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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1869)
THE WEEKLY GONBTITTJTIOHALIBT WEDNESDAY MORNING. JULY 21,1809 Club Rates for tbs Weekly ConsUtutloM nllst. That every one may he enabled to sub scribe, and receive the benefits of a live jour nal, we oflTer the following liberal terms to Clubs ; 1 Copy per year - - - - $3 00 3 Copies per year - - - - 750 5 Copies per year - - - - 12 =OO 10 Copies i>er year - * - - 20 00 We trust that every subscriber to the paper will aid us in adding to our list. CHOPS AND OUBREN F NEWS. Our subscribers and friends in the coun try will confer a favor on us and oar nu merous readers by sending us Items as to crop prospects and general news in their different sections. We trust that each subscriber will consider himself a special correspondent for the Constitu tionalist, and thereby add to the Interest of the paper. OUR BELOVED BRETHREN. The surviving officers of the “ Army and Navy of the Gulf’ meet annually and fight their battles o’er again. They indulge in much palaver of “ Itebels,” “ old flag,” “ principles of our ancestors,” “ Seccsh" “glorious Republic,” and other topics which in their mouths have become of the order called both. The hypocritical “ war for the Union and the Constitution” is elaborately dished up during the time of inks* meeting. The same theme Is more riotously exhausted at the convivial bouts of these mighty men In azure. Champagne and t boned turkey usually perform mira cles In the way of healing, for the nonce at least, old wounds and old animosities. But these doughty warriors of the Gulf seem proof against the mollifying influence of food and wine, and, Instead of being filled thereby with charity, they become charged with venom. A notable example of this fact recently occurred at the annual meet ing of the “ Army and Navy of the Gulf.” Amid the rattle of words denunciatory of rebellion and eulogistic of loyalty, Gen. Frank Blair dared to put In a kind word for the boys In grey and their heroic dead and living, especially Stonewall Jack son and Robert E. Lee. The following telegram tells the rest: “ Long Branch, N. J., Thursday, July 8. —At the dinner to-night, General F. P. Blair was called on to speak. Having spoken In behalf of “ Stonewall ” Jackson and the Southerners during the war, he was loudly hissed, and a serious disturb ance occurred between Mr. Blair ami the members, the latter Insisting upon his being called to order. Admiral Farragut called General Blair to order amid the hisses and groans of the members of the Army of the • Gulf. Bad feeling prevails against General Blair at present.” The New York World gives a synopsis of Gen. Blair's remarks, thus: “ Major General Frank P. Blair was call ed, and said he would say a word tor a people who had not yet had a voice raised in their behalf: ‘ I will speak of the people who were once our enemies, and 1 know that when I speak of them before soldiers 1 speak betore those who will hcatlly re spond. Those against whom we contended, whom we aspersed as rebels, and whom we triumphed over as well. They were great .and generous people, they were worthy of the steel of our best. We have heard here of Farragut and of Sheridan, but we shall yet hear of Lee and Stonewall Jackson. [Hisses and cries, and great confusion.] Who Is it dissents? |Numbers of voices, *Wc dissent,’ 1 1 dlsseut,’ ‘ Think of An dersonvlllc and Libby Prison.’] It would be little merit for us to have triumphed over a moan enemy. [The speaker was again Interrupted by a storm of hisses.] I speak of them as our late adversaries. [Cries of 1 Traitors.’] Are there no voices o be raised for them ? [Cries of ‘ Yes ’ and • No,’ great confuslou, and crlel of ‘ Traitor.’] ’ “ Admiral Farragut here decided that to introduce anything which interrupted the harmony was out of odder.” Poor Fiunk Blair 1 He has got among a bad lot of rubbish, or rather he tell Into evil clutches In 1860, and, having proved blmse.f the best volunteer General In the Federal service, Is now hissed at because he ventured to express a few sentiments too exalted tor the comprehension and too magnanimous tor the appreciation of the brigands who helped him to destroy the Re public. Has he] not, at last, got a «urfeit of this kind of cattle? Will he never aee that while he, honestly perchance, In vaded the (South in order to Rave her to the Union, the great majority of his" clansmen h.el no aspiration aboje that which finds Its appropriate fellfilty In the bravo’s paradise. We are sorry tor Blair and sorry tor thousands like him who per sist In the delusion that their policy of coercion whs justifiable. What have these men gained ? The awful result Is betore them and a still more awful ftiturc stares them in the face. If they whisper of peace and fraternity; If they even hiut that sun shiue and moonlight still fall upon the graves of the Confederate as well as upon the graves of the Federal dead, how ans they answered ? H’dk hisses. A time shall come when Frank Blair aud the war Democrats will grow more and mere disgusted with their foul companion ship. Already, the plaudits they were wont to receive have changed Into jeers. If there U but a step from the Capitol to the Tarpelatt Rock, there Is likewise but a step from hisses to the outlawry of Bkli- SAtUI'S. We are gkel that Gen. Bl.ur made this speech. It demonstrated very clearly how sincerely the sound sud fire of the Boston Peace Jubilee had entered the stomachs of the “ heroes of the war ” I.U lu his quiet college, and Jackson in his humble grave,! #Tc still terrible to these patriotic revellers, j We can well understand why this should 1 be so. The living hero and the dead 1 knight were a thousand times better de fenders of the Constitution of our fore-1 fathers and the purity of their race than j these bibulous ruffians who annually com- 1 memorate a falsehood aud consecrate a j Sham. POLICY -AND PRINCIPLE. . Every now and then, our esteemed con temporary of the Macon Telegraph brings up something to enforce, If possible, his untenable position on the subject of negro eligibility to office In its hearing upon the present Legislature. The Telegraph makes great ado over what It calls u policy ” and seems to rest the case in controversy more upon this plea than upon anything else. It quotes from the Conbtitutionaijst and agrees to hob-nob with us on “principle” so soon as the South gets out of the woods. Prior to that time, “policy” must have uninterrupted swing, especially the policy dictated by the Telegraph. We are of opin- ion that this jugglery is unworthy,' and, in the long run, disastrous. There never was a period In our history when it was so im portant that our people and the people of the United States should be thoroughly indoctrinated as to principles and tahglit. to stand by and reverence principle. In all of this controversy there Is scarcely a single point advanced by the Telegraph with which we can concur. At first the editor hooted at the Idea of a House of the General Assembly being a court. If challenged to go still farther into tills matter, we will undertake to give an authority before which even Judge Speer must bow or else be credited with an obstinacy beyond £ll understand ing. We shall merely say, In passing, that Lord Mansfield settled that question of parliamentary law some time before Judge Speer was known as a luminary. But, says the Telegraph, the of the negroes decided to be Ineligible is the only “ straight, politic, constitutional, sensible , profitable and manly course ” We hold that it would be none of these. It would not be “ straight ” but devious and crouching. It would not be “ politic," for nothing Is politic that is against acknowl edged principle. Honesty, we have al ways heard, Is the best policy. We doubt If even Congress would deny the princi pies we have from time to time set forth on this subject. It would not be “ constitu- tional,” but, on the contrary, directly agaiust one of the fundamental principles of the Constitution. It would not be “ sensible” for If there is anything clear in parliamentary law as established for five hundred years It Is that neither House can legally reverse Its own decision, when finally rendered, under the Constitution. It could only be done by a stultification of the Houses by themselves. There would be neither sense nor logic in any such pro cedure. Nor would It be “ profitable ,” which, we fancy, Is one of the strongest ad jectives used by the lelegraph. In our opinion, no sensible man in Congress would argue that cither House has the right to reverse Its decision. If the Legislature, therefore, should, when meeting, declare, by resolution, each House tor* Itself, th’at* in the future, they wauld conform to the principles of the decision of the Supreme Court, It would be just-as well, If not bet ter, with us, than for them to present the miserable spectacle of trying to back out, as the Telegraph suggests. But the last adjective used by the Telegraph, is the most astounding of all. How anybody can con celvo that such a course would be manly la beyond our comprehension. So far from being “ manly,” it would be the quintessence of cowardice. It would be worse than “ bending the pregnant hinges of the knee that thrift may follow fawning.” On the contrary, the most “manly,” “sen sible," “ politic,” “ profitable,” “ straight ’’ add “ conslHKitioual ” course, for them to pursue would be to declare that it is not in their fiower, legally and constitutionally, to reopen these cases already decided, but, In all future cases, they will be governed by the principles of the decision of the Su preme Court touching eligibility to office In other case*. This would be nutnly, pro vided they had doubts upon the question of eligibility. If they had no doubts ; If they are clear In their own convictions that negroes were not eligible, they should not pass any such resolutions—let the con sequences bo what they may. Liberty, If It has to fall, had better go down on a prin ciple of immutable right rather, than be bartered away l>y a conscious self-degrada tion. There will be a hope of its resurrec tion in the former case ; none or scarcely any In the latter. Indeed, our respected friend of the Telegraph, In his shrewd way, seems to think that the world is universal ly governed by Humbug, or, In other words, by Policy. Policy seems to mean a species of political trimming and hypoc risy. This Is a great mistake. The world is governed by Ideas, little as many think so. The late outrages upon our Constitution were governed by an idea or by ideas. These were (1) the great wroug, as was supposed, of Slavery, on the part of some, aud (2) a disposition, on the part of others, to play this card tor the introduction of a monarchy. The con trolling Idea nose is the security of the public debt which It is supposed requires the over throw of popular institutions. This Is the whole of It. Ideas control the world.— Hence, the great Importance now of keep ing before the people the strong land-marks lOf priuclple— those great principles by which aloue our institutions can be inain j tallied. The public miud Is hardly ripe tor j a declaration of mouarchy. Hut nothlug j would afford stronger evidence that It Is, than for a Legislation to attempt to pur- I ellipse lu security by a auaremler of the j very first principle* on which lnipular gov- I ernment aland*. SOUND DOCTRINE IN THE RIGHT QUARTER. In reply to the New York Tribune upon the subject of centralism and imperialism, the Syracuse Courier, whether intended or not, deals that great organ of principles | which must lead to mouarchy some timely ! and ponderous blows. We quote : “The Iribu e has soshort a memoYy that it chooses to forget even its own current history. “The lribune started and has lived as an organ of centralization. The abolitionism which it lived on, and which brought on the war, could only have effect through the centralization of an ungranted power in the government. It was the purpose of such an ursupation on one side, and its fear on the other, which plunged us into war through the conspiracy of Seward and oth ers to ‘make the South strike the first blow ’ in order to get a pretext for waging a war for abolition. All this was before the war. So was Its protective heresy, its United States banks and internal,iinprove raent heresies, aud its assumption of the right and duty of the Federal Government to do any and everything which anybody should consider for the ‘ general welfare.’ That pretension amounts to the abolish ment of a constitution of limited powers an(J the centralization of every imaginable power in the Federal Government. “ That theory, too, asserts the absolutism of the party at any time dominant in the Federal Government. That absolutism may take the form of the imperialism of one man, or the worsp imperialism of the many headed and comparatively irrespon sible leaders of faction. Public safety con sists with neither. Liberty maybe equally crushed under the foot of either. All rights may become equally the prey of cither. In a reverence for and enforcement of constitutions limiting power, liberty' and individual rights and a Republic find their only real fortresses and strongholds.” This is certainly sound doctrine in the right quarter.. It gives the whole truth in a nut-shell. It shows that there is no dif ference between centralism and Radicalism aud imperialism. The only real fortresses and strongholds for Liberty and a Republic are the maintenance and perpetuation of the Constitution as it was made and hand ed down to us by the fathers. These are the principles to which the people of the whole country must come before they will have any security for their free institutions. However horrified, whether affected or not, the New York Tribune man may be at the idea of Imperialism, he and all those who went with him, whether Re publicans or Democrats, in the war the subjugation of the Southern States, will yet find to their cost, when it is too late perhaps, that this imperialism is but the legitimate result from their own doctrines —the necessary .sequence from their own fatal error in the construction of the Federal Constitution which was nothing but the terms of the Union «f Sovereign States.— Ex-President Johnson was light when lie said that “ if Liberty it saved in this country the nucleus will be at the South Dr, in other words, if Liberty Is saved it will be by “ Rebels” and “ Copperheads,” so-called.— This may be a bitter truth to swallow ; but those who really wish to save our institu tions and avoid a crowned master can not too promptly swallow it, as Mr. Johnson seems inclined to do. In this connection, we take occasion to manifest our gratification at the expression of sentiments made recently by some of the leaders of Old Tammany In New York.— The utterances of Stockton, of New Jersey, and Gov. Hoffman, of New York, and others, are all of the right tone. The New York Herald and Times may think these utterances were not of the proper character; but worshippers at the shrine of Baal' Jezebel’s god, who have brought such ruin upon the country, are not the proper Judges of the ring of true metal. When the Democracy organize for the gr:at struggle of 1872, they will not, if they are wise, take counsel from the Herald, the Tints and, it may be, .the World. They will plant them selves firmly and resolutely upon the living principles of the Constitution us expounded by those who framed it. We have alluded to the World in some what the same category as the Herald ancl .the limes, because the World has given painful evidence betimes that its Democ racy Is not genuine, and there crops out occasionally a suspicion that its covert principles arc as much tending to imperial ism as those of the Tribune. The main point of issue between them seems to be as ■ to the nomination of the King; your man or mine. The World will always be charg ed with an intentional defeat of Seymour’s election, last Fall. We may as well make up our minds, first as last, that a sound party will never come into power in this country until the -gangrened members are cut off and thrown away. The great thing to be promptly done in this matter is a purification of the temple , Without this, any revival in politics must be wayward and ■ insincere. The money-changers and those who have desecrated the altar with their traffic in holy thiugs must be driven out. If they are impregnably iutrenehed so that they cannot lie dislodged ; or if they per tinaciously coquet with the truth only to handle the spoils, woe to the Democracy and woe to the Republic! Compounding—lt seems to lie the habit of moneyed Institutions at the North to negotiate for the return of stolen property, lu this way, it is thought a compromise is arrived at, permitting the thief or thieves to keep a good round sum, and have per fect freedom of person. We have lieen told that, in the large Northern cities, there is an understanding between the rogues and the police. Many who were in attendance upon Tammany Hall, last July, will re member how their tickets of admission were appropriated by police janitors, and afterward sold on the streets, and especial ly at the hotel bars. I kry Adroit.— The French Emperor has lost nothlug of hi* cuunitig. The re tofrn party In the Corps Legislate thought they had him by the hip, but the astute Emperor will cut the grouud from under them by proponing, a* of hi*own creation, the very reform* they advocate. * GRANT AND THE LADIES. . The Louisville Courtcr-Jo’jrnal has the following paragraph, which is rather bind ing upon the President-General: “ Two daughters of Chief Justice Taney, both of them aged and destitute, were em ployed in copying in the Patent and Pen sion Offices. They depended upon their places for their support. Alarmed at the number of removals that were taking place around them, they requested the Hon. Caleb Cushing, ex-Atteirney General, to speak to General Grant in their behalf. He did so, and assured them that he had Grant’s promise that they should not be dis turbed. Their minds were at ease. They did not dream that Grant would break his promise to' ladies, probably not knowing that he had done this repeatedly. But neither their condition nor the memory of their illustrious lather nor Grant’s w r ord nor all combined could save them. They have been dismissed, and the copying that they did hi done by a couple of brawling politicians. Grant ie good for nothing, but he is as good as his word." This is disgraceful in Grant, if true. But is it not discreditable to the State of Maryland that the daughters of one of her most illustrious sons should be subject, through poverty, to such an insult ? The Confederate Drbt. —The Imperi alist promises to pay a good slice of the Confederate war debt when we have an Emperor. It claims that the Confederate debt is not to be forfeited by the failure of the Confederacy any more than the United States debt is consecrated by success. The one was made payable after the permanent establishment of a Southern Government. True. But the other was raised to perpetu ate a Republic which lias notoriously ceas ed to exist. So, if one debt is in a bad way, the other may be equally sbaky, some day or other. Both are failures. r Jl he South did not gain her independence and the North smashed the Republic instead of preservingit. So, Vive VEmpereUr and don’t sell your bonds for wall paper! Fooled Again.— The New York Herald says: “ The day of Southern negro supremacy is gone, and the day of the emancipation and supremacy of the Southern whites has come ; and, according to Governor Walker, Its inauguration in Old Virginia is mainly due to President Grant, and it is a tower ing feather in his cap in the illustration of his reconstruction policy.” So, all these appointments of negro Post masters, etc., are only tubs for the African whale. Sambo elected Grant and now Grant is preparing to go back on Sambo. A Funeral Sermon.— The Griffin Star moralizes over the suspension of the Na tional Intelligencer, and affects to perceive in its demise a dissolution oP the Demo cratic party. • As the National IntetUgencer is to be revived our contemporary’s obitua ry notice of Democracy is rat her premature. Even if this journalistic revival prove ficti tious, the Democratic party will survive. does not make a Summer; and the death of every newspaper in the land will not kill a great party. Honest lago. —The artful dodger, For ney, putsMn a good word for the Pigtails. Hear him: “It is said, too, that the Chinese are re markably honest. If that be true, we shall have an opportunity of improving in one most important virtue through associa tion.” If that be true, and the association be general, what a downfall of Radical ras cality will come of Mongolian integrity. A Rosy View. —The Richmond Enquirer and Examiner sees in the Chinese question only the future destruction of Buddhism aud introduction of 25,000,000 Baptists into the Flowery Kingdom. A grandson of Beecher is to marry a Chinese deacon ess and be a star preacher in New Can ton. Well, when these things shall have come to pass, a grandson of Bishop Simpson will turn pagan, and all New England be converted to the deification of Joss. Good Intentions.— lt is said that Grant is much tickled at the result of the Vir ginia election, which the Virginians very cunningly attribute to his influence. He promises to stick to Conservatism dur ing the Summer, Boutwell and Sum ner to the contrary notwithstanding. We shall see. Hell is paved with good intentions. Flush.— The Cashier of the Central Na tional Bank of New York decamped after having committed defalcations to the tune of #IOO,OOO. The President announces that this is a mere trifle, even after paying a semi-annual dividend of 5 per cent. So great were the gains that considerably more than two-thirds of the surplus profits still remained untouched. Who would not own a National Bank ? The Chinese. —California helped inflict negro, suffrage upon the South. She did not have any great number of negroes, and so, she did not care. But California has and considerable number of Mongols and she sneezes at the idea of making them citizens. Would to heaven all the “ loyal States ” were compelled to partake of the same kind of snuff! Wiiat Girl? —A Northern correspond ent, speaking of the late pig-wallow a,t Long Branch, writes: “ Admiral Farragut did his very best to quiet the assemblage ; and he succeeded by excellent tact, in getting the band to play “ The girl I left behind me,” which once more re-established harmony and good humor.” The Girl of Liberty, eh ? Yon have left her behind you most decidedly. A Gumbo.— The R'.chmand Dispatch seems very anxious to let Grant know that the late election was not a “ Democratic vic tory." If Grant wants any salve to plas ter the gashes made by Andrew Johnson we commend him to the Jubilant gumbo of j Virginia politic*. The Chinese and their Coming. REPORT OF THE ANTI-COOLIE ASSOCIATION. Now, while Memphis is holding public meetings inviting Coolie labor to the South, the following protest against the farther importation of Chinese into California, published by the Anti-Coolie Association, is of special interest: “There are about 110,000 Chinese-in California, 100,000 of whom are in a state of peonage or slavery, find are rented out bv the company owning them to the va rious parties by whom they are employed, in gangs of from 50 to 5,000, as they may be required—their wages being paid to the agent of the company, who is responsible for the performance of their labor, and for the return of the slaves, dead or alive, in the Celestial Empire. The bulk of the fe male portion of them are scattered through our towns and cities for the purposes of prostitution, demoralizing our youth and laying the foundation of future disease and sorrow to an unlimited • extent. The im portation of these harlot slaves has already led to scenes of conflict on onr wharves, between the rival companies owning them, and threatens to assume gigantic propor tions. The employment of these slaves displaces a like portion of white labor, and more particularly of the rising generation. “There are in San Francisco about 18,000 to 20,000 boys and girls, of from 10 to 20 years of age, the majority of whom are brought up in idleness, as there is no em ployment for them, and no opportunity for their learning trades, as all the inferior work in our mills, factories, stores, work shops, etc., that is elsewhere done by ap prentices, is here done by Chinese labor. The consequence is, that our boys are but preparing for the State prison, and a vast number of our girls must, alas! sink to the lowest depths of degradation. “By the general employment of this slave labor in every branch of industry, immi gration of deserving white people from the East aud Europe is retarded, and will ulti mately cease, while many now here mast leave. We may instance the cigar makers, five hundred of whom, with their families, who were earning good wages, and invest ing and spending them here to the advan tage of the country, were compelled two years ago to retire before the Chinese labor and leave the State. In this connection it is a noticeable fact that the introduction of cheap labor has not cheapened the price of a blanket, a cigar or any other article of home manufacture, one single cen.t to the consumer. “The employment of Chinese labor on the Central Pacific Railroad may have expe dited its completion a few months, but we contend that the injury done our State can never be balanced by the gain in time. Had white labor been employed, hundreds of acres would even now have been re claimed from the wastes and become the homesteads of happy families, who would have purchased the land and increased the revenue of the railroad -company, and also of the entire State, while the money paid to Chinese, labor has been, drained out of the country for export to Asia, and on the retirement of the Chinese slaves from their field of labor not a vestige of improvement will remain—not even a bone of them .will be left in the soil. “For twelve months an epidemic has been raging in our midst, which for a long time baffled the skill of our medical men and the sanitary regulations of our city; and this smail-pox, or black plague, is generally at tribnted'to the Chinese. From the density of their population and their peculiar mode of living, they are subject to many diseases almost unknown among the Caucasian race, to which we are rendered peculiarly liable by the Introduction of Chinese into our hotels, restaurants and private dwell ings as cooks, washers and domestic ser vants. “It has been objected to our association that it is an Irish crusade against cheap labor; fcut, on the contrary, we embody in our own ranks all classes, creeds, and poli tical parties, imbued not with hostility to the Chinese as a race, but fully believing that all the vast resources of California can be fully developed, and her railroads, canals, and other public works, can be as well and profitably completed by free white labor, as they have been in the Eastern Statps, and that the future greatness of California depends more upon the general prosperity of her industrial classes, than upon the vast accumulations of a few capi talists. “By order of the Central State Council of the Auti-Coolie Association of the Pacific Coast. F. R. J. Dixon, ' Secretary \ The Gettysburg Martyrs. —The au thors of the Gettysburg slaughter have just held their annual jubilee over their victims, and bragged and exulted over their impious and accursed work, with their usual gusto. Beecher, Bayard Taylor, their orator of the day, Governor Morton, actually seemed in spired by the father of lies to outdo them selves ou this occasion. Even their misera ble instrument, the soldier Meade, howled in unison with the accursed miscreants over the “great work” of “equal rights” with niggers! Aud then, think of it!— after all this exultation over their “ cause,” after the boast of their orator that ten thousand men had died to “ abolish” the distinctions of nature and equalize with negroes, when a couple of darkeys from Washington presumed to seat themselves at the table of the hotel on equal terms with these “ friends of freedom,” they rose up, especially the women, and left the room. What immeasurable liars and scoundrels, to be.sure"! What impious and beastly vil lains, to brag and exult over their devil’s work, to pretend to honor the memory of their slaughtered tools, who, as they laudly boastqd, had laid down their lives to carry out their “ principles,” and then so grossly aud shamefully betray. these “ principles’ on the very first test of them ! What an awful punishment heaven must have in store for these God-forsaken miscreants, who, having sacrificed, as they boasted, ten thousand of their race to “-abolish” Clod’s work and equalize with negroes, refuse themselves to equalize with negroes ! And tiie beastly villains affected magnanimity, forsooth! for the Confederates who had fallen in defence of God’s eternal decree, not to preveut the Beechers and Mortons from violating that decree and equalizing with negroes if they wished, but simply and solely to save themselves from a si"n so monstrous and unpardonable. But sleep on, you brave “ rebels however obscure your graves or mistaken your cause, future generations will find the continent too small for the monuments they will erect to your memories.— N. T. Day Book. The Cotton Fly, or 801 l Worm.— The Madison Farm Journal, of Saturday, says : Moses Foster, Esq., of Greene county, brings us some cotton forms this week, all perforated and destroyed by a fly, which has made its appearance on his plantation ! lu large numbers. This fly attacks the square first, as the boll worm does, and it is feared that great damage will result to the cotton In this section in consequence. It is said that this rty made Its appearance in this portion of Georgia lu 1840, and damag ed the crops extensively. Letter from Lexington. . Lexington, Ga., July 12th, 1869. Editors Constitutionalist: The little village of Jefferson was aroused from its usual quiet by the annual com mencement exercises of the Martin Insti tute, which took place on the 7th and Bth The first day was appropriated to the examination of the Preparatory and Fresh man Class, followed in the evening by a Juvenile exhibition, a Composition from the young ladies, interspersed with music. The second day the Baphomore, Junior and Senior Classes Were examined, followed by speeches from the young men, inter spersed with music, ending with a beauti ful and appropriate address from Rev. Mr. Buckhead, of Athens, who delivered the prizes to the different classes for excelling in declamation and reading. Master Oscar Carter won the prize given to the Juvenile Class for declamation. Miss Emma Morris justly received the one awarded to the young ladies for the best read composition. Sam Potts, the comic speaker, gave us one of Brudcjpr Joe’s Lectures on Politics, which was almost faultless, and received the prize given to the Sophomores and Juniors. Mr. Dunlap received the Senior prize. All of the young men spoke so well that the com mittee appointed to decide who should wear •the honors felt it difficult to make their de cision. This flourishing school numbers 120 pu pils, about equally male and female. The plan Os throwing the two sexes in the same school has a good influence; it refines the young men and protes a stimulous to each to study well. I have never witnessed a more impartial and thorough examination, so satisfactory to patrons and creditable to teachers and pupils. Prof. J. W. Glenn, the principal of the school, has for years occupied the chair of Mathematics in East Alabama Male College, and has won the respect and confidence of patrons and pu pils. He is assisted by Prof. S. P. and Miss M. E. Orr in the Literary Department, and by Miss E. S. Burch in the Musical De partment. I have not met a more efficient corps of teachers any where. This school is endowed with one hun- dred and fifty shares of Georgia Railroad Stock. The dividends are applied to the part payment of the tuition of each stu dent, without reference to where they may reside. Mr. Martin, for whom the Institute is named, did a noble work when he en dowed this institute, where many poor children are educated. Thus we see how the effort of fine man made glad the hearts of many. Jefferson is a retired and remarkably healthy village, only eighteen miles North of Athens. The people are freer from cor rupting influences than almost any place that I know of—dissipation being consider ed a disgrace by the community. The consequence is, there are no dissipated young men in school. The Jeffersonians are noted for their hospitality and added fresh laurels to their ancient wreath of fame during the Commencement ‘Exercises. Long may they live and keep their hearts as pure as the mountain zephyrs that their brow, and carry on the good work, they have so nobly begun. Barswell Items. —From the Barnwell (8, C,) Journal we take the following Item*: Improvements are steadily going on at Blaekville. Lartigue Brothers are -having their store renovated, and intend making an attractive place for customers. The handsome store of Mr. G. K. Ryan is ap proaching completion. Mr. M. F. Molony, with his usual energy, is making sundry changes in his store, which will add to its convenience and appearance. In and around Barnwell the crops have suffered for the want of rain. While the drought has not been or long duration, the heat lias been excessive, the thermometer Tanging from ninety to ninety-five degrees. Since writing the above we learn that there has been rain at Barnwell, but not enough to do much good. In some portions of the county there have been abundant showers, while in other places the crops are suffering terribly. A medical society has been organized in Barnwell with the following officers: Presi dent, J. O. Hagood, M. D.; Vice-presidents, John M. Turner, M. D.; W. W. Smith, M. D.; Bcott Hay, H. D.; J. W. Ogllive, M. D.; G. W. Morrell, M. D. Recording Secre tary, L. Brooker, M. D. Secretary and Treasurer, J. Allen Duncan, M. D. Dr. Martin Bellinger was appointed ‘and re quested to. deliver an essay at the next meeting, to be held-at Barnwell on the Ist of October next, and Dr. G. W. Morrall re quested at the same time to give the society full particulars of an important case that has lately occurred in his practice. Excitement in England—Probable Conflict Between the Lords and the Commons Over the Church Bill.— London, July B. —The action of the House of Lords on the Irish Church bill has creat ed intense excitement. Messrs. Bright and Gladstone are daily in receipt of letters offering a recommencement of the Reform League agitation, but they discountenance the movement at present, and express a belief that the Lords will recede at the last moment from offering any marked opposi tion to the expressed will of the people; though a compromise is effected in the postponement of the date- of disestablish ment to January, 1872, by paying a lump sum half a million, and by allowing the life interest to be computed at fourteen years' purchase. The following letter has been circulated privately among well known. progressives in view of the probable failure of the pas sage of the Irish Church bill, through the opposition of the House of Lords: “Sir: In view of the probable failure of the Irish Church bill, through the opposi tion of the House of Lords to the Govern ment, the Commons and .the country, you are requested to inform the Secretary of the Reform League whether you are willing that your name shall be used, in the event of a defeat of that measure, to a public call for mass meetings to consider the best con stitutional method of getting rid of this ob struction to legislation based upon the ex pressed will of the people.” Railroad Extension.— Mr. Grant, the engineer employed in making a recon noisance of the proposed railroad extension from this place to the Rabun Gap, (accom panied by W. W. Thomas) returned to this place one day last. Mr. Grant reports the result of his re connoisance as highly satisfactory. Not only did he succeed in finding a route free from serious difficulties, but one much more favorable than anybody had antici pated. The greatest obstacle in the way can be overcome by a grade of 60 feet to the mile, a distance of two or two and a half miles. We trust that the actual servey will be entered upon shortly, as we observe opera tions will soon be re-commenced on the Blue. Ridge Railroad. —Athens Watchman. Acquitted. —Hlllory B. Humphries, who was tried last week in Thomas Superior Court, for the killing of Gabriel Wilson, sheriff of this county, was found not guilty by the jury, after an absence from the court room of about ttftecu minutes. [ ThomatriUe Enlerpriee.
