doubt that there are other cities in which the oase stands about as it docs jn Detroit, and a reduction in each oase would work a material reduction in the lnoreaeu during the decade. Mr. Porter appears to think otherwise ; but an examination of bis tables shows a large number of cities iu whicti valuation during the ten years has been subjected to a “ bal looning ” process whioh the natural in crease would not justify, and whioh can only be accounted for on the hypothesis that tho figures for 1866 were much be low a cash basis. The acceptance of the figures, however, the showing as favorable as it possibly can be for the cities, aa that Mr. Porter cannot be aocused of a desire to present a dark er picture than the facts warrant. The figures show that not only has municipal taxation since 1866 kept fully up to the increase in wealth and popu lation, but that iu the meantime the per capita of indebtedness for each in habitant has been increased from $45 to npwawm of $75, an ay e ra ß e increase during t#*e ten years iCT eaoh family o five of $l5O. In 1866 there Was about sl6 of taxable property for every dollar of indebtedness; in 1876 there was bare ly $9 50; in ten years more, if munici palities plunged with as headlong speed into indebtedness as they have during the past ten, there would, allowing for an increase of valuation during the de cade corresponding to that from 1866 to 1876, be lees than six dollars of proper ty for every one of debt. This would be the result, striking a general average. But some cities would be infinitely worse off than others. New York city, for example, if it piled up debt iflith the same relative rapidity during the com ing ten years as it has during the past ten, could hardly pay dollar for dollar if all the property within its corporate limits were put up at forced sale to meet the indebtedness; and several other cities would not be in much better con dition. There is, however, a more hopeful side of the municipal situation. Citi zens have become thoroughly aroused to the necessity of curbing municipal ex travagance, and the resalt of their watchfulness will be apparent during the next decade in an improvement in the general management. Bnt each improvement can only be effected by the majority of citizens taking an nnabated interest in their municipal concerns. If that interest dies oat, and with it deter mination to keep oat of fresh debt, it may be set down as a certainty that citi zens will some day rue their careless ness, even more than they do now their past neglect. It is estimated that the total harvest of wheat in Minnesota this yaar will measure 31,000,000 bushels, and that ‘J0,000,000 bushels will be spared for ex portation to consumers outside of the State. The total field last year did not exceed The hew Hotel Dieu Hospital, in Paris, was opened on the 13th iast., President MaoMahox being among the visitors. He congratulated Mr. Free tit, the director, upon its completion, and complimented Mr. Die its, the architect, but beyond those two short speeches no addresses were made. General Longstreet, of Gainesville, is a candidate for the Marshalship of Geor gia. THE NEW CONSTITUTION. ITS ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSE MENT BY THE PEOPLE. Speeches By Senators Hill and Gordon. The Atlanta Constitution, of Tuesday, contains a full report of the proceedings of the immense ma6s meeting of citizens held in the Hall of Representatives on Friday night to give expression to the popular approval of the new Constitu tion. Our Atlanta correspondent hav ing furnished the readers of the News with a brief account of Atlanta’s bril liant and most enthusiastic ratification demonstration, we limit our extracts to the speeches delivered on the occasion by Senators Hill and Gordon. 31 r. Hill, Being first called on, spoke as follows : Mb. President and Fellow-Citizens Before coming to this meeting I was informed that a great man and a distin guished member of the Convention (Mr. Toombs) would favor ns with some in formation and views touching the new Constitution, in order that we might be able to form our opinions of its merits more advisedly. I regret to learn that he has been detained by his closing of ficial duties as a member of the Conven tion. There are some general considerations which determine me to say that I shall vote to ratify the proposed Constitution, and these I will proceed to state briefly. If, in the science of our American sys tem of government, any one proposition can be regarded as fixed, settled truth, it is this: That “all governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed.” If this is not true, then nothing else in onr system is true, for everything else—the whole system—is built upon this proposition. From this proposition it results that government is not a creator, with original inherent power to rule the people, but is a thing created and invented with derivative authority—is but au agency by which and through which the people rule themselves. It also results that those who administer government are servants acting under orders, and are not supe rior beings ruling by right. He who maintains the contrary of this is simply a monarchist. The whole scheme of Congressional reconstruction was a plain, palpable aud unmitigated violation of this fundamen tal principle of onr American system of government, and equally a plain, pal pable and unmitigated violation of every provision of the Federal Constitution which was built upon that principle. The Constitution under which the peo plo of Georgia have been living for near ly ten years was not made by their con sent. It was made under orders from Washington, which orders were accom panied by the bayonet, and were execut ed under the direct supervision of the bayonet. The delegates who were chosen to a convention to obey these or ders were chosen by a constituency which was created at Washington, anil from which constituency the great body of the intelligence and property was pur posely excluded by Congress. The Con stitution so framed was not allowed to have effect until it was sent to Washing-* ton and reviewed, altered and approved by Congress, and by a Congress, too, not a member of which waß a citizen of Georgia. That Constitution owes its existence and vitality to those who were not to live under it, aud did not derive its authority from the consent of the people who were to be governed by it. It thus results that the man who ap proves that Constitution has abandoned the fundamental system of our Ameri can system, and, as a consequence, lias abandoned the whole system itself, and is an infidel in Amerioaa politics and has become a European monarchist. The Constitution wo are now called on to ratify has been made by delegates freely chosen by all our people. It has been framed without the presence or fear of bayonets. It will not be sent to Washington, or anywhere else outside of Georgia, for review, alteration or ap proval, nor will we even atop to con sider, or care, whether anybody outside of Georgia will oppose it or not. I shall, therefore, vote to ratify the proposed Constitution, because it is our Constitution. It will derive its authori ty from the consent of the governed, and from no other source. Please mark my words. I am again stating to you the great principles upon which alone, as a basis, I have been writing, speak ing and acting on this subject for ten years, I will not offend you by discuss ing the mortis of the provisions of the Constitution of 1868, nor by showing the differences between that Constitu tion and this. My point is that the Constitution of IBfis was, in no point of legal sense, a Constitution at all. It derived no authority from the oonsent of the governed, and, therefore, had no just authority at all. We have obeyed that Constitution solely because it was not within our power to resist it. That Constitution had no origin but iu force —no existence but by force, and no au thority but of force. Asa helpless peo ple we submitted to it, and as a free people we despise and repudiate it. Force and the works of force are en titled to no homage, except from slaves. The most criminal chapter in American history—in any history—is that of re construction, and our Northern fellow oitizens will soon clearly see and fraukly admit it. So much on this point. Now, let me call your attention briefly to the Consti tution we are called on to ratify. I have read this proposed Constitution only since ten o'clock this morning. But my chief study fqr thirty years has been onr American constitutional system. Nothing to me is so interesting, I have been recent ly studying the different Constitutions of the different States, and uotirfg their variations and their and pro gross with experience. I uyed but little time, therefore, to form * 'uwb the merits of a State Avion. I formed my opinion of the one now pro posed for us, acu, haying formed my opinion, I will, as is my custom, pro ceed to express it. It is this: There are some things in this Consti tution I would like to have out. There are some things out I would like to have in. So tuji of 'ts provisions I think the Legislature'will and trouble in carrying out. But this much may Uo c ai+ of, every Constitution ever made, I have myself some peculiar viows upon this subject of the best Constitution for Georgia, but I am satisfied the public is not yet prepared for these views, and I have not annoyed the Convention with them. But take this Constitution as a whole and as it is, I do not hesitate to say that, in my opinion, it is the best this State had, apd no one of the thirty-eight States of our tJniou has a better. It contains several provisions either one of which will be worth ten fold the whole cost of the Convention. It contains many of the improvements which our pr,og,r4aai?e experience has made not only wise but hpctssi/ry. It C ~'U a most emphatic halt to corruption and extravagance. It orders legislative jobbing to cease, UPd it commands legis lative lobbyists to disperse. If there are two opinions as to the power of the Convention to open the Treasury, there can be but one opinion as to the fact that the Convention has locked the Treasury. In the name of the long suffering, often robbed and terribly plundered people I thank the Convention fey this locking. It was certainly needed. It is best to adopt the whole as it stands and cancel any defects by fature amendments. Gentlemen of the Convention, you can well afford to disregard the premature criticisms which have unjustly assailed yon. You have faithfully discharged your mission. You can now return to yonr homes, entitled to receive from yonr constituents, as earnestly as it was ever given, that greatest of earthly plau dits, “Well done, good and faithful servants !” The Southern people have passed through a most terrible ordeal during the last ten years. They have been robbed, maligned and insulted as no people ever were. Bnt they have estab lished their claim to wisdom by patient ly enduring wrongs they could not re sist, and they have secured for them selves the very highest standard of hon or by refusing, under all appliances, to give to those wrongs the virtue of their consent. Now, our bondage has ended. We are in full possession of our own affairs. Our first duty is to forget the differ ences our trials have engendered. I, who have written and spoken with more invective, perhaps, than any other man daring our severe trials, desire first of all to declare that whoever else shall re member the wrongs and differences of the past, I shall both discharge a duty and find a pleasure in forgetting them. Henceforward, he is most my brother who most earnestly gives all his energies to rebuild onr State. We are permitted to begin this work of making Georgia—what her natural capacities entitle her to be—one of the greatest and richest and most poweiful of all thelStates— under the most aus picious surroundings. Not only is the South the most orderly and peaceful and safest portion of the tlnion, bnt onr Federal relations also are becoming healthy and cordial. We are having once more a wise, patriotic and non-sec tional Administration of the General Government. This the whole world knows, but we have a great gratification in stole for ns, when the world shall fully learn how much the whole country is indebted to the wisdom and firmness of representatives for this preservation of the peace and this re turn ito constitutional administration. To Wisdom and firmness, too, which were exercised under the severest tests to wftich representatives were ever sub jected On every hand we are en couraged with better prospects. Our institutions never stood on so good a basis. The darkness is passed. Hope sounds, in bright notes, the dawn of a new morning. All the indications of nnr political skies give good promise. Let us all wake np and make the day of our American fature, State and Nation al, the brightest, the happiest, the most glorious and peaceful in the annals of popular government. And now, my friends of Atlanta, let me, in conclusion, address a word to yon. In the severe trials of the past no people made a better record than you of this city. Though offered the bribe of the capital in 1868, yon refused to sup port a Constitution dictated by a foreign power and fastened by the bayonet. In the late call for a Convention you were again true to the record of unselfish right. Now make the cap-stone for your monument of imperishable honor by giving this new and real Constitution a unanimous vote of approval. What city can then show herself to be more worthy the capital city of our new State ? Of one thing we may all be well as sured. This Constitution will be ratified, and by an overwhelming vote. The pub lic man who puts himself in opposition to it will have but one comfort left to his political life. Like a man killed by lightning, he will have the comfort of dying without knowing what hit him. Senator Hill was listened to with marked attention, and as he clinched his 1 points he was vociferously applauded. Senator Gordon Was enthusiastically called for from all over the house, and, npon ascending the stand, was greeted with deafening cheers. He said : Ladies, Gentlemen of the Conven tion and Fellow-Citizens— A protract ed and very painful domestic affliction has deprived me of such intercourse with the members of this body and such minute acquaintance with its labors as I could have desired. I sat down this morning, however, with pencil in hand to read the Constitution and note snch criticisms as might seem to my mind just, and while, as my friend Mr. Hill lias suggested, there are some minor de tails which might have suited me better, yet I arose from that reading and anno tation prepared to say to you, gentle men of tho Convention, to-night, that I applaud your handiwork and pronounce it good. [Applause.] lam here to join with my fellow-oiti zons in accepting it. lam here to unite with them in preparing for th<j> burial of the old, and to rejoice over thp birth of the new government. [Applause. J Eighteen months ago I stood at this desk and discussed before the General Assembly the propriety of calling this Convention, and in my remarkrfj. then submitted the following reasons, \vhich l thought sufficient consideration to justify the call. \ First, to shorten official terms. Sec ond, to lessen Executive patroua&e, which, I believe, is greater than that any government in the country—Stat's or Federal. TLirdly, that we might re-; strain the power of the State, the coun-' ties and municipal authorities to create debts ad infinitum, and levy taxes'ittd libitum, and to base your goverment lon foundations laic with your own hanils, whose chief cornerstone shall be justice to all men, of all colors and creeds. <t)f course, in the brief time allowed me,[l can only make mention of the important changes you haTe made in the old Coii stitution. You have shortened ofliciwl terms aud you have done well. FoV, with all the objections whioh may lie urged against tae frequency of popular elections, it is nevertheless true that thle rights and libeities of the people dej mand that pnblio servants shall frev quently be called to the bar of public criticism and nude to feel their account ability to the piople from whom theM draw their power. [Applause.] I kno/W what is said alout the corruptions/ of popular election!. I know it is said /that when a good mtn is in office he/ought nob to be subjejted to the ordfeal too often of popuhr judgment. /I know that the best mm are not always chosen, and that like otter passions wjhich have their day, there s now and tmen, in all popular governnents, a mania) for criti cising public nen. I know that in trigue, chicane,combinations and wire pulling may defiat the popnfiar favorite; but, fellow-citizins, it is better, far bet ter, that a good man, nolw and then, should fail of just appreciation and en dorsement thanthat the pleople should for a long peiitd be dep/rived of the power to redress vronagT I may add, that if a public servant® proves himself worthy of great trusts, the peo ple, as a rule, will continue them jn his keeping. You have lessoned the Executive pat ronage, which I stated eighteen months ago was greater in Georgia, in propor tion to the offices provided by the Con stitution, thau.iu. any State, and yon have done widely in curtailing it. It is a power too great to be entrusted to any one man; yet it is the Executive’s great est weaknesl. With reference to the interest of the people, it is a dangerous power; with reference to the interest of tho Executive,it is a fatal weakness, and I predict that no ipan in Georgia will be more ready iso applaud your action in thus curtailing it than he who now wears this thorny crown and feels their pricks in his lacerated temples. Again, you placed an inhibition on the power of State and municipal au thorities to create debts, and in doing this you have cut up by the roots the overshadowing evils froip which you and the people of this State have suffered, and while if I had been a member of the Convention I should have voted and la bored for one exception in favor of the people of Northeast Georgia, and -yyhile I feel tfiat tins exception qjigh't hasel|eeD made without impinging upon the great principle which guided youj while I felt that the sofltraot between the gov ernment and the Northeast Georgia Rnlroad might have been adhered to with propriety, yet Ido not feel that your failure to do so will justify opposi tion to tho Constitution. I know some thing of that section of our State -its metallic wealth, its soil and ita climate. Developed as it would bo liy the ’ com pletion of the Marietta and North Geor gia Railroad, it would have become the granery of our future—a Herculean helper in our material progress. Had you seen fit to continue the present ar rangement with that road, you would have sttuej; from the now dry rocks of these mountains' >01040131 fountains 0 * wealth, to benefit onr whole people. But I oome here to say that, notwith standing your failure to make this ex ception full and complete in favor of that jrenjd, jrot by fhfs organic inhibition upon the credit of the' State for any purpose however plausible atid popular, by biennial sessions of the General As sembly god by other changes you have wrought a reform whioh the mail-admin istrations and corruptions of our finan cial guardians at Washington have made the crying necessities of the times. We are poor. Alas ! how poor ! The accumulation of debts, through this monstrous system of lending the credit of the Federal, Sjtate, county and mu nicipal governments, the extravagances, corruption aud maladministration of the National Exchequer, the cruel, needless contraction of the only currency known to the lawS i n the interest of bondhold ing power ; these evils have plunged our people into the very depths of pov erty ; have confiscated the estates of the landlord, the pay of the laborer, and the bread of the unemployed ; have dag the graves of all enterprises and bnilt a pyramid of coffins, which enclose the dead relics of a great ooantry’s pros perity. [Applause.] It was time for you to act. It is not necessary that I speak of your Bill of Rights. Sufficient it is to say that you have recognized in yonr funda-neutal law the right of self-gov ernment by the States and the supre macy cf the civil law. These are the great features of government, which, if fully recognized by all the States and the General Government, wonld make onr Repnbiie 'as lasting as time; and which are happily regarded by the pres ent Administration, so far as I can judge. These are Heaven appointed seraphims, whose flaming swords are to guard the approaches to your politi cal paradise. [Applause.] They are more—they constitute the very paradise of Republican government. Those two great privileges—self-government by the people of the States, and the supre macy of the civil law—are liberty’s sen tries—they ere more—they are the life blood, the sinews and the brain of lib erty. They are liberty itself! [Ap plause.] Give us these —give them to all ti e States in their capacity as States, and we ask no more. We can uphold Republican government with nothing less. We all know that it was to sus tain these particular features which you have incorporated in your Rill of Rights that war has been waged against cen tralized power. For this Ireland threat ens ; for this Poland struck: for this Italy organizes; for this Roumania guards her mountain passes, and for this Georgia, by the methods of peace, has incorporated them anew in her or ganic law. [Applause.] A people to be free must be self-governed, and to self govem we must remain united. [Ap plause. ] Once more, and I shall give place to others. I know not how others may feel, bnt as for me, it is a source of in expressible pleasure to know that hence forth we are to live under a Constitu tion made by ourselves. I care not whether it is better than the old Con stitution. It is enough for me to know that it is onrs—not Bullock’s, nor Blod gett’s, nor Bryant’s. That it was made by Georgia’s sons, inspired by Georgia patriotism, plauted upon Georgia soil, and is to be baptized and sanotifled by the tears of Georgia’s daughters. [Ap plause.] And why should not this be so ? Why should we not love this Con stitution, and cherish it more than the old ? The freedom to love one’3 own is a right proscribed by no law, human or divine, unless it be the law of sectional bigotry. Why, even the God-Man, who embraced in His bonndless sympathies all men of all nations and tribes, com manded that His own brethern at Jeru salem should be the first recipients of the Gospel of Life. To love one’s own— the product of our own brain, the work manship of onr own hands—is a noble sentiment. It is the inspiration of patriotism, and without it patriotism dies. This feeling has slumbered al reidy too long in our midst. It has lived, but it has languished amid the ruins that surround us, gleaming here and there in fitful spells over our mourn ful history. It has lived, and if the popular heart shall be pervaded with it in the coming election, this Constitu tion will be ratified by the Convention’s unanimous constitutencv. [Applause.] I said it was anoblesentiment. Would that I had the power to kindle in the hearts of these boys before me, and of all this people, the feeling which ani mates me, as I contemplate the day when there shall no longer remain in Georgia anything to remind us of Radical usur pation or Federal intervention in the affairs of the States. [Loud applause.] Let that sentiment be generated here to night. Let all cherish it. It will give vigor to our youth, strength to our manhood, just pride to our State, and a sustaining self respect to our people. [Applause.] Without it, patriotism has no inspiration, hope languishes, industry loses its nerve, eloquence its fire and civilization its chiefest ornament. [Ap plause.] I would have you feel, my country men, as felt the old Polish clergyman when he beheld the women of his coun try parading the streets, bearing in then hands the Polish eagles and the banners of purple and white. Looking upon that scene, his heart stirred to its pro foundest depths, he exclaimed, as I re peat to-night, “My revered country ap pears to bo rising from the grave. " Her wounds are healed. My own eyes be hold her; my own hands touch her, and God Almighty auimates her with life, and she lives again.” [Applause.] Cultivate this feeling, young men of Georgia. Cultivate a pride in your State, and you shall not only contribute to the relief of our own State, but set an example for those of our sister States who have not yet acted. As we sliall soon—on the first Wednesday in De cember-lay aside forever the last re minder of our Bullock, and our Blod gett. and our Bryant, so will South Carolina and Louisiana commit to the flames the last remembrances of their Patterson, Packard and the peppery Pitkin. [Loud applause.] Let us ail unite to adopt this Constitution. Let both colors unite. There is no reason why they should not. The colored race ought to unite; for the action in the Con vention to-night in granting them all the privileges of a higher education ought to win them to its support. Let men of all shades of political opinion unite. There is no reason why they should not, if they were born upon our soil, or are identified with our people. Let there be no discordant notes. Let one loud “amen” go up from all the people. [Applause.] Let the cannon thunder the news throughout all our borders. Let jbon-fires once more light up the heavens. Let the merry bells bo rung. Let them ring out : Ring out I he old, ring in the new; Ring out the false, ring in the true; Ring out the dark, ring in the light ; King in the law of truth and right. [Loud applause.] THE END OF A RAKE. Samuel McDonald, the Notorious Profligate, Dies at llis Hunting ltniu-li. I Special to the Chicago Times J Baltimore, August 21.—A private telegram received here to-day by Dr. J. Hanson Thomas, one of Baltimore’s leading citizens, addressed to his son, Raleigh C. Thomas, announces the death, on Monday night, at his hunting lodge, Terre Haute, of the latter’s brother in-law, Samuel McDonald, of Baltimore. The deceased, though only twenty-nine years of age, had, since at taining his majority and inheriting his estate of $500,000, led a life extraordi nary for its profligacy. His father was the millionaire, Wm. McDonald, owner of Flora Temple, and his grandfather, Gen. McDonald, of Revolutionary fame, and a commander of United States forces here in the war of 1812-14. Sam was precocious as a youth. Efforts to educate him here and in Europe were only partly successful, although he be came an adept in the manly art of self defense, and a skillful gymnast. His twenty-first birthday was celebrated by a magnificent entertainment at his country seat, “Guilford,” now the residence of A. S. Abell, of the Baltimore Sun. Among the extrav agant features was a fountain, from which sprays of champagne flow ed. The company was the elite of Baltimore society, which offered every attraction to the handsome young de butant. Rejecting these, he found his pleasures among gamblers, roughs and prostitutes, and entered upon a career that disgraced himself and his family. His father having died, his pother, still a woman of extraordinary beauty, mar ried Mr. Do Speyes, and now resides in Paris. United States Senator Whyte was youug McDonald’s guardiaD, and made every effort to reclaim him, but he continued his vicious qourse. Finally, in order to gratify more’ completely his deprayod tastes, he purchased an estate at Terre Haute, furnished it magnifi cently, and within its walls held baccha nalian and licentious revels. The most beautiful women that he could obtaiu and sporting characters were assembled at these midnight orgies, and tho scenes arc described as of the most revolting character. The place soon the home of prostitutes and 'then,- pimps, and was the terror of the town. In 1874 he returned to Baltimore op a visit, and while here entered Q sfiloop gftd quarreled with Horry Amos, a sporting ohurnoter. During the quarrel Amos was stabbed and killed. McDonald was tried for the murder, but, by a skillful defense by Sen ator Whyte, was acqnitted, although ho was believed by nearly all to have been the murderer. Again efforts were made to change liis life, bqt without effect. He returned to Terre Haute and re newed his orgies, which were illustrated in some of the pictorials, shoeing soones of bcautjfvfl woiueu, half nude and in toxicated, enjoying the embraces of their paramours. About a year ago he was dangerously ill, and his mother returned from Paris, The last effort wag umde to respite dim, but without avail, as upon recovering he renewed his licentious revels, and surrounded himself with the vicious and depraved of both sexes. His mother visited him at his lodge, but even her presence had no effect. He in trusted her with SIOO,OOO, which she ac cepted as a gift; but she subsequently refused him $50,000. Apoplexy is said to have caused his death. His princely estate is supposed to have been almost entirely squandered by his riotous liv ing. The corpse will be brought hero for burial. TELEPHONE. musical pounds Traverse (o Hartford and Back to Now York. [New York Herald .] Thomas A. Edison, a New York elec trician, has perfected and recently brought oat which oarries a long step forward the new science of telephony. It is based on entirely novel principles, and differs in toto from the telephones of Professors Gray and Bell. It wai proposed to try it between New York and Saratoga, about two hundred miles, a distance which even the simply instrumental telephones have never suc cessfully traversed. To test the practi cability of such a feat the experiment was tried yesterday of sending music over a loop of wire to EJartford and back, or 240 miles. This was done at noon yesterday in the Western Union building, Broadway and Dey street, un der the supervision of Mr. E. H. John son, an able electrician, and Mr. Down er, manager of the central office. Sev eral amateur singers, who had volun teered for the occasion, sang in the end of a tube resembling somewhabthe open end of a clarionet, andtlie music having traversed the 240 miles of wire was re produced at its termination by a com plex and ingenious contrivance in a tone which was clearly audible anywhere within a large room in another part of the building. This result was so entire ly satisfactory that it has been deter mined to give a .concert in Saratoga, and Signor Tagliapetro, among other vocal ists, has been engaged to sing in this city on that occasion. THE WAY OF THE TB4NSUEESSOR. Indictments Against South Carolina ftcalif wags and Carpet-Baggers. Columbia, S. C., August 30.—The grand jury to-day returned true bills for breach of trust against ex-Lieuten ant-Governor Gleaves, ex-President of the Senate Montgomery, ex-Governor Moses, ex Clerk of the House Jones and ex-Treasurer Parker, also against Clerk of the Senate Woodruff for forgery to the amount of 84,000 ; against one F. 8. Jacobs for forgery for over $3,000; against Scott, Parker and U. S. Senator Patterson for conspiracy in the same forgery; against Patterson for bribery of members of the Legislature in the, matter of the Blue Bidge Railroad and other cases, and against Patterson. Par ker and H. H. Kimpton, of New York, for conspiracy to bribe legislators. IN THE DOBRUDSCHA. SCENES OP RUIN AND DEVASTA TION. A Country Favorable for General Engage ment*—Character of the and the People—The ttusMian Line of Attack and Defense—Barbarity of the Circassians. Kustendje, July 25.— The campaign in the Dobrudseha is not particularly attractive to any one desirous of indulg iug in even the ordinary comforts of civilized life, but is. perhaps, as inter esting as either of the campaigns now in progress along the line. The Do brudseha ia the name given to the lower portion of Bulgaria, between the Dan ube and the Black Sea, and more properly to that small peninsula between the Tehernavoda and Kustendje Railway and the Delta of the Danube. There is uo section of country in the world bet ter adapted topographically to the move ments of large bodies of troops, and no tract of land has been the scene of more battles than this. Since the beginning of history this has been a great tourna ment field, an arena for the bloody com bats between Romans and barbarians, in modern times the graveyard of count less invaders. It is completely bare of trees; not even a bush can be found anywhere in the country, except in the immediate neighborhood of the small cities. The surface is very like a great rolling prairie, long ridges of smooth hills with dry valleys between succeed one another like great waves. At fre quent intervals are little villages of peasants’ huts, nothing more than low, one-story mud structures, thatched with straw and reeds, over shadowed by im mense hay stacks, surrounded by walls of turf aud wicker fences. These huts are, however, very neatly whitewashed outside and in—that is, tho better class of them are—and are cool enough in Summer aud always over-heated by au immense brick stove in Winter, if it were not for tho swarms of fleas aud other minute pests they wonld furnish agreeable lodgings for even a fastidious European. A village is always found near a good spring or else stands or ground fairly perforated with wells, and the tall sweeps rise above the thatched roofs in a forest of slender poles as one views the straggling town from a dis tance. Windmills at Work. On the hillsides, near at baud, are nu merous windmills, in constaut motion, grinding the wheat and barley, which is the principal food of the natives. Theso mills are simple boxes, with a frame work of heavy timber and sides of wicker-work, plastered with mud, stand ing on a pile of masonry on a rude pivot. A long polo, fastened to a solid frame, supported at tho ground end on a rude wheel, serves as a lever to turn the mill to the wind, and a little windlass, that can be carried from one stake to another in the circle, enables the miller to man age his mill unassisted. Four sails of thin ! cards revolve a clumsy shaft, with equally rude and clumsy-toothed wheels to move the millstoues, and the coarse flour ground by this primitive machi nery makes a black, heavy, but not un wholesome bread, which satisfies tho hunger aud indeed is almost tho only diet of the laborers. The Dobrudseha is one great grain field; tho whole land scape is yellow with barley and wheat and uncultivated spots are rarities, and where there is no grain there are gener ally immeuse wild flower beds. Once in a while a few acres of wild holyhocks along the roadside makes an agreeable break in the monotony of the succession of grain fields, and patches of brilliant poppies contrast delightfully with the dark green millet that is scarcely full grown at this late season. The peasants of the country are quiet, honest, peace ful people enough, very sober and in dustrious, suffering hardships that would wreck an American constitution, and toiling the whole year with scarcely an intermission—scorched in the Sum mer, frozen in the Winter. They dross in Turkish costume, large bags, broad sash, small jacket and fez, generally bound about by a bright colored rag. In a lea'hern flap, or pocket at the waist, they carry long knives, pistols and flint and steel. However, the costume varies somewhat in different localities accord ing to the nationality of the inhabitants, Along the Danube there are mauy Wal lachiuus, and they always keep their na tional costume of white linen, with sheepskin cloak3 and caps and sandal-' upou their feet. Near the railway there is a village or two of Germans, who have not assimilated either dress or customs of the country, and tne Tartars who are scattered over the whole region stili cling to the wooly cap for the men and the loose trousers lor the women. The Country Stripped and Desolate. But I find myself describing the cour try as if it had now any inhabitants—it is, on the contrary, entirely depopulat ed from Toultcha to Varna. After the crossing at Galatz the Turks retired to ward Vama, leaving small garrisons at Medjidie, Tcfiernavoda, Hirsova and Kustendje, and in measure as the Rus sians advanced these garrisons retreated also. In fact, the only time the oppos ing forces met was at Medjidie, a cou ple of weeks ago, when seven or eight thousand Turks retreated in qo,od order before three times the number of Rus sians. It wasn’t a battle, but a hot skirmish, lasunsr all day, and we found 1 thirty-three dead Turks on the field and cords of accoutrements, clothing aud cartridges, which they had, thrown away in their hasty flight. After the with drawal of their farces the Turks left a , gvefit quantity of Circassians in the country, ffith orders ta drive oft all live stool* and compel the inhabitants to leave their villages and go to Varna. These Circassians uoeded only a hint to start them in this undertaking, which, of all others, was most suited to their tastes, and they did effectually clear the country of every living thing, except cats aud don's qufi stores. The cattle, and sheep were driven away in immense flocks, and the peasants, on foot mostly, for their cattle were gone, followed after ix\ great troops, marching along by villages and encamping at night like Zigenner tribes. In this neighborhood the whole region seemed to be covered with them, and tho exo dus lasted over a week. This of course was done with a purpose, namely, to prevent tho Russians from obtaining supplies ; and the success was perfect. Instead of finding sheep, poultry and cattle in plenty, the Russians found de serted barn-yards, ompty houses, burn ing villages and trampled grain fields. Consequently they had to depend on the supplies brought from Braila, and while there was not perhaps any actual suffer ing there was a great fipal t*i discom fort, especially among the offioers, who depend on the sntlers for supplies. For my own part, in my trip across from Hirsova here I have fasted twenty-four hours at a time, and journeyed from sunrise to sunset in the intense heat without a drop of water for my horse or myself. There is always plenty of good forage for the animals, fiowevJr, and in this respect (fie Russians were fortunate, for the number of horses in proportion to the men is astonishingly great. The Military Situation. Briefly to describe the military situa tion here now, I have only to say that the whole line of the DanuliO and Black Sea Railway is in the Landi of the Rus sians, who found it intact and arc now making use of it to transport stores and troops from one wing to the other of the army, The English company who own the railways receive no pay for whatever they do for the Russians, the latter con sidering the line in reality their property by right of capture, but by virtuo of the precedent given by the Turks, who did not take any measnres to prevent the line being of service to the enemy, but respected the property of the company, they allow the company to run trains and carry on local traffic as usual. Kus tendje and Tchernavoda, the termini of the railway, were taken without the loss of a man, and the former town, a sea port of considerable size, was made the capital of Dobrudscha, and a certain Beloserkovitz, formerly Russian Vice- Consul at Toultcha, was called from there, having previously been appointed Governor of the province, and his gov ernment was established here. In the interim between the departure of the Turks and the arrival of the Russians, a space of three or four days, the town was kept in order by the officers and men of the English corvette Rapid, which was stationed in the port, and no ! serious disturbances occurred. The Bulgars stood ready to attack the Tar tars in revenge for robberies which some of the latter committed on the peasants, and some murders were done and a number were wounded, until at last the whole population was disarmed by the foreign authorities in power at the time, and the arrival of the Russians, who promulgated the order that robbery should be punished with the nagajha or Cossack whip and the infliction of wounds was punishable with death, brought about the restoration of com plete order. Ferocity of (he Circassians. Of the state of the country between here and Varna it is impossible to give in the limits of a letter an intelligent idea. Here in the very scene of the atrocities constantly committed, I can scarcely realize the horrible cruelty, and the fiendish spirit that prompts the butchery of innocent peasants is qnite beyond my conception. The crowds of peasants, numbering many thousands, who, as I have described above, were driven away by the Circassians toward Varna, have had to struggle not only against the greed of their plunderers, but to defend themselves against bands of Zigenners and Tartars who, in league with the irregulars, attempt to finish what the latter began. In a little vil lage near here a crowd of Circassians de manded a large sum of money to keep them from destroying the town. Scarce ly was the money raised and given them tbau a band of Tartars came and de manded a like amount, which was quite beyond the power of the poor people to raise. Then arose a dispute between these bands, and peasants wero drawn into it, and at last a melee broke out, in which both Tartars and Circassians shot and hacked the Bulgars, killing a num ber and seriously wounding seven, who were brought to Kustendje by the offi cers of the Rapid. Since that time the ferocity of the Circassians seems kin dled anew. Every day several wounded men come in from the direction of Varna, and already thousands of peasants have escaped and returned this far on their way to their villages. The Russians deal with them in a way that seems to me eminently wise and proper. They send all the able-bodied men aud women into the fields to gather the crops, giv ing them for the barley, which is now over-ripe, one-third of the crop for the harvesting, and for the wheat one-quar ter of the crop. Of course the crops claimed are harvested by their owners and in case owners shall turn up whose crops have been gathered other unclaim ed fields will be given them as indem nity. The poverty aud wretchedness of these people is quite beyond anything I Lave ever seen before. Some of them have only an old skirt or a piece of blanket to cover them; few have any thing but what they wear. Their cattle, clothes, money,arms,everything has been taken from them by the Circassians and Tartars, and only the full harvest will keep them from starvation. Mongolia, a little town about forty miles from hero down the coast, in the direction of Varna, is the theatre of frequent barba rities, and a great mauy people have been killed and mutilated by the Cir cassians. JEFFERSON DAVIS. His Old Colored ('onrliinan Denies That He Wan Disguised in Woman’s Clothing When Captured. f ßaleigh (A r . 6’.) Aiews.] Soon after the close of the civil war in 1865, when Gens. Lee and Johnston had surrendered to the Uuited States forces, a good deal was said, much of it false, iu regard to the capture of Jeffer son Davis, President of the Confedera cy. Soon after his capture, James H. .Tones, a colored man who was with Mr. Davis or his family dimug nearly the whole time of the war iu the capacity of coachman, and who was with him when he was taken prisoner in Geor gia, furnished a statement of his capture to the Greensboro Patriot, aud it was published at the time. Recently a request has been made to a gentleman of high standing in this city to procure from James H. Jones a statement of the whole matter, which he has given, aud which wo are permit ted to copy, as below. But before giv ing the statement wo will take occasion to say that the author is a native of this city, and stands as high as any colored man in the State for truth and integrity. He is and has been for ten years captain of the Victor Fire Company of this city, and was, until his resignation recently, captain of tho Raleigh Blues, a colored volunteer company of the city. The statement is given as briefly as possible to be intelligible, and is as follows: The Coachman’** Statement. I was coachman to Hon. Jeff Davis nearly all through the war, and was with him at the time of his capture, which occurred on the 10th of May, 1865, between 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning, some fifteen or sixteen miles from tho county site of Wilcox county, Ga., while iu camp on the public road. I heard the trampiug of the horses of the Federal soldiers as they were ap proaching the camp aud awoke Mr. Da vis and told him the Yankees were nearly on us. He aud his wife had been sleeping in their tent. I went in he got up, and by the time he got his clothes on the soldiers were in the camp, and ten or twelve of them were standing at his tent door with their guns. No one could pass in or out. Mrs. Davis and the children had not had time to dress. Mr. Davis went to the teut door aud was ordered by the soldiers to surren der. He replied that he would not; that he would die first. At this Mrs. Davis pressed to her husband and put her arms around his neck, begging the soldiers not to shoot h m, both she aud the children crying piteously. It has been stated that Mr. Davis had on a hoop skirt, and was otherwise dis guised as a woman. This is wholly false. He was dressed in his ordinary clothing, with cavalry boots drawn over Iris pants, a waterproof over his tßess coat, a shawl thrown over his shoulders, and o- u his head a broad brim white or drab Texas hgt. Ho had not on an article of female wear about bis person. The following gentlemen wero in the camp and were captured at the same time : Mr. Harrison, Private Secretary to Mr. Davis ; 001. Lovett, of Texas ; Col. Joseph Johnson, of Kentucky ; Col. Joseph Wood (escaped next day); Mr. William Howell, brother to Mrs. Davis, and many others, all of whom, I doubt not, will corroborate what I have stated above. James H. Jones. A HEAVE IIKAUTEO MOTHER. A Woman and llr Five Cliildmi Walk Eighteen Day* Through the WilderneNM. [From the Detroit Free Press, August 25.] Yesterday afternoon there arrived in this city Mrs. Helena Scranton and five children, the eldest not being yet four teen years old, who have made a very interesting journey within the past month. Mrs. Scranton, with her husband and children, resided on a farm in Manitoba, one hundred and thirty miles north of the boundary line. Early in July her ; husband was taken sick, and after a brief illness died, leaving his wife and family and unharvested crops to get aloDg as best she might without money. To pay the expenses of the funeral Mrs. Scranton secured an advance on the growing crops, and when she had paid the last tribute to ber dead husband had nearly S9O in cash. With this sum she procured a few ne cessaries, and selecting a camp-outtit from her household furniture, set out with her children to traverse two hun dred miles of wilderness, hoping with what money she had left to buy passage by way of the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Lakes for herself and children to Youngstown, Ky. The little party wore eighteen days on foot, camping out at night, and subsist ing almost wholly on berries and the product of the boy’s (the eldest child) hunting forages. Occasionally they re ceived assistance from settlers, and meeting a large stage-load of passengers on their way North received a paper sack filled with crackers and a purse of eight dollars in cash. They reached the railroad in good health, and, receiving reduced rates of fare by rail and steamer, arrived here with thirty-eight dollars in hand and in excellent spirits. When it is realized that the youngest child is not yet three years old, and that another child is just turned five ye ats, the success of the long tramp will be ap preciated. Mrs. Scranton left last even ing for Kentucky by way of Indianapo lis, and hopes to reach her father’s home Sunday morning, with a little money left. Greenwood and A Kail road. [Spartanburg Heral/I.] Captain S. S. Kirkland, Superintend ent of Transportation on the Spartan burg and Asheville Railroad, has just returned from a railroad meeting held at Greenwood, in Abbeville oonnty, in the , interest of the Greenwood and Augusta Railroad, and gives encouraging ae conntts of the prospects of that road, Offloers were elected and authorized to push forward with the work of grading. A contract has been made to secure one hundred convicts from the State Peni tentiary who will be put to work on the road in a few days. This road is forty eight miles in length, and will form a link in the Spartanburg and Augusta Road, leaving sixty miles from Green wood, via LaurensvilJe to Spartanburg to be looked after by Laurens and Spar tanburg to secure a through line to Au gusta. If our Laurens friends decide to adopt the Spartanburg route to secure connection with the Air Line Road, it will secure beyond dovt)t the building of the whole line from Spartanburg to Au gusta. Captain S. S. Kirkland, we learn, has been tendered the position of Chief En gineer of the Greenwood and Augusta Road. The friends of that road will be fortunate if they secure his services. No better man could be found for the posi tion. We hope he will accept it, for we are anxious to see that road extended to Spartanburg, and if he takes hold of the enterprise it will inspire great faith in its success. Husbands who desire to keep peace in their households know how important it is to keep their wives in good humor. One way of doing this, at trifling ex pense, is to subscribe for “Andrew’s Bazar,” price one dollar. This admira ble household magazine is desirable as a literary treasure; and, in addition, fur nishes all the society and fashionable information regarding the art of the toilet, including cuts and patterns, with full descriptions and directions. Send 10 cents to Cincinnati for specimen copy. It is stated in Custom House cii cles that the steamer England will be seized on her arrival for complaints in sniu 0 - gling. THE STATE. THE PEOPLE AND THE PAPERS. Lieutenant-Governor Sims and lady, of Mississippi, are on a visit to their friends iu this State. Atlanta furnishes six candidates for the United States Marshalship, the last being the present Mayor of that city. Judge Reese made a very fine speech at Crawfordvi lie on last Tuesday. The subject was tho ratification of the Con stitution. Talbot county has gathered ten thous and acres of fodder, and made enough wheat to furnish the county in flour eleven weeks. General Toombs has gotten home from Atlanta. His wife has been very sick for several days, though she is at pres ent much better. More baby carriages roll around Dal ton than any place in America, under 6,000 population—and the demand is not yet supplied ! Mr. F. M. Bird, of Madison county, has a stalk of corn seventeen feet nine inches high, with two good ears for the mill and a nubbin for the calf. Last Tuesday Hon. B. H. Hill ap peared before the Supreme Court and made a flue argument in favor of the Northeastern Railroad for State aid. Mr. James T. Thweatt was elected Tax Receiver of Muscogee county, by a handsome majority over all competitors at the special election ou Tuesday laßt. Hon. Sam’l Lumpkin will address the people of Elbert on the subject of the now Constitution, ou Wednesday of Court week, when Court adjourns for dinner. The statistics of Newton county show the following figures: Number of polls 1,937, an increase of 207 over 1876. Aggregate value of property $2,065,747, a shrinkage of $25,533. Talbotton lias four hundred and eight hogs, aud one firm has shipped twenty five thousand pounds of dried fruit. The hogs are owned by sixty meu, twen ty of whom are colored. Col. John B. Ross, one of tho foun ders of the city of Macon, died at his residence in that city on Wednesday. He had been ill for several days, but his death was not expected. He was one of the old landmarks. The Board of Educationof Atlantahas rejected the proposal of the American Missionary Society, to retain free tho building of the Storr School and employ Northern teachers, but has decided to rent, and employ teachers selected by the board of our own people. It is now announced that Miss Ada Gilman, the beautiful youug actress who created such a favorable impression in Augusta last, season, is tho wife of Leander P. Richardson, formerly of the New York Tribune , now of the Hartford Courant, the marriage having taken place over a year ago. A husband and wife living near Hart well left homo Sunday evening last to visit a neighbor, leaving three children at home. While tbo parents were ab sent the children got hold of a jug of new peach brandy, and, it is supposed, drank of the liquor freely, as, when the father and mother returned, one of the children had lockjaw, from which it died, and the other two were considered in a dangerous condition. Tho phy sician, however, thinks ho can save the remaining two. Last Friday, Mr. Harrison Tcasley, of Hart, undertook to transfer a vicious bull from ono pasture to another, wliero the mischievous animal would not have tho opportunity to disturb the passers by, as he had been doing, no bridled the animal, and succeeded iu reaching the new pasture, when it became excited from some cause, and turning upon Mr. Teasley, rushed at him and threw him. with great violence on the g'ound, breaking an arm and collar Bono and otherwise injuring him. “A Mrs. Robertson, living iu the suburbs of Dalton, died about a week ago from starvation. When found with her child in an old house, she was so far gone that nourishment failed to keep her alive. She had previously been re leased by the county authorities, upon whom no blame can bo attached. Had she applied again sho would have been relieved. Her child, which was almost fa mi bed, was relieved by Col. Jesse Glenn, at whoso house it ia now living. This is a very distressing case. The woman was about forty-five years old. She suffered with no disease, as fur as we could learn.” lIEAVKRS AT WORK. What llayden’x Surveying Parly Saw Iu Wyoming Territory. [Boston Ilerald.\ In almost any stream in the mountain ous parts of Wyoming Territory you may find more or less beavers and bea ver dams. But Greeu river and this whole region, writes a member of Hay den’s surveying party, surpasses any place I know of as a resort for theso ani mals, now so searco east of tho Missis sippi. In tho rooky canyon, higher up, this creek was thirty or forty yards across, nor would it have been much wider in the more open valley below had it not been impeded. But for a dozen miles the beavers had so dammed it and choked it with their houses that the water spread out to a mile or more in width, and hundreds of dead or liv ing trees, once far back from the mar gin, were now standing equally far out iu the water. Some of the dams meas ured 100 or more feet in length, and were built on a curve, with tlie hollow of the curve up stream, yet so substan tially that they were standing tho beat ing of tho freshet with slight damage. All along the bank of tho stream the hillside was bare of aspens, and their stumps, cut off close to the ground, showed what had destroyed them. Some of the stumps were of trees ten or twelve inches in diameter and seventy-five yards from the water, yet there was no doubt that these ro dents had felled those trees, trimmed off tho branches, peeled away the bark, and then drugged the log all the way to the water to put into anew dam or re pair an old one. Indeed, we surprised: some of them at work. Most of the dams tvere shorter than I have mention ed and ran from one to another, so that there was a network of them supporting a growth of willows, and each enclosing a little basin of deep, still water, in which would rise like an island the domed top of their home. But the houses of many wero under tho bank, and of others beneath the dams, as we could sec by tho paths to them, which showed plainly through the water. — Wherever the willows grew closely to tho water’s edge for some distance there would be roads through them at fre quent intervals, the stems gnawed off, and the weeds trodden smooth. “Busy as a beaver” acquires anew force when we think how ceaseless he must work to get his daily food, collect Winter stores, keep his house in order, repair his dam, and guard against enemies. We saw none of the animals themselves. They are rarely seen by any one, being able to detect your approach by the jar of tho ground, if not otherwise, and hide themselves. THE OI.DEN TIME. Tlie Fire Depnrtinent Nearly Half a Century Ago, From some manuscripts in the hands of one of our citizens we find that in 1839 the Augusta Fire Department con sisted of five “sections.” Looking over these we find that at an election hold May Gth of that year the following of ficers were elected : Section No. I—M. Wagner, Captain; Chas. M. Curtis, First Lieutenant; John Coskory, Second Lieutenant; Robt. T. Hyde, Secretary. The members were John P. Greiner, J. Hookkirk. T. H. Wyatt, R. C. Meridikh, N. H. Whillow, C. T. Rich, W. H. Morgan, John Lorn, Jule Rossean, A. Patterson, Jas. L. Wray, C. Chipman, R. Riley, D. Phil pot, Jas. M. Dye, Wm. Haines, Jr., Benj. Conley, A. Mclver, Jas. Costello. Section No. 2—M. Wagner, Captain Jos. E. Marshall,First Lientenant;Thos. 8. Baber, Second Lieutenant; Jno. Bridges, Secretary and Treasurer. Mem bers—R. Patten, W. Olagget, Jr., H. O. Cook, Jas. Carswell, Fred Lamback, F. McTeir, Robt, Nichol, J. L. Hood, Jno. H. Lee, N. Patten, Edgar Sher man, Jno. C. Carmichael, L. C. Gamier, B. T. Nichols, Henry A. Richmond, Robt. Bleakley, Bernard McGovern. Section No. 3—Captain, M. Wagner; First Lieutenant, Thos. Barrett; Second Lieutenant, Jno. Davidson; E. Skinner, Secretary. Members—John J. Cohen, Robert Lambert, Dan’l McCormick, T. Doonan, J. B. Hait, Edwin Snyder, David Heard, R. B. White, J. Keenan, Leonard Bostwick. Section No. 4—M. Wagner, Captain; C. J. Cook, First Lieutenant; Thomas Hopkins, Second Lieutenant. Members —Robert Barber, D. B. Hadley, Jesse Kent, Hiram Aldrich, Stephen Shove, R. F. Bush, A. P. Stultz, Uriah Slack, 'H. D. Bell, John T. Symes, John Hen derson, John H. Neaver, James B. Cal viD, Adrian Laßoche, Henry Salm, A. Picqnet, H. Stallings. Section No. 5—M. Wagner, Captain; J. M. Hand, First Lientenant; John Cashin, Second Lieutenant; J. Danfoith, Secretary. Members—D. B. Edes, P. Fleming, L. P. Dugas, Wm. Keener, E. C. Scranton, W. H. Wayland, David Caven, W. K. Kitchen, J. H. Hollings worth, George McCord, J. P, Laven tnre, A. B. Fleming, Jas. Pitman, Jno, F. Brown, J. H. Scranton, P. A. Scran ton, H. Huff, E. C. Tinsley. The Hartford Courant remarks with dignity becoming its age: “As early as 1772 we published,” etc. This is an in stance in which age is respectable as well as venerable.