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NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE BANNER OF THE SOUTH.
president Grant and His Policy — The
youth need expect no favors from
Him — Our Hope and our Help in
ourselves —Be steadfast and firm in
the way and the truth and all will he
right—Stewart and the Bond-holders
Sherman receives his reward — A
Big Whale Bum hug—George Wash
ington and the fir*t Inauguration—
rlhe Banner of the South, and its
Principles .
New York, February 26, 1569.
Banner of the South :
Grant has lifted the veil, but not re
moved the pressure. His inaugural
leaves things pretty much as they were,
and save that he has openly aligned him
self in favor of negro suffrage and a pay
ment of the debt in gold, we are
about as wise as we were before. But
what of it ? The welfare of this country
is not in the hollow of this man's hand,
nor is its life dependent on the breath of
his mouth. lie, forsooth, is to do this
and do that. Let him carry a repeal of
the Tenure-of-Office act, before he prates
of his power. His introduction into the
political situtation adds no very great
elememeut of novelty. It is still the
same old fight of the South against Con
gress ; of liberty against despotism. If
Grant joins Congress, that junction will
add almost nothing to the power of Con
gress ; and if he oppose himself, the
body will crush him as they crushed Mr.
Johnson. Therefore it is, I say the same
old fight, waged on the same issues and
to be met in the same way—by unabated
resistance and a constant recollection
that we were born free and can never be
made slaves, unless we first fit ourselves
for servitude. Let ’em rollon their cart ;
let ’em pa£s their laws ; they are but men
even as we are men ; they are subject
like us to mutation ; and as one series
of events now depress us, another series
may at any moment depress them.
Change is the law of life ; “times,” as
the poet has it, “go by turns they are
up to-day, and we may' be to-morrow.
Renewed resistance then, 0 ! South.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends.
Reform the lines and at ’em again.
There is a way to vindicate Constitution
al principles and secure our imperrilled
birthright of a government of choice. I
am in a position to say that the most de
termined efforts are making here to coa
lesce the elements of opposition to Radi
calism into a solid party, which will
exert every possible energy to procure a
decision direct from the people on the
present posture of affairs. Ere long the
place of the South in this effort, and that
place is in the fore front of the column,
will be made distinctly known, but for
the present an unflinching continuance of
opposition alike to Radical force and
Radical blandishments, is a vital point.
The general tenor of the effort whereof
I speak, is a resort to first principles in
the shape of a Convention of the States,
to revise, amend, re-invigorate, and forti
fy the Federal Constitution. In time
you will see the Democratic party take
this ground. The right to have such a
Convention is plain in the Constitution
and its power to propose amendments
to the Constitution is above anything that
Congress can do;
What then if there be a bull-headed
Executive, and a cowed Judiciary, and a
fraudulent, malign, and stubborn Con
gress —here is a way to appeal from each
and all of them direct to the People who
made them and whose servants they, of
right, are. To give up the combat; to
renounce hope; to forswear freedom; to
sit down in mute despair on the degrad
ed level of the negro, and be the help
less prey of vagabonds and thieves, is not
to be thought of for an instant. Eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty and un
ceasing strugglethe path that triumph
walks.
These people are not as strong as they
say. It is but the game of brag they
are playing and when stood up to, face
to face and eye to eye, you will find that
beneath this frowning mask which they
would have you to believe is the direct
countenance of a frowning Dietv, there
is nothing after all but a mere man.
Put em to the vote to-day and they
would go down by half a million major
ity, niggers and all. To hear them talk
you would think there was not a man,
woman, or child in the whole North hut
was Radical, and yet in this very State
"-here I now write there are no less than
a half million Democratic voters. Just
think of this when they blow their horn
iu your hearing again—that here, in but
one State, are five hundred thousand men
who on every question dear to the South
ln the question of local self government
a nd in the matter of negro suffrage,
'tand just exactly where the South stands
a ud may be relied on for their half mil
don votes erer// time. Look to Penn
syh ania and Ohio, also, each with their
third of a million Democratic voters
more. Take the whole North and in
fom million voters the Radical majority
is but six per cent. Take the whole
country and they are in a minority of
halt a million. Let this then he remem
bered ■and with it that in future elections
this vile party must face the people at a
disadvantage it has never known before.
Grant saved it the last time but there is
no Grant to save it now. That card has
been played and with it went the last
trump in the villains’ hand. Henceforth
they must meet the issue on the merits;
there is no conquering hero now to hide*
with his swollen fame their oppressions,
their exactions, their stupidities, and
their thefts. Accordingly it is that in
all the local elections throughout the
North there is but one result and that in
favor of the Democratic party. Here
they gain an hundred and there two
hundred and at another point four hund
red, and with these straws to show the
way the wind blows can we not forecast
the issue of coming elections of greater
magnitude ? All is not lost and all that
the South need do is to steadfastly keep
its faith in the Constitution, constantly
reject and denounce these scoundrel re
constructed sham State governments,
and base itself immutably on the plat
form of kindness and legal protection to
the negro but the white man alone to
rule.
One incident of the new administra
tion merits mention. Sundry bond-hold
ers from this city, headed by A. T.
Stewart, presented Sherman the other
day T with the title-deeds to Grant’s house
and some fifty thousand dollars beside.
Sherman was very grateful of course,
and this buys his sword. Henceforth
he is the bond-holders gladiator, but when
those pretensions come to be finally
tried I fancy that on the other side there
will be found unbought swordsmen more
able than he. And now auother inci
dent. At the first session of the Geor
gia legislature after the war, there was
a statement made of the value of proper
ty" in the State as compared with other
years, and one little item of this Sherman
is worth a note. The value of the
“kitchen-ware” in Georgia after his
raid through the State was $1,000,000
less than immediately before, and the
inference is plain.therefore as to the huge
damage done by the hero and his troops
to the pots and pan’s of the housewives
of the State.
There has lately been an interesting
case in the courts here as to the money
value of a whale. It seems a fellow
that keeps a bathing house on the East
river conceived the brilliant idea of
giving himself out as a distinguised Pro
fessor just from the North pole with a
fine, large whale. To get this whale he
went not to Nova Zembla, but to an
an ingenious German artisan with in
structions to make him as big a fish as he
could for the money. Forthwith the
German went to work and fashioned a
first class whale which was found to
answer admirably on its trial trip. Then
the professor advertised extensively the
business of the curiosity, and as many
came to see, made quite a nice little sum
from the monster of the deep. At a
word this whale would leap and dive and
swim and spout water and wiggle its tail
and do quite a number of very surpising
things, so that altogether, the unanimous
verdict was that so accomplished and
complaisant a leviathan had never been
seen. But alas ! for human greatness.
One day some fellows who suspected in
some way that this whale was rather
fishy, hid themselves in the exhibition
room, at the close of the usual perfor
mance, and thus discovered that the
whale was no whale but a sardine, or
rather a bug, a humbug, and a whopper
at that. When all was quiet, four Jonahs
came up out of the wale’s belly, where
they- had been working the wheels, and
thus discovered the nature of the beast.
Enraged at the cheat, out rushed the
spies ; the polar professor fled one way ;
the four Jonahs another ; and the furious
spectators rent the big fish’s india-rubber
hide and willow ribs into ribbons.
Venturing back, the professor found his
whale, that had spouted so often, would
now spout no more ; that it had, in fact,
“gone up the spout ;” and just here, to
increase his despair in came the bill—
“7/m, to making a whale, SO7. This
the man of science swore he would not
pay, and the fashioner of fish had him
up in court. The case came near killing
judge and jury but finally judgment was
given for the bill.
Quite an interesting sketch appears in
a city paper this morning of the cere
monies at the first inauguration of Presi
dent Washington. Word of his election
having been sent to Mount Vernon, the
Father of his Country set out in the
middle of April for this city, then the
Capital of the United States. On the
J.jd, for travelling was then slow', he
landed from a barge of honor at the foot
of Wall Street, amid the cheers of the
people and with a salvo of thirteen guns
from a Spanish war vessel lying off the
harbor. On the 30th, the inauguration
took place and as the Patriot came for
ward to take the oath of office, his ap
pearance is thus described in the old
record, “His dress was of a dark Adelaide
color, coat, waist-coat, and breeches •
white silk stockings, shoes, and buckles!
Never did his fine figure and dignified
countenance appear more sublimely
great. John Adams, the Vice-Presi
dent elect, was just behind him. His
dress was of pearl colored cloth or light
drab. On one side of Washington stood
Chancellor Livingston ready to adminis
ter the oath ; on the other side the
Secretary of the Senate bearing an open
Bible. The background was filled up
with the members of Congrss and dis
tinguished men, among whom were
Baron Steuben, General Knox, and other
prominent soldiers of the Revolution.”
“Wasnington looked around upon the
people before him, and placed his right
hand upon the open Bible, as Chancellor
Livingston administered the oath.
‘I do solemnly swear that I will faith
fully execute the office of President of
the United States, and will, to the best of
my ability, preserve, protect, and defend
THE CoNSTITLTION OF THE I NITED
States.’
Washington kissed the sacred volume
and Chancellor Livingston pronounced
in a loud tone, Long live George Wash
ington, President of the United States ?
Shouts upon shouts rent the air. It
seemed as if the people were delirious
with joy. Hats were thrown up, cheers
echoed far and wide, and old and young
alike entered into the spirit of the scene!
George Washington was President—the
government was instituted, April 30th,
1789.”
And with this let me close fmy letter.
It is, if I mistake not, to appear in that
issue Oi this paper which completes the
first year of its existence, and there
could hardly, therefore, be anything more
appropriate on this occasion to the
Banner of tiie South than this re
miniscence of that Great Virginian
whose principles it strives to maintain,
expound, and defend to-day. The first
year, it is said, is always a trying time to
a public journal and that the Banner
has stood this test augurs well for the
continuance of a publication that offers
a peculiar medium of intellectual com
munication to those who have no terms
with tyranny, who hate it, the very
blood in whose veins revolts against it
and will never rest calm till Dagon be
pulled down out of his high place and
the sun of constitutional liberty shine
unclouded on a free people, peace within
their palaces and prosperity in all their
borders. Tyrone Powers.
TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE BANNER OF THE SOUTH.
MOBILE AND NEW ORLEANS.
Dear Banner:
Having recently paid a brief visit to
Mobile and New Orleans, I have jotted
down a few items which may be of some
interest to your thousands of readers who
are so deeply interested in anything hav
ing reference to the Southland.
In a commercial point of view Mobile
does not present an active business as
pect. Various causes combine to operate
against the prosperity of this once flour
ishing mart, chief of which is the city
and State governments, which are under
the unrestrained control of as unprinci
pled, dishonest, and incompetent a set of
carpet-baggers and apostates as afflict any
part of the South. Instead of doing
something for the material prosperity of
Mobile and its citizens, their efforts are
devoted to devising schemes for retain
ing their offices, and, in the meantime,
enriching themselves from the money
wrung from the people by the operations
of their illegal and tyrannical enact
ments. As an evidence of “enlightened
progress, liberty, and equality,” in a
Puritan sense, Mobile is afflicted with
negro policemen, who, by the way, and
what a comment it is on the degeneracy
of the times, are considered more respect
able and trustworthy than many of the
white men who take a prominent part in
black and tan gumbo-jumbo politics. The
people are not, however, without hope.
There is a fixed determination to have
their wrongs righted, and to restore the
municipal and State governments to
their proper custodians—the representa
tives of law and order, of intelligence,
worth and probity—so soon as the
cal Congressienal bayonet supremacy
programme leaves them free to have "a
fair election, with the privilege of select
ing their own pubi c servants.
Your readers have frequently heard of
Rev. Mr. Rogers, (f Memphis, the very
high Churchman, who created such a
sensation recently by uniting himself to
the Roman Catholic Church. He deliv-
ered a lecture in Mobile recently. His
subject was Ritualism, illustrating the
reasons from it which influenced him to
become a Catholic. His argument in
favor of the Church, was powerful and
convincing. He dwelt with great force
on the absolute necessity of an infalible
guide in religion. Without such authority
being vested in the successors of Christ
and the Apostles, it was impossible with
any degree of certainty to affirm what
was right and condemn what was wrong.
No Christian denomination, outside of
the Catholic Church, claimed such
authority. Even certain of the Bishops
ot th< r .Ghurch of England denied the
Infallibility of Christ, thus repudiating
His Divinity and reducing religion to a
species of rationalism. A Church which
can not teach truth unerringly', cannot
have proceeded from the Savior. As the
Catholic Church is the only Infallible
guide in matters of faith and religion
and as it traces its authority hack to
Christ and the Apostles, it was the true
Church. Mr. Rogers spoke feelingly
and eloquently of the solemnly grand
ceremonies of the Church, which inspire
reverential awe and sincere devotion, of
the associations of his past life, and of the
trials and struggles with his own soul,
before renouncing the Church in which
he had been for so long a time a Minister.
Mr. Rogers is somewhat erratic in his
style of delivery, but he is withal a
pleasing, forcible and eloquent speaker.
He has a decidedly ministerial appear
ance, is about forty—five—good looking,
with apparently pleasant and affable
manners in private intercourse.
One of the greatest calamities which
could have happened was the burn
ing of Spring Hill Colloge.
The educational interests of the coun
try sustained a loss in its destruction, as
it had long enjoyed, and deservedly so
too, the repute of being one of the*first
institutions in the land. The particulars
ol the burning you have already publish
ed Your correspondent rode out to
Spring Hill and looked upon the ruins
ot what was once an ornament, and an
honor to Mobile. Efforts are being made
to have the College rebuilt as soon as
possible. It was in contemplation pre
vious to its destruction, to complete the
Cathedral at Mobile, money' having been
subscribed for the purpose, but it was
suggested that the immediate re-building
of the College would first engage the at
tention of Bishop Quinlan. It is prob
able the completion of the Cathedral
will be deferred on this account for the
present. Collections are now being
made in various parts of the country in
aid of the College—which with the
$35,000 insurance on the building will
enable the Jesuit Fathers to erect a line
structure, superior in many respects to
the other. No money can, however, re
place the valuable library and collections
which were swallowed up in the confla
gration. The friends of Education and
Religion could not make contributions to
a more deserving and noble object.
After a nights journey, I found myself
next morning seated at the breakfast
table of the St. Charles Hotel, New Or
leans, having for a vis a-vis an old lady
from the Rural Districts. There was
everything on the bill of fare to satisfy
the most fastidious epicure, but ever and
anon the good old soul would remark :
“Ah ! me, the St. Charles is not what it
used to was twenty-five years ago.” If
the remark was applied "to the City of
of New Orleans, its applicability would
have been apparent, for there is no City
or State in the South which has been so
grieviously wronged and outraged as
New Orleans and Louisiana. The rights
of the people have been shamelessly dis
regarded, every insult and indignity
have been heaped upon them, and
their property and their money have been
squandered and stolen by a systematic
course of illegal enactments, by, and
through the authority and approval of
‘the Congressional scheme of Radical
Reconstruction. The gallant State of
South Carolina, although greviously
afflicted, never suffered half the wrongs
of Louisiana. Politically the great mass
of the people, have no rights which the
bayonet minority feel called on to re
spect or any interests which the usurpers
fosterer protect. Under anything like
a fair election, as in the Presidential
canvass, the white people of Louisiana,
would sweep the city and State, free of
the vampires, who are now seeking their
blood. The great ring-streaked and
striped menagerie, presided over by a
negro, was holding high carnival during
our visit. Having seen the performance
in Georgia during the session of the so
called Constitutional Convention and
subsequently in the State Legislature,
your correspondent had no stomach for
the menagerie in session at New Orleans,
the performances of which would be just
as amusingly ridiculous as any other one
horse monkey show, if they were not so
criminally and outrageously iniquitous in
their consequences.
The city of New Orleans presented to
us, notwithstanding its many misfortunes
and harrowing surroundings, a pleasing
and lively aspect. Business appeared
brisk for the season at least to a stranger
who met bustling crowds of people hjir
r/inS to a °d fro, in the business centres.
Appearances are often deceiving', how
ever, in large cities, especially so to a
country visitor, whose eyes are not accus
ome to the bustle and commotion iusep
a fike New Orleans,
tfut there is one important and hopeful
sign in which your correspondent is not
deceived, and that is, that, the people on
the first opportunity are determined to
assume the control of their political
affairs, and right as far as in their
power the wrongs they nave suffered at
the hands of the party in power.
It may interest you to know that the
Banner of the South is very popular
with the people of New Orleans and Mo
bile. Father Ryan by his devotion to the
South, has endeared himself to the thou
sands who know him only through his
writings. In New Orleans and Mobile
there is a great desire to grasp him by
the hand. Many enquiries were made as
to when he would visit and lecture in
their cities, but your correspondent could
not give the desired information.
’The St. Charles is one of the best hotels
in the country. Tou can safely commend
it and its generous hearted proprietor,
Mr. O. E. Hall, to the people of the
South. Pelican.
Protestant and Catholic Countries
“The popular notion,” said the late Dr.
Arnold, “about the superior prosperity of
the Protestant over the Catholic countries
is greatly exaggerated ; it exists in some
cases and not in others.” Let us take
examples. Protestantism began in Ger
many. Mr. Henry Mayhew says, in his
“German Life and Manners,” alluding to
“the cant which is extremely consoling
to the minds of English clergymen”
about “the social beenfits of the Refor
mation,” we can conscientiously aver
that the Rhenish Catholic population is,
by many degrees, less squalid and less
beggarly than the common people of
Saxony,” who are all Protestants. Mr.
Laing, a Presbyterian, declares that the
Catholics of Prussia are the most active
and prosperous element of her popula
tion. Mr. Mayhew adds: “We never
saw such wretchedness, such squalor,
such meanness in beggary, such utter
want of truth and friendship, in the dark
est dens, nor among the most luckless
of. the vagrants congregated in the
British metropolis, as are to be found
even in the families of the middle-class
citizens of Saxony”—the special field
of Luther’s ministry, and the garden of
the Reformation! But, perhaps the
spiritual progress of his descendants
atones for their material degradation ?
“In Eisnaach,” says Mr. Mayhew, where
Luther established his throne, 4 ‘hardly a
grown man in the town ever dreams of
going to church.”
The Vengeance of Heaven on Per
jurers and Corrupters of Justice.—
The following, startling in its details, we
would suspect of exaggeration, except
we find it editorially in so trustworthy a
paper as the Bucyrus, Ohio, Forum:
The Bolmeyer Murder. —The retri
butive justice of Heaven has never been
more clearly shown or exemplified than
in the fate of the Judge and Jury who
acquitted the murderer of the lamented
Bolmeyer.
The circumstances surrounding the
case are too well known to justify re
hearsal at this time. Briefly, a brutal
beast, bearing the name of Brown, in
cold blood, and without the slightest
provocation, assassinated Bolmeyer on a
public street of Dayton, in broad day
light, in the presence of numerous wit
nesses, for the only reason that Bolmeyer
was the editor in chief of the Dayton
Empire , a Democratic paper. Brown
being fearful of the just indignation of
the people of Montgomery county,
prayed lor a change of venue, had his
case transferred to the loyal county of
Miami, and after a mock trial was ac
quitted by a jury organized for that pur
pose by a loyal court and sheriff, notwith
standing the proof of guilt was incon
testible and overwhelming.
This was the judgment of Man. Now
witness the judgment of Aimightv God!
Every juryman on that panel thatacquit
ted Brown of the murder of Bolmever,
has since been bereft of reason, met un
natural death, or committed suicide, and
as a fitting capstone to this arch of re
tributive justice, Judge Parsons, who
presided over the mock trial, died a few
days since a horrible death in the luna
tic asylum at Dayton!
Verily those who “.sow the wind shall
reap the whirlwind!”
-
Specimen copies of the Banner sent
t o any address, on application.
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