Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by the R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Atlanta History Center.
About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1866)
THE WEEKLY CONSTITHTIONATLIS. Missouri. The following correspondence, which we take from the Cape Girardeau (Mo.) Argus, ex plains itself: LETTER FROM GOVERNOR FLETCHER. JEFFERSON CITY, Oct. 19, 1866. Rev. Father O’Regan— Dear Sir: Here with phase find a remittal of the fine imposed on you by the Circuit Court of Cape Girardeau county for solemnizing a marriage without taking the oath of loyalty. Ou an examination of the record at Jackson, I found that there was no final action in the cases ot Father McGerry and Father Ryan. I also found that the cases ot the ladies of St. Vincent’s Convent were continued. The Constitution of the State only permits me to interfere “ after conviction.” 1 regret that it is so, as it would have been a real pleas ure to me to relieve from further annoyance —from the indictments found against them— the venerable and worthy Father McGerry, and the estimable and devotional Sisters of the Convent, and whom you may assure 1 will do as soon as can be done legally. Very respectfully* Your obedient servant, Thomas C. Fletcher. Cape Girardeau, October 29, 1860. To His Excellency Governor Fletcher : Dear Sir—l have received your letter of the 19th instant, remitting the flue imposed on me for solemnizing marriage without having taken the “ Oath.” \ Though not sorry for the past, nor purposing amendment for the future, I, however, gladly avail myself of the favor of your executive clemency, whereby I am freed from past pen alties, and, I hope, preserved lrom future an noyances. I feel most gr itetul for your favor, and for the generous sentimeuts accompanying it. Who would have thought, a few years ago, that a priest would need pardon from a Gov ernor for the performance of a purely religi ous ceremony ? But it will be said that we are punished, not for religion, but for disloy alty. We are not disloyal ; uo one has ever heard us express a disloyal sentiment. True, we have not made all the exterior display that others have by the flying of flags and frothy eloquence ; but if we be judged by our actions, which speak better than words, our loyalty will be lound far superior to that of any in this city. For, though thpre was an army chaplain who once and awhile visited the hospital, distributed a few tracts and went his way rejoicing in his pay, yet to com fort and console the poor sick soldiers, in their long aud weary hours, and to aid them at their death, devolved on the priests, one of whom visited the hospital every day. I myself, with my own hand, have administered baptism and extreme unction to many of them, and closed their dying eyes. The lint for the wounded, and the cloths, came in great part from the College; the pillows and beds, on which the sick soldiers lay, belonged to the priests of the college, who never asked nor received one cent in payment for what they gave or did. The nurses saw and knew all this; the sick soldiers felt it; the doctors can testify to it—but the gentlemen ot the Grand Jury knew nothing about it. What mattered it to them whether a dying soldier of the Union had a soft bed, or whether his last sad moments were cheered by the consolation which religion alone can give ? Why, if the one liundrcth part of what we have done for our soldiers had been done for some poor Confederate, we would be stigmatized as traitors aiding and abetting the enemy. Rut have we not sympathized with rebels ? Yes ; when some poor forsaken prisoner, far from friends and home, lay pining in the prison, in rags and vormin, shivering with cold, wo have at times, with permission, contributed to his comfort and cleanliness ; and if that be a crime in the eyes of God or men, then we plead guilty. Let me assure you, dear sir, that no Priest, however loyal, can take a political oatn, as a qualification for the exercise of his piiestly functions. He may and can take such an oath aa a qualification for a political end, as for vo ting, &c.-, because the State may impose politi cal conditions on the exercise of civil rights.— But he cannot—he dare not take it as a Priest —as a condition for preaching or administering the sacriments; for this would be to graut to the temporal authority what belongs to the spiritual—to the civil power what Henry IV., of Germany, and Henry VIII., of England, claimed for themselves —supremacy in church as in State. With some, preaching and marriage are re garded in a political light. But not with us. Our pulp t has never been converted into a po litical rostrum, nor our churches to places of public meeting. Marriage, too, with us, is a sacrimcnt —a bond which never can be severed. The Stale need not acknowledge the validity of our marriages as to their civil effects. We do not ask it. But to acknowledge them valid, and yet place conditions on the administration of the sacriment, is. certainly wrong. For where Catholic parties present themselves be fore their pastor, and have complied with the regulations of the Church, he can no more refuse hi 6 services to them than he can refuse bap tism to an infant, or extreme unction to a dy ing man. If he refuses, he fails in his duty, and commits a sin ; if he abuses their union, he disobeys the laws of the State, and is sub ject to fine and imprisonment. What, then, must he do ? He can only raise his mind to God, whose laws are just and immutable, and say, with St. Peter, “It is better to obey God than man.” Come fine, come imprisonment, come death —it matters not -the laws of man must yield to the law of God. Did Saints Pe ter and Paul obey the commands of Nero, and swear by the genius of Ctesar, and sacrifice to Jupiter and Venus? Did not they and millions of others prefer to suffer death rather than obey the laws of the State in opposition so the laws of God and the dictates of conscience ? The spirit which animated the Martyrs of old, still lives in the church; and its clc-rgy and its peo ple are at this daV as ready as of old to sacrifice houses, and honors, and riches, and friends, and liberty, and life itself, rather than deviate one hair’s breadth from the path of rectitude, by acknowledging the supremacy of the State iu matters of religion. Hence, not one priest has or will subscribe to the qualifying oath. Hence, 100, it follows, that if the law be put into exe cution, there will be a regular persecution of the Catholic clergy ; and the scenes of Pagan times —prisoners and torture and confiscation —will be reinstated in this land—once the home of civil and religious liberty. Let me also remark that this oath is very im politic. It drives from the ranks of the Radi cals the whole body of the Catholics, many of whom would otherwise be found in that party. But, in Missouri, no Catholic can be a Radical; for, as no priest can, in conscience, take the oath, no Catholic can in conscience sustain it or those who advocate it. It is, therefore, a pleasure to us that you, dear sir, do not advocate that clause ; and 1 hope that your intervention in my case will act as a reproof on the officiousness of those who have, in open Court, wantonly wounded our most sensitive feelings, and caused us much trouble. Hoping, then, that law will remain a dead letter until it will be repealed by the Legisla ture, or declared unconstitutional by the Su preme Court at Washington, I remain, dear sir, your obedient servant, P. M. O’Regan, C. M. Not long since an Amsterdam merchant, after lavishing a fortune on furniture and paintings, caused the floor of one of his apart ments to be laid with Spanish dollars set on edge.— Ex. He was an Amster-cfam fooL [From the Chicago Times, November 12. Shall the Democratic Party Die or Live ? The present i» a crisis in the Democratic party which has no precedent in its history, as it is a crisis in the progress of the country which is also without precedent. Never before has the Democratic party encountered events so seriously affecting its future vitality as now. Not that it beholds itself diminished in the magnitude of its numbers—for it is numerically stronger than it Las ever been before—but that, having been beaten on a great national issue, as to which it believed itself to be wholly right and the opposition wholly wrong, and still so believes, it must nevertheless abandon that issue—for the decision of it is final —and either sit down in helpless and decaying inactivity, or strike boldly out upon anew line selected with peculiar reference, not to thiugs as we would have them, but to, things as they actually aie, and in pursuing which line it shall cease to be a holdback or “ Conservative ” party, and be come, what it was in its palmy days, a progres sive and an aggressive party. ' These are the al ternatives. It will not sit down in helpless and decaying inactivity. “What, then, shall the new line be ? In the first place, must we not cut loose from the ad ministration of Andrew Johnson, and leave that hybrid concern to float on the sea of pub lic contempt into which it sometime since en tered, and from which no power can rescue it ? Is not the late defeat attributable more largely to this administration than all other causes com bined? What is there in its composition to command popular confidence? Who, belong ing to it, is entitled by reason of his statesman ship to the confidence or respect of the Demo cratic party ? Certainly it is not Andrew John son, nor Wm. H. Seward, nor Edwin M. Stan ton. True, this administration had aright policy, and the Democratic party, iu overlooking the chief men comprising it, and thinking only of the rightness of the policy, displayed a patriot ism whose purity was never excelled; but the policy having failed—and having failed, too, through the feebleness, and tolly, and offences against public propriety of the administration —why should not the Democratic party abandon the dead body, longer adherence to which is death also to itself ?” “What next ? Can the Democratic party suc ceed until the udgro question shall be gotten out of the way? It cannot. What next? Is not negro suffrage inevitable, and is not the quickest way to get the negro question out of the way to at once concede the suffrage, making issue only on the degree to which it shall be conced !ed ? We know that many Democrats have uot i reached this advanced view of the case, and that such still feel greatly inclined to revolt at the proposition of negro suffrage in any degree ; but let us tell them that it is always wise to ac cept the inevitable when the inevitable comes. Negro suffrage, we say, is inevitable, and whether it shall be qualified or universal de pends upon the promptness i r otherwise with which the Demoe-atic party shall move with reference to it. The South will speedily yield unqualified negro suffrage upon the motiofi of the Democratic [tarty; because, if for no other reason, she will soon see, if she does not al ready see, that it she do uot yield it, she will ultimately be compelled to accept universal negro suffrage. “ Qualified negro suffrage yielded by the South, and by this we mean impartial suffrage dependent upon the intelligence of the man, irrespective of color, as is now the rule in Mas sachusetts —the negro question will have been disposed of, and the occupation of the North ern Republican Radical party will be gone for ever. Not one inch of ground will it have to stand upon ; and the country can once more turn to those material questions of public poli cy, the right disposition of which is so essen tial to the public prosperity. It will bo upon these questions that the Democratic party will triumph ; and it will be by this triumph that constitutional government apd our Federal sys tem will be preserved. “If the South be wise, it will not wait, on this suffrage question, even for the motion of the Democratic party. If it be wise, it will lose no tirne in putting in motion the necessary ma chinery by which it will at the same time save itself from humiliation, preserve its own self respect, rid the country of the most vexatious question that ever distracted any country, kill the worst political party that ever existed on the globe, and put the Union in the way of speedy restoration. This machinery consists, of course, in • conventions to revise the State Constitutions.”- Toumameuts. Nero fiddled while Rome was burning. While the North is holding her great fairs, those exhibitions of the prosperity, intelligence and true manhood of a people, the South is amusing herself by shows, the most puerile and contemptible. Instead of gatherings of wise and good men, bent upon the physical, moral and intel lectual advancement of the human nice; in stead of “Teachers’ Conventions,” “Working men’s Mass Meetings,” “ Scientific Congress es,” etc., etc., what do we see here in the South? Right on the heel of a terribly devastating war, the lesult of which radically affected every interest, social and political, moral and re ligious ; with half her territory yet in ruins, with a million and a half of children, who will act their part on the stage of life ere long, growing up in ignorance for the want of an opportunity to obtain even the rudiments of an education ; with the solution of problems on hand which require the profound delibera tion of the wisest and calmest minds, the South is amusing herself with aping an era which ■was buried centuries ago. The tournaments of old were suitable £o the rude age in which they were in fashion. Stal wart knights handled ponderous lauces aud weighty broad swords, and the fierce charges they made upon each other, often ended as fatally as the combat on the battle field. These pastimes of the dark, feudal ages would be eminently improper now; and about as much «s their puny, puerile and contemptible coun terfeits, as exhibited in nearly every Southern State. The civilized world looks with pity on the display of a taste which stamps those who en courage and loster it ns unworthy of the age in which they live. That men and women, grown, claiming to be the very cream of society, too, should make a grand State occasion of an amuse ment which urchins be ween the age of five and eight years are very fond of, and which they hugely enjoy, at ha’penny a tilt at any ordinary mountebank exhibition, is something which mortals outside the land of modern chivalry are utterly unable to comprehend. Arkansas has since the war been happily ex empt from any of those puerile exhibitions. But it appears now that the fool-killer has left the seed of a few Saucho Rauza’s scattered here and there over the State, for a grand tourna ment is said to be in contemplation of being held at Little Rock, our capital. Well, “every one of his Piste,” but as wc see from the programme of the show, that mules are prohibited from entering the lists, wc would simply suggest to extend the prohibition to horses also, and allow none of the gallant Knights to straddle anything better than a jackass or billygoat. —Arkansas Paper. Another Shipment of Courtezans.— lt is reported that another shipment of courtezans from New York to New Orleans, was to have been made m the steamer which sailed on Sat urday, and are destined to make good the losses on board the ill-fated Evening Stir. The Philadelphia Herald says that these unhappy women are 6ome seventy or eighty in number, mostly between fifteen aud twenty-five years of age, and chosen expressly with reference to their personal attractions. The person who has them in charge is a notorious procuress, who keeps an establishment in Crosby street, and who figured extensively at Saratoga last summer. The Associated Press—lts Relations with the Press of Other Cities. Inquiries which frequently reach us from conductors of newspapers and others out of the city, render proper a statement of some facts concerning the arrangements of the Associated Press lor the collection, receipt and distribution of foreign and domestic news by telegraph. There has been no “breach” in the Associa tion. It still consists of the Times, Herald, Tri. bane, World, Journal of Commerce, Sun and Express, as it has for many years. Until a few weeks past Mr. D. H. Crni'g was the General Agent, who attended to the details of its busi ness in this city,—engaging correspondents, re ceiving dispatches, making and distributing copies of them, making up the accounts, col lecting the bills. Ac., Ac. A fortnight ago or thereabouts the Association dismissed Mr. Craig and employed Mr. Simoulon in his place. This is the only change of any kind that has taken place in the affairs of the Association. The primary object of the Association is to collect by telegraph the news from all quarters which the journals composing it require in common—and to share the labor and expense of collecting it equally among them. Having thus procured it for themselves, they have also furnished copies of it to newspapers in other cities throughout the country—at such rates and under such regulations as seemed necessary and proper. This, of course, they continue to do. Mr. Craig, being no longer in the employ ol the Association, proposes to collect news for himself, at this point, and furnish copies of i't to newspapers out of the city, on his own account and for his own profit. ’He has, of course, a perfect right to do this—if he do it honestly and fairly. But he has been doing everything in his power to retain control of the machinery of the Association, its clerks, agents, corres pondents, &c., aud has been giving assurances on these and other points to newspapers at a distance, in order to detach them from the As sociation and induce them to procure their news from him instead. He promises great reductions of expeases, participation in profits, Ac., A., as inducements. The journals to whom they are offered will naturally inquire into the means he may have for fulfilling them before they render themselves dependent upon him for their supply of news. The Associated Press must procure this news for their own use dt all events, whether they sell it again or not. They can share the cost with those who take it from them. Mr. Craig can not. He procures it solely for sale —paying no portion of the expense himself. He must get back all it costs, with his own profit beside. He says he has established news agencies which are to supply merchants, bankers, speculators and others with the news in advance of the newspapers, and that their payments will lessen the cost to the Press. All we need say on this point is that the Associated Press can do pre cisely the same thing, under much more favo rable circumstances and with a certainty of dis tancing competition. The Association, more over, has contracts with the Telegraph Compa ny having four or five years to run, by which very large reductions of the cost of telegraph ing are secured, and which the company is pre cluded from extending to Mr. Craig or to any private dealer in telegraphic news. Under these circumstances journals out of New York can judge lor themselves whether they will best consult their interests by continu ing their relations with the Associated Press or by severing them and placing themselves in the hands of its recent Agent. A Western Love Story.— The Milwaukie Bohemian tells a good love story, eclipsing anything given by the immortal Byron : Emily and Charles loved each other tenderly, but the poor girl’s parental ancestor was in dignant, and would not consent to give his ouly child to a poor mechanic. _ Charles was forbidden the house—Emily was closely watched and daily lectured, but would not renounce her Charles. In her distress she found a warm friend in her mother, who, as the slang expression has it, “ had been there,” and, unknown to her lord, she assisted the young couple. At last the “stern parent” was called away on business, when Charles was in vited to the house—but in a short time a heavy step was heard—Charles was secreted in Emi ly’s bed-room—the parent entered, smelt a mice—when Emily admitted that Charles had been there, but was gone. The father stamped and swore, and at last locked Emily in her room, where she was to remain until he choose to release her. The door was not opened until next morning, wlicu the sight that met his eyes caused him to stand aghast. Tall swenr ing was done for half an hour—then came re flection, and anger was appeased, and before sundown a young couple started on a bridal tour. Squalid Procession of North Carolina Emigrants. —There arrived in this city yester day morning two hundred and fifty men, wo men and children, white and black, from North Carolina, cn route for Indiana. The picture, as presented by these unfortunates when passing through our streets, was sad iu the extreme, and presented a mournful contrast with the present and six years ago. The unfortunates were clad iu every conceivable style of gar ments, the men, however, being mostly clad in the Uniterm of the late Southern Confederacy. The females, old and young, had their dresses made np from odds and ends of calicoes, de laines, Ac. As the pitiful procession wended its way to the Northern Central Depot, numer ous were the sums of money that were handed to the wanderers, and upon arriving at the de pot they were supplied with an abundance of provisions and necessary clothing ; the females being specially provided for in the latter par ticular. The emigrants, many of whom before the war were in opulent circumstances, now find themselves forced to abandon their once happy homes to eke out a miserable existence among strangers.— Baltimore Commercial, 16 th inst. The Next President of the Senate.tt-Wc find in the Cincinnati Gazette, and other West ern papers, of the 13th instant, the following paragraph in relation to the next President of the Senate, from the Washington correspondent of the Western Republican press: Considerable concern is manifested in Demo cratic circles in regard to the selection by the Senate of a presiding officer in place of Mr. Foster. Johnson men fear that the late over whelming victories will lead the Senate to pass by all of their number who, either by their votes or by their acts behind the scenes, even when their votes were right, have been Conser vative, and elect a man whose votes and acts have all been Radical. This opinion causes them to lear that Hon. Ben Wade will be promptly agreed upon, and Union men alsoap pear to think his chances the best. Among Eastern Senators the names of Anthony, of Rhode Island, and Morrill, of Maine, are men tioned, but neither are considered as prominent in the matter. North Carolina Ahead of New York.— The good people of Cohoes, New York, are greatly excited over the discovery in the ancient b(d of Hudson river, near that town, of the re mains of a full grown mastodon —an enlarged edition of an elephant. They evidently sup pose there is nothing like it on the continent. They are mistaken. A gentleman is engaged at this moment, in Nash county, North Carolina, on the banks of Fishing Creek, in unearthing the remains of a monster, probably of the saurian species, which surpasses in size any relic of the primitive era of the earth’s history which has yet been dis covered. He began disengaging the monster from the bank in which it is imbedded several weeks ago, and has already unearthed eighty-five feet without coming to either extremity ! This is the largest fossil animal, we believe, ever discovered.—Pet. Index. [From the Memorial Diplomatique, of Paris, Nov. 11. The Roman Question. napoleon's arrangements por the “pro tectiqn” of the pope. According to information which we have re ceived the mi-slon of General Floury is made subordinate on the previous settlement of the questiou relative to the repartition of the Ro man debt. His destination will besides be Flo rence, and not Rome. The Emperor’s Govern ment, as the Minister of State has frequently declared in the Chambers, and the Marqnis de la Valette recently repented iu his circular, ad dressed to his diplomatic agents abroad, is firm ly resolved to protect efficaciously the Pope, not only in his quality of Head of the Church, but also as a temporal sovereign. The Court of the Tuileries is, therefore desirous that no mis understanding should exi6t In the practical in terpretation of the Convention of the 15th of September. With that object the eventualities that may arise after the departure of the French troops are about to be explained and to become the subject of reciprocal engagements between France and Italy. Such is the real object of the mission to be confided to General Flcury. mr. Gladstone’s interview' with the pontiff. [From the Corricrc Ituliano, of Florence, Nov. 9. Mr. Gladstone lound the Pope calm as usual. They did not speak of politics till near the close of the conversation, ilis Holiness complained of the Austrian Government, while admitting that the events in Germany had rendered it un able to assist the Holy Sec, and he almost ex cused the conduct of the Vienna Cabinet. Mr. Gladstone congratulated him upon the arrival of. the Antibes Legion at Rome. The Pope said to this, “ Terestriul legions have the defect of often missing the object they aim at. Besides, whnt matters it to me what may happen ? Be lieve that when the French have gone I shall be none the less protected, seeing that the legions which defend the Church are never wanting,” and his Holiness raised his eyes to heaven. Mr. Gladstone turned the conversation upon Italy,find he asked what truth there might be iu the preliminaries for negotiations with the Government of Florence, mentioned in the pa pers. what the Pope answered : “ I do not read the journals, and on the subject I know nothing whatever. All I know is that when 1 die I shall not leavjj to my successor the snered and Inviolable heritage of Saint Pe ter.” The conversation respecting Italy having ceased, Ireland was spoken of, and the Pope warmly recommended to Mr. Gladstone Ills well beloved flock. Then, smiling, lie hdded: “ If I am obliged, as some say, to leave Rome, even although Ireland be distant from the cen tre of Christianity, I would uot, perhaps, dis dain to take up my abode there. Malta, a place almost altogether commercial, now that the revolutionists have begun to accuse my poor clergy of 6imony, would uot have my prefer ence.” In conclusion, he said he would go wherever Providence determined—that great- Providence which never failed to judge men who were not eternal. In uttering these words the Pope showed much emotion. [From the Dublin Kvcning Mail, Nov. 10. The Fenians.—lrish Opinion of an Outbreak. * * * Whatever may be thought of Ste phens’ promises to return to Ireland, or of the resources on which he relies here, it is evijlent that he has succeeded at last in overcoming the Canadian-Fcnian party In America, whosc/taco helped to re-establish his authority over the Brotherhood, and that whatever power there Is in the organization in a state of union is again under his control. If the true reading ot his character be that which considers him a fauatlc, and that no one can deny his ability, we arc not warranted in treating the movement as one ut terly without earnestness or substance. The ele ment of disbanded ruffianism in America is. so large, and money so easily obtained there for the wildest project, that it is impossible to say wbat political lunatics may not attempt. They have actually attempted things as made as any they promise, and are not crushed by their fail ure. Such stories ns that a number of mer chants have presented the C. O. I. B. with throe iron-clad vessels, and armaments complete, we treat as that lying for a pur pose which the pre sent situation of American politics, and the threats supposed necessary to give the repre sentations in favor of the Canadian convicts force, sufficiently account. But after all allow ance for these considerations, there remains the fact, mean it much or little, that the Fenian so ciety has, in America, outlived the blow given to it by the prosecutions in Ireland ; and it cer tainly is painful evidence of the wnnt of com mon wisdom in the action of the late govern ment that some of the most dangerous of the Fenian convicts released from jail “on condi tion of going to America,” stand now on the platform with Stephens, and are rendering ser vice as his lieutenants In reviving the Order. The present government are no doubt alive to all that is going on in New York, and wherever el3e the Fenians are Rctive ; and while we feel certain that they will not foster panic by any premature action, we are equally convinced that they carefully observe every movement of the conspiracy. A Wife Trade. [From the Bt. Catharines IC. W.) Journal. Probably one of the most extraordinary cases ever tried before a Canadian Court will be tried in this town next week. The facts appear to be that a couple of men residing near Smith ville, whose Initials are respectively G. • and M., agreed to exchange wives, Mrs. G. and Mrs. M. being quite eager that the “ swop ” should take place; Indeed, so perfectly reconciled were they to the bargain made by their liege lords that each made the bed for the other.— When Mr. G., who keeps a country store, ob tained possession of Mrs. M, he told her that all the goods he had were hers, etc. The par ties stuck to the trade for about a week, when Mr. M. discovered that Mrs. G. was not his affinity ; Mrs. G. agreed with him. Mr. G. also discovered that lie and Mrs. M. could not travel harmoniously together. In such a state of af fairs of course it was the most natural thing in the world, at least with people possessing such peculiar ideas of the nuptial tie, to “ trade back,” and trade back they did, each man re ceiving iiis l awful wife, and each women her lawful husband. So far so good. Mrs. M., on leaving Mr. G , thought she had a right to take a portion of the goods with which he had en dowed her, and accordingly she took them.— Mr. G. thought this was wrong, especially as his spouse had brought home nothing but her person. Therefore he had Mrs. M. arrested for larceny, examined before a magistrate, and committed to jail for trial. When a person expressed some surprise td Mrs. M. at such a singular transaction, and asked her what she thought the judge would say in reference to It, she replied, “ Well, I diinno what he’ll say, but he can’t say nnthin; because people trade horses, cows, pigs and such like, and why shouiden’t they trade thcirselves off, swop -wives and husbands ? What’s the harm in it, if alls agreeable ? I can’t see It and 1 don’t keer what they say.” Genuine Purity of Man.—ls there is any foundation in the heart of man, the more he has been thrown with the less respectable part of the other sex, the more he has been exposed to their allurements, Utq.ruore highly does he prize entire innocence when he meets with it, and the more strict is his line of demarcation between the modest and those in whose con duct there may be any touch of levity. It might almost be taken as a touchstone of the original disposition, whether or no, through all the errors into which man, when tempted, is liable to fall, he yet preserves a quick per ception of genuine purity, and also retains a taste and veneration for it. A Daughter of Gen. Maxey Grego Emi grates to Liberia— The Columbia (8. C.) cor respondent of the New York Times, writes, on the 14th instant, concerning the departure of a number of negroes from t'at State to Liberia, and says: A good deal of tho Intel est felt by this com munity in this emigration party, arises from the fact that with it goes a lady of one of the best families in the State, who accompanies or con ducts the movement, and who goes as a mis sionary to Liberia to devote her life, fortune and talents to the work of missionary instruc tion. This lady is Miss Gregg, a sister ol Gen. Maxey Gregg, who was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. Miss Gregg has for a great while—perhaps ten or twelve years, cer tainly several years before the war—cherished this idea of going as a missionary to Africa ; but it is understood the wishes of her friends and family prevented her from carrying out her favorite project. Now an opportunity offers, and she embarks in the enterprise with her whole soul and with the energy characteristic of her family. Several of the Gregg family ser vants have consented at her iustuuce to accom pany her. One man especially, of whom we know personally, goes with her to assist in the work of teaching. This man and his wife were taught rending aud writing in their childhood, and have improved their advantages to Bucji au oxtent as to be of really important assistance to their former mistress. It was not uncommon for the house servants ot a gentleman to be edu cated in this way. Thousands ol negroes in South Carolina cau read, write aud perform some arithmetical calculations,' and such has always been the case. A New Textile. —The last discovery which comes from Nevada is agricultural rather than mineral, but very important. It is now a textile, such as was eagerly Sought when the rebellion broke out, but unsuccessfully. The plant now discovered has its home in the Humboldt Val ley, where it grows in large quantities, and can, of course, be made to grow more thriftily by cultivation, while, if it has the values which are ascribed to it, it will'soon be removed to other fields aud propagated among regular crops. The plant is said by the discoverers to be superior to any textile now ih use. Though styled hemp, it 1b so called on account of its similarity to that than to any other growth. It h'r<B a stronger aud finer fibre than the proper hemp and a much longer staple. In proportion to the wood, too, the fibre is much more abun dant. It can be more easily separated than flax or hemp, and be stripped clean from the stalk without preparation. Nevada lies betweeu thirty-seven and forty-two degrees North. This corresponds with the latitude of Northern California, of Ban Francisco, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Columbus aud Philadelphia. The Humboldt river, along which the new hemp grows, runs from the mountains of that name westward, through a mountainous conn try. If, therefore, experiment proves whnt is now claimed for this textile, it enn be prolong ed in its cultivation from its original habitat to our own doors and Vrili enhance the value of the hemp harvest in those States where ij is now an important feature. Philadelphia Gaz- tc Stolen. —Rev. Dr. Adgor, of South Carolina, in a letter to Dr. Backus, of Baltimore, lately published, makes the following statement, and vouches for the fact: “ When General Sherman’s army passed through Winnsboro, 8. C., a Captain Fuller and six others of that army, robbed one of the rul ing elders of the Zion Presbyterian Church there of an elegant silver communion set, the gift of a dying female member, of the same, costing S2BO In New York, niud having the Church’s name and the donor’s namu engraved upon each article.” Dr. Adgor makes the following additional statement, which, for the honor of humanity as well os Christianity, we hope cannot be true: “ A certain congregation of your bedy now has that silver communion set, which Captain Fuller presented to them, and are now using it for their communion purposes, with those names of Zion Church and its dying sister staring them continually In the face, as they eat the bread and drink the wine which set forth the body and blood of our common Master." The Idea that a Christian church can celebrate the holy ordinance of the Lord’s Supper In the' use of vessels thus obtained, is too monstrous. If *. , # Impeachment of the: President— The fol lowing petition Is circulating In Ohio : To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Statesof America in Congress assembled: The petition of the undersigned, citizens of the Stale of Ohio, respectfully sbuweth that Andrew Johnson, President of said United States, is guilty of divers and sundry high crimes and misdemeanors, and of language and con duct utterly unworthy of his high office, and calculated and intended to bring the authority of Congress into contempt; that he has grossly abused the pardoning power ; that without the authority of the law he has restored to traitors the property forfeited to and irivued by tho United States; that he hag appointed to offices of trust and authority notorious traitors, con trary to law; that he has Incited sedition!,'riot and murder iu the city of New Orleans ; so» which crimes and misdemeanors yourpetioners humbly pray that he may forthwith be Impeach ed by the House of Representatives, tried by the Senate and dismissed from the exalted posi tion he has so scandalously disgraced. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray. The Mobile and Girard Railroad— The laying of the iron below Union Springs Is being pushed forward. Fifteen miles have been secured and a portion received. Wc were told yesterday by one of the “ posted,” that the iron had been laid one mile and a quarter be low the “ Springs,” and that the entire exten sion of fifteen or twenty miles westward would be completed at least by New Year’s. This ex tension will largely add to the receipts of cot ton in Columbus. —Columbus Sun, 24th. Sudden Death— We regret to notice the death of Mr. P. 11. Jiebcrt,, the enterprising manager of the Ghloni and Suslnl Italian Opera Troupe, which occurred very suddenly yester day morning. He ate sonic oysters the night previous and was seized with violent cramps soon after going to bed. He was a faithful agent, aud had endeared himself to Mr. Stra kosb and the members of the troupe, and was exceedingly courteous to the press. He was about 3 5 years of age and a native of Germany. fW. O. Bee. Homicide in Bardstoww, Ky—A Man Killed by his Brother in-Law—A shooting affiir came off in Bardstowu on Monday night, which resulted iu the death of Mr. John Nich olson, from a pistol shot Inflicted by the hand of bis brother-in-law, David Phelps. Phelps, who had been a Methodist preacher, had fallen from grace and separated from his wife. As a consequence of his domestic difficulties, he had been for some time on bad terms with her brother, John Nicholson. On Monday night as he was standing on the public square talking with William Donohoo, he saw Nicholson ap proaching and observed, “I have got something for John.” As the latter drew jticar, Phelps drew a pistol aud shot him through the body. Nicholson drew a repeater and fired all six of the loads at Phelps, who was retreating in the dark. Nicholson then walked to a drug store one square off, where he fell and died a few hours alter, between 11 and 12 o’clock. Phelps had not been captured when the train left, and it is not known whether any ot Nicholson's shots struck him.
