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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1867)
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTIONALIST Veto Message. HIE SUPPLEMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION BILL. THE PRESIDENT’S OBJECTIONS. The Bill Passed Oyer the Veto. 1 lie President on Saturday afternoon return* ed to the Hoyse of Representatives the Supple i..( nt-irj Reconstruction bill, accompanied bv the followin'; message, giving his reasons Jo*r not signing it: . 7?Jh e t ! r °?f* °f Repretentalfta : I have con t ™! h r ! H n,ult>fl “An act supplementary 'L l <n,ll,cd an act to provide for the more vr?!i n ! J ?°S lU<:nt ol lh,; rttbel States,’ passed . l.ircb ~d, 1867, facilitate restoration,” aud now return it to thf: House of RrfPreseuia tives, with mv objections. Thin bill provides for elections in the ten r .ites '“ ought under the operation of the oriei li ’* act to R 1S supplementary. Its de tails are principally directed to the elections < : the formation of the State constitutions; but by the sixth section of the bill “all elec tions” in these States, oecuring while the ori gial act remains in force are brought within its purview. • Referring to the details, it will be found that, lir.-,t of all, there is to be a registration of the voters. NO one whose name has not been ad mit ted on the list is to be allowed to voteafauy o( these elections. To ascertain who'is entitled to registration, reference is made necessary, by the express language of the supplement, to the original act and to the pending bill. The fifth section of the original act provides, as to voters, that they shall be “male citizens of the State, twenty-one ytStrs old and upwards, of whatever race, color or previous condition, who •dive been resident of said State for one year.” 'I his is the general qualification, followed, how ever, by many exceptions. No one can be re gistered, according to the original act, “who may be disfranchised for participation in the rebellion,” a provision which left undetermin ed the question as to what amounted to dis franchisement, and whether, without a judicial sentence, the act itself produced that effect.— i lus supplemental bill superadds an oath, to be t..koii by every person before his name can be admitted upon the registration, that he has “not been disfranchised for participation in any rebellion or civil war against the United States.” It thus imposes upon every person the neces sity nud responsibility of deeidiug for himself, under the peril of punishment by a military commission, if hg makes a mistake, what works disfranchisement by participation in rebellion, • aud vs liut amount to such participation. Almost every man—the negro as well as thfe'whiLc— above tweuty-onc years of age,-who was resi dent in these ten States during the rebellion, voluntarily or involuntarily, at some time and in some way, did participate in resistance to the lawful authority of the General Gojrcrnment.— I lie question with the citizen to whom this oath is to be proposed must be a» fearful one; i while the bill docs not declare that perjury may be assigned for such false swearing, nor fix any penalty for the offense, w'e must not forget that martial law prevails, that every person is answerable to a military commission, without previous presentment by a grand jury for any charge that may be made against him, and that the supreme authority of the military comman der determines the question as to what is an oflense, and, what is to be the measure of pun ishment. The fourth section of the hill provides “that the commanding general of each district shall appoint as many boards of registration as uiav be necessary, consisting of three loyal officers .or persons.” The only qualification stated for Uici-e officers is, that they must be “loyal.”— 1 uc.i may be persous in the military service or civilians, residents of the State or strangers.— et these persons are to exercise most import ant duties, and are vested with unlimited dis cretion. I hey are to decide what names shall be placed upon the register, and from their de cision there is to be no appeal. They arc to superintend the elections, and to decide all questions which may arise. They are to have the custody of the ballots, and to make return of the persons elected. Whatever frauds or er ror? they may commit must pass without re <!.CoS. Ail that is left for the commanding gen eral is lo receive the returns of the elections, open the same, and ascertain who are chosen “ according to the returns ot the officers who conducted said elections.” By such means, and with this sort of ageucy, are the conventions of delegates to be constituted. As the delegates are to speak fipr the people, common justice would seem to require that they should have authority from the people themselves. No convention so constituted will, in any sense represent the wishes of the inhabitants of these States ; for, under the all embracing exceptions of these laws, by a con struction which the uncertainty of the clause as to disfranchisemeut leaves open to the board ol officers, the great body of the people may he excluded from the polls, and from all opportu nity of expressing their own wishes, or voting for delegates who will faithfully reflect their sentiments. 1 do not deem it necessary further to investi-! gate the details ot this bill. No consideration ! could induce me to give my approval to such ! au election law for any purpose, and especially tor the great purpose Os framing the constitu tion of a State. If ever the American citizen should be left to the free exercise of his own judgment, it is when he is engaged in the work ot forming the fundamental law under which he is to live. That work is his work, and it cannot properly he taken out of his bauds. Ali this legislation proceeds upon the contrary as sumption, that the people ol each ot these States shall have no constitution, except such as may be arbitrarily dictated byCongress, and formed under the restraint of military rule. A plain statement of these facts makes’this evident. In all these States there are existing constitu tions, formed in the accustomed way by the people. . Congress, however, declares that’these constitutions arc not “ loyal and republican,” and requires the people to form them anew. What then, in the opinion of Congress, is uo ecssary to make the constitution of a State “ loyal and republican ?” The original act answers the question : It is universal negro suffrage—a question which the Federal Consti tution leaves to the States themselves. All this legislative machinery of martial law, military coercion aud political disfranchisement is avowedly for that purpose, and noue other. The existing constitutions of tlffc ten States con form to the acknowledged standards of loyalty and republicanism. Indeed, if there are de grees in republican forms of government, their constitutions arc more republican now than when these States—four of which were mem bers of the original thirteen —first became mem bers of the Union. Ccugress does not now demand that a single provision of their constitutions be changed, ex cept such as confine suffrage to the white popu lation. It is apparent, therefore, that these pro visions do not conform to the standard of re publicanism which Congress seeks to establish. That there may be no mistake, it is only neces sary that reference should be made to the origi nal act, which declares “such constitution shall provide that th.e elective franchise shall be en joyed by all such persons as have the qualifica tions herein stated for electors of delegates.”— W hat class of persous is here meant clearly ap pears in the same section. That is to say : “the male citizens of said State twenty-one years old aud upward, of whatever race, color, or pre vious condition, who have been resident in said State for one year previous to the day of such election.” H ithout these provisions no constitution which can be framed in any one of th<? ten States will be of any avail with Congress. This, tuen, i? the test of what the constitution of a State of this Union must contaiu to make it re-' publican. Measured by such a standard, how tew of the States now composing the Union have republican constitutions ! If, in the exer cise of the constitutional guaranty that Con gress shall secure to every State a’ republican form of government, universal suffrage for blacks as well as whites is sine qua non, the W'ork of reconstruction may as well begin, in Ohio as in Virginia, in Pennsylvania as in North Carolina. When I contemplate the millions of our fel* io r vL t ’! Z . Cn ? °* ® outdl . "with no alternative leu bui, to impose upon themselves this fearful and untried experiment of complete negro en franchisement and white disfranchisement, it may be almost as complete, or submit indefi nitely to the rigor of martial law, without a female attribute of freedom, deprived of all the sacied guaranties of our Federal Constitution, and threatened with even worse wrongs, if anv worse are possible, it seems to me their condi tion is the most deplorable to which any people can be reduced. It is true that they have been engaged in rebellion, and tbat, their object be ing a separation of the States and a dissolution of the Union, there was an obligation resting upon every ioyal citizen to treat them as ene mies, arid to wage war against their cause. Inflexibly opposed to any movement imperil ing the integrity of the Government, I did not hesitate to urge the adoption of all measures necessary for the .suppression of the insurrec tion. After a long and terrible struggle the ef forts of the Government were triumphantly successful, and the people of the South, sub mitting to the stern arbitrflm&mt, yielded for ever the issues of the contest, hostilities ter minated soon after it became my duty to as sume the responsibilities of the Chief Execu tive officer of the republic, and I at once en deavored t r < repress and control the passions which our civil strife had engendered, and, no longer regarding these erring millions as ene mies, again acknowledged them as our friends and our countrymen. The war had accom plished its objects. The nation was saved, and that seminal principle of mischief which, from the birth of the Government, had gradually but inevitably brought on the rebellion, was totally eradicated. Then, it seemed to me, was the auspicious time to commence the work of re conciliation ; then, when the people sought once more our friendship and protection, I considered it our duty generously to meet them in the spirit of charity and forgiveness, and to conquer them even more effectually by the magnanimity of the nation than by the force of its arms. I yet believe that if the policy of"reconcilia tion then inaugurated, and which contemplated an early restoration of these people to all their political rights, had received the support of Congress, every one of these ten States, and all their people, would at this moment be fast anchored in the Union, and the great work which gave the war all its sanction and made it just and ho!v, would have been accomplished. Then, over all the vast and fruitful regions of the South, peace and all its blessings would have prevailed, while now millions are deprived of rights .guaranteed by the Constitution to every citizen, and,, after-nearly two years of legislation, find themselves placed under an ab solute military despotism. “ A military repub- government formed on mock elections, and supported only by the sword,” was nearly a quarter of a century since pronounced by Daniel Webster, when speaking of the South American States, as “a movement indeed, but a rctrogade and disastrous movement, from the regular and old fashioned monarchial systems,” and he added: “If men would enjoy the blessings of repub lican government, they must govern themselves by reason, by mutual consent and consultation, by a sense and feeling of general interest, and by the acquiescence ot the miucrity in the will of the majority, properly expressed; and, above all, the military must be kept, according to the language of our biil of rights, in strict subordination to the civil authority. Where ever this lesson is not both learned and prac tised, there can be no political freedom. Ab surd, preposterous is it, a scoff and a satire on free forms of constitutional liberty, for forms of government to be prescribed by military leaders, and the right of suffrage to be exercised at the point of the sword.” I confidently believe that the time will come when these States will again occupy their true positions in the Unibu. The barriers which now seem so obstinate must yield to the force of an and just public opinion, and sooner or later unconstitutional and oppressive legislation will be effaced from our statute books. When this shall have been consumma ted, I pray God that the errors of the past may be forgotten, and that once more we shali be a happy, united and prosperous people, and that at last, after the hitter and eventful experience through which the nation has passed, we shall all come to know that our only safety is in the preservation of our Federal Constitution, and in according to every American citizen aud to every State the rights which that Constitution secures. Andrew Johnson. Washington, March 23,1867. Weak-Kneed Yankees.— Under the above name the Galveston Bulletin administers a well deserved rebuke to a specimen class which has disgraced itself, and greatly obstructed the progress of liberty and free thought. The ob ject of the Bulletin's criticism was an agent of a Kentucky carriage builder’s firm, who, on visiting Galveston, had his circular struck off at the Bulletin office, but requested that its im print should not be placed on them, lest his customers should be prejudiced against him for dealing with a journal friendly to the Union cause. The Bulletin adds: “ Men in the North asked the Union men of the South to be plain and outspoken—to wear their faith on their sleeves for Confederates to pick at. Every man ought to have manhood enough to respectfully avow his principles.— But how different is the conduct of some Northern men when they laud on our wharves, and fairly embark in the business of making money. The longest crape streamers, in the recent Johnson obsequies, were worn by men who had not yet parted with the aroma' of Wcathcrfield onions, and whose accent betray ed the nativity of Connecticut. These men arc flatterers and hypocrites; they insult us by playing on our assumed weakness. They lack the manhood that makes the character respect able. They are despised alike by all manly men among Confederates and Federals.” Mr. Davis to be Released in Ten Days.— Washington dispatches, of recent date, to the Baltimore Sun, say: The President has recently been urged by Congressmen of the Republican persuasion and other influential citizens to release Jefferson Davis fVom imprisonment upon bail, or upon his own recognizance, inasmuch as there is now less probability than heretofore that Chief Jus tice Chase can be induced to preside at a ses sion of the United States Circuit Court in Vir ginia within a reasonable time. Judge Chase has heretofore refused to hold court in the District in which Mr. Davis must be tried, upon the ground that it would not be iu keeping with the dignity of a Judge of the Supreme Court to preside in a District iu which the civil authority was not paramount and fully restored, and where the military arm of the Government is required to sustain the law and direct aud control the action of the citizens, and until the civil authority 6hall be acknowledged and established beyond cavil. — He has said, repeatedly, that he would not take his seat upon the bench. In view of all the circumstances, the Presi dent is asked to release Mr. Davis from confine ment on bail, or on his own recognizance, and there is good reason for saying that withiu the next ten days or two weeks Mr. Davis will be discharged from custody upon his recognizance to answer the charges that may be brought against him. Judge Dickson, of Ohio, in a recent letter, says : “ I once asked Mr. Lincoln what was the secret’of his power as a public speaker. He answered : * I always assume that my audience are wiser than I am, and I say the most sensi ble thing I can to them, aud I never found ihat they did not understand me.’ ” We find the above floating through our Re publican exchanges. We arc satisfied, from the character of the “ late lamcuted’s” speeches, that he always acted upon thisadmissieii, made to Judge Dickson. As an example of his style, for instance, he once said: “It is easier to pay a large debt than a larger one, and it is easier to pay when you have something to pay with than nothing.” There were in these deep and shgacious observations a plainness, as well as a profundity, that enabled the meanest under standing to comprehend them. [Cmcmnaf* Enquirer. Oppression. The people of the South can draw hope from the following article, and the bloody-minded Radicals learn the lesson that unjust tyranny is vain. The Jews, so poor, so despised, 60 op pressed, in , have now a Cabinet Minister in the same Government, and their financiers hoid greater control over the welfare of the British nation than the crown itself. The following disabilities were imposed on Jews, in the reign of Edward I, of Eng land : England without license, on pain of death. 2. No Jew shall walk or ride without a yel low badge upon his or her outward or upper garments, ou pain of death. 3. No Jew shall condemn Jesus Christ nor blaspheme His Divinity, ou pain of being burnt. 4. No Jew shall stir out of his house or lodg ing on Good Friday. 5. No Jew shall strike a Christian on pain of having bis l ight arm cut oft. 6. No Jew shall kill a Christian, on pain that he be hanged alive ou a gibbet, >nd be* fed daily with bread and water, till he dies on the* same gibbet. • - • , 7. It any Jew shall cheat a Christian and escape, all the rest of the Jews shall make satis faction to the Christian so cheated. S. All the synagogues of the Jews shall be suppressed, and it any of their Rabbis or Jew ish Priests shall teach or preach against the Christian religion hereafter in England, all such preachers and teachers shall be“burut. 9. No Jew, on pain of hanging, shall trans port any bullion or coin bevond the seas, nor deface or melt down any Christian coin. 10. The kiug’s judges shall not hear the testi mony of a Jew against a Christian. 11. No Jew shall be sworn upon the Evangel ists. 12. The Jews shall have four Judges, two whereof Christians and the others Jews, who shall try and determine ail causes between Jews and Christians. 13. All the -hildren <*f the Jews, as soon as born, the rector or vicar of the parish shall take from them, put such to uurses, and breed them up ip the Christian religion, for which all the Jews must pay all the charges. 14. In the exchequer appointed 'for the Jews, there shall be half Christians and half Jews; and both shall have equal power and different locks and keys to prevent fraud. 15. The Jews shall account for all the money they lay out, and for the profits, and return be fore the justiciaries over the Jews as soon as they shall be required. 1(5. It any Jew shall be converted to the Christian faith, all his usurious acquisitions to be converted to pious and charitable uses, but all his goods, estate and movables shall be his own, and not the king’s, as formerly accus tomed. 17. The Jews shall go to hear Christian doc trine once a week, and as many English Jews as turn Christians shall be as free of England as if they were born of Christian parents. IS. No Jew shall cohabit with a Christian woman. 19. No Jew shall be buried in a consecrated ground. 20. No Jew shall correspond with any of the enemies of England. 21. No Jew’s widow shall have anv right of administration, but after the decease of her hus band all the Jew’s effects and movables shall be vested in the king and the king shall be execu tor aud administrator to all the Jews in Eng land. 22. No Jew shall sue for his own debts but in the name of the king and with the king’s license, and if any Jew defrauds the king of his customs or other rights, he shall forfeit his all to the king. The Income Tax, The following is the form of making income returns for 1866, under the new law. The read ers will see at a glance the character of the arti cles to be returned upon, and the deductions to be made : RETURNS. 1. From the profits in any trade, business or vocation from which income is actually de rived, or any interest therein wherever car ried on. 2. From the payment of debts in a former year considered lost, and which have not paid a previous income tax. 3. From rents. 4. From farming operations—amount of live stock sold, amount of agricultural products sold. 5. From profits realized by sales of real es tate purchased since December 31, 1863. 6. From interest on any bonds or other evi dences of indebtedness of any railroad, canal, turnpike, canal navigation or* slack water com pany, or interest or dividends on stock, capital or deposits in any bank, trust company, sav ings institution, insurance, railroad, canal, turnpike, canal navigation or slack water com pany. 7. From dividends of any incorporated com pany other than those above mentioned. 8. From gains and profits of any-incorpora ted company not divided. 9. From interest on notes, bonds or other se curities of the United States. 10. From interest on notes, bonus, mortgages or securities other than those enumerated above. 11. From any salary other than as an officer or employee of the United States. 12. From any salary or pay as an officer or employee of the United States. 13. From profits on sales of gold or stocks, whenever purchased. 14. From all sources not above enumerated. Gross income. DEDUCTIONS. *l. Exempt by law, SI,OOO. 2. National, State, county and municipal taxes paid within the year. 3. Losses actually sustained during the year from fire, shipwreck or incurred in trade, and not already deducted in ascertaining profits. 4. Losses on sales of real estate purchased since December 31,1563. 5. Amount paid for hired labor to cultivate land from which income is derived. 6. Amount paid for the live stock which was sold within the year. 7. Amount actually paid for rent of home stead. 8. Amount paid for usual or ordinary repairs, excluding payments for new buildings, perma nent improvements or betterments. 9. Interest paid out or falling due within the year. 10. Salary or pay as an officer or employee of the United from which a tax has been Withheld. 11. Interest or dividends from corporations enumerated above in paragraph six. Taxable income. Amount of tax at 5 per cent. CARRIAGES, GOLD WATCHES, BILLIARD TABLES AND SILVER PLATE. (Schedule A.—Section 100, Act June 30, 1864, as Amended July 13, 1866.) TAXABLE PROPERTT. Carriage, phaeton, carryall, rockaway, or oth er Ike carriage, and any coach, hackuey coach, omnibus or four-wheeled carriage, the body of which rests upon springs of any description, which is kept for nse, for hire or for passen gers, and which is not used exclusively' in hus bandry or in the transportation of 'merchan dize, valued at exceeding S3OO and not exceed ing SSOO, including harness used therewith—s 6. Carriages of like description valued above SSOO-$lO. Gold watches, composed wholly or in part of gold or gilt, kept for use, valued at SIOO or less —sl. Gold watches, composed wholly or in part of t?°io or fidt, kept for use, valued at above SIOO Billiard tables kept for use, and not subject to special tax—slo. Oz plate of silver, kept for use, per ounce troy—so cents. Oz plate of silver, kept for use, per ounce troy, exceeding forty ounces, used by one fam ily—so cents. Important dispatches have recently beeu re ceived in Canada with reference to the move ments of the British, troops and gunboats, but the facts arc withheld from publication for the present. [From the Griffin Star. Weathercocks. * . Without desiring to call hard names, and with no personal feeling involved, we feel call ed upon to notice that class of Southern men and journals who are now advising the people of the South to a course of voluntarv self-de gradation. We do not allude to the fresh im portations from lankeedom since the war but to the “old liners.” It is a remarkable fact, that the very papers who are now advocating what they call au endorsement of the military bill, have been heretofore most conspicuous in their abuse or ridicule of anything or any man or any measure which smacks off ankeedom When it appeared safe to do so—none more ready to cater to the prejudices of the people. Now, when danger threatens, and recent leyis latiou offers bribes to “ loyal” printers, while men with ill gotten gains tremble in the knees and clamor for conciliation of radicalism, these life-time abusers of Yankees and Yankee tricks, advise the people to make haste and get down upon their marrow' bones in base humiliatin's - ~ e are as anxious as auybody can be to sec the channels of commerce filled* with the craft of trade and prosperity; to see capital and la bor flow' in a resistless tide upon the South; to sec a spirit of security in commercial circles, and to realize that things generally are at last settled upon a permanent basis. Aye, more ; we shall be perfectly resigned to see all this happen, even at the expense of liberty; for all this maY be without our forfeiting the respect even of our enemies. We have made our fight for liberty and lost. We are prepared to accept the consequences of that failure; but never will sing peans to the authors of our downfall, nor entreat of them to heap still further indignations upon us. We will not even so far stultify ourselves as to say what they have done is right and legal; for this is w hat we are called upon to do by these er ratic statesmen and their organs, who are con tinually calling upon the people to hold county meetings and publicly endorse the Sherman Abomination, as some, very few' counties have already publicly done. This is the last drop to fill the cup of our complete degradation. When this be done, the Radicals who already hate, will despise anu spit upon us, and we shall de serve it. What we do propose is this: To bear with patient dignity all the w rongs that may be beaped upon us; to obey all orders of “our military commauders to the letter. If they tell us to .form a State Constitution in conformity w ith the Sherman bill, do it —under protest, however. If they tell us we must go to the polls with the negroes, we will do that, and try to get them to vote for our preferelioe. If they tell us we can’t vole at all, then we’ll stay aw ay altogether. We want it distinctly under stood, we don’t fight any more. This is the conditiou of our parole and amnesty ; and, be sides, the South has had enough of fighting.— The next war must be among the Northern people ; or the North with some other nation. If the latter, we suppose we must do our share, but shall do that by proxy. Upon this platiorm, with the lights before us, we intend to stand and abide the issue which the fates decree. We do not, like many, look upon the present condition of affairs with any great deal of alarm, so far as the South is concerned. She is at the bottom of the hill, and if she gets any lower, it will be the result of the pusillanimity other people. There were men during the war, to our shame be it spoken, that burrowed holes in the earth and crawled into them to keep from meeting Yankee bullets—there be men now that will dig holes to escape menaced danger. Let them beware that the dirt do not cave in upon and bury them forever. The Money in Pine. It will surprise those who have not thought of the matter to learn that every cord of good pine wood contains $94 30 ; and that the cost of getting that amount out of it does not ex ceed SBO. A few retorts, a good boiler, and what other machinery may be necessary, will not cost anything like the amount of capital necessary to carry on a large farm under pres ent regulations ; and as farming has grown to be uncertain, and pine is abundant, our enter prising capitalists might do well to establish turpentine works. Here is what such works will do, as evi denced by actual experiment. We copy from the Gainesville (Miss.) Star : WHAT A CORD OF wSOD WILL PRODUCE. There is an organization in existence which lias produced some marvelous results. Dis coveries recently made in the distillation of resinous woods, and severely tested by experi ments, promise more favorable pecuniary re sults than perhaps any other branch of manu facture now before the public. From a single cord of pitch pine distilled by chemical appa ratus, and by the process employed, the fol lowing substances in qu .ntitics stated are ob tained : Spirits of Turpentine 20 gallons. Illuminating Oil and Tar 50 “ Pyroligneous Acid 100 “ Wood Spirit 5 « Pitch or Rosin 1% barrels. Tar 1 u Illuminating Gas, about’. ! 6,000 cubic feet. Charcoal 50 bushels. These results are those derived from eight separate charges, and are selected from many ouers, not as presenting the most favorable exhibits as regards quantities (which they do not), But showing the value of the severn! kinds of woods, and the best manner of work ing. There are works now in use, in Gainesville, capable of distilling five cords of wood per dav and the products, at present prices, will yield the folio wring daily income: 100 gallons Spirits Turpentine, at 61c. per gallon $ qq qq 250 gallons Illuminating Oil and Tar, at 50c. per gallon 125 qq 500 gallons Eyroligneous Acid, at 12c. per gallon 00 00 25 gai. wood spirits, at $2 per gal 50 00 30,000 Illuminating gas at $1 60 per M. 45 00 1% barrels pitch or rosin, at $5 per o barrels tar, at $4 per barrel 20 00 250 bushels of charcoal, at 25c. per bushel 62 50 Grand income 160 00 Co3t of product and losses 159 00 Leaving balance of net profit per day.s3o2 00 The census of 1860 shows that the propor tion of spirits of turpentine in the United States by ordinary process, for the year 1859, was equal to production from 1,600 cords of wood distilled daily by this process. The gas produced by this process, it is said, has great superiority over ordinary coal gas.— It affords no offensive odor, and is free from the sulphur present in coal gas. The charcoal also has great superiority, and though made from resinous wood, has as'great a specific gravity as that made from the harder wood. • How Times Change.— The last number of the Louisville Journal comes to hand with the names of the nominees of the Democratic Con vention of that State flying at its mast head, and with a slashing leader against the Louis ville Democrat, the old organ of the party, for refusing to support the ticket. The Journal concludes: The present is no time for divisions and criminations and recriminations among those who would save the country, and we think that this fact was fully recognized by the Frankfort Convention. If any Conservative is of opinion that the Convention could have done better than it did, let him, in a spirit of patriotism, refrain from any attempt to make his private opinion a cause of occasion ol mischievous dis cord. If ever there was a time when it was the solemn duty of Kentucky to present for the country’s sake and her own, a bold and united front against the destroyers, such a time is this. Mr. Love, for some un-Love-ly observations concerning the character of Mrs. Ball, was fined SIO,OOO by an lowa jury. [From the Nashville ‘Republican Banner, 26th. The Black Vail. IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT THE CATHEDRAL YESTERDAY. An event of which the like was never before known in the history of our city, took place at the Cathedral yesterday, and, from the peculiar attendant circumstances, has been a subject of much remark, both among the worldly-minded and the religious. It had been announced that Miss Ellen Cahalan, a lady of much beauty and accomplishment, and but 19 years of age, was, after a two years novitiate, about to he received into the order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercv, by taking the black vail, thus separating herselt from the pleasures and allurements of the world and wedding herself to the Church. Public curiosity was on tip-toe to witness a ceremony of which so much has been said and written, but which had never been witnessed here. * AT THE CATHEDRAL. , Long bedore the appointed hour, the streets ; leading ton he Cathedral were lined with gaily attired processions of ladies and children, and 1 so great was the crowd at the doors, in the ves tibule, and down the aisles, that it was difficult, with the politest force possible, to wedge into a position anywhere available, to observe the ceremonies. The characteristic veneration of the populace lor the house of God, for the nonce, appeared to be lost sight of, in the eager curiosity which impelled visitors, of all ages and sexes, to struggle for advantageous posi tions, even fQi* standing room. The rarity of such ceremonies and such occa sions, in our midst, and the romantic interest which always attaches thereto, may, in a meas ure, atone for the seeming want of reverence on the part of the public, and forthe publie curiosity, w'hieh could not be considered un natural or unreasonable, under the peculiar circumstances. , \ The church was crowded to its utmost capac ity; aisles, vestibule, doorways, windows, gal leries, and the stairways leadiug thereto. THE ALTAR, In addition to the usual elaborately beautiful decorations, was tastefully arranged with flow ers, and fourteen lighted candles shed their soft light over all, while the morning sun slanted its golden beams in at the lofty«windows, lend ing additional splendor to the scene. Fourteen other lights were kept burning to the left of the Pontifical throne. THE CHURCH DIGNITARIES. The ceremonies were conducted by Right Rev. Bishop Feehan, Bishop of the Diocese, as sisted.by Rev. Father Jarboe, O. S. D., Assistant Priest; Rev. Martin Walsh, Deacon ; Rev. Fath er Revis, of the German Church, Sub Deacon ; and Rev. Jas. Kean, Master of Ceremonies, all of whom were arrayed in the clerical robes suitable to the occasion. THE PROCESSION. At nine o’clock, a. m., precisely, the process ion came from the St. Bernard Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, headed by the Processional Cross, borne by a cross-bearer crowned with a wreath of flowers, the little school girls, dress ed in snow-white robes, following by twos, then the Nuns of the Convent, and last, the Novice herself, accompanied by the Mother Superior. The procession moved slowly down the aisle, and a burst of melody from the mag uificent choir organ filled all the church with its divine influence, and as the last cadence died away in faint echoes, the spectators were hushed into a solemn and impressive still ness. THE SERMON. The Novice, and those who accompanied her, having taken the places assigned them, the Bishop, with his assistant ministers, preceded by acolytes, issued from the sacristy to the sanctuary. After kneeling a few moments be fore the altar, the Bishop proceeded to the Episcopal throne, where he was vested with the cope and mitre. Here commenced the first part of the ceremony of profession, which consisted of blessing the silver ring of the Bishop. The Bishop then proceeded to address the immense congregation. Abraham, said the Bishop, was called by God, to leave his father’s house, and home, and friends, lor the promised land which He would show him. In like man ner the children of the Catholic Church, when they hear the summons of Divine Grace, the voice of God called them from their home, and their country, and their friends, arise up and go, and obey the voice of God. They leave all the allurements and attractions of the world to serve God in the cloister. The world boasts of its heroes and of its heroines, but who are greater heroes than Vincent de Paul, or the Sister of Mercy, or the Sister of Charity, in the house of pestilence, by the bedside of the dying, soothing the wounds of those stricken down on the red fields of battle. After proceeding at some length to illustrate the high and noble duties to which the novitiate had deemed herself called, the Bishop, having laid aside his cope and mitre, was invested with the rich outer vestment known among Catho lics as the Chasuble. Proceeding to the foot of the altar, attended by the assistant ministers, he commenced the Pontifical High Mass, which was gone through with all the impressive cere mony and ritual used by the church on great occasions. Towards the close of the Pontifical High Mass, the young novice came forward, aud the Bishop asked — My child, what do you demand? The Novice—My Lord, I most humbly beg to be received to the holy profession. Bishop—My child, do you consider yourself sufficiently instructed in what regards the vows of religion, and the rules and constitutions of this Institute, and do you know the obligations you contract by the holy profession ? N—Yes, my Lord, with the grace of God. After some further ceremonies, which we have not space to give in detail, the novice, with the Sacraments held before her eves, pronounced the following vow: ACT OF PROFESSION. In the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and under the -protection of his imma culate mother, I, Ellen Cahalau, called in reli gion Sister Mary Basil, d<Fvow and promise to God, poverty, chastity, obedience and the ser vice of the poor, sick and ignoraut, aud to pre serve until the end of my life in this Institute of our Lady of Mercy, according to its aj proved Rule and Constitutions, under the authority aud in presence of yon, my Lord, and Right Reverend Father in God, Patrick Aleyisius Feehan, Bishop of this Diocese, and of our Reverend Mother, Mary McMahon, called in religion, Mary Clare, Mother Superior S., of this Convent, of our Lady of Mercy. Nashville, this 25th day of March, in the year of our Lord 1867. Then followed the placing of the silver ring on the third finger of the novitiate’s left, and the reception of the black vail, which was placed on her head by the Bishop. The “ new ly professed” again kneeled and received the Bishop’s blessing, after which the Quern vidi was sung by the choir with magnificent effect, Sister Mary Bazil responding in a tone peculiar ly clear and steady. THE TE DEUM. The choir then sang to the organ aecompania-' ment the celebrated Te Deumoi Lambellotte, during the singing of which the newly profess ed sister lay on the floor of the sanc tuary. The heavenly voice of an unseen soloist rose from the organ loft in a melody almost divine, aud with a pathos and power that seem ed to sway with a common impfllse the hearts of that great multitude, wafting them upon waves of delicious harmony towards the open ing gales of Paradise. Then ali the choristers took up the strain, and a flood of melody burst forth, less subdued, but not less tranquilizing in its sacred influence. We have never listened to more impressive and sublime strains of per fect harmony, and never before did sacred mu sic wield its potent charm with more effect or more appropriately, or more in sympathy with one of the mo3t solemn and impressive cere monies of the Church. The Te Deum having been finished, the “new ly professed” arose, and the procession returned to the Convent in the same order in which it had come. , THE CHOIR. Professor Bowman presided at the choir or gan, and the vocal music was given by Mrs. Hart singing the solos, assisted by Mrs. Bow, man, Mr. Snyder and Mr. Behan. The opening hymn was the Veni Creator, by Lamb cl lot tc S This was succeeded by Concone’s Mass the celebrated Te Deum of Lambellotte, usually sung at the Pontifical Mass, and after this the closing-hymn, Ecce quam bohum. [From the Charleston Courier. Serious Disturbance in Charleston. ATTACK ON THE STREET CARS. Yesterday, after the adjournment of themass meeting of freedmeu, a report .of which else where appears, a seemingly well-organized ef fort was made by the freedmen wh* had parti cipated in that affair to test their right to ride upon the street cars in violation of the rules of the company. The ringleader in the matter, whose name we failed to ascertain, but who is a resident of Meetiug street, opposite Burns’. Lhne, and a barber by profession, thrust him self into the car of Conductor Faber, and upon .being politely requested by him to go out, re fuseirto do so. Mr. Faber informed him of the rules of the company, and insisted upon his leaving the inside of the car, which his friends, finding that he was liable to be forcibly ejected, if resistance was offered, persuaded him to come out. Upon tho return of Mr. Faber’s car to the sceue, which occurred in Meeting, between George and Society streets, a large crowd of negroes rushed into it to the great discomfort of the white passengers, and although remon strated with and appealed to by the conductor, declined to go out. Mr. Faber then stepped to the front platform and requested the driver to run the car off the track, as this was his only alternative. The eftort to comply with his re quest failed, aud the driver, at the suggestion of Mr. Faber, unhitched his horse, and, leaving the car on the track, went up to the company’s stable. Finding themselves disappointed,, the rioters endeavored to push the car forward, when Mr. Faber put down the brake and stuck to his post, although he was threatened by one of the number who hacj stolen the iron by which the switches arc turned, and held it in a striking attitude over his head, while others strove to pull Mr. Faber aw r ay from the brake. At this juncture the timely arrival of the police relieved him from his embarrassing situation. ~ln the meanwhile, the cars of Messrs. Roum illat, Rives and St. Armand had been invaded in the same way, and in some instances the lady passengers were compelled to leave them for fear of personal insuft and injury. When the rioters found that the conductors could not be awed into acquiesence with their demands to be permitted to ride on an equality with the white passengers, they tried to interrupt the travel of the cars by placing stones ou the track. Information of these facts having been com municated to the upper and lower guard houses, detachments were sent from each to the scene of the disturbance, and by the influence of their presence and the aid of a squad of regular sol diers who were dispatched from the Citadel, tho riot was ended and the rioters dispersed. The community is greatly indebted to the military authorities for their prompt assistance, and particularly, as we have understood, to Gen. Clitz, who repaired to the scene, and suc cessfully employed his efforts to prevent what promised at one time to be a very serious if not bloody afftiir. We are very happy to learn that the ring leader, whom we have designated, is in the cus tody of the municipal authorities. Superior Courts.— There is an error in the court calendar, as published in the newspapers and almanacs. Banks and Rabun counties, both in this city, are put down for the first Monday in April. Tins would be rather inconvenient lor the Judge and Solicitor to be present at both places the same day. Banks court will commence.on the first and Rabun on the fourth Monday oi April. The remaining courts in this circuit will be held as follows : Banks, Ist Monday in April. Franklin, 2d “ “ Habersham, 3d “ “ Rabun, 4th “ “ White, sth “ ' “ The remaining courts iu the Blue Ridge cir cuit will commence as follows : Forsyth, Ist Monday in April. Lumpkin, 2d “ “ Dawson, 3d “ “ Pickens, 4th “ “ * - Gilmer, 2d “ May. Fannin, 3d “ “ Union, 4th “ “ Towns, Thursday after 4th Monday in May. Oglethorpe count}*, (iu the Northern circuit) on the 3d Monday iu April. [ Southern Watek man. The Courrier du Havre , March 10, says : In cousequence of the persistent refusals of the Spauish Government to satisfy the three chief claims of Lord Stanley relative to the Tornado, it is expected at London that the British fleet at Malta will be sent before Cadiz. The Courrier du Havre , March 9th, reports: Private letters from Japan say that the brother of gthe new Ticoon sailed on the Bth January, from Nangasaki for New York. After making a short stay in the United States, the Prince wili go to Paris, to see the exposition and will pass all the summer in France. The Posen Gazette says that great discontent lias taken hold of some persons at Moscow in consequence of the late land and serf system re forms made by the Czar. Numerous secret societies were being formed in that city, but the police were upon their track. About the Czir preparations were making to cause certain ar rests aud punish the parties with imprison ment. The Paris Opinion Nationale , March 10, says i It is affirmed in political circles at Pera that Fuad Pacha will introduce into Turkey the Code Napoleon, and completely reform the law courts and judiciary system of the country. It is said, also, that he intends to allow the Chris tian element to enter the private Councils of Ministers and into the Grand Council of Jus tice. _ Travel Southward. —Passengers from Chattanooga inform us that trains between that point and Nashville, are running with their for mer regularity, and that there has not beeu a single failure’to make connections with the Western & Atlantic and East Tennesse <fc Geor gia roads since travel was resumed. The. ter minus of the track at Bridgeport is but a few steps from the boat, leading to which is a well constructed plankway. The trip around the southern end of the island, and to the opposite side, a distance of five miles, is made in half an hour, the passengers being lauded within a few feet of the car platforms. Col. Innes has gone to Chicago to hurry up the completion of the new spans for the bridge. Part of one span has already arrived at Cairo, and the other portion will arrive to-day. Through freight trains will commence run ning day after to-morrow. No Peaches This Year.— From present In dications we feel warranted in saying that in the vicinity of this town there will be few, if any peaches this year. They were killed last Sunday night was a week ago. It is a very- re markable fact that they usually get killed on Sunday nights in this section. This we have observed for years past. We have also ob served that a belt of country some twenty or thirty miles in width—Athens being located in the middle of it —frequently suffers a partial or entire failure of the peach crop, when ten or fifteen miles above and below town peaches are abundant. There will be, we think, plenty of fruit twenty miles north of this place, if there should be no more frosts or freezes. [Athens Watchman. Impudent Young Rascal.— Rather a good story is told of one of our merchants, who re cently went East to purchase goods. When he left he expected to be back in three weeks, but was, much to his Chagrin, disappointed. He was particular to be at home, as he had only been married about a year. If you were ever in a similar position, and you cannot unless you have, imagine the feel ings of our friend when he was handed, just as he was all ready to start home, the following dispatch: CiRTO, 111., March's. M? Dear Pa : I arrived here this morning. lam a perfect stranger in this town. Hurry home so that I can be introduced to Your dutiful son, . Willi*
