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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1867)
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTIONALIST [From tlic Boston Pilot. The Priest as an Element in the Modem Drama. We are of those who believe the stability of the drama in the estimation of the people,* de pends more on characteristics width are essen tially secular than on those which are spirltnal • and that the less the teachers of religion o 1 whatever denomination, are made use of as portions of the dramatis persona- , the better will it be for the permanent success of the drama It is very seldom, however, that persons repre senting the character! of clergymen of other religions than our own are introduced upon ihe stage ; indeed, we can only now call to mind -4wo instances : the one of G'ranmar, Archbishop Ii Canterbury, in Shakespeare's King 11 emu 4/ir Eighth, and the other the Rev. Owen GJeu rov, in the fine old comedy of Town and Coun try. \Y e will do justice to Shakespeare iu sav jujT, that whenever he has found it necessary to introduce the teachers of our faith in his plays, ami the cases arc many, he has acted wisely and considerately. No purer-minded men can he found than Friar Laurence and Friar John in Romeo and Juliet; or the Friars in Measure for Measure : and certainly no writer has ever given a more favorable insight into the character of the great Cardinal Wolsey than he has. In fact all the dramatists or the Elizabethan era—the golden era of English dramatic literature—have touched upon flic priesthood with gentleness and fidelity. If John Dryden, however, in draw ing his repulsive character of Friar Dominic in his play of the Spanish Friar, did, for a time injure our spiritual teachers in the estimation of many who were inimical to our religion, that injury was subsequently, in a measurer repaired by the Rev. Chis. Muturin, a clergyman of the English Pr< testant Church, who had done full justice to the Catholic clerical persuasion in his noble characters of Prior Anselmo, and the other* of the priesthood with which his fine play of Bertram abounds. But it is In the modern sensational Irish drama—the drama which is more popular than any other of the present day—that the Priest is brought in as one of the strongest elements, and generally with a character that is very equi vocal. lie is mostly made a rollicking, song singing, jig-dancing, and a somewhat profuse punch-drinking individual; fond of a joke, especially when it partakes of the nature of a double entendre, and with much more in his composition of what should belong to the laity than to the clergy, in support of this state ment we have only to call to mind “ Father Tom - ’ in Dion Boucicault’s Colleen Baicn, and “ Father Shanahan” in the Bridal Eve, the last Irish novelty which was brought here by the Florences, and which was recently produced at the Howard Athemeum. Now these outrages, not alone on the character of the priesthood! but on the Church of which they are servants, instead of being reprobated by our own peo ple, are received with complacency, and are looked upon as affording an excellent fund for mirth and enjoyment. None applaud more lustily than our own, and certainly none seem to be more thoroughly pleased at these un necessary and unwarrantable exaggerations ami uuehristiuiliku insults to our Church and priesthood. And why is this ? It is, vve fear, owing to the fact that those who seek the ephemeral enjoyment of the play-house never look beneath the surface—never stop to reflect on what its effect may be on flic minds of those who have for the Catholic Religion only the most deadly hatred, aud who, on witnessing such exhibitions us these have that hatred strengthened. If they would reflect, wc are sure their applause would not be so liberally bestowed ; and on further reflection, we are confident they would taboo all attempts, by any dramatist whatever, to render their religion and its priesthood a mockery. But one of the most flagrant outrages on tlic sacred calling which has lately come under no tice, was that at the close of the second act of the dramatic version of Mr. Chas.’Reade’s novel <>! Griffith Gaunt, recently produced iu the iSostoii Theatre. There, an Italian priest, who is represented by the novelist as being any thing but in robust health, is assaulted, knocked down, and trampled on by an infuriated mon ster of a man, who considered him of the sacred calling as guilty of criminality with his wife ! The action was applauded “to the very echo,” and, oh! shame of shames ! the applause came from the two upper galleries, which were occu pied aiinost exclusively by our own people. A nightly repetition of this scaudalous scene was demanded —and demanded, too, by those whose faith was in sympathy with that of its persecu ted representative. Let us find au excuse for them, and say that they were carried away by the novelty and strength of the dramatic situa tion, which, for the moment, blinded them to the unholiness of the act committed, even in . mimetic representation ; and let us trust that in the future their eyes will be opened to all such disgraceful recurrences and representa tions, and that whatever is a stain on our reli gion or its priesthood, may receive a speedy condemnation at their bauds. Above nil, let them array themselves against the introduction of a priest on the stage as one of t'.c characters m any drama, sensational or legitimate. A Priest on the Fenian Movement. In a letter from the Dublin correspondent of the Loudon Times we find the following : “ There is a remarkable discourse in the Freeman's Journal, headed ‘The Panic about Feniunism.’ It is by a priest, the Rev. Dr. Rice, of Queenstown. He deprecates the alarm on tin* subject, and says it has been augmented by the Orange address and by the proceedings of the Cork magistrates. The following remarks addressed by this gentleman to a congregation on Sunday are very instructive: ‘ Who are the Fcuians ?’ he asked. ‘The boys to whom we taught their catechism a few years ago. Have they forgotten all the love and affection they once felt ior their priests ? No. There is no Irish Catholic who would not be ready to revenge an outrage to his priest, and plunge a sword into the heart of the sacrilegious assail ant. There is a misunderstanding. Wc cannot approve Fonianism. We believe it to be un wise, imprudent, and rash. It is with Fenian ism we quarrel, and not with the men. Let Fenians renounce their folly, and they know in their hearts they will be received by us. We cannot recognize that w hieh we believe to be wrong. Let them renounce it, .mil they are like the rest—well-beloved and dutiful people. The Feuians arc towards the priest just in the same position as the wanton son is with a wise aud prudent parent. The son loves the father, the father does not go last enough for mu.. He wishes to go on his own way, he is wiser in his own couceit aud more pru dent than the father, and is angry and pro voked because the father does not go with him. But let you go and offer an outrage to the lather and you will arouse all the leeliugs and affections of the sou, aud the son will vindicate the insult to his father. This is the relatiou of the Irish priest aud the Feuiau; but my assurance to you is that you will have peace.' With my assur ance to you, it is not merely the assurance of the priest, but it is also supported by the highest authority of the land—the representatives of the Queeu in this couutry, who possess all the information that it is possible to have. This authority assured us, in the reply to the foolish and unwise memorial of our county magistrates which appeared on Saturday, that the public force was abuudautlv sufficient to preserve peace and order, and to prevent auv disturb ance. There was never such a loree of the army and navy withiu the memory of many of you as there is at this present moment—never 60 mauy troops in the country, or such a naval force along our coast, as there are at this mo ment. These are under most able commanders, and they are so posted that a large body of them can at any minute be brought to any one point of the country on the shortest notice, 60 much so that auy body of men could not staud out against the authority of the Crown for a single day. Thus there is no reason for this unhappiness which has seized upon many of us. However, it would be idle to deny, we must recognize the fact that there is an immense amount of disloyalty and discontent in the country. It is widely spread and extends far away outside the range of the Fenians. But without a foreign invasion this will not menace the peace or security ol the country. If Eng land were involved in a war with any of the great Powers, then indeed, we might be quite sure of the great calamities of a civil war, and ° f tbe effortß of tl,e Priests, many K.-nifm h 0 arc not now avowed allies of ~r ?m ! , WOu j d j° in tbat body through hatred r.f v n r a . nd for <bc purpose of getting rid of English rule iu Ireland. Until such a con lngency there need be no cause for fear or alarm.” Legislation Against the National Banks. One among tbe great vices of legislation in this country is its fickleness. We have just now another glaring instance of it in the attempt to substitute legal tenders for the issues of the National Banks. The change is defended on several grounds, the most obvious reason being the saving of some eighteen millions yearly, which is represented by the interest on the amount of bonds held for the security of the bank circulation. Another reason is, tbe proba ble depreciation of that currency, in times of panic, when the securities held for its redemp tion, being thrown upon the market in large amounts, will fall far short of paying of! that currency at its face. But all these and other reasons were urged before the adoption of the National Bank sys tem without effect. The State banks were forced into the circle of National Banks. This sj-stein was adopted deliberately and with a full knowl edge of all its consequences. The Government entered, as it were, into a contract with the new banks to hand over to them the interest of the securities pledged for the redemption of their issues; and as a part of tbe contract, agreed that up to a certain limit witbin tbe amount of securities deposited with the Treas ury, the banks were privileged to emit notes, subject onlj- to redemption in legal tenders by the banks, or tailing that by the proceeds of the securities pledged, or failing that by the United States Government. It is about time that our legislation should show some more stability, and its acts be mark ed by more regard to the maintenance of public faith. The exercise of building up one moment and pulling down the next is fit amusement for a child busy with erecting and demolishing his little card houses ; but full grown men of ma tured minds should be above such boys’ play. Once having deliberately established a system in the face and with a full knowledge of all the objections that can be urged against it, and in fair view of all its consequences, let ns stick to it, until at least new consequences not foreseen or imagined may justify its discontinuance. At the inception of the system, it was agreed that there should be prescribed limits to its operation. No one can complain if the amount of issues authorized are not allowed to exceed $300,000,000, and this amount it should not be permitted to transcend at present or for some time to come. One advantage of the bank cur rency is the fact that its amount will have to be regulated very much by tbe amount of actual business done or the bona fulc demand for it. This does not attach to notes issued arbitrarily by a government without reference to the con dition or wants of traffic. The restrictions now imposed ou the National Banks with the addition of some point or points of redemp tion and the enforcement of regulations re quiring the Banks to give publicity to tlicir condition at stated times, will probably secure all the benefits expected to lie derived from tlic system and, as far as possible, avoid such evils as may attend it. All of us would be glad of a return of-specie payments; and the New York Tribune, which stands aloue among newspapers in this opin ion, thinks that Secretary McCulloch can re store them instanter. But with the large quan tity of unfunded obligations now pressing on the Treasury, such a proposition seems to us little less than absurdity. Certainly the blow that we refer to as being aimed at the National Banks is not struck in the direction of a re sumption of specie payments. The first step to bring about that wished for consummation must be the funding of our floating debt. That being done, aud the legal tenders restored with all the issues that make a part of the currency, and, other things being in their usual condi tion, the return to a coin basis of all business transactions will naturally tollow, without long delay.— Exchange. Manufacture of Cotton. The North in general, and New England in particular, have been made immensely rich by the manufacture ot cotton. The South, hither to, has derived but little profit from it, more because of the small amount of funds invested in the business, and because it has confined it self to the manufacture of coarse fabrics, than from any other cause. We have the raw material ou the spot, which may pass directly from first hands to the manu facturer without the expense of freight, com mission, &c. Labor can be procured as cheap as, or cheaper than, in the North. The trans portation of the manufactured article would be less than that of the crude, and would be able to compete in the markets of the world with, the Northern. All that is needed, to beau equal competitor in the market with the Northern manufacturer, Is the capital, the machinery, and the snill and cucrgy in the management. If capital is scarce, the combination of the small capital of the many will do as welLas the large capital of the few. The capital wnl purchase the machinery, not at the North, but for the same money, where the Northern manufacturer buys his ma chinery. Factory sites and facilities are more abundant in the South than at the North. And tiic skill and energy we have at home. What hiuders the South from entering the field of competition in tlic manufacture of cot ton with her Northern brethren? We see no impediment that canuot be easily overcome.— We must lay aside our narrow views of policy and enterprise. We must not lie content with spinning yarn, and making brown sheeting and osnaburgs aloue, when we can with a little more capital make calicoes and ginghams and fine sheetings, Ac. The profits on the coarser pro ducts of the factory have always been small, and the future promises less. The freedmen have laid aside homespuns and domestics, as well as the whites. The demand for coarse goods and stripes has nearly played out. We must st rike for a higher class of goods, aud we must introduce the higher classes of machinery. The sooner our people open their eyes to this, the sooner they will wake up to the reality.— Let them contrast the profits of the Southern warp maker, or the brown ,-beeting and osna burg aud stripe maker, with the Northern print and gingham tinkers—the makers of fine sheet ing and shirting with those of the South. Tin* difference is almost incredible. Let the South then resolve no longer to play : the laggard in this enterprise. Our capital is i small, and will coutinuc to be small, so long as I we employ it in vocations which yield 5, <>, 8, | 10 and 15 per cent, which bring them 20, 50, SO and 100 per cent. Let us learn to look ahead — ; plan well, work hard, execute skillfully, and i the thing is done.— Raleigh Sentinel Cotton Receipts at New Orleans.—Wc extract the following statement from Sibley, Guion & Co.’s New Orleans Price Cuirent of the 19ih inst.: The receipts proper during the past week ex hibit a material increase, as compared with those of the previous week, as will appear from the annexed table, iu which the receipts daring the corresponding period last year will also be found. 1866 —bales. 1865—bales. i Week ending Sept. S 1,547 Sept. 7....19,638 “ “ “15 2,013 “ 14....14.364 “ “ “ 22 2,643 “ 21.... 17,618 “ “ “ 29 4,163 “ 28....16,018 “ “ Oct 6 7,566 Oct. 8....30,055 “ “ “ 13 12,662 “ 13.... 25,801 “ “ “ 20 16,560 “ 20....23,216 « « “ 27 2t,500 “ 27.*...23,949 “ “ Nov. S 22,019 Nov. 3 22,506 “ « “ 10 25,662 « 10....19,639 “ “ “ 17 24,968 “ 17....20,358 « “ “ 24 27,703 “ 24....15,830 “ “ Dec. 1 28.536 Dec. 1....21.526 « “ “ 8 25,299 “ 8....22,402 « “ “ 15 31,979 “ 14....11,271 *< « “ 22 37,764 “ 22.... 19,271 «< « “ 29 29,461 “ £9....23.359 “ “ Jan. 5 24,344 Jan. 5....21,8i8 « « “ 12 25,019 “ 12....20,912 «( « « 19 29,664 u < 19.... 16,427 Talking about books, a New Bedford lady wrote to a Boston publishing house for a copy of “ Gellert, or Trust in God,” and received the sad reply, “ There is no Trust in God to be found in Boston.” A bookseller in Atlanta is agent for “ Moses and his Phophets.” Probably a profitable agency. [From the Savannah Republican, 21st instant. Outbreak Among the Freedmen on Delta Plantation." The Negroes Refuse to Contract or Leave the Island—United States Troops Called into Re quisition to Aid the Freedmen's Bureau Offi cers— The Remit of Mr. Bradley's Teachings —lntense Excitement—Origin of ihe Trouble. At a late hour on Saturday evening and dur ing yesterday, our city was thrown into a great excitement by the rumors of an extensive and serions outbreak on one of the islauds between the whites and blacks. The first reports of tbe difficulty were, of course, greatly exaggerated, and we were told by timid sensationalists that several lives were lost, and that this was bnt the beginning of a terrible slaughter—the first signal for a second San Domingo, &c. On in stituting a careful inquiry into the origin and extent of tbe trouble, our reporters hirnish us with the following facts in relation to the diffi culty, which at this 4 hour (eleven, p. in.,) really wears a serious aspect : By virtue of General Sherman’s celebrated order of 18G5, assigning the valuable cotton dis tricts known as the Sea Islands to the freedmen, thousands of negroes have since that time set tled upon the Islands, and in some instances cultivated considerable quantities of rice and cotton. One of the largest of these tracts of land—the “ Delta Plantation ’’—the property of Mrs. Cheves, situated on the Back River, on the Carolina coast, was recently leased to Captain Barnwell, an ex-Confederate officer, for whom the negroes refused to contract, alleging that the Captain had not kept his agreement with them last year. The Captain then applied for assistance to Captain H. Brandt, Freedmen’s Bureau, to eject the negroes from his land, iu order that he might begin bis preparations for planting, and employ new hands. A corporal and five men were sent to the plantation to en force the orders ot General Scott, which were to the effect that the negroes holding no posses sory titles would be compelled either to make contracts with the new lessees or leave the plantations and proceed to St. Helena, where twenty acres of good laud would be granted them. With these terms the negroes refused to com ply, and, after expostulating in vain, Captain Brant attempted to carry into execution the or ders of his superior officer ; but in a very few moments he anil his little band were surround ed by upwards of two hundred negroes, armed with muskets, pistols, clubs and missiles of every kind, some of them swearing that they would die there rather than contract with Cap tain Barnwell or depart for St. Helena Island. One of the negroes, becoming greatly excited, made some insulting remark to one ot the sol diers, who resented it by aiming his gun at the offender. This act so enraged the negroes that a number hastened to procure their arras, while those who were already armed cocked their weapons and stood prepared to slay the sol diers should any further attempt be made to coerce them. Fortunately Captain Brandt, see ing the soldier aim his musket kicked it out of his hands, anil ordered him under arrest. Finding it utterly impossible to carry out his orders with such a feeble force, Captain Brandt returned to Savannah to report to General Till son the state of affairs, and ask for further in structions. General Tillson at once secured a detail of fifty men lrom Fort Pulaski, who, un der the command of Lieutenant Robert Miller, of the Sixteenth United States Infantry, were provided with three days’ rations, and at once proceeded to the scene of difficulty. It was supposed that the appearance of so large a military force would have the effect of intimi dating the refractory negroes, and thus force them into obedience without the useless shed ding of blood. Arriving: on the island it was ftmnd that the entire plantation was carefully picketed ala militairc. A second interview was obtained by Capt. Brandt, who again read to the negroes the orders of Generals Howard and Scott, re garding the titles to tbe lands, rules for con tracts, &c., but the parley produced no better results, and, if anything, tended to increase the anger of the freedmen, who crowded together in solid phalanx, aud swore more furiously than before tbat they would die where they stood before they would surrender their claims to the laud. One of the leaders remarked: “ We have but one master now—Jesus Christ —anil he’ll never eome here to collect taxes or drive us off.” During all this time, many of thc negroes were using the most disrespectful language, and indulging in taunting jeers to wards the troops, when pne or two ot the men, incensed at the insults, raised their guns to the aim, but in a moment one of the negroes, an intelligent looking man, who sported a sword and belt, shouted, “Fall in. guards,” which order was promptly obeyed by the rapid assembling of armed men. Matters now began to assume a threatening aspect, and, for a few minutes, a deadly con flict seemed inevitable, but, thanks to the great presence of mind and valorous discretion of both Captain Brandt and Lieutenant Miller, who had to resort to severe measures to re strain the troops from firing into the mob which was composed of men, women and children, nothing serious ensued beyond the accidental wounding of one man by Lieuten ant Miller, while he was brandishing his sword and endeavoring to drive back the mob, Tbe scene at this juncture was truly exciting, the women and children screaming, while the infuriated men filled the air with oaths aud im precations. In the midst of the strife and con fusion an old mulatto woman bearing a babe in I her arms, rushed frantically towards Capt I Brandt, aud implored him in heaven’s name I not to tire, stating that Mr. Bradley, a colored j lawyer, had advised the ignorant men to resist at the point of the bayonet any attempt that should be made to eject them from the lands, i After an hour spent in threats and coaxin°\ Captain Brandt deemed it advisable to with draw the troops, as there was no possible 1 chance of executing’ his verbal orders without * causing great loss of life; and as no serious ! resistance was apprehended at headquarters, lie ! was not clothed with sufficient authority to ' warrant him in firing ou the foolish men who ! bad been duped by the false representation of! tins mischievous and dangerous emissary Al- i peora Bradly, a colored man, hailing from New 1 York and Boston. • i Up to the time of going to press, no later in j telligence had been received at the Bureau Headquarters, and it is not known whether any-! thing further has transpired between the troops and the negroes Tlic troops are still encamp ed on the Island, and will hold possession until ordered to evacuate. We are informed that Captain Biandt telegraphed at an early hour last evening to Gen Scott, at Charleston, notifying * im bat be c °nld not eject the negroes without bloodshed, and asking for explicit instructions. The sound of musketry was heard in the direc tion oi the plantation late last night, and con siderable apprehension exists for fear that the emeute may yet have a serious termination. The planters in the vicinity are greatly excited over the outbreak and predict the most disas trous results to the whites unless it is speedily and summarily squelched. The following order ° f K^ < i ne l? l lwC ?* tsbow the authority under which Captain Brandt aud Lieut. Miller are acting: ® i Head qrs, Assistant Commissioner, ) Bureau R. F. and A. L., South Carolina, > Charleston, 8. C., January 9,1867. ) [Circular No. 2.J Commissioner learns, with re gret, that many freed people throughout the State, and particularly on the Sea islands and Santee river, manifest an unwillingness to make contracts for labor for the coming season. It must be distinctly uuderstood by those la lsf 6eason ’ who refuse to con tract wnh their employers of the past season, that they must at once leave the plantations and U k ( l nar^ers which they now occupy, to such persons as are willing to contract with their late employers for another year. If they refuse to quietly leave, 'military force will be used to remove them. Laborers who neglect to contract at once for S T iSO u' and who ’ through idleness, fJ«JT?i nt,^ in DOt receive assistance or sup port from the Government many manner what ever. The freed people on the Sea Islands who hold ffii O tL^ 6 T° ry * {^ rtificates are hereby no tified that such certificates will not give them possession of the land for another year, and that they must be at once taken to Brevet Major D T. Corbin, Acting Assistant Commissioner, at Rockville, S. C., who will exchange them for warrants good for twenty acres of land on Port “ r r ,or lbe ■*SA£/S?Si£!2: Captain H. 11. Poe, at Beaufort, S C will as iheir cWms “ E " Cl1 warra ”‘ B i- locating A^La« er Comm r ti1 t „“; j ° r QeMralß - K- Scott, xr • KDWARI> E. DkaVE, Brevet Major and A. A. General.” „ W ° a^ c able . CoEfi dently to assert that the sole cause of this dangerous outbreak has been the presence of the notorious Mr. Bradley, whom it will be remembered behaved in such an out rageous manner last year, by inciting the poor and n D n Cd a U n at a and ? eeroes to o P e n acts of violence and bloodshed, that he was sent to Fort Pulas ki by a military commission for one year but was afterwards released bv an order from the Secretary of War. Bradley, whols an uneiu! cated man, assumes to be a member of the ba>* and last week applied to Judge Fleming for ad mission to practice before the Georgia bar aud was refused. He is a shrewd fellow, possessed of an unlimited amount of impudence and ego tism, and presumes upon the ignorance of his race to an unlimited extent. lie called at our office last evening, aud in a rage threatened us to beware of a second “ tea party.” It seems that this fellow has been imposing upon the credulity of the ignorant plantation hands, by inducing them to believe that his pe titions to Washington will surely lead Congress to grant the freedmen possessory titles to the lauds they now occupy. He has got them to make their mark to the petitions ; he signing their names, for which blessiug he asks each poor negro to pay him the little consideration of one dollar —a pretty big price for so worth less a panacea. So long as designing and un scrupulous men of this class are permitted to circulate among the freed people these absurd stories, and instigate theih to acts of insubordi nation aud mutiny against the orders of Gener al Howard and the officers of the Freedmen’s Bureau, just so long may we look for and ex pect serious disturbances, and an increase of the evils anil troubles that already beset the colored people. We are not prepared to say that Bradley’s conduct is sanctioned by the intelligent colored men of Savannah ; we trust it is not. He cer tainly would not be endorsed by either whites or blacks who desire to see the ignorant ne groes elevated and liberated from the snares and miseries that now surround them. Brad ley boldly proclaimed last evening in our of fice —when we ventured to caution him against giving such pernicious advice to the colored people, assuring him that however distasteful it might be, General Howard’s orders and those of his officers would have to be obeyed— that blood would flow, and in this way lie hoped to attract the attention of Congress aud awaken the sympathy of the Northern people. Sympathy aud aid for deserving colored peo ple is oue thing, aud money poured iuto Mr. Bradley’s pockets i3 quite another. Asa true friend of the colored people we caution them not to heed this designing man, Bradley, but remember our advice last year, when vicious counsellors urged upon them to engage in a strike which ended to their injury, aud was af terwards denounced by the most respectable people of Savannah. [FTom the London Times, January G. The United States Debt. FREE TRADE AGAINST PROTECTION AND THE RELATIONS BETWEEN LABOR AND CAPITAL. The Americans are gradually discovering that free trade cannot be sacrificed to protection witiiout a loss in some shaper or other more than proportioned to the gain. At this mo ment they have undertaken, and are, indeed, actually performiug a gigantic feat of finance. They are liquidating an enormous public debt by vast instalments out of a surplus revenue greater than has ever been raised in any other country. The taxation incidental to this achievement they are enduring without any of the impatience exhibited under such burdens in the States of the Old World. They are paying more taxes, we should imagine, than any peo ple ever paid, and paying them easily. For all this, however, they do not escape without suf fering. The incidence of taxation has been so regulated—perhaps, under the circumstances, unavoidably—as to involve high protective du ties in almost every branch of manufacture aud trade ; but this system, though it is eagerly ad vocated aud strenuously defended by certain classes, is 6teailily undermining the commer cial position of the nation. High duties make everything dear, and most things bad. The ac tual wealth of the United States in articles of raw material is incredibly great, but the value of these resources has beeu so impaired by a protective policy that the people are losing the commercial advantages which would otherwise be theirs. The Secretary of tbe Treasury, iu j his last report, has been at the pains of demon- J strating tbe fact in the hope of impressing ! upon Congress the necessity of timely reform, and the instance which he selects for illnstra-' tion is exceedingly striking. If there was any brauch of manufacture or commerce in the United States enjoyed nat ural and apparently indestructible advantages, it was that of ship building. Americans look to navigation as instinctively as Englishmen ; their forests and miues gave them inexhaustible supplies of material, aud their peculiar skill in design and workmanship has been so recently exemplified in the ocean yacht race, that we need not insist on the point any further. There were, in fact, no better sbinbuilders or hardier navigators in the world, and, as a necessary re sult, they had a building and carrying trade in ferior to none but your own, and compedng hopefully with that. Now, it is simple matter of fact, that half this trade has been already destroyed. The Secretary gives the exact fig ures, and shows that some 6,000,000 tons of American shipping have fallen during the past five years to little more than 3,000,000, while the foreign shipping by which the trade has been appropriated counts for some 4,500,000 tous instead of 2,600,000. In other words, busi ness to this extent has left the United States and been transferred by the irresistible law of commerce- to other countries—mainly to our own. Tlic explanation of the result is not far to seek. Success in such matters is determined by cheapness, and cheapness is determined by the prices of material and labor combined with economical ingenuity. In America material used to be cheap and labor dear, but the com mercial ability of the people was so great that they could well hold their own and build ships successfully enough to compete with onr own shipmasters. The new tariff - lias destroyed all this. * * * It is evidence, iudeed, of the singular advantages of free trade over protection that wc should have been able so far to supersede the American ship builders with our own in dustry in a condition of such derangement. Ship building has actually fallen off in our great centres of enterprise. On the Clyde there is a decrease of 78,416 tons in the constructions of 1866 as compared with those of 1865. On the Thames the stagnation of business has pro duced great public suffering. The vast fleet of “ iron commercial steamers plying over every sea, built so cheaply and ingeniously as to drive out all competition,” will not long be ours if masters and men cannot understand themselves better. The Americans envy us now ; we may be envying some other people before long. There is no monopoly of advantage in these matters. Success depends simply upon quality and price, and it will belong infallibly to those who can offer the best article for the least money. It is of no use calling iu aid of pro tection. The Americans are finding out the hopelessness of that experiment. They are laying extravagant burdens on consumers, and yet they are not satisfying producers, while in the meantime national commerce and national prosperity are perishing togther. We are, happily, not entangled in the embarrassments of protective system ; but if labor and capital cannot come to better terms with each other we may soon find ourselves unable to maintain the position which it present gives us an abundant revenue, while industry, as far as legislation is concerned, is left absolutely free. The price of pork ought to recede, for the Western bog supply of the present season, down to January 12tb, is announced to be 551,523 hogs packed and bntchered, as compared with 453,457 for the same period la6t year—an increase of nearly 100,000 hogs. Georgia and Carolina Worthies. “ Warwick,” a correspondent of the New York Day Book , writes thus: The Hills, Ala., Dec. 29, 1860. To the Editors of The Day Book: Gents : I send for The Old Guard a copy of Mirubcau B. Lamar’s poem, entitled “ The Daughter of Mendoza.” I hope you will pub lish it. I can never forget the first time I saw Lamar. I was a boy fourteen years of age. He was au invited speaker at the second “Nul lification ” meeting ever held in Georgia. The first hail been held in Athens, at the seat, aud during the commencement of the University, under the auspices of the late Augustine S. Clayton, then a member of Congress from that Mate, under the general ticket system. Athens vms the home of Judge Clayton, and the centre ; A to S r ' and P°lite life in Georgia. George McDuffie, from South Carolina, was there, j ibis second meeting, which really put “the ball iu motion” in Georgia, was held in Coving- ; ton, Newton couuty, Ga. Hon. Thos. F. Fos- 1 tei, one ol tfie first gentlemen and most gifted lawyers in the State, was also, at that time, a Representative iu Congress, and iu attendance on the meeting as a speaker. Other distin guished gentlemen now living were present and participating in the meeting. Among them were Judge John J. Floyd, General Bar zillai Graves and Rev. A. Aleans, D. D. L. L. D. Judge Clayton, by the way, was one of the lirst wits, as well as one of the first jurists and statesmen Georgia ever produced. His bon mots were widely circulated through the intcl ectual circles of the State. In his later years he was the subject of hemiplegia. He became i a zealous Christian. A distinguished infidel tnend rallied him upon that “ weakness,” say- I mg, O, Clayton, you are infirm now, and ; afraid to die. With great solemnity the witty Judge replied, “ And is it a ‘weakness’ then to i fear God. He inaugurated the nullification excitement in Georgia in 1831. While passing ! through South Carolina, on his way home from Congress, he had given a toast at a public meeting m these words, “ He that dallies is a dastard ’ Arriving in Georgia, Hon. Mr. Cuth bert called him to account for it, before a lar°*e assemblage of people, desiring to know if Clay ton adhered to that sentiment. Clavton rose aud moved slowly to a conspicuous position and replied, “I said, in South Carolina, ‘He that dallies is a dastard.’ 1 take this occasion to repeat it, and to add, ‘He that doubts is damned!’ ” Foster was also an eccentric genius. He once begged an honorable member, who had persisted in a long, prosy speech, to desist. “I shall not desist,” he replied ; “ I am not speak ing for the benefit of the honorable gentleman from Georgia. I am not speaking for this House. I am speaking, sir, for posterity.”— “Yes,” replied Foster, petulantly, “and if yon keep on a little longer, posterity will hear you!” Judge Wayne was once making an elaborate decision against Foster, in the Federal Court in Savannah. The Judge was slow and a little pompous, spitting about him with great non chalance. A legal friend passing Foster, as he was leaning moodily on his desk, inquired how lie liked the decision ? “ The decision,” said Foster, “ That’s well enough, but d—n the man ner of it!” Foster was a Whig and a Harrison man in At a political meeting iu Greenville, Ma rietta Cos., Geo., in which many of the most giiteil men iu that State participated, the lute distinguished Walter T. Colquitt, at the close of his speech on the Democratic side, turning to his enraged opponents, demanded, “ Who is to reply to me ? Being told that Col. Foster would answer him, “Then,” said Colquitt, “ I shall go home. Col. Foster is a gentleman, aud my character is safe in his hands.” It was at that meeting, and surrounded by such men, that Lamar pronounced one of the most fiery declamations which ever fell from the lips of mortal man. Wild with zeal, he cried out, “ But it is said that General Jackson has threatened to send a million of musket-bearing men across the Potomac. What then ? Why, taeu, meet a million of musket-bearing men, to make that beautiful river a river of blood. By Heaven, fellow-citizens, I had rather see Geor gia rent from the continent by an earthquake, and floating, an iceburg, in the ocean, leafless aud lifeless than to see her submit to this un constitutional, unequal, unjust taxation ! Nay, I had rather see her sank into a lake of fire, seven times hotter than man’s conception !” He ceased, and the multitude was wild with mad excitement. His appearance was unique. His line bust; bis blue cloth surtout and Byron** collar ; his large, open, blue eye, and ample brow and sombre mein, marked him as a man of peculiar tastes, of melancholy mould, of ve hement passions, touched with poetic aud gen tle seutiments. He was an organized mass ol human fire, and as he moved about the town, during the evening, in silent meditation, salu ting nobody, indulging a segar and the shaded promenade, all eyes w-ent after him in wonder and curiosity. When, in after-life, he tied a bandanna handkerchief over his head and charged the Mexican army, in Texas, riding alone through its ranks, sword in hand, nobody who knew him was surprised. I remember an occasion when he was sick, in Columbus, Geor gia ; his old friend, Colquitt, went to see him. “ How hard this is,” said he to C.; “ here lam, scorched to a cinder, with this fever; anybody but me could die, but I can’t die; I shall live.” With his subsequent career in Texas, as sol dier and statesman, the world is familiar. Everybody remembers his letter, demanding the life of Santa Anna. “He has made,” said he, “ the blood of innocence the Falernian of his revels, and with his military hoot stamped upon the brow of blue-eyed beauty.” A Local Incident Nineteen Years of Age. We find floating the rounds of the press the following particulars of a circumstance which is still fresh in the minds ofthe older residents of Atlanta, though it occurred nineteen years ago. The party referred to as having assaulted Mr. Stephens in front of the old “ Thompsou Hotel” was Judge Cone. The incident took place on the 4th of September, 1848, at the above place. It was reported to Mr. Stephens that he “ had been proclaimed a traitor to the South,” in a public speech made by one who had held high position in the State. In a per sonal interview with this person he inquired whether the charge had been made, as reported ; and though the charge was denied, and the par ties separated in a friendly manner at the time, yet the words used by Mr. Stephens on that oc casion led to a subsequent demand for retrac tion. This was refused, and a rencontre en sued. Mr. Stephens was unarmed, while his assailant, who was more than twice his size and weight, was duly prepared for the rencontre which he sought. Upon the refusal to retract the words, an assault was made upon Mr. Ste phens with open knife. • T.iis he for some time parried with an um brella, receiving several wounds upon his arm and breast; but his assailant rushing upon him with all his superior force and weight, threw him upon his back. One blow with the knife aimed at the heart would have done its fatal w r ork, but for the fortunate position of the blade of the knife. Another blow, on the oth er side, passing between tw r o ribs, severed an intcr-eostalery artery. The strong man • hen, with his left Laud on the forehead of his ad- versary, and the knife in his right hand, said: “ Now, , retract, or I will cut your throat.” The reply wasNo, never! Cut!” As the knife came, Mr. Stephens caught it in his right baud, and with his left caught the right elbow ot him who wielded it. In this way the struggle lasted until both were on their feet again, and others came td the rescue. The right hand, that seized the kuife as it was aimed at the throat, was horribly mangled by the turning aud twisting of the blade in efforts to get it out of the grip. The hemorrhage from the severed artery would have resulted in speedy death, but for the fortunate presence of Dr. Hitchcock, of the United States army, whose skill arrested it. The scene occurred in the piazza of Thomp son’s Hotel, m Atlanta, Ga., on the 4th of Sep tember, 1848. Mr. Stephens was laid np for several weeks with these wounds. The right hand was thought to be permanently disabled. The tendons of several fingers and the thumb were severed. He could not use the baud at all for about twelve months. In the meantime he accustomed himself to write with his left. Bat, to the permanent injury of the right, his bad chirography is now partly owing. Many amusing and some provoking things have oc curred from this terribly bad writing, in which Hon. Ruins Choate was his only rival, and of which we will give at least one sac simile of a i late date. Printers often set up Tuesday for j Thursday, and North for South, or friends fill ■ appointments too soon or too late. He once 1 ordered two “ plows,” an old kind bear j iug that name which he wished. He received , “two dozen,”a full car-load, of another kind. ; Once, when the writer was with him on a visit, he ordered fifty pounds of rice and received fifty pounds of ice. —Atlanta Intelligencer. Benevolence of Missourians. About the Ist of November a letter came to this post office, directed to Bill Arp, in which it was stated that the ladies of Clay county, Mo., had raised SI,OOO, which they desired to give to ueedy Georgia soldiers’ families, and asking Major Smith’s advice as to whom it should be sent. He suggested that they send the money to Governor Jenkins, but wc infer from the following letter that their communi cation to the Governor probably tailed to reach him. Liberty, Clay co., Mo., Jan. 10,1867. Messrs. Undet'icood <y Smith : Gents : Yours of November 10, 1866, was duly received, aud a communication,' as you suggested, sent to Governor Jenkius on the subject, which as yet remains unanswered by him. Tbe undersigned have, therefore, thought it best, uot having heard from Governor Jenkins, to enclose a cheek to you for $1,500, believing that, with your knowledge of the destitution prevailing in your State, you can and will make a proper distribution of the amount. We desire that the funds thus sent to you be expended for the relief of disabled Confederate soldiers and.tbeir widows, and orphans of such, this being the intention of the donors. The amount thus sent you was raised through the exertions of the ladies of Clay county, Mo., and was coufided to our charge for proper dis - tribution, from the fact ot all of us having served iu the Southern armies during the war. Please acknowledge receipt of draft, and oblige, James n. Gillespie, Dr. John M. Allen, Thomas M. Carty, L. B. Dougherty, Johu I. Moore, H. Whitesman. It is hardly necessary to state that this act of bcnevoleuce on the part of the kind ladies of Clay county, Mo., is highly appreciated, not only by the suffering poor, but also by all good people in this section of country. Wc can but love those who sympathise with us in our pre sent impoverished and distressed condition, and any words of thanks we can command are entirely too poor to express the grateful feel ings of those whose sufferings are relieved by the generosity of strangers. Messrs. Under wood & Smith have made an equal distribution of tbe funds sent, between the counties of Floyd, Polk, Chattooga, Bartow and Gordon — giving S3OO to each county. Tbe amount for Floyd county will be expened in meal, and dis tributed in accordance with the wishes of the donors.— Rome ( Ga.) Courier. j Stability in Legislation and in Trade.— j A receiit publication of the revenue receipts o f the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire land, for the year -ending December 81,1866, contains the following abstract of the sources from whence the revenue is derived, aud a com parison of the same with the receipts from the same sources in 1865 : 1 ear ended Year ended Dec. 31,1866. Dec. 81,1865. Customs £31,915,000 £21,707,000 Excise 20,016.000 19,649,000 Stamps 9,291,000 9,636,000 Taxes 3,463,000 3,364,000 Property tax.... 5,458,000 7,603,000 Post office 4,375,000 4,250,000 Crown lands 327,000 314,000 Miscellaneous ... 3,340,662 2,673,478 Total £68,785,662 £69,196,478 A number of interesting deductions can be made from the foregoing exhibit. It will be seen, in the first place, that somewhat more than two-sevenths of the entire revenue for the year 1866 was derived trom customs alone. In the next place it may be observed that the total revenue for each of the two years is very nearly the same, which is quite remarkable when con trasted with the extraordinary fluctuations in the gross annual returns of our revenue. This shows a degree of steadiness in both the re venue legislation and in the business of tho British empire—a steadiness which is vitally important to trade, and which it would be well for our country to be blessed with to the same extent. The editor of the Church Almanac , for 1867, has compiled the following statistics of the Episcopal Church of the United States : Dioceses 34 Bishops 44 Priests and deacons 2,386 Whole number of clergy 2,580 Parishes 2,305 Ordinations—Deacons 98 Priests 86 Candidates for holy orders 220 Churches consecrated 38 Baptisms—lnfants 28,974 Adults 6,527 Not stated 808 Confirmations 19,296 Communicants—Added 14,138 Present number.. 161,224 Marriages .*,900* Burials 16,828 Sunday School teachers 17,570 Sunday School scholars 157,818 Contributions $3,051,669 94 A Duel in Prospective at Memphis.— Quite a stir has been created in Memphis by the publication iu the Bulletin of certain corres pondence intended to be private. William Wallace, Attorney General, thus salutes the ed itors of the Bulletin, which, under “ the code of honor,” means fight or come down: Memphis, January 14,1867. Col. Dupree : The Bulletin and your note of this date arc before me. Your note explains itself. I only have to say that both the caption and comments on our correspondence are infa mous perversions, which could emanate but from an infamous puppy, who has not manhood enough to acknowledge himself responsible for and the author of his deliberate scoundrelism. While I have neither “ changed my base nor made full and complete retractions,” I will promise the party, if under sixty years of age, and physically able to bear it, a set of slapped jaws, so soon as I learn who he is. I am, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Wm. Wallace. Cuba.—An individual well known in' Ma tanzas, named i. Normand, has contracted fifteen Chinese coolies, to be applied on trial to a cotton factory iu New Orleans, i. e., by way of an experiment, and if satisfactory in its result, a larger number are to be engaged for the same purpose. This is a matter that may be of great interest iu future. The South mast have la borers, one way or another. It has been rumored that the reported resig nation of General Manzano has been admitted by the Bpanish Government. The new French line of steamers from Havana to New Orleans is advertised to com mence running early in February next. The first is the Darien, in connection with the steamers from and to St. Nazaire. This will put an end to the many straggles, all other lines having gone through, to establish a permanent line with some degree of regularity. Supreme Court. —That our readers may know whd the Judges of the Supreme Court are, we give their names and the date of their appointment. It will be seen from these dates that the majority, five out of nine, have been appointed since the commencement of the war, and may be reasonably supposed not to be “ copperheads”—having all been nominated by President Lincoln, and confirmed by a republi can Senate. Eight of the nine, however, are Northern men : 1863—5. P. Chase, Ohio, Chief Justice. 1835—James M. Wayne, Georgia. 1845 Samnel NeDon, New York. 1846 Robl. C. Grier, Pennsylvania. 1858—Nathan Clifford, Maine. 1862—Noah M. Swayne, Ohio. 1862—David Davis, Illinois. 1862 Samuel F. Miller, lowa. 1863 Stephen J. Field, California. [ Memphis Appeal.
