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m CONSTITUTION.
BY W. A. HEMPHILL & CO.
I W ATERY, Editor.
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MS
1
How much has been lo3t to us by & want
of Democratic nerve and unity will never
b* realized. The conservative Republicans
were strong against the extreme Bullock
measures, but the glDgerllness of the De
mocracy In uniting with them against a
common enemy, and the resolute cracking
of the party lash, drove many unwillingly
to an affiliation with the Bullock faction-
lats. And we know of prominent men who
watched the contest cautiously, waiting to
jump on the vinning side. The turning
point of victory was the election of Speak-
A defeat there would huge been a
No same entered on the subscription book
ontiTthe moner it paid.
tejjr AltVKitTInEMENTS Inserted at one dol
lar per square of tea lines, or space to that amount.
r i the arrU nixt *fty rents for each subsequent in- , ,, _
^ 1 i « ^wCdr rtto!t " ,thora<,Terluement !»nishlDB blow to the Governors action.
We have not the space now to show the dif
ference.
There has been this difference between
tbe Bullock and the anti-Bullock men. The
former have been as compact as a Macedo
nian phalanx; the latter have been loosely
ATLANTA. GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 8.
The Governor’s Message.
Tbe whole paper with all Its lengthy
quotations!* simply an logenious piece of
voplii-tical special pleading to prove that; organized, irregularly managed, and ruin :
the State Government is provisional, in | ously divided and vaccinating. A few men
order to ten in General Terry and Gover
nor Bullock the sweeping and despotic
powers that belong to a Provisional tyran
ny. “ Only this, and nothing more.'
It seems strange that the Executive of a
great State should seek to unhinge its sov
ereignty. But In these c-vil* days, when
personal ambition is the substitute for
patriotism, and tbe interests of faction par
amount to the weal of the country, wc need
be surprised at nothing of this character.
The Message contains about as much ot
General Terry as Governor Bullock. It is
a sort of a double-barrelled gun, that fires
two loads in the same direction.
We had intended to have criticised the
scheme of this paper, but the argument of
nd. i.cstcr, in our evening edition, for his
clients who were expelled by Gen. Terry,
covers the ground very well.
We shall, therefore, merely make some
general comments upon it.
It will be difficult for any impartial man
to rUe from its perusal without suspecting
something not altogether right in tbe con
nection between General Terry and Gov
ernor Bullock. In this whole matter wc
have dealt carefully with the authorities,
appreciating tl.u responsibilities of a per
plexing and extraordinary trust of power,
and knowing how insensibly and honestly
men can lie biased, by constant association
with one side.
The argumentative appeal by General
Terry to General Grant for tbe tremendous
powers of District Commander, quoted in
the Message, connected with the use of
th.'-c powers when granted,solely in Gov
ernor Bollock's interest is a signiflcantcir-
cuoMtance. It seems like a concerted plot,
ra< li_pail working with the precision of a
drill
ty. Is found In the assertion that the present
government of Georgia is “ provisional ”
Guly, and that all the reconstruction acts
of Congress are still unexecuted and in full
force in the State. If this assertion were
true, General Terry might claim the pow
ers which he has exercised with Eomeliltle
show of lawful right. But such Is not the
status of Georgia. Her present government
Is not“ provisional.” The reconstruction
acts, so far as they specify and define the
powers of a district commander, are not of
force. These laws have been fully admin
istered and executed. They have accom
plished the end for which they were enact
ed, and have, therefore, lost their operative
force. A brief examination of the ques
tion, will demonstrate the soundness of
this position.
It is true, that bv the 6th section of the
act of March 2d, 1867, it was declared, “ that
until tbe people of said rebel States sha 1
be, by law, admitted to representation in
the Congress of the United States, any civil
governments -that may exist therein shall
be deemed provisional only, and in all re
spects, subject to the paramount authority
of the United S'ates. at any time to abolish,
modify, control, or snpersede*the same.” It
is also true, that the act of July ID. 1867. de
clared, that it was the true intentand mean
ing of the act of March 2.1867. and the act
supplementary thereto, that the govern
ments then existing in said rebel States
were not legal governments, and that there
after, said governments, if continued, were
to be continued, “ subject in all respects to
the military commanders of the respective
districts, and to the paramount authority
of Congress.”
The 2d section of this act vested in the
district commanders the power to ‘‘sus
pend, or remove from office, or from the
performance of official duties, and the ex
ercise of official powers, any officer or per
son holding or exercising, or professing to
hold or exercise any civil or military office,
or duty in such district, under any power,
election, appointment or authority derived
from, or granted by, or claimed under any
so-called State, or the government thereof,”
etc., “ whenever, in the opinion of such
commander, the proper administration of
said act should require it.”
The 4th section of the same act made it
the commanders duty ** to remove from of
fice, all persons who were disloyal to the
government of the United States, or who
used their official influence in any manner
to hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct the
due and proper administration of said act,
and the acts to which it was supplemen
tary.”
These are the vast powers which the re
construction acts vested in a district com
mander upon the subject of removals from
office, and he had corresponding power
,, „ „ to fill vacancies by detailing soldiers for
A short while will deter- P url>08e ’ or by appointin « other per *
bave thwarted the party action; others
have thrown cold water upon wbat was nec
essary, and distracted concert and abated
zeal. A divided house can not accomplish
results. The press has bad no unity of pur
pose or concert of plan, but each one has
tired away in guerrilla fashion on his own
honk, as often hitting friend as foe.
IVe do not allude to these things acrimo
niously. We know bow honest and inde
pendent many of these have been, how
proudly, conscientious, and sensitively
Southern. We are simply retrospecting on
the battle-field, knowing much that distant
friend* wot not of. conversant with strate
gics and movements that a little help would
have made successful, or even a judicious
silence..
The result of it is that Governor Bullock
is victor. lie has gotten eligible Democrats
out and ineligible Radicals in! he has a
Speaker who has obeyed every behest; he
has a working majority in both branches.
Now begins the third act The fight is
transferred to Congress for a while. The
chances are against us. The Governor wants
a new deal for Senators and State Honse of
ficers. A powerful party in Congresses
working against him. Many, well posted,
predict his failure. We can make no proph
ecy ; wo can only say that the chances arc
in his favor,
mine.
The rumor is, but we don’t vouch for it
that Grant and Congress are split widely
on'our affairs.
Wo
Miller Was Elected.
We exposod yesterday the wanton mis
representation of figures by Governor Bul
lock in his Message in regard to tho olec-
! tion of Dr. Miller. His creatures try to
Gov Tii,.r Bullock rehashes the thrice j bolstor up his figures, but the effort only
.st:de and completely refuted slanders about di , the more th(J lari and indefen .
di.-orders and political lawlessness of the
rebel clement in Georgia. Tho truth is
that Radicalism has become so accustomed
to the vile aspersion, it wearily iterates it
from habit, as well as malice.
It is pitiful that the Executive of a great
State should thus traduce his people. The
«.» >) older of Georgia is to-day, and has
•■•■eii lor the past twelve months, an excep
tional thing in the whole county. The re
cord., of no State in the Union will show
e-tic quiet. The Governor would
douhth-s- have quoted the case of Adkins
in thiir mess age to prove our turbulence,
hut he was shamed nut of it by the scath
ing comment evoked by his uso of it in his
proclamation issued before ho went to
Washington.
Another noticeable feature of this mes
sage is the fieri inacity with which this func
tionary, who has sought to uproot the re
storation to the Union of the State accom
plished by the reconstruction acts ot Con
gress. has identified himself with Congress,
This livery is cast over all of his acts. And
hostility to his “personal schemes” is bold
ly charged as enmity to Congress and the
Government.
There is one clause in the message, how
ever, which we especially commend.
••The wrongs which have been done, the
lawless outrages which have been commit
ted in many parts of the State, are tbe acts
ot but a few irresponsible persons.”
Thisison the rccord.and wo trust that our
Congressional reconstructors may mark it
well. And wc hope they will particularly
observe it in connection with some previ
ous statements id the message, in both
Governor Bullock's and General Terry’s
parts, where sundry disparaging accounts
sible character of the false statement,
quote:
On the second ballot, which was tho
final one, the whole number of votes polled
was 211—necessary to a choice, 106.
Tbo ballot stood as follows:
II. Y. M. Miller, 120; Foster Blodgett,
72; J. L. Seward, 13; A. T. Akcrman, 6.
Webster defines a majority to bo that
number “more than half;” consequently
Mr. Miller’s majority is the difference be
tween one-half of the votes cast, to wit:
100, and the number of votes received by
him, to wit: 120. making his majority 14;
or, to make the case plainer, had 15 of the
2D claimed as majority for Miller by the
Constitution cast their votes for John
Smith, Mr. Miller would have but 105
votes, and would have failed of an election.
The sophistry of this explanation is
shown in the unfairness of taking tho 25
alleged illegal votes from Dr. Miller’s ma
jority and yet counting them in the aggre
gate of the votes cast; in counting them for
one purpose and not for another; in estima
ting them in deciding the number of votes
necessary to an election, but discarding
them as a part of any candidate’s vote.
If the 25 ballots aro excluded from Mil
ler's votes, they must be excluded from the
whole number polled, viz: 211. This
wouid reduce the aggregate to 186; half of
this is 93; so that 94 would bo necessary to
a choice instead of 10G, the half of 211.
Miller’s vote was 120. Of'the alleged in-
eligiblcs only 23 voted for him. Taking 23
from 120 and we have 97 as his legal vote,
whereas only 94 were necessary to an elec
tion, under their own plan.
Thus, according to his own mouth-piece,
are given of Georgia turbulence. It D true Governor Bullock is convicted of willful
the Governor contradicts himself, and ac- misrepresentation; and tho misreprcsenta-
knowleilges the utter untrutlifulness of the tion is deliberately bolstered up by an ille-
charge of desperate lawlessnes that re-! gal manipulation of the figures,
quiretl the subversion of the civil tribunals | Miller was undoubtedly elected. But
to correct, and that called for a rchabilita- j t h cro is another view of this subject Gov.
tion of a Ku-Klux Government; but wc; u u ii oc lc seeks to usurp the prerogatives of
trust that the \> arwick’s of Congress, the j xjnited States Senate by deciding upon
State makcis. will thi,,k none the less of j e , ig jbility of its elected members,
truth because it knock* over a previous . ^ MnIer ^ nQt th(J Sen .
I ate and not Governor Bullock is tho tribu
te shall have more to say of this, mes- j m| ^ decide tho question . This is another
i of these bold illegal grasps of unauthorized
sage.
IDEA
TIic Third Act in the State Drama, power that the Governor has attempted
Tl.e rnralu fell ^ the second act in j from tho beginning of this movement, to
the great s^rio-comte drama of Georgia re- : advance tho personal ends of himself and
reconstruction, when the Legislature ad- j his small hut desperate faction here,
journed. The first act ended with the pas- a t
sage of tbe Georgia bill. The third act now | THE “ ^kpDDJASI^
opens.
*««, «« ■» .-I...;
The battle over the Georgia bill, it is incut against Governor Bollock’s
nee lie.-s to more than ailnde t.t. Governor ) and General Terry’s Message.
Bullock won it easily. The necessities ol f y/ r . Editor: I had the honor of being one
tbo 13th Amendment, at that time, forbade j of t)le counsel recently engaged in delend-
t'ongresa the risk of submitting the qnes- j ing certain members of the General As-
tion to the Legislature, without tl.e negroes j ^'^Vere ine“£ibte‘to se^te in Sid
in. while the Governor convinced that body * Men ,bfy under the reconstruction acts of
that there was no hope of getting them in. Congress, and as it is my pluck never to
though lie did not want the chance given,
for fear the negroes would have been re
seated, and re-rcconstrnction prevented.
The sc. ond act is fresh in the minds ail.
It* scenes have been melodramatic in the
highest degree. Tbe Varieties never had a
performance more bizarre and versatile.
From the antics of Jocko, the monkey, up
to the tragedy of attempted murder,
through every phase of passion and show,
ithe thing h i- progressed. The dramatis
yersome tiave been numerous and different,
ranging from the Emperor to the buffoon.
Stilted tragedy and grinning farce, reso
lute despotism and harlequin’s pranks have
followed each other in quick, flashing se
quence. The curtain has fallen, with tho
Governor again the conqueror.
This art opened with much to encourage
the lovers of the country. Wofully have
the enemies of faction mismanaged the
game. Baffled often, where he expected an
easy triumph, the Governor was driven In
sheer desperation to the wildest lawless-
abandon a client’s cause until all honora
ble and legitimate means of serving him
are exhausted. I desire, in behalf of those
who have been expelled from their seats
by Brevet Major General Terry, to present
my humble views as to the political status
of Georgia, and the powers rightfully be
longing to the military commander of this
District. I shall do this in good temper,
without bitterness, without passion, and
with a becoming re-pect and toleration for
the feelings and opinions of others. I shall
avoid all vituperatiomand endeavortoattri
bute bad tnotivestonone who may chance
to differ with me upon the questions in
volved. 1 shall discuss the subject, as a
question of right, and justice, and law, in
which the expelled members and the peo
ple ot Georgia have a deep and vital inter
est. The discussion may result in no prac
tical good. It may not undo the wrongs
•nd usurpations ot the recent past, or ar
rest their perpetration in the future. It
will, at least, aid in making up a truthful
history of the times, and serve to show that
we are not oblivious or insensible to the
wrongs that are piled upon oar heads with
snch unsparing cruelty. An oppressed
people can find some relief in exercising
the poor privilege of remonstrance and
protest against injustice and wrong—a
privilege which every noble mind will
Does General Terry, or the Commander
in-Chief of the Army, or tbe Secretary of
War, or the President of the United States,
or any other officer or person throughout
this broad land, pretend that these vast
powers nowappertain to the military com
mander of tho District of Georgia? Will
any man, of any party, seriously insist that
General Terry has the lawful right to re
move any and every officer in this State,
and detail a military officer or soldier to
take his place and perform tbe functions of
the office?. Can tne military commander,
by virtue of any known law, remove tbe
Governor, the Justices of the Supreme
Court, the Judges of tbe Superior Court,
the Attorney and Solicitors General, the
members of the General Assembly, the
Ordinaries, the Clerks, the Sheriffs, etc., if
he should deem them “disloyal to the Gov
ernment ot the United States?”
If the romantic opinion should be con
ceived by General Terry, that the “ proper
administration” of the reconstruction acts
required their removal from office, could
be, by tbe exercise of a lawful power, dis
place the Judges of Georgia, and beautify
and adorn the Judiciary ot the State by
detailing some soldier, or appointing some
stranger to administer the laws? If he
should be impressed with the conviction
that the present members of the General
Assembly were “using their official influ
ence to binder, delay, prevent or obstruct
the due execution of the reconstruction
laws,” could he disperse the Legislature,
and march a battalion of United States sol
diers into the Capitol who, at his com
mand. would ratily constitutional amend
ment, declare the assent of the State to tbe
fundamental conditions ot restoration, and
make laws to suit him anil his party ? Can
a military commander play all these fan
tastic tricks in Georgia? It is no answer
to my questions to say that General Terry
will not do so. and that lie has too much
good sense and sound judgment to enact
such ridiculous performances. It is not a
question as to what he will uo in the exer
cise of his good sense and sound judgment,
but it is a question of power. Has he these
powers according to law ?
If the Government of Georgia is “pro
visional only,” nnd if the reconstruction
laws are still in force, and General Terry
may “exercise within this State the pow
ers of a commander of a military district,
as provided by the act ot March 2. 1767.
and the acts supplementary thereto.” he can
do all that I have said, and much more that
I have not enumerated. Before the State
was reconstructed, and before the recon
struction laws were executed, tho powers
before alluded to did belong to the district
commander, and were freely exercised,
even to the extent of removing the Gover
nor, the State Treasurer, the Comptroller
General, the Secretary of State, Judges of
the Superior Court, and many other offi
cers of tbe commonwealth. Do these pow
ers appertain to the commander now? If
they do, let it be known by what order they
were given. Let the grave question, in ail
its magnititude and force, be looked full in
the face.
General Terry has assumed to determine
that certain Senators and Representatives
of the Georgia Legislature are ineligible to
the seats they occupied, and ho has expelled
them from their places. More than this,
be has followed up that proceeding with an
official approval of an recommendation,
that others be seated in the places of the
expelled members, without any sort of in
quiry into the eligibility of the substitutes,
so far as the public are informed. One of
these substitutes is the Postmaster of At
lanta, Georgia, and occupies a place in the
Senate, and performs the functions and du
ties of a Senator, in direct violation of that
provision ot the Constitution of Georgia,
which declares that" no person holding a
military commission, or other appointment
or office, having any emolument or com
pensation annexed thereto, un 'erthis State
or the United States, or either of them, ex
cept Justices of the Peace and officers of
the militia,” etc., “shall have a seat in eith
er House.” Another one of these substi
tutes. who occupies the place of an expel
led member of the House, is tbe clerk of
the said Postmaster at Atlanta.
Let it be remembered iu this connection,
that Congress has approved the Constitu
tion of Georgia.
Now, if General Terry can lawfully do
this, then, indeed, the government of this
State is exceedingly provisional, and the
people have gone through an immense
farce in the matter of registering voters,
electing delegates, holding Conventions,
framing and ratifying a Constitution, elect
ing officers, and inaugurating a State Gov
ernment.
I repeat, with emphasis, that the present
government of Georgia is not provisional,
and the fact that General Terry, and Gov
ernor Bullock, and President Conley, and
Speaker McWhorter call it so, does not
change the fact. Nay more: if every offi
cer in the State should, as a matter of fancy
or otherwise, prefix the word provisional
to his official designation, it would not
change the nature or cnaracter of the gov
ernment. In former times, governments
were invested with something like sacred
ness. and could not be made or unmade, al-
11C ■
s has' I respectfully deny that tbepresent gov-
... nf eminent of Georgia is a “Provisional
y . ' Government, or that General Terry has any
stitntlon of State Government that was
republican, and the first section of the act
solemnly declared, that when her Legisla
ture should duly ratify Article 14tli of the
Constitution of the United States, and de-
Clare the assent of the State to certain fun
damental conditions specified in the act,
the State should be admitted to representa
tion.
Poor, friendless, humiliated Georgia
again pressed the cup of augmented bitter
ness to her lips, and on the 21st of July,
1863, complied with the very letter, with
every requirement of tbe act, upon the
doing of which the first section of the act
took effect and she was. by law. admitted to
representation in Congress as a State in the
Union. The act declared, in express terms,
that the first section should take effect as to
Georgia, when she ratified Article 14, and
assented to the conditions imposed.
From and after that time the prefix
“provisional” was dropped by Congress
and by every officer of the State, and of the
United States, and was never resumed un
til it became necessary to subserve other
ends besides reconstruction.
The law by which Georgia was admitted
stands this day upon the statute book, un
repealed and unaltered. Though her Sen
a tors and Representatives have no place in
the hails of Congress, yet they are. by
solemn, unrepealed law, most nnquestion-
ably entitled to their seats. Though the
State has neither voice nor vote in the Na
tional Legislature, she has nevertheless
been, by law, admitted to representation in
Congress as a State in tbe Union. Though
the Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk
of the House will not place the names of
her duly elected Senators and Representa
tives npon the roll of members, yet such
refusal does not repeal or change the law.
The persistent refusal of Congress to allow
the Senators and Representatives from
Georgia, to be sworn, and to rake their
places as members, does not in any manner
abrogate tbe law by which she was admit
ted to representation. The stolid indiffer
ence with which Congress has. up to this
time, disregarded its solemn pledge of ad
mission and failed to mete out to us the
benefits of the law, does not wipe out one
line or letter of its provisions from the
statute book. There it stands, with its un-
mistakeabie words and its solemn sanc
tions, declaring that Georgia shall be ad
mitted to representation in Congress as a
State in the Union.
The legal proposition that this State has
been by law admitted to renresentation in
Congress, is abundantly and unanswerably
shown by the fact that no additional legis
lation is necessary to effect ttiat object.
Senators and Representatives from Georgia
could now be qualified and take their seats
with no more ceremony than would be re
quired in the case of Senators and Repre
sentatives from Massachusetts, Ohio, or
any other State of the Union. To simply
administer the oath of office is all that is
necessary in either case, the law admitting
Georgia having been enacted and complied
with long ago.
Thus. I think it is conslusively shown,
that from and after the 21st. of July. 1S68.
the Government ef Georgia ceased to be
provisional, and assumed the form of a
permanent Government.; that the recon
struction acts were fully administered and
executed, and that the powers of the mili
tary commander, under said acts, ceased to
exist in the State.
I come now to a very brief discussion of
tbe objects and purposes of the act of the
22d of December, 18G9. entitled “An Act
to promote the Reconstruction of the
State of Georgia,” and the circumstances
that led to its passage. By this act. Con
gress intended to correct the wrong done
to the colored members of the General As-
sembly.'by their expulsion from the seats
to which they were elected, and If such
expulsion had not occurred, our Senators
and Representatives long ago would have
bepn in their places.
This act does not revive the reconstruc
tion laws, nor revoke the registration of
voters, nor withdraw the approval of the
Constitution of the State by Congress. It,
does not- in express terms, or by reasonable
implication, set aside anything that Geor
gia had done, except the act expelling the
colored members from the Legislature, and
seating others in their stead. The act no
where declares or hints at a revival of mil
itary authority in the State, hut as I shall
presently show, the provisions of the bill
clearly indicate the contrary.
My’humble view of rids act saves Con
gress from the imputation of riding over
the Constitution of the United States, and
of disregarding the vested rights of per
sons elected to the Legislature in accor
dance with law. The first section of the
14tli article of the Constitution provides,
that no State shall “deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection
of its laws,” and in the, judgment of Con
gress, this provision of the Constitution'
was violated by the expulsion of the color
ed members from the places to which they
had been elected, and to which they were
ineligible, in the General Assembly of the
State.
The 6th section of article 14. declares,
that Congress shall have power to enforce,
by appropriate legislation, the provisions
of said article, ami in the exercise of this
power, they deemed it appropriate legisla
tion to pass tlie ae.t of December 22. 1809.
in order to restore the colored men to their
seats and thus secure to them the equal pro
tection of the laws of the State, which the
Legislature had denied them when they
were expelled. Hence the act required the
Governor, (not the •• Provisional ” Govern
or.) to summon the persons elected to the
General Assemlfiy as apoears by the pro
clamation of General Meade to appear at
Atlanta on a day stated, and those persons,
and those alone, were to constitute the Gen
eral Assembly, if they could take the oaths
prescribed in the act. It they swore falsely
the act provided the remedy, and designa
ted the forum in which the remedy was to
be obtained. The idea that ail the offices
in the State were to he vacated, and new
elections had. is not so much as hinted at
in the act. No one thought of Gen. Terry
possing upon the eligibility of members,
and filling the places of those expelled by
him with others not summoned, or desig
nated in tlie act.
TBE FAIREST ALWAYS TBE
BAREST.
Thus ft Is all aver t*-o earth—
That which we call the fairest.
And prize for Its surpassing worth.
Is always the rarest.
Iron is heaped in monntaln piles.
And gluts the laggard forges;
. - But gold flakes gleam In dim defiles
And lonely gorges.
The snowy marble flecks the land
With heaped and rounded ledges,
Bnt diamonds hide beneath the sand
Their starry edges.
God gives no value unto men
Unmatched by need bf labor;
And co't of worth has ever been
The closest neighbor.
And golden all the mountains;
Were alt the rivers fed with wine
By tireless fountains.
Life wonld be ravishe' of its zest.
And shorn of its ambition.
And sink Into the dreamless rest
Of inanition.
To Subscribers.
Your paper will certainly be discontin
ued at the expiration of your subscription,
unless you renew beforehand,
If. you want to keep up with the acts of
the Legislature, the Supreme Court decis
ions, and the news of tho day, renew your
subscriptions at once.
ty Vanderbilt has gobbled a railroad Iu
Vermont.
The Negro Exodus from Southside
Virginia.
• Persons arriving here by the Danville
Railroad on Saturday report having as a
fellow-passenger a colored man who seem
ed to be employed to encourage negro emi
gration southward. At every station he
addressed the crowd of negroes assepib led
to meet the train, setting forth the glories
of the sunny South, and representing it to
be a land of milk and honey, corn-bread
and molasses, little work and big pay—this
“land where the good darkies go.” Ho
succeeded in arousing no little enthusiasm
among his auditors, even though his
speeches had to be short. Giving notice
that ho would be along the same route and
speak again on Thursday, he will doubt
less have more to hear him on that day.
The Southside farmers fear a direful re
sult unless this tide of emigration can bo
stemmed. Though less has been said about
it in the papers for the last week or two, tho
exodus continues, and the number of emi
grants daily increases. From Pittsylvania
county wc are informed that there aro
semi-weekly shipments, and the colonies
average perhaps two hundred persons, a
large portion of whom are able-bodied, la
boring men or hearty women. Mecklen
burg, Charlotte, Halifax, Franklin, Prince
Edward and Lunenburg, have all been
more or less depleted, and somo farmers re
port that all their hands havo deserted. The
worst of it is, that a furor has taken pos
session of the blacks, and emigration is be
coming almost as popular as “ leaving the
old place ” was just after the war.—From
the Richmond Dispatch.
Mr. SPEER’S resolution was adopted,
and the Senate took a recess until 4 o’clock
p. M.
Four O'clock p. m.
Message received from the House an
nouncing Us concurrence in the resolution
to take a recess until Monday, 14th Inst.
On motion, the Senate took a recess until
that time.
The House having failed to concur iu
passing the joint resolution to appoint a
committee of investigation into Gov. Bul
lock’s illegal and unlawful use of public
funds, tho Senate resolution amounts to
nothing.
Mr. BRYANT said ho wanted the
charges investigated, but first desired the
offices all filled, [He seems to think-Bui
lock will be replaced.] He voted" i
•. BRYANT moved to adjourn.
Mr.
GEORGIA LEGISLATURE.
» SENATE.
Wednesday. Feb. 2,1870.
Mr. CANDLER arose, after the reading I tion
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wednesday, February 2.
House met at 10, a. m., and was called to
order by tbe Speaker.
Prayer by Rev. M. Smith.
Calling of the roll dispensed with.
Jonrnalof Saturday read.
Message from “ His Excellency, tlie Pro
visional Governor,” was announced by B,
Paul Lester.
Mr. BRYANT arose to a point of order—
there was unfinished business before the
House—and it was a question whether his
protest should bo entered npon tho Jour
nal.
Mr. BRYANT then moved to have the
protest entered.
Mr. FITZPATRICK objected.
Motion put, and the Speaker announced
it carried.
Mr. FITZPATRICK said ho questioned
if It was carried.
The message was then read.
[It is published In Senate report, and
omitted here ]
O’NEAL, of Lowndes, offered a resolu
tion adopting the 14th Amendment, and
proceeded to comment thereon. He said
he was aware that many thought this
amendment had already been adopted
Many thought other wise.
Mr. TWEEDY called the previous ques
tion. Carried.
Main question put. Carrie.'!.
Division called for. No Democrat voted.
Yeas 71, nays nothing.
O’NEAL, of Lowndes, announced, with
a slight blush, that he was paired off with
some one, Mr. Turnipseed, he believed.
Sir. MAULL paired off with Mr. Hark-
ness, who had gone home on account of
family sickness.
Mr. SCOTT desired to know why Mr.
Wilchar’s name was not called, as he was a
member of the House?
The SPEAKER said, his name would be
entered at the proper time, when the offi
cial information.
The SPEAKER declared the "resolution
carried.
Mr. BRYANT made the point of order
that a quorum of tho House had not voted
for the resolution, and therefore it was not
carried.
Tho SPEAKER overruled him.
Mr. BRYANT then rose to a personal
explanation. He hart not voted for the
amendment, and read the following rea
son :
It is well known that tho 14th Amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States lias been ratified by both Houses of
tlie General Assembly of this State. I be
lieve we have already legally ratified the
said amendment, and thcretore I now de
cline to vote for its ratification. I also be
lieve, that this House lias been illegally or
ganized. and l therefore decline to vote for
the ratification.
J. E. Bryant.
Of Richmond county.
i O’NEAL, of Lowndes, offered another
j resolution, adopting “fundamental condi-
| tlons,” and resigned the floor to another
Radical, who called tho previous ques-
of tlie Message, but tlie CHAIR decided | Yeas and nays called for.
that Mr. Dunning was entitled to the floor, | Tlie roll was being called, when, on re
am! that resolutions were in order. i quest, the .resolution was again read, as
So far from creating a Military District
in Georgia, and placing a commander over
it, with the powers specified in the act of
March 2d. 1867. and its supplements, the
7th section of the act which I am dis
cussing provides, that upon the application
of the Governor of Georgia, not Provision
al Governor, the President of the United
States, shall employ such military or naval
forces of the United States as may be
necessary to enforce and execute the pro
visions of that act. not the reconstruction
acts that had already been enforced and
executed and become inoperative,
This 13 all that the military authorities
were to have to do with the act. and yet
tlie “ Provisional ” Governor and General
Terry have taken charge of the Legisla-
iature and ordered when it should meet,
when it should take recess, who should he
expelled, and who shnnld fill their places.
And when, by these means, a majoritv is
obtained that can be absolutely controlled,
they are told to call themselves a provis
ional Legislature, and to declare that
it is the only legal one that has existed
in the State since the war ended, and
to make haste and ratify the 14th
Amendment, declare again tne assent of
Georgia to the fundamental conditions of
the act of June 25. 186S. ratify the 15th
Amendment, and then take a recess of
twelve days, so as to give time for the man
Ipulators of this illegally organized As
sembly tb hie to Washington and beset*
Congress to approve and ratify what they
have done, to the utter ruin’of a State,
which, if maltreated and harras.sed much
longer, will not he worth admission into
any Union.
In behalf of my wronged clients, and in
behalf ofthis State, everv inch of who=e
Mr. DUNNING offered three resolu
tions, one ratifying tlie 14th Amendment;
one assenting to the act of Congress strik
ing out the Relief clauses of the Constitu
tion; one fatifying the 15th Amendment.
The first resolution to ratify the 14th
Amendment was read, when Mr. DUN
NING moved its adoption, which motion
was seconded.
Mr. CANDLER arose, but tho .PRESI
DENT stated that Mr. Duiining had not
yielded the floor.
The whole resolutions were then read.
Mr. DUNNING supported his motion to
adopt the resolution to ratify the 14th
Amendment, in a few pertinent remarks.
Mr. CANDLER offered as a substitute
that the Governor’s Message, with the ex
ception of the recommendation to ratify
the 14th Amendment, be referred to a joint
committee of three members from each
branch of the General Assembly.
Mr. CANDLER made one of his best ef
forts in support of his motion. His re
buke of the Governor’s charges against the
people of Georgia, was withering and
scathing.
Tlie President stopped Mr. Candler from
commenting on the Governor’s assertion
that all legislative action since July, 1868,
was illegal, and said that Mr. Candler must
online himself to .the subject before the
Senate.
Mr. C ANDLER’S response to the remark
of the President was crushing. He de
monstrated from the acts of.Governor Bul
lock that Georgia had a legal government.
Mr. BROCK lavored the adoption of the
resolution to ratify the 14th Amendment.
Mr. NUNN ALLY asked Mr- Brock if we
were not acting under tho 14th Amend
ment?
Mr. BROCK replied yes.
Mr. NUNN ALLY asked Mr. Brock if the
Senate were now to reject the aracudment
would it render it less valid ?
Mr. BROCK replied. “No.”
Mr. WOOTTEN offered as a substitute a
resolution that tlie Legislature of Georgia
having ratified the 14th Amendment, it is
unnecessary to vote on it again.
Mr. SPEER called the previous ques
tion, and the vote stood yeas 10, Nays 23.
By consent, Mr. CANDLER withdrew
his resolution, and the vote taken on Mr.
Dunning’s resolution to ratify the 14th
Amendment, with the following result:
Yeas—Messrs. Bowers, Brock. Bradley,
Benton, Campbell, Colman, Corbitt, Dickey,
Harris, Higbee, Hungerford. Jones, Mc
Whorter. Richardson, Sherman, Smith,
36th, Stringer, Wallaco, Dunning, Griffin.
6th. Griffin; 21st, Jordan, Traywick and Mr.
President—25.
Nays—Messrs. Nunnally, Smith, 7th,
McArthur, Hicks, Burns (under protest.)
Wellborn. Candler, Fain, Holcombe and
Wootten—10. „ -
During the calling of tbeyeasand nays,
tlie Democrats declined to vote, but the
President rteeided that they must vote.
Mr. DUNNING’S resolution assenting
to the act of Congress striking out the re
lief clauses in the State Constitution, was
put on its passage and adopted by, yeas 28,
” Mr/NUNNALLY' said he voted “nay,”
because he was in favor of relief.
Mr. Dunning’s resolution ratifying the
15tn Amendment was then taken up and
rushed through, being adopted hy the fol-
lowing vote:
Yeas—Bowers, Bradley, Brock, Benton,
Campbell, tolman, Corbitt, Dickey, Grif
fin (6th), Griffin (21st), Harris, Higbee,
Hungerford. Jones, Jordan, McWhorter,
ness, ana couni not oe mnacor unmaue,»i- v -r -yr** rv ; r ,
teredor modified by a process so cheap, or * love, and in behalf of her people,
an arrangement so convenient. (whose welfare and happiness I desire above
[every earthly good, I appeal to Congress,
ness. And to the credit of his wicked
nerve be It said that be never faltered, ne j freely accord
ha* heeded nothing in his way. He
alike disregarded the possible hostUity , 0ovcrnment .or
Congress, the restrictions of undoubted : IaW |„i power, or rightful authority, to bin-
law, the firm opposition of conservatism, i der or interrupt any member of the Gen-
and the influence of the good and the pa- ^Assembly from paruidpatin^ in ^e
triotlc, steadily placing bis eye on success
be has pursued it grimly. It Is true he has
had General Terry to back him, bnt still it
required firm grit on his part to keep on
Several times bat he tottered to failure,
and be knew It. Tlie consequences of his
cwo illegal acts have nigh ruined his cause
several times, but his plnck has never
proceedings of the same, after such mem
her has taken the oath required by the Con
stitution of the State, and hai in addition
thereto, taken, subscribed, and filed in the
office of the Secretary of State, one of the
oaths prescribed in the Act of Congres, ap
proved December22.1869,entitled, an.act
to promote the reconstruction of the state
of Georgia.”
General Terry has actually expelled Sen-
falled him. He had gone too far return j fto™ and Representative fromtbelrplacea
. . T .. _ 1 in the General Assembly, alter they nave
Jjack. Like Macbeth, lie had waded in so, doly elected qualified and served for
deep In wrong, that going back were as I nearly two years, and the only pretence for
I put the case of my clients, and the in
terests of our people upon the law. which
can not be rightfully repealed or changed
by prefixes or military orders. The recon
struction acts placed Georgiaunder the ab
solute control of a military government,
and required certain things to be done, be
fore swords snd bayonets should cease to
flash and glisten in the faces of her people,
and bitter as was the cup to many of her
citizens, she drank its contents of worm
wood and gall, until even the dregs were
all taken.
The law declared that the Government
should be provisional only, and subject to
the authority of tho Military Commander,
and Congress. “ until the people shonld be
by law, admitted to representation in the
Congress of the United States.”
The good old State, with burning feet
walked through the fiery ordeal, and Con
gress took her by the hand and said, thus
far it is enough, and yon shall be delivered,
and on the 25tb of Jane, 1863, an act was
passed entitled “ An Act to admit tbe
States of North Carolina. South Carolina,
Louisiana. Georgia, Alabama, and Florida,
to representation in Congress.”
The preamble to this act declared, that
Georgia had, in pursuance of the provisions
some thought tlie resolution was upon the
adoption of the 15tii Amendment.
Some Dcmoi-rat3 voted no, tho rest did
not vote..
The Democrats then withdrew their votes,
and the Speaker announced that the vote
stood Urns—yeas 71, nays 1, and that it was
carried. , . ,
Mr. BRYANT rose.to a point of order.
A majority of a quorum of the House had
nat voted, and, therefore, the resolution
was not enrried. _ .
The SPEAKER admitted the correctness
of Mr. Bryant’s position; but said he was
in the hands of a greater than he; after he
got out of this thraldom, lie would sustain
Mr. Bryant’s position, but not now.
O’NEAL, of Lowndes, proposed a reso
lution adopting the 15th Amedment, and
resigned tlie floor to Lane, ot Brooks, who
called the previous question.
On this resolution the yeas and nays were
called*
Mr. ANDERSON said ho considered
himself gagged, and declined to vote.
HALL, of Glynn, voted “ no,” and ex
plained that he did so because Congress
bad declared Georgia not a State in the
Union, and not being a State, her action
on this Amendment must be void.
PARKS, of Gwinnett, said he wa3 in
structed by his constituents, and voted
y Mr. TUMLIN voted “ no,” and had read
the follovving: ■ ■ .
“A proposition to adopt tlie loth Amend
ment meets with the uncompromising rep
robation of the noble, true and brave peo
ple whom I represent, and also with the
feeling of their Representative, and I can
but, in this as well as in all other hours of
trial, remain true to them and true to the
principles upon which they elected me.
And though it may be passed over my
head, I shall leave for them to behold,spread,
upon tho journals of this House my deter
mined protest against this crowmnjr act of
Radicalism and treason against all good
people of the South.”
PRICE, of Lumpkin, explained that a
vear a"0 he Beaded (not beheaded) those
who favored the adoption, and therefore
voted “yes.”
Mr. Bryant declined to vote.
I am in favor of the ratification of the
15th Amendment, but believing as I do that
this House has not been legally organized,
and that persons are permitted to partici
pate in its proceedings who are not legally
entitled to do so. I decline to vote.
J. E- B BY ANT,
Richmond county.
The SPEAKER announced that the vote
stood thus: Yeas 55; nays 29, and the reso
lution was carried.
Mr. TWEEDY, of Richmond, moved to
transmit the action of the House to the
Senate. Carried. _
Mr. SCOTT, of Floyd, offered a resolu
tion requesting the Governor to order,
within twenty days, an election to fill va
cancies. caused by death or otherwiso, and
moved to take up the resolution.
The SPEAKER said ho did not believe
this was consistent with his “orders” from
above; but as he hsd been arbitrary here
tofore, he would waive his privilege and
put the question to the House.
A message from the Governor (Provi
sional) was here announced and read. It
restored, under General Terry’s Order 13,
Mr. Wilchar, of Taylor county, and Mr. A.
T. Bennett, of Jackson county, to their
scats in the House. _ .
Mr. CALDWELL, of Troup, offered a
resolution requesting Congress to relieve
Richardson. Sherman, Smith (36th), Speer, .11 persons in the State of Georgia, from
tftdions as pushing forward.
i lawful «ireiseof snch startling authorl- of the Reconstruction Acts, fratqcd a Con- Aiv. W
and to the President, to give ns a speed v de
liverance from the tronb'es that have so
long shut the door of prosperity against
i. Geo. N. Lester.
yg* Speaking of the finishing stroke put
to “the infamous business of reconstruc
tion,” in the admission of Virginia, the New
York World says:
Bnt the hour of triumph will be the turn
ing point in the political tide, and the for
tunes of the Republican party will begin to
decline from the moment that the subjuga
tion of the South .seems complete. Vault
ing ambition will find that it has overleap
ed itself and fallen on the other side. This
device of universal negro suffrage will re
turn to plague the inventors.
Hon. A. N. Worthy has been sad
denly summoned to the dying bedside of
his aged and revered father. His duty
calls him away at a time when his services
are greatly needed to the State. We deep
ly sympathize with him. His father was
many years a Georgia Legislator.—Montg.
Stringer, Wallace, Welch. Dunning Tray
wick, and Mr. President—26.
* Nays—Burns, Candler, Fain, Hicks, Hol
comb, McArthur, Nunnally, Smith (7th),
Wellborn and Wootten—10.
PRESIDENT CONLEY asked permis- t Is.
sion to vote on the adoption of the resoln-1 Yeas, 61; nays, 50
tion, bnt Mr. Burns objected. Permission
was granted.
A message was received from the House,
announcing the ratification of the 14th and
15th Amendments, and the ratification of
the expunging of the Relief Laws from the
•Constitution by Congress.
On motion of Mr. HARRIS, the action
of the House was concurred in, by yeas 24,
nays 10.
Mr. HARRIS offered a resolution for the
appointment of a joint committee of five
from the Senate and seven from the Honse,
to investigate the charges preferred against
Gov. Bullock for the unlawful use of pub
lic funds.
Mr. CANDLER suggested that the Leg
islature still being Illegal, and the Govern
or provisional, such a resolution would be
illegal.
The resolution was adopted and tbe
PRESIDENT apoointed Harris, Dnnning,
Fain, Nunnally, and Brock as tbe commit
tee.
1 their disabilties, and moved to take up
e resolution. Yeas and nays called.
WATKINS said hs the Democrats had
'eclined to vote on the adoption of the I5tb
\ mendment, he wonld decline to vote oh
l6uS t 01t llajfo* uu«
Lost, as it required a three-fourth vote
Mr. BETHUNE offered a resolution to
,point a committee to investigate the
targes of Treasurer Angler against Gov.
tllock.
Lost on motion to take up resolution.
MADDEN offered a resointion adjourn-
<r the House until Monday, the 14th in
int.
WILLIAMS offered an amendment to
spend the pay of members daring the
terval.
BETHUNE offered a resolntien reqnest-
■g General Terry to suspend tbe collec-
on of debts contracted prior to Jane 1,
65, until tbe Legislature can act upon
te question of relief from the same.
Motion to take np this resointion lost.
Message from tbe Senate announcing its
oncnrrence with the House in the ratifi-
atlon of the 15th Amendment and thefun-
;amental conditions.
The Chaplain Committee reported that
hey could secure the services of Rev. W.
Message from the Senate asking concur
rence in their adjournment to the 14th
instant.
Amendment offered and a desperate at
tempt made by Mr. Bryant to bo beard, but
tbe SPEAKER pot a motion of some one
to concur in Senate adjournment to the
14th inst. This was carried. [Immense
applause from the Radicals-!
Meningitis.—As the recent occurrence
of tOTCrat cases of meningitis fn our city, resn't-
tng fatally, has created much inquiry as to the
nature and symptoms of this disease, we have
been at mnch paths to ascertain from physicians
tho facts given below.
In former times, when physioians and people
were not so precise as now, in tho technical de
stgnatlonof dt*ea*es. we ’earn that this would
havo been called inflammation f the brain. In
this disease, the coverings of the brain—called
tho meninges, by the doctors—are irfl&med
Bence, the name meningitis designates an In
carnation of the coverings ot tbebrain Cerebri,
tls is lnllam&tion of the proper snbs tancc of the
brain. The termination “ lit*.” in medical no
menclature, signifies inflamatlon. When the cov
erings of the brain are alone affected, the disease
is technically known as cerebral meningitis.
When the coverings of tho sp-.ne alone are inllam.
ed. spinal meningitis designates its Inca’I ty and
nataro. When tho meninges of both the brain
and spinal marrow are Inflamed, the disease is
called cerebro-ipinal meningitis. Pnrlng lbe
prevalence of an epidemic of this disease, cases
representative of all tho above phases may be de
veloped.
Meningitis, whether prevailing as an epidemic
or occurring sporadically. Is ea necessitate, a very
fatal disease, because it interferes with tbe
healthy action of tho nervocenters. which the
merest tyro In medicine knows, preside over and
govern the functions of the organism.
Tho best authorities describe the dUeaso as be
ing sometimes a simple inflammation, and some
times of a tuberculous origin. Simple Menlng tin
or that which is notprovoked by a deposition of tu-
berolo. sometime prevails as an epidemic, ar.d the
epidemic oanso, like that of cholera or any other
scourge, is rendored more potent by accidental
existing canscs, such as the prevalence of malaria,
Imprudent exposure to vicissitudes ot temper
ature, the sudden drying up of sores about the
head. Imprudent use of stimulants, improper diet,
(especially the eating of hearty suppors) over
fatigne of body or mind, and, in short, any act or
habit which tends to produce unnatural nervous
excitement or depression.
The fatality of the disesse. is duo to tho disor
ganization of the membranes covering the brain,
and tho extending of that disorganization to tho
brain substance, in Cerebral Meningitis. In Spi
nsl Meningitis, similar anatomical ebanges tafco
place in tho coverings and proper substance or
the spln.M column To attempt to describe these
changes, in tho columns of adaily Journal, would
ho an useless undertaking, as the description
would be untnte Ulgtblc, except to the professional
lan.
It is in tbo outward manifestations of tho dis
ease that tbe general ireadcr is most Interested.
The discussion of the path 'tony and the responsi
bility of tlie treatment should be left to tho intel
ligent practitioner of medicifto- Tlio general
reader will find ranch of interest in the following
extraot from a recent work of .1. Uovris Smith on
Dlseuea of Children;
Pbejiokitort Stags —Meningitis is usually
prccedsd by symptoms, which, if rightly inter
preted, are of tho greatest value. In most cases
of both the slmplo and tubercular forms, which I
have seen, there was a prodromic period, varying
from a few days to as many weeks. The symp
toms of this stago are obsenre and are apt to be
mistaken for those of other'and distinct affec
tions.
The child in whom meningitis is approaching
loses his) accustomed vivacity and cheorfulness.
He has a melancholy and snbdued appearance,
being quiet for a few moments and then fretful
without cause, lie can sometimes be amused by
his playthings or companions for a brief period,
when ho turns from them with evident displeas
ure. Unexpected and loud noises and bright
lights are evidently painful. IT old enough to do-
scribo his sensations, ho complains of transient
dizziness, and at other times of headacho. llis
Ill-hnmor, IT his wishes are not immediately com
plied with, are often scarcely endurable on the
part of f i iends, wko aro ignorant of ti e cansc.
There is great difference, howevsr, in different
cases as regards these symptoms. Somo are in
clined to be taciturn and qniet, while others are
almost constantly fretting Tho appetite is ca
pricious. Tho bowels regular or inclined to con
stipation. Tbe pulse Is natural, or it his at times
acceleration, especially in the latter part of the
day, or towards the close of tbo premonitory stage.
Tne duration of thla stage is very various: Upon
an arerage, it is perhaps about two weeks, but it
is often longer.
Unless tho prodromic period is of short dura
tion, the effect of imperfect nutrition is obvious
before it doses. The flesh becomes soft and flabby,
or there is actual emaciation, though generally
slight. The patient loses his strength, becoming
less able to stand or walk, and more easily fa
tigued. Occasionally, and especially in tho sim
ple form, premonitory symptoms are absent, or
are slight and of short duration.” When the pre
monitory stage has passed, and the inflammation
fairly developed, other symptoms develop them
selves, among which may bo enumerated tho fol
lowing, viz: A disposition to lie quiet, with the
byes shut, a wild expression of face whon aroused,
eye-brows contracted, a melancholy look, if con
sciousness is not lost, complaints of headache or
pains in other paits of the body, tongue moist
and covered with slight fur, appetito lost, or poor,
seldom much thirst, more or less nausea and con
stipation.
As tho case proceeds, the vital powers begin to
yield, the surface becomes more pallid, frequently
there is a sudden disappearance of spots or par
ticles npon the face, forehead or ears, the temper
ature falls, the face and limbs at times feel quite
cool, consciousness, in sovere cases, is lost at an
early'period, “ sometimes consciousness remains,
though partially obscured, to within twenty, four
or thirty-six hours of death, lass of the senses
constitutes an Interesting but melancholy feature
of the disease.” The appearance of the eye is an
important feature tor study in this disease. The
pupils dilate and contract sluggishly, sometimes
they aro of unequal diameter. " When convul
sions ocenr, parallelism of tho eyes is lost, and
when this is the ease,they have, for the most part,
an upward direction. After effusion, the pupils
are generally dilated. As death approaches, the
eye becomes bleared and a puriform secretion
collects at the inner angle of the eye.”
The senso of hearing is generally early lost
Touch continues longer. Patients will often
eagerly take drinks, when they exhibit no other
signs of consciousness. Vomiting and constipation
are rarely absent In tho first stago. the pulse is
generally accelerated. After three or four days,
it becomes slower and more irregular. Tho re
spiration, at first natural or aocelerated, beco-ves
Irregular, intermittent, or accompanied by sighs.
When convulsions set In, the prospect of a favor
able issue is greatly diminished. The severity of
these is very various. Tear* are seldom shed, and
the dlmlniibed amount of urine passed, is indi
cative of the general derangement of the func-
lons of the organism.
If the patient lingers tbedrousiness is often pro-
fonnd, “ the vomiting coaset and sensation and
consciousness entirely lost.
From the above statements and extracts the
general reader can form a pretty correct idea of
the symptoms and external manifestations of the
disease. Common sense will dictate the impor
tance of attending to the symptoms of tho pre
monitory stage, and of using remedial means to
allay nervous iritahllity, keeping the bowels reg-
ular, the mustard foot bath, lancing the gums of
children, when they are swollen during dentition,
blisters (small ones) behind the years In o?ses in
which eruptions, or sores on or about ihe head
have suddenly receded or dried np, are among the
obvious remedies that suggest themselves to an
intelligent parent who employa educated physi
cians to advise him. Of the treatment, it is not
deemed Judicious fnrther to enlarge, as It Is pre
sumed that each case of a grave character will so
command attention of Judicious parents as to in
dace them to call upon the best medical skill in
their reach.
Meningitis roost generally attacks children, but
adult* aro not exempt from It Daring the late
war, iu certain localities, generally malarious,
meningitis prevailed as an epidemic among the
soldiers of ’he confederate army, and killed a
* 4 Tl?e 1 Dumtfer < of raises that have recently occur-
- “ V • - * - * i .ttUvan its A tl«Ut3 iS DOfc
that It is
Mr. WOOTTEN, from the committee, re- \ P. Harrison and R- W. Fuller, and recom
ported rules for' the government of the mended them to the House.
senate.
Fifty copies ordered printed for the use
of the Senate.
Mr. HIGBEE moved that 500 copies of
the Governor’s Message be printed, which
motion prevailed.
Mr. SPEER offered a resolution that tho
General Assembly, when it does adjourn,
take a recess until 10 o’clock, a. m, on the
14th inst.'
Mr. CANDLER moved to amend hy In
serting the Hth for the Utb, which dla not
prevail, '
Committee on “Rules” recommended the
adoption of the Rules of the preceding ses
sion. Report adopted.
Message from the Senate announcing the
aDpointment of a committee of five in the
Senate to Investigate the charges of
Treasurer Angler against Provisional Gov
ernor Bullock, and requesting tbe appoint
ment of a committee of seven to co-oper
ate with the-Senate Committee.
Yeas and nays called on the motion to
take up the message. Yeas 72, nays 44.
Motion lost.
red among infanta and children In Atlanta, is not
tuffiofent^ large to Jollify the opi-—
epidemic here.
Very Natural.
Law and order may bo interchangeable
terms in Georgia, but it may be no harm to
say that it was Intended to speak yesterday
of General Terry’s recent order, and not
“Gen. Terry’s recent law.”—N. Y. Times.
The Times needn’t correct itself. The
first phrase was right. There is no law in
Georgia but Gen. Terry’s.
IW California wines arc selling in New
York sample-rooms at fifty cents a bottle,
«to be drank on the premises.”
OUR WASHINGTON Lr.lt'.'.
Dawes Forces Radical Retrench
ment-Radical Kxtravngaiu-c—
Revels, the Negri* rienator—Tlio
Virginia Congressmen—Memori
al Against Negro Suffrage—15th
Amendment—Other Items.
Washington, Feb. 2,1370.
Editor ^Constitution: Since Mr. Dawes
exposed the extravagances of the adminis
tration, a number ot bills have been pre
pared, and several already Introduced in
Congress, with a view to retrenchment. It
is proposed to abolish the franking privi
lege; to discontinue tho agricultural bu
reau, and sell the property; to reduce the
navy to the basis of 1862; to place the aruiy
on a peace footing; to cutdown the print
ing of public documents; to abolish mile
age; to cut down the salaries jor mem bn a
ot Congress; aud to relieve the eountri- of
the expense of contested elections. That
all of these proposed reiornis will Ims chi-
ried out, is too much to expect. Alter nil,
the saving they will effect is trifling c, tn-
pared to the large amount of the people's
money wastefully squandered in other
wavs. Beginning at tlie White Honse- we
find snch extravagances as arc indulged in
by shoddyites, and persons of low origin,
who have “struck ile.” Instead of the plain
substantial furniture, which answered the
purposes of our republican President*, we
see French gilt and gaudy freseolng. which
offends the eye of every peison of good
taste. We Hud three or four Brevet Brig
adier Generals acting as door-keepers, ush
ers and clerks, with the position of A. D.
C.. which enables them to draw the pay of
their brevet rank, and entails upon the
country an expense ten times greater than
that of President Johnson's regime. In all
the departments the expenses are greater
and tho work leas than under the last ad
ministration.
if this is to he a republican government
there must be sweeping reforms. Com
mence with the army. The office of Gen
eral is a war office—let it be abolislicd.
Abolish, also, the rank of Lieutenant Gen
eral; and if Sherman is to be the head of
tho army, let him rank as a major General,
nnd dispense with that rank below him.
Do away with brevet, ranks, which only
causa confusion. We have here nmv
a brevet major general, who wears a major
general's uniform, and who was breveted
iccausc he got a splinter in his foot in
climbing over a fence to rob a lien roo«t.
He is only a lieutenant—let him wear a
lieutenant's uniform. Let the President’s
clerks and door-keeperg, be clerks and door
keepers, on clerks and door-keepers p»y;
and-not brevet brigadier general-son brig
adier generals pay. While army blllrt-is
are holding profitable civil positions, and
are not necessary to theservice. let them l*o
struck off the army list. Let the same sys
tem Ira carried out with regard to tbe navy.
Abolish the high and unnecessary rank* of
Admiral and Vice Admiral, and lop off the
useless members or the force, and those de
tailed on civil service. By this mean*, not
only would the efficiency of both the army
and navy be greatly increased, but tbe sav
ing would be enormous. Then cut down
tbe clerical force of tbe departments to an
active working force; do away with sine
cures, and render it impossible for a man
to draw pay for three or from offices, tlie
rank ot which is performed by clerk* paid
from the public treasury. If we arc to have
economy, retrenchment, reform, this is the
way it must be accomplished. We must
strike at tlie root of tbe evil. The propo
sitions now before Congress, or about to be
brought before that body, merely lop off a
few excrescent branches.
BEVELS.
Tlie Radicals arc having a “high old
time.” and fairly reveling over Senator
Revel*, the colored Senator from Mis-i-sip-
pi. It is noticeable that tho “ Honorable
Senator” did not put up at a hotel, nut be
took himself to tbe residence of Downing,
the colored caterer of this city. Last eve
ning Downing gave an entertainment in
honor of his distinguished guest. Tlie Re
publican of this morning says:
* Among those present were Senators
Wilson, Harris. Hon. Win. D. Kelly, the en
tire .Mississippi delegation. Congressional
Register, J. F. Cook, Mayor Bowen, Corpo
ration Attorney Cook, Mr. Webb, of .la-
maica; l’rofessor Vaslion, Sella Martin,
Charles H. Peters, F. G. Barbadoes. Alder
man Carter A. Stewart. Henry Johnson,
Rev. C. \V. Dennison. Dr. Snodgrass, Mr.
I>. W. Bartlett, of tlie Independent, and
others, in all about forty persuns. A very
agreeable evening was passed In social
converse. Late in the evening Ihe host
served a magnificent supper in Ids own In
imitable manner.
“ During tlieevening the guests were en
tertained witli vocal and instrumental mu
sic. furnished by Prof. Boston and Mr.
George Washington. Jr. It was exjracted
that a serenade would Ira tendered Mr.
Kcwis, but upon consultation with somo
of the more prominent colored citizens, it
was thought proper to defer it until a later
day, when it is proposed by the citizens to
tender the new Senator a grand oration,
consisting of a torchlight procession and
serenade.”
13 there a cornfield nigger in tlie Sontii
who, after hearing these extract* read, will
not lay down his hoe, and become a poli
tician at once ? Think of it! •• Social con-
verso” with white Senators, “ a magnificent
supper,” and “ a grand ovation, consisting
of a torchlight procession and serenade,” in
prospective!
Oh. lay down dc shnbel and da hoc,
Hanzupde fiddle and de bow.
There’s no more work for the cornfield nl*.
lie’s gone where whtto men onght io go:
Mr. Booker, Representative in Congress
from tbe Fourth Virginia District, was ad
mitted to Ids seat yesterday. The Virgin
ia delegation is now complete in both
Houses, except Mr. Segar, who claims to
represent the State at large. But in the
opinion of the committee and of prominent
members of Congress, Mr. Segar is entirely
out of the field, as it is not believed that
the State had authority to elect a Rrpr*-
sentative-at-largo. Tlie committee will so
report, and will then be discharged from
the consideration of the whole subject.
A memorial against negro suffrage was
presented in tho Senate yesterday. It de
clares the inferiority of tho black to tho
white race, recites tlie injuries which must
result from attempting to piaco the negro
on a footing of social and political equality
with the white man. and concludes with
extracts from tho writings and speeches of
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson. Daniel
Webster, Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas,
and Abraham Lincoln, in support ol tho
position taken. The memorial was present
ed by Senator Sauisbury, of Delaware.
A curious point has been raised in relation
to the fifteenth amendment. To secure its
adoption, it must be ratified by two-thlnJs
of tne whole number of States. Now. cur
tain Southern States have only been ad
mitted into tlie Union on condition that
they first ratified the fifteenth amendment.
Were they States when they so ratified, and
when they had no representation In Con
gress? If they were not States, then their
adoption of the amendment should go for
naught. If they were States of the Union,
why were they not represented in Con
gress? Leaving out of the question tho
fact that these States were coerced, this is
a pretty nut for the Radicals to crack.
Senator Pomcry proposes to abolish the
sale of liquors in the District of Crlumhta,
except for medicinal and other necessary
purposes, through authorized agents. This
is the “ Maine Law,” and it will be opposed
with might and main.
It is said that tbe Postmaster General is
anxious that tho House bill abolishing the
franking privilege should be ’.mended in
tlie Senate so as to allow country newspa
pers to circulate free in the counties where
they are printed.
The Kansas House of Representatives has
adopted a joint resolution asking Congress
to submit Julian’s sixteenth amendment to
the Legislatures of the various States for
ratification.
The New Jersey House of Representa
tives rejected the fifteenth amendment ves-
terday afternoon.
The Currency Bill, which pns*ed the Sen
ate to-day, provides for tlie issue of fortv-
five millions new bank notes, and gives the
South and West sixtv-five millions more
currency; twenty millions to be taken from
tho New England banks.
The President gave a diplomatic dirin«r
this evening.
Kelly & Leon’s Minstrels are at the Na
tional Theater.
Laura Keene and Company are at Walls’
Opera House.
E. L. Davenport commences an engage
ment here Monday. Argus.
A Pittsburg man who signed a note with
a shoemaker, bad to pav ft and-tako an old
fiddle for security; he has an original way
of refusing to sign notes any more. When
a man applies to him to sign a note with
him, he takes down thaC;old fiddle nnd
plays. “Shoo, Fly. Don't' Codder me,” un
til the interviewer departs.
ggy Dispatches from Rome state that the
Pope has refused to receive tbe address of
137 bishops protesting against the dogma
of infallibility.