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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1866)
Cl]e Sfteeklg Constitutionalist Wednesday Morning, Jan.. 17, 1866. NOTABLE CHARITIES. We publish below a V«tter from Mrs. Jef firson Davie toll of true womanly feeling ar.fi dignified presentation. It will appear from the text of this epistle that the wife and children of a great and g f od man—great though be be a<l ungeoued prisoner of State, good, though errors, common to all humanity, shone more markedly in him because he was exalted —it will appear, we say, that this bereaved lady and her offspring are the orphans of the fallen Confede-acy and need pecuniary succor. Mr. Davis suffers vicariously for the lost land he struggled to maintain, and for an unhappy people who cho«e him to represent them and who are equally guilty of the crime which is called misfortune. No matter how faulty he may have been, no mutter how pre judiced, it behooves us only to remember that Prdmct hens is manacled to bis rock and none _ bat cowards would assail the Titan in his dolor. He was earnest and well i .tentioned, but he failed. Failure with him has become of life peril; to us, equally guilty, it is simply temporary embarrassment. Further than this, we need but consider his many virtues; and shame will cover us forever if we discard his stricken family in the hour of need. Mobile and New Orleans have already moved in this direction and we trust that Augusta will not be recreant to a great trust. In addition to the letter ot Mrs. Davis we append a communication relative to the dea titutionof Stonewall Jackson's widow and child. Good God I picture it, think of it: THE WIDOW 07 STONEWALL A BEOOAH 1 Let •t never be r 'corded of this people that all that remains of its wondrous chief and proto type bus penury and wretchedness for syn onymns. Perish the thought that a single member of the immortal “ foot cavalry" will not bestow his mite upon the relict of his old commander. Spiritless, indeed, is the man, woman or child that will not vouchsafe alms to this lore widow and her child. When the preteht madness haa passed away, the name of Jackson will have its appropriate niche in the Pantheon of fame. Time, which makes all things even, will accomplish this for the “ bravest Knight that over lay lance in resl." Let us, anticipating the golden time, relieve tho living wife and *hi!d that the dead of Lexington may not suffer wrong. We blush to say that the first appeal was made to the North ; blush more deeply, If the North should make the meagreness of onr Charity ridiculous. Hero is the letter alluded to above, addressed to tho editor of ths “Nows:" Nsw Yoke, December 36, 1865. "Hon. Benjamin Wood: ill you not start a movement for the re lief of the widow of the brave Jackson. Tbink of his widow and child living on an income of $l5O per year 1 She has been compelled to sell everything but n small house in Lexington, and this brings in the above yearly. Gladly would she return and occupy her little house herself, but she has not the means to live there, and there is a fear that even this will have to be sold to meet demauds that eht'cannot avert. “Surely t here are friends enough of (he ill 113- trious 'Stonewall' in the North totally to the aid of his widow and child once they are ap prised of the extreme destitution. The following letter from Mrs. Davis was addressed to the Agent of the Louisiana Southern Aid As»ociation in response to a communication tendering substantial assist ance : Miu Vtnw, Ga., Deo. 4th, 180-\ T. h ClsrVc, ts q , Secretary and Agent I* S. A Association : Mt Dnah Sis —I am in receipt of your very kind letter in the name “of tho Ladies’Soul h orn Aid Association. ’’ having “ for its obj ct the purpose of placing" mo “and family, in oircuni'tanoe.i somewhat commensurate with their estimate of 1 mo and mine, and begging that I will, at my earliest convenience desig nate 11 place to which tho means so collected rosy be oonveved so that they may "safely and satisfactorily” r aeh mo. S Prom our desolated snd impoverished friend* I scarcely expected such an expression of mate rial sympathy, though my powers of gratitude have beeu almost dally taxed to thank those who have, with so mnch heart eloquence, plead with the President for him who, though unsuc cessful, has given you all he could—his best en ergies— wad whose only hope of future happiness lies in the sweet trust, often expressed, that he hag not lost your confidence and love. Ignor ant oT all which his own people have done for him in hie painful captivity, his devotion is una bated. "The unfortunate have alwtys been deserted aud betrayed, but did ever man have legs to complain of whoa he had lost the power to serve? Tho multitude arc silent; who should they speak save to Him who hears best the words most secretly uttered ? My own heart tells me tho sympathy exists—that tho prayers from the family hearth are not hushed. Be lov iag aud confidiug still to those from whom I have reoeivod much more than I deserve far more official honors tbau I ever desired. Those for whose cause I suffer are not unworthy of the devotion of all which I had to give.’’ This is the message of love which is sent through prison gates to our own people. I say our people, be cause both of as have been brought up with you, one of ns was born in Mississippi the other came to her in infancy. These are my own peo» pie, and it is a privilege of which no change of drcumstancoa can deprive me. To the accepted prayers of our widows and orphans, our suffer ing but heroic womeu, our brave snd true men, our iunocenl little children. I look for the restoration to my little children of their agon'sed but Christian father. If a mer ciful Providence so ordain it, we hope to live and die among you, mutually consoling ami bearing each other*’ burdens I pray God we roar not be driven forth from the home of our childhood, “for how eau we sing our own song in a strange land ?” We wonld not have our de\r friends 1 e trsyei by their sympathy into < OWing lor our use too |much from-their ofcri “basket and store’’ I and miue have, ao far, been miracu ously cared for sod ahie'ded from want. We ’eeiu ever bnyironed by the love which is re fleeted upon us from that my husband in hie dungeon—*> walla with sunny pictures of Pjt, al *l outstretched arms. rwa&fcj- Grief and gratitude eeera to impdSerapon me eilet ce. 1 wou’d, but cannot »ev more. I will enclose within this note the names and direc tions of gentlemen to whom the contributions of which you apeak may bo enclosed. And in stead of the eloquent voice which so often has poured forth his love to his dear people, now mute, I offer a wife’s ar:d mother’s and a conn try woman's gratitude to you and those you represent. I have the honor to be, vry grate r ully and sincerely yours, Yarina Davis. Further expressions are superfluous. If our people rein in stolid arid hard-fisted after this, we have Benoit sly mistaken the qualities of their beads and hearts. FERTILIZERS. Great agricultural changes mu?t necessarily atter.d the revolution of our ancient system of labor. The lack of reliable workmen will compel planters to economise their force, and the impoverishment of lands direct their ener gies toward such recuperation and high cul ture as the case demands. The question nar rows itself down to the consideration of reap ing something like an average crop from fewer acres and by the employment of a com paratively small number of hands. The lands thus worn out must be diligently and sum marily enriched, and further, so enriched as to make np in fertility for the broad acres out of use. For example, a planter who has been accustomed to farm a thousand acres will, in the majority of instances, confine himself to five hundred; and where he sent sixty negroes to the field reduce his maximum one-half. His great aim, under such pressure, would unquestionably be to produce as much from the five hundred acres and thirty hands as ordinarily came from one thousand acres and sixty negroes. At the first blush, this would appear impossible, but a little thought will convince any one that it is not only feasi ble but indispensible. How then shall the planlcr accomplish his design? We reply that it can be done with the aid of fertilizers, such as guano and the super-phosphates known to all. We’ have conversed with a number of intelligent tillers of the soil and found that their practical experience coincides thoroughly with, the theory advanced. Not only had their crops doubled in quantity by a judicious comminution of the different ma nures with the most stubborn soils, but the soils themselves had been permanently bene fited by the application. Say that a ton (2,000 lbs.) of some good superphosphate costs $125. Distributing this over ten acres there would be a yield of at least 1300 pounds of lint cotton. It will not be hasty to calcu late the price of cotton, next season, at less than 26 cent? per pound; we opine that it will reach a higher figure, but this rate will answer onr purpose. A f 25 cents per pound this will bring $326. Deduct the cost of the manure an Ia clear gain is had of S2OO per ten acre?. We have, in our estimate, con sidered only indifferent lands. Asa matter of course, the increase will be proportionally greater according to the superior quality of the soil. That which is true of cotton is equally true of com and other breadstuff's. Tho planter assuredly must exercise discre tion in the purchase of proper food for his land and be careful of its distribution. Ob servation and experience will guide him in such matters. But no observation and expe rience can warrant him in anticipating a con spicuous yield from starved land or lands gorged with stimulating nourishment. There are few manures surpassing that which we formerly had in some abundance, viz: cotton-seed This, at present, we have not available, being so scarce that a bushel readily sells from $5 to $lO. Substitutes must be searched for and none answer the re quirement so well as the super-pho»phates. By the use of these, we have shown 'liat even poor lands can become productive and per manently enhanced; that tho yield can be doubled and labor greatly reduced. Planters will be guilty of a singular fatu'ty if they neglect the opportunity afforded them of rehabilitating their fortunes by the display of proper enterprise and tact. We wonder that no ingenious individual has followed in the tracks of the different armies and gathered up the countless nones of dead animals for the purpose of mnnufac. luring fertilizers. A ton of such bones pul verized is almost as pungent as a ton of guano. At present, all this wealth is useless except as a refuge for tom-tits. We understand that the eminent firm of Geo. R. Crump A Cos., has made ample ar rangements to supply planters with the va rious fertilizers. These gentlemen promise to secure none but the very best and wo can cor dially recommend them to the patronage of the planting interest. There may be some difficulty in the way, by reason of the scarcity of money. We hope that this t bstacle may be removed by grant ing substantial credits to responsible parties. Southern Steamship Comfanus.— We learn from the Philadelphia North American and United Slates Gazette, of the oOth ultimo, that the committees appointed to raise subscription for tho establishment of lines Os steamers be tween Philadelphia, Charleston, New Orleans Wilmington and Savannah, have already raised upwards of $400,000, sr.d it was thought tin required amount would be made up iq avert short lime, as all the committees would be at work by the first of January. FERTILIZERS—ONE WORD MORE. Lest there should be a mistake as to the drift of a recent article on thg above subject, we make additional state nents. We based our calculation of the cotton yield of ten act* s upon the most impoverished land, trusting that a process of induction would lead up from the lowest to the highest estimate, dear onstra ing that what was palpable as to poor soils would more forcibly apply, in exact pro gression, to fertile tracts. It was shown that even the most wasted laftTVould bring three hags to the ten acres, stimulated by super phosphates, leaving a balance es S2OO clear profit. Let ns ascend from this calculation to another, founded upon the superior quali ties of the soil. We will take, therefore, a high ratio, say, one bale to the acre. Here we have ten commercial bales from as many acres, or 4,000 pounds of raw material. At 26 cents per pound we get SI,OOO. Deduct ing the cost of the manure, $125, there re main $875 profit. We meant to infer that a considerably greater amount of cotton or com could be garnered with the use of fertilizers than without; and that lands worth any cul ture were worth the application of phosphates, inasmuch as the augmented crop doubly re paid the planter for the expense incurred. Our facts are mainly derived ’from individ uals who claim to have the guide of practical experience. Planters, like men of all avoca tions, disagree. We make no claim to agri cultural infallibility; we simply present what appears to be a fair view of Eucb subjects, and would be pleased to hear from any friends on this question, involving, as it does, a vital prob'em for the South. AT THEIR OLD TRICKS. A correspondent of the New York Herald, writing from Rio Janeiro, becomes virtuously effervescent and morally cantankerous over alleged peculations in the Brazilian army. As usual, those ogres the A. Q. M’s and A. C. S’s are the unlucky victims of the corres pondential wrath. Any one would suppose that the imperial army operating in Paraguay was singular and exceptional in this regard. But this Peter, the Hermit of the immaculate New York journal, shakes Don Pedro's throne by the terrible admonition that ‘‘the Herald will soon have a man on the spot able to expose these delinquencies f’ Is not that the triple extract of sublimest impudence ? A lean streak Puritan scavenger, nosing around the Brazilian army to evangelize it. We expect bad news from Paraguay when this sanctimo nious buzzard flaps his wings. Don Pedro had better keep his weather-eye open, for an obscene bird is around the camp-fire. It is impossible to sc ire them from their old tricks; their pap is intermeddling and they would die without it. SENSIBLE. The Rev. Mr. Beecher, when he descends from his pulp’t, has an occasional glimmer of sound philosophy. Ho likewise possesses a species of manly pluck and does not condemn it in others. Here is a neat specimen from a recent reconstruction address at Troy, New York: “ Those flashes of Southern sentiment, bit ter editorials and tossing heads, are not sur prising when we think of the scourge thathns swept over them—that a proud spirit has been obliged 1o confess defeat at the hands of men they despised—that their property has been swept away—their sons slain—they reduced from affluence to beggary. When I think of this, the wonder is that they are as temperate as they are. Considering their fearful defeat and humiliated position, I think they have behaved well. It may not be fash ionable, but I honor them for the feeling they exhibit.” THE PROPOSED PARDON OP KETCHUM. We have published a paragraph, which is go'rtg the rounds, urging the condonaUon of that precious scamp, Ketchum, who has just reeeiv and the mild sentence of four years at Sing Sing, where it is hoped that he may imi tate Othello and “ do the State some service.” Chief Justice Chase and Horace Greeley are prime movers in this matter. When the Chief Justice was the Lord of Greenbacks, old Ketchum was his financial friend: henre these tears. ..Horace Greeley has always bel lowed for an honest exercise of the criminal law. But a protege of Horace is in limbo: hence this jeremiad. Out upon the refined virtue of the Radical saints! A brocade villain, guilty of gigantic fraud, must absorb all the mercy of men and angels; but the poor, the friendless and the outcast may go to the devil for sympathy and palliation. This kind of reform is disgusting and, if it succeed, will ere long consign justice to perdi tion and make society a den of thieves. And when her form has vanished in the air. And e'er me hanga no more the dreamy spell, Me thinks I still can see her sitting there And still can hear the voice I love so well. J. L. M., Freedman’s Bu-eau, Atlanta, Ga. We clip this morsel from the New Era. General Howard had better investigate the mechanism of the Bureau in Atlanta. There must be something wrong wheD an Agent takes to poetry. A Catholic Spirit.— The Natchez papers contaiu a corr spondence between Mrs. 0. Met calf. President of the Natchez (ProtestaDt) Orphan Asylum, and the Catholic Bishop of Natchez, in which she acknowledges the re ceipt of one ! undred nnd eighteen dollars, be lt g a portion of five hundret dollars transmit ted to him by Archbie'op Spslding, of Balti more for the benefit of the suffering poor of the South, " without regard to creed.” The Cby of a Widowed Mother. —What can he more touching or pathetic than the follow ing appeal from a heart stricken mother for her lost son ? How many a soul does it touch with grief; and how many a wish wiil be made that her appeal may bring back again to her arms her noble boy : ‘‘Early in the war my only child, a noble boy of sixteen, regardless of a mother’s persuasions and heedless of the charms of a Lome that left him no wish ungratified, left me for the army. When last heard from he was wounded and languishing in prison at Camp Chase, and I have since lost all trace of him. Those who have bad children bom to them can imagine my distress, and will surely, if in their power, aid a widowed mother in find ing her lost darling, or at least assist her in finding his grave, should Gocl have called him hence. Any communication addressed to Messrs. Maun, Royd & Jonas, publishers of tbe Daily Sunny South, Aberdeen,, Miss., will reach me. All Southern and Western papers please copy. Mary E. West. The London Times. —lt is stated that this leading journal of the world circulates about sixty thousand copies daily, a number largely exceeded, we believe, by at least one American daily. It was established January Ist, 1785, by John Walter; in 1803, his son, John Wal ter, Jr., succeeded to the management, and in 1837 he in tnrn was followed by bis son, John Walter, the third, the present publisher. The Times has secured its immense influence by literary merit, accuracy and enterprise, and now confines itself to business, following, in stead of leading, pnblic sentiment. It yields its proprietors a net profit of about $225,000 a year. Its piesent editor is John Delane, who has associated with him Mowbray Morris, the b-siness manager. Both of these gentlemen are interested in the proprietorship of the paper. Mr. Delane, who is really the chief of the concern, goes much into society, where he is generally received. It is said of him, in the fashionable world, that these drawing-room influences have their effect upon him, and that the Times deals more leniently now with the sins and follies of uppsr-tendom than in for mer days, when the editor could lose nothing byan honest independence. Mr. Delane was always in the habit, during the life of Lord Palmeston, when matters of importance were before the Cabinet, of visiting him every night when he was in town, for the purpose of ob* tainingfrom him confidential information as to the probable course of the government. This enabled the Times to give to public sentiment, apparently, the lead, while, in fact, it was but following a course already laid down. It has been, in truth, of late years, the government organ. Besides a host of reporters, there are numerons departments, with a sub-editor at the head of each. What the Freedman’s Bureau Costs the Government. —Gen. Howard, in his report to Congress, strongly recommends the continuance of the Freedman’s Bureau, which he deems es sential to the support and protection of the freedmen and the successful inauguration of the free labor system. The money received from all sources by the Bureau, from January to Oc her, 1865, was $967,296 28 ; amount expended $478,363 17, and the estimates for the next year, commencing January, 1866, call for an appropriation of $11,245,050, which amount it is proposed to apply as follows: For salaries of assistant and sub assistant commissioners, $147,500; salaries of clerks, 82,800; quarters and fuel, 15,900; clothing for distribution, 1,750,000; commissary stores, $4,106,250; medical department, SSOO 000; school superin tendents, s2l 000; sites for school houses and asylums, $3,000,000; telegraphing, $13,000' stationery and printing, $63,000; transporta tion, $1,980,000. Gen. Howard estimates that the amount re-, quired for the expenditures Os the Bureau for tbe fiscal year, ending January 1, 1866, will be $41,745,050 Church and State.— ln describing the scene at Central Patk, a New York paper says: Par son? and parsons’ wives may be seen here in fashionable “drags,” putting “three-minute” and “two-forty” horses to the very top of their trotting speed, wheel-and.wbeel with fast ac tresses; and the rich philanthropists, who pro fess to believe that the republic owes its salva tion to the negro, driven by black fellows with the badge cf servitude on their bats and col lars, sweep along in the same column with gamblers and painted women several degrees below the grade of the demi-monde. We speak oy tbe card, for we have seen this beau tiful moving mosaic half a dozen times within the past month, and are free to say that so far as outward geuds were concerned, it was diffi cult to distinguish piety and philanthropy from profligacy and plundermongery, or the profes sional fast women from the virtuous matrons and maidens who vied with them in the thea* trical style of their costumes and surround ings. Intelligence has been received at Richmond tbit the Hon. A. H. Conrow, formerly a rep resentative in the Confederate Congress from Missouri, (and a citizen of Ray county in that. State,) General M M. Parsons, who formerly commanded the Missouri Brigade in the Con federate army, and Assistant Adjutant General Standish, of the same brigade, were murdered by robbers while on their way from the Texas frontier to the city of Mexico several months ago. These gentlemen left the Confederacy soon after the surrender, and bad not been heard from until recently, when the above dis c'osure was made. Mr. Conrow was one 0! the ablest members of the Missouri delegation, and a courteous and most excellent gentleman; and the companions of his untimely fate were among the most gallant and distinguished sol diers in the army. A drutiKen man tried the other day to get a policeman to arrest bis own shadow, on the plea that the ill-looking fellow kept ft I owing him everywhere hejwc-nt. An Important Report.— The Milledgevili, Fed . oral Onion announces that the Report of th Commissioners appointed by the State Conven* tion, to propose a Bystem of laws to carry i effect the fifth clause of the fifth section cf the second article, and latter part of the third clause of the second section of the fourth article of the Constitntion of the State, has been made and printed. It makes, says that paper, a pamphlet of thirty-nine pages, and is the work of Judge Starnes, W. Hope Hull, Esq., L. E. Bleckley, Esq., and Samnel Barnett, Esq. The report is prepared into an orderly arrangement of articles and sections, with the proper divisions and titles •f subjects, and is accompanied with the draft of a short adopting bill. In prefacing their labors, the Commission remarks: “We are sensible' that, in presenting this s Tg . tem of laws, we may be subjected to the impute tien of having done at once too little and too much—too little for those who are expecting an instant and speedy remedy for all the ills which tbe present crisis has brought upon us; too much for those whose prejudices have not yet yielded to the necessities of our situation “ The mischiefs to be remedied are enormous and there is more or less of an indefinite hope and expectation that ’egislation will afford at once and with all certainty, the proper remedy. It ig impossible that this hope can be gratified, this ex pectation realized. The results' which are to en sue from such legislation present a problem that can only be wrought ont by experience. A prom inent actor in the solution must therefore be time. We cannot expect that for this, our distressed pec pie will patiently wait, and more or less of disap. pointment must ensne. Prepared to rccept this result, we shall not be mortified by intimations of feeb’eness, or imputations of failure, and shall be satisfied with tbe humble meed of having honestly endeavored to do our part, and thereby contrib ute aid to those who are charged with the diffi cult duty of guarding the State and the persons of color in our midst from the evils of sudden emancipation.” Reports prom American Consuls on the Cholera.— H. B. Robinson, American Consul at Port Mahon, says the National Intelligencer, reports to the Department of State that the cholera has nearly disappeared from that pro vince. A few cases only have occurred at Ciudadilla during the week ending November 30th. The Consul says that tbe mortality in Spain has been greater than ever will bs known. The Consul at Constantinople, Mr. Goodenow, 's under the impression that the cholera has reached America, and enoloses a communica tion from the Levant Herald, a paper in that city, which he forwards to the Depart ment, containing some useful hints upon the treatment of the disease. The number of deaths that have occurred in that city he sets down at fifty thousand, the number of deaths in a single day having exceeded 2,000. The Consul states that one of the most effect ual remedies for this malady is a mixture known as “ Dr. Hamlin’s," which is composed of equal parts of laudanum, tincture of rhu barb and spirits of camphor. It has been used in Constantinople and many other places with eminent success. Writing upon the causes of the disease, the Consul states that there was hardly a. case but what could be traced to bad food, bad air, im prudence in diet, undue exposure to heat or cold, excessive fatigue induced by over exer tion, and last, though not least, morbid fear of the disease. Florida. —The Florida Legislature, on Fri day last, made choice of Hon. Wilk Call and Hon. William Marvin as United States Senators, the former for the term ending 3d March, 1869. The Sentinel says of these gentlemen : “ Mr, Call is known to them as one of the first law yers in the South, possessed of the highest in tellectual attainments, an able and eloquent public speaker, and a gentleman of the strictest integrity and honor. Governor Marvin has been for nearly forty years a citizen of Florida, Judge of-the United States District Court, and latterly, as Provisional Governor, has made for himself a reputation and gained a standing and influence which cannot fail to prove advan tageous lor our State at a time when she needs friends and influential advocates at the Federal capital.” The bill "to amend the Constitution of the United States ” (abolishing slavery in the sev eral States of the Union) has passed the Florida Legislature by a unanimous vote in the Senate, and thirty-six to two in the House. By an additional section, it was resolved that the amendment is adopted with the understanding that “ it does not confer upon Congress the power to legislate upon the political status of the freedman is this State.’’ Our neighboring town, Lagrange, we regret to learn, says the Atlanta Intelligencer of the 7th inst., was visited by a disastrous fire on Friday morning last. All tbe east side of the public square was burned, excepting Kim brough s store, on the north corner, and the brick building on the south corner, owned by W. C. Jarboe, the upper rooms of which were occupied by the Masonic fraternity. The fol lowing are the sufferers ?■ E. C. Ramsey, hard ware store; J. S. McKee, harness shop; Je3see McLendon, dry goods; Albert Lehmann, jew eler, in whose store wa3 the office of the As sessor and Collector of Internal Revenue, and Bird, Latimer & Cc, confectioners. The fire was supposed to have been the work of an in* cendiary. French Fenians.— The New York Herald states that a French Fenian organization hag sprung up along the New York border among the French Canadian residents of that State, and, like the Irish Fenians, they have got to quarreling among themselves. One faction is anxious to plunge headlong into war, declare against England, establish a Canadian repub lic, with its capital and departments at Elmira New York, and to invade Canada. The other faction is opposed to any such rash action, and the Head Centre, or Chairman of the Conven tion, has published a letter explaining the plan, purposes and difficulties of the French Fenians. The Constitution. —Among the persons lost by the wreck of the steamship Constitution, was Captain King, a well known pilot of SavanDab. Captain King leaves a wife and a large famiiy to mourn his death.
