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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1870)
tDcchli) CansUtutionalist 3Y STOCKTON & CO, OUR TERMS. The following are the rete* of Subscription: one year , 10 Wbbklt, one year..... |S 00 Two Moons. BY MRS. B. B. EDSON. Ihe moon, like a slender sickle, poised on its silver edge, Lighted the laurel eopses circling the reedy sedge; And under the white cumuli like smoke wreaths idly blown O’er fathomless seas of purple, gleamed Orion’s fiery zone. Away o tue dusky northward, with sudden and fitful glare, Aurora’s crimson mountains lifted their peaks in air; While over and over and over, bending his handsome head, He whiskered: “ Another new moon, love, and you and I will be wed.” In and ou‘ of the shadows, with a slow and steady pace, Her worshipful eyes uplifted to his haughty, handsome face, A gleam of snowy shoulders, son lips of scar let fire, A cheek like cbiaselfcd marble, slow-flushing with desire; With droopiug lids half veiling the light in the happy eyes, That shamed, with their royal splendor, the fat# anroral skies; As, bending tenderly o’er her, in love’s low, passionate tone, He whispered - “Another new moon, love, and you will be all my own.” A whip-poor-will sang in the thicket, the crick et chirped in the wall, A bittern across the marshes gave back an an swering call; The milk-white sheep on tv* upland gleamed in the dusk-like stars, And the cattle silently slnmbered outside the farm-yard bars; While lower and lower and lower the young moon sauk in the west, And Venus, with rosy flushes, folded her lids to rest; While, whispering throngh the silence, fell the low-voiced farewell— “ Only oue more new moon, love! be sure yon remember well.” ****#» Again, like a jewelled sabre, girding the Night’s pale breast, The yor.ng moon hung; but the sequel, ah me! is easily guessed. Alone with the dusky shadows, the silence and the stars. And the cattle silently slumbering beside the farm-yard bars, She walks with faltering footsteps, the dear, familiar ways, , Hiding the heavy pain at her heart from sad or curious gaze. It is only the “ old, old story,” at last she knows it is so; Bat ah, for the vows that were uttered only one moon ago! Hymn of the Hebrew Maid. BY SIR WALTER SCOTT. When Israel, of the Lord beloved, Out from the laud of bondage came, Her father’s God before her moved, An awful guide in smoke and flame. By day, aloug the astonished lands TS:e cloudy pillar glided slow ; By night, Arabia’s erimsoned sands Returned the fiery column’s glow. There rose the choral hymn of praise, And trump and timbrel answered keen ; And Zion’s daughters poured their lays. With priest’s and warrior’s voice between. No port' nts now our foes amaze— Forsa. an Israel wanders lone; Our fathers would not know Thy ways, And Tbou hast left them to their own. Sat. i.rtsent still, though now unseen, When brightly shines the prosperous day, Be thoughts of Thee a cloudy screen, To temper the deceitful ray. And oh, when stoops on Judah’s path Id shade and storm the frequent night, Be Thou, long suffering, slow to wrath, A burning and a shining light t Our harps we left by Babel’s streams— The tyrant’s Jest, the Gentile's scorn ; No censer round our altar beams, And mute are timbrel, trump and horn. Bat Thou hast said, the blood of goats, The fles' i of rams, I will not prize— A contrite aeart, and humble thoughts, Are mine accepted sacrifice. - . m [From the Missouri Republican. Our Wee One. Where the brightest sunbeams strayed, There our wlDsome wee one played; Where the sweetest blossoms grew, There our winsome wee one flew; Bash of bine and gown of white Wore the restless little sprite. When bis laughter rippled out With a merry, joyous shout. Birds would answer with tbeir notes From tbeir proudly swelling throats, Or half poised on brilliant wing, Hush to bear our wee one sing. Little songs of Heaven sbove, Os the Savior's wondrous love, Os the rare and prectoua gems Bet lu radiant diadem*— Boula of wee ouea psased away From the temple of the clay— Bo It come one Autumn nigbt, Juat at tbs cloaing of the light, Up where sbiwe the allver stars, Through the gold and crimson Ur * Where earth'a atorma c»sy never be*t Flew our wee one'# little feet, A. flier* In another peep from that useful •..inerr known as tile Aurt* ull'iral Dcpttt nun', at Washington. Tt la to tb* HIM that the coni efop of Nett Kngl»ud l*Nljo, is i.»» than that of Bd by IN fier cent, U> the Went the leilui lion I* about the same, which 1» im-I for lon re of corn wblsky TUn cwtto« < rop I* JO i*r i #ot above l(W* ii tojj li !§?§* f From the New York World. French Ball in New York. SHAMELESS WOMEN AND OBSCENE ORGIES THE DELIRIUM OP VICE PERFECTLY ILLUS TRATED—BRUTALITY REIGNS SUPREME. At 12 o’clock there is a jam ; most of the crowd outside have got in by some means; the floor is a mass of people. Suddenly there is a fight. in the boxes. Exultant cries issue from the procenium. At once turn up all the masked faces in the whirl ing mass. Jt is a Frenchman beset by two, aye, three Americans. Blows are given and taken; then they all go down out of sight—only to appear again; the three are on him ; they are screeching with that fierce animal sound that "comes through set teeth,and in men and bulldogs is pitched upon the same note. The mask ers rather like it; they applaud and cheer on—not the parties, but the tfght—and when the police get into the boxes and drag out the assaulted mau and leave the assailants behind, the procenium bellows a moment with ironical laughter, the music breaks out afresh, and the dancers resume their antics as though nothing had hap pened. Enotfgh liquor has now been swallowed to float recklessness up to the high water mark. There is another fight going on in the vestibule. One of the women has been caught up by the crowd and tossed bodily into the procenium box, where she is caught and dragged by half a dozen brutes in over the sill and furniture in such a manner as to disarrange as much as pos sible what small vestige of raiment there is on her. The feat awakens general en joyment. Men and women below vent their coarse laughter at the sorry figure she cuts and at the exposure of her person.— Presently the trick is repeated on the other side. A yonng woman, rather pretty, and dressed in long skirts, is thrown lip and falls back into the arms of the crowd, who turn her over, envelope her head in her own skirts, and again toss her up, tempo rarily denuded. The more exactly this proceeding outrages decency, the better it is liked. One or two repetitions of it oc curred which exceeded the limits of proper recital. The women were bundled into the boxes,and there they were fallen upon by the crew of half drunken ruffians, and mauled and pulled and exhibited in the worst possible aspects, amid the jeers and laughter of the other drunken wretches upon the floor. One, a heavier woman than the rest, Is thrown out of the box and falls heavily upon the floor. She is picked up insensible by the police and carried out. There is not a whisper of shame in the crowd. It is now drunken with liquor and its own beastliness. It whirls in mad ed dies round and round. The panting wo men in the delirium of excitement; their eyes, flashing* with the sudden abnormal light of physical elation, bound and leap like tigresses ; they have lost the last sense of prudence and safety. Some of them are unmasked, and reveal the faces of brazen and notorious she-devils, who elsewhere are cot off by edict from this contact with the public; a few of them are young, and would be pretty but for the lascivious glare now lighting their faces and the smears of paint which overlay their skins ; all of them are poisonous, pitiable crea tures, suffering now with the only kind of delirium which their, lives afford, rancor ous, obscene, filthy beauties, out of the gut ter of civilization, gone mad with the in cense of music and the contact of men, and beset by crowds of libii'nous and unscru pulous ninnies who, anywhere else, would be ashamed of their intimacy, or roughs to whom this kind of a ball affords the only opportunity to exercise the few animal faculties that are left to them. M. Mercier stands in the middle of the floor, end shouts to the musicians to go on. For it isn’t safe for them to stop. When ever they do there is a fight. One stalwart beauty, in bare arms, has knocked down a young man in the entrance way, and left the marks of her high heels on his face. Bhc would have kicked the life out of him while her bully held him down, if a still stronger policeman had not flung her like a mass of offal into a corner. There she Is picked up, and, backed by a half dozen of her associates, poshes and strikes promis cuously, and the dense crowd about her push also and strike, and sway here and there, and yell and hiss and curse, until the entire police force in the place drag out a score of them, and the rest go on with the dancing, between which and the fighting there is so little difference. In one of the boxes sits J. Fisk, Jr., with a masked worn n. But it is getting too warm for him. The few French women who came as spectators, and occupied the seats.in the family circle, went away long ago. They were probably respectable. On the floor one sees at intervals well known men, who cither were deceived by the an nouncement of a bal d'opera, or were too smart to be deceived by anything of this sort. A few newspaper reporters, looking on with stoical eye; here a prize-fighter, and there a knot of gamblers; here an adolescent Alderman, dancing with a no torious inmate of the police courts; there a deputy sheriff, too drunk to be anything but sick and sensual. Now the cancan commences. Bat it comes without any zest, for ail of its peculiarities have been indulged In long before. It is no longer a dance at all, but a wild series of indecent exposures, tumultuous orgie, in which one man Is struck by an unknown assailant; and his cheek laid open with a sharp ring, and his white vest and tie, splashed with blood, give a horrible color to the figure that is led out. There is an evident fear on the part of the ball officials that matters will proceed too far. They endeavor to prevent the women from being pulled up Into the boxes by, laying hold of them and pulling them back, In which struggle the women arc curiously wrenched and disordered, and the men in the boxes curse and laugh and about, and the dancers, now accustomed to the spectacle, give It no heed whatever. If there is anything In the behavior of the women ttiat la at all peculiar to the eye of an observer who Is not familiar with the impulses and manifestation* ol them In this class, It la the feverish shandonmeui Into which drink and other exclt#m»irta have driven them. It Is not often thatanommon l/aw'f without brains nr Imauly enough to gurnet a passing glance, thus ha* the op’ port unity to elicit volley* of applause from crowds of men i and, without stopping to ■lui hilon the vglu« of It, sh« make* htrsitli doubly druukc* wllh It If <o kick up h«r skirls Is pt alitaei aMciinnu hoop l« 1 If y tii Ummi fuidji'i */f iti* • vlhimw fa Hui tr w*yr AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, JaBU&RY 12, 1870, money. So she jumps rather than dances. She has a whole set of lascivions motions, fashioned quickly, which outdo the worst imaginings of the dirty-minded men who applaud her. She springs upon the backs of the men, she swaggers, she kicks off hats. She is a small sensation in herself, and feels it, and goes about with a defiant and piti less recklessness, reigniug for the few brief hours over the besotted men who feel a fiend’s statisfaction in the unnatural exhi bition. To particularize to any greater extent would be to make public the habits and manners of the vilest prostitutes iu their proper haunts, where; out of the glare of publicity, they may, and probably do, per fect themselves in the Indecencies most likely to catch the eyes of men little better than themselves, but which, thus brought together under the gas light of the public chandelier is, to the healthy man, like the application of the microscope to some com mon article of food then found to be a feculent and writhing mass of living nasti ness. That respectable foreigners were in duced to attend this ball by the representa tions made by the managers is certain. That they were outraged by what took piace there is beyond all doubt. To suppose a mau deceived as to the character of the en tertainment, and to go there and mingle with masked ladies, who for a while ape the deporiment of their betters, is to sup pose a sensation for him at once startling ; for when the richly dressed ladies doff their masks, he finds himself surrounded by a ghastly assemblage of all the most virulent social corruption in our civilization ; dowa gers turn out to be the fluffy and painted keepers of brothels ; the missies sink into grinning hussies, who are branded on the cheeks and forehead with the ineradicable mark of shame; and the warm and cov pages, whom at the worst he might have supposed to be imprudent or improvident girls, stare at him with the deathly-cold implacability of the commonest street walkers—those in fact who glory in their shame, and whose very contact is vile to anything with a spark of healthy moral or physical life in it. If, indeed, they had lain off their sickly flesh with their masks, aud gone grinning and rattling arouud the bril liant hall iu their skeletons, the transfor mation could not have chilled your un suspecting man with a keener horror. But it is safe to say the unsuspecting were few indeed. At 2 o’clock this curious spectacle was at its height. All about the Institute, and on the stairs, and in the cloak rooms, and through the narrow, tortuous passages lead ing to the stage dressing-rooms were vile tableaus of inflamed women and tipsy men, bandying brutality and obscenity.. The animal was now In fall possession of its ficnlties. But, just as the orgie is bursting into the last stage—a free fight—when the poor creatures in their hired costumes are ready to grovel in the last half-oblivious scenes, the musicians rattle off “ Home, Sweet Home,” with a strange, hurried irony, and the managers, with the same haste, turn off the gas of the main chande lier, and the bal d’opera is at an end. The Byron Business—A New Solu tion of the Mystery. —An eutirely new solution of the Byron mystery is furnished by a writer in the Madras Mail, who says that “ his father had it from one of Lord Byron’s most inti mate friends.” According to this lively correspondent, whose story we And in the Echo, “ Lord Byron, was, in a sense, a devil.” Incredible as the thing may seem to the thoughtless, the handsomest man in Eng land had a small tail, a palrof rudimentary horns, and short, squab feet divided for wards from the instep into two parts, in stead of oeing furnished with toes. Before he was born his mother had been once greatly terrified by seeing, when in a very delicate state of health, the celebrated pic ture of Satan Spurned, in the gallery at La Haye, and the result had been the fash ioning of her child to some extent after the monstrous form of which the sight caused her alarm, and of which the continuous re collection could not be effaced by any means known to her physicians. At the time of her confinement it was at first suggested that the monstrosity should not be suffered to live, but the child’s body, ffs a whole, was so perfectly shaped, and his face so wondrously beautiful, that the suggestion was forthwith put aside, and England was not deprived of what was to become in due time one of its chiefest ornaments. Poor Lady Byron never recovered wholly from the shock caused by her discovery of what her husband really was; and partly through excessof imagination, partly in consequence of bad advice from persons who shall be nameless, she felt it to be her duty to insist upon her husband subjecting himself to certain painful operations. Bat this Lord Byron obsti n ately refused to do. He urged, and with considerable force, that the pecu liar manner in which he wore his abundant curls effectually hid from view the rudi mentary horns ; and.that, as he never ap peared in public without his boots and trousers, none would ever suspect the exist ence of. his other defects, with the excep tion of his valet, in whom he placed im plicit confidence." It is said that an interview of the follow ing nature took place between the King Sandwich, of the Sandwich Islands, and an American who was sent there to gee about purchasing them. When our ambassador broached the project to the King, that dig nitary sat smoking and looking as content ed with the world as if he had been one of Wordsworth’s beggars. Having listened to the proposition, he replied: “ See here, 1 get $40,000 a year now for being King, and if I snould do what you want me to do I wouldn’t be a King any longer, but only a private citizen, and.l wonldn’t get $40,000 per year, for yonr President gets only $25,000. Now, I don’t think It would pay to sell out—do you y” Our ambassador looked at the mass of grease and content ment, and remarked slmnly: “ Your Majes ty, your head is level f Whereupon the King smiled and smoked on. Soimiv.it* Man. Hoptn i’hanon —The great Southern mail route from New York, Jios'on, and the Northeast, heretofore going mu Washington, llhtbmond, and I.vncii burg, so Nnshvllls sml New Orleans, has lawn chang'd tin Olu' lMuatlanu Louisville, '||p, J«ouIsvllle sud l-iHelensll short line railroml, running three daily trains from ftm Innstf, and making <d»«* iwmiim«ibmat (cmisviir with the Nashville and Memphis [Special Correspondence Courier-Journal. Ankles in Paris. HOW THE PARIBIENNE DOESN’T SHOW HERS. I have just come in out of the rain (hav ing sense uiough for that) from the streets of Paris, which, though the rain is neither light nor warm, are still thronged with peo ple, tuning whom I observed a heavy sprinkliog of heavily sprinkled women. This observation occasioned another, which l will give you for the benefit of some of your fair readers; all of them do not need it; and in giving it I hope I shall be par doned for calling a leg a leg. The women of Paris, no matter how dis concerting their movements are, rarely ex pose their legs in public. This sort of physical reticence is the more remarkable that the limbs concealed are mysteriously reputed to be shapely, and that the couceal ers themselves are rertainly not the least frail of their sex. Concealed the limbs un questionably are, however, generally speak ing. A Parisian woman, whether walking oil the sidewalk, crossing the street, getting into a carriage or out of one, descending a flight of stairs, or fleeing before some re .morseless juggernaut of an omnibus, rarely exposes her legs to the gaze of bystanders or by-passers. She in fact rarely exposes so much as her ankles. And yet her move ments are rapid and her dress is short. Respecting the secret of this extraordi nary concealment. I very reluctantly hazard a conjecture. It seems to me to lie in two facts, namely: the presence of grace, and the absence of hoops. The Parisian wo man is graceful in her movements, aud her dress,at least in the present style, responds to her movements, producing grace as the visible effect; and grace is altogether in consistent with those strides and jerks and manipulations which expose the female ex tremities. even amid the protecting folds of hoopless skirts. If this is not the secret, I have the discretion to glite up the conun drum which I have had the honor to pro pose. Respecting the concealment Itself though there can be no question. That I repeat, is unquestionable, Insomuch that any Parisian, excessively fond of well-turn ed ankles and symmetrical calves, who should undertake to feast his fondness, as gentlemen of like taste not unfreqnently do in our American cities, by following the first pretty woman that passes him on the streets, would almost inevitably come to grief—the same grief which overtook the hungry fox that followed the bull, in one of the late Mr. Lincoln’s fables. Neverthe less, let not the young men of America be cast down! Paris is a very enjoyable place for all that. I From the Pittsburg (Pa.) G »z tte. Terrible Terpsichorean Contest—Several of th« Parii«ipante No! Cvpnrfari tn Live. A few evenings since a ball was held In one of the halls of the city, at which a large number of young folks were in attendance. Among the attractions of the evening was a prize, a gold ring, offered to the lady who should ontwaltz all competitors. At twelve o’clock the band struck up “II Bacchto," and a full dozen competitors took their places on the floor, entering for the contest. At the expiration of twenty mlnntes four of the couples gave way and took their seats, leaving the rest twirling and whirl ing in the giddy and intoxicating dance.— One honr more there Was but three couples on the floor, and the dance went on till another hour had passed, when, from sheer exhaustion, another couple gave away, leaving the floor to the remaining two pairs of Terpsichorean devotees. The band of music played and played and played, and the four fast-failing dancers danceil and danced and danced, till even those who looked upon them grew sick and dizzy. At the end of the fourth hour the musicians grew feeble, and from the finger ends of the violinists, the blood trickled to the floor, but still they supplied the moving power to keep the dancers going. The excitement grew intense as the fifth hour of tlie dance came on, and there were those present who insisted on patting an end to the merry, though reckless, quartette suicide. How ever, no interference was permitted, and the prize dance, over the jaws of death, went on. After five hours and three minutes had elapsed, one of the ladies fainted, and her partner quickly followed her example, and, amidst cheers, the prize was awarded the other couple who kept the floor. Then came a summing up of damages The two contesting girls were nlgher death than life, and had to be conveyed to their homes—together with their partners, who were as badly used up—in carriages, and all have since been in a precarious condi tion and under medical treatment. The girls had to have their shoes cut from their feet, and their limbs were swollen next day to enormous size. The young men will hardly recover, and the musicians suffered terribly and will never again play at a Terpsichorean contest. So much for fool ishness. Hobribi.r Tragkdv at Talbottos.— One of those and affairs which Is generally lamented on account of the high social position of the parties, occurred in Talbot ton on Thursday evening. W. J. Weeks, In his store, killed Jas D. Cottingham. Mr. W. is about forty years of age, and one of the leading merchants in Talbottou. Mr. C. was over fifty years of age, but a hale healthy man, and had resided many yeirs in the village. He was the father-in-law of Dr. Tigner, of this city. Both gentlemen were prominent members of the Methodist church. It is said the parties were In Weeks’ store, discussing cimrch matters.- Mr. C. had built a church, and Mr. W. was on the Building Committee. Tills was She matter talked over and which led to the difficulty. Angry words ensued, when Cot tingham struck W with a stick. The latter drew a pocket knife, and stabbed O. In the neck, severing the main artery. Cutting ham survived only fifteen minutes after being cut. Weeks was at once arrested Evidently the entire affair was the effect of temporary passion, as the gentlemen li td been on most Iriundly linos. Both are well kuotyu ami esteemed It. 'hi* city. Hun. Death ok A. K Mmmuaij. A*rc|*ortsd by the lnlrUlyrn<vr, Mi A K Marshall,Her. celery of the Ntat« H, n »»«• and for many year* a phonograph!" r< imrtcr Ibr the prr*e of lid* Nut", died of pir«ly*l* at Me real I dense In Allan'*, on Monday morning 1 [From the New York Tout, December 28. The End of “ Lord Hubert Ainsley.” Last Summer there appeared in this city a young man calling himself Lord Huberc L. 8. Ainsley. He ingratiated himself into fashionable society, dressed fashionably, gave fine dinners and rode in an English dog-cart drawn by a horse “bobbed ” in a style supposed to be English, and at his back a “tiger” in all the dignity of top boots, gilt buttons and cockade. With a claim to a title and so much appearance of wealth his society was com ted by some wealthy persons. He formed the acquaintance of a wealthy young lady living on Staten Island, and soon it became known that they were en g.iged to married. About this time it was whispered in “ fashionable circles ” that the fellow was an imposter, and that no such name as “Lord Ainsley” appeared in the English Book of the Peerage. These rumors became so wide spread and annoy ing that the mother of the young lady dis patched a messenger to England to ascer tain about the antecedents of the man. The instructions were fully carried out. aud it was discovered that the person claiming to be a lord had been an English valet to a French gentleman In Paris, where he had mastered two or three lan guages, and learned the ways of “society;” that his name was Richard Radford, and that his father was the keeper of a stable in London, and that Anally, he was a mere adventurer and gambler. Notwithstand ing this report, the newspaper exposures and the scandal which followed, the young woman clnng to the man and married him. The rest Is soon told. He made a brief trip to Philadelphia, attracted attention by the excellence of his dinners, and then re turned to this city, where lie engaged a fur nished house on Madison avenue. For a few weeks he followed up the same style of living, and then took lodgings in an obscure boarding house in the same neighborhood. A day or two ago his wife arose from bed to And her dlamouds, money, watch and her “ English lord ” all gone. On the tabic lay a note saylug that he had gone never to return. The wife returned to her mo ther on Staten Island, where she is said to be lying dangerously ill of brain fever. It should be added that this imposer succeeded in making his way among a cer tain kind of wealthy society, in spite of warnings of the press; that he was able to persuade the daughter of a wealthy family to marry him in spite of the fact that his pretensions had been exposed in public as well an in private ; and that long alter it was most clearly ascertained that he was an imposter, his invitations to dinners and other festivities were freely accepted by many persons who make pretensions to so cial standing. Fashion and the Shroud—DAath in Harris, in a voluminous communication addressed to the Board of Health, calls at tention to the unrestrained sale of poison ous solutions and preparations of lead un der the name of cosmetics, bloom of youth, hair dyes, hair invigorators, &c. Early In the Summer a very thorough chemical in vestigation of this and all other common sources of lead poisoning was Instltnted.— Thus far every specimen analyzed has been found to contain lead. Dr. Louis A. Sayre reports three cases of poisoning by the use of “ Laird’s Bloom of Youth," and that eminent surgeon urgently cnlls for the pro hibition of the sale of that death-dealing article of the toilet. Recently, a merchant of some distinction was killed by the dally use of a hair wash that contained large quantities of acetate and carbonate of lead. A vast amount of neuralgic and palsied misery comes of such poisoning, and in view of the Imoorf ance which attaches to the entire subject, especially as respects the water which we drink, the preserved foods in the markets, aud the nostrums sold without restraint In the shops, Dr. Harris asks the Board to take some action by which the sources of lead poisoning shall be fully reported upon and the public warned against the use of such dangerous lotions and preparations. Iron or tinned pipes through which to conduct theCroton water are recommended, in order to give entire immunity against the slowly acting effects of tiie minute quantities of lead borne along by the com mon lead tubing now in use. Fikk. —The alarm of Arc was sounded about half-past 3 o’clock yesterday morn ing, and the engines were soon on the ground. The fire originated in a building on the east side or Anson street, above George, owned and occupied by Mr. J. H. Kelp as a dwelling and grocery store. Wben aroused by the alarm, Mr. Kelp found the store enveloped in flames, and was barely able to effect his escape from the burning building. The store was entirely destroyed, and the flames were communicated to the buildings on either side. That on the sonth was occupied by Mr. Schlobohm as a bakery, and was partially consumed, but the stock and furniture were saved. The building on the north was occupied by J. H. Howard, colored, and was slightly dam aged by Are. Mr. Kelp had his building in sured with Messrs. W. B. Heriot & Cos. for $4,000. and the stock with Messrs. Colburu & Howell for $2,500. The bakery was In sured in Mr. A. L. Tobias’ agencies, for $2,000. The weather was bitterly cold and the firemen labored under many disadvan tages. but succeeded In confinin'; tbc Are to the buildings where It originated. During the Are the’steam cheat of the Washington was exploded, but fortunately did no dam age. The fire was nearly opposite Bt. Joseph's Church, which for some time was In considerable danger, but was saved through the untiring efforts of the Fire De partment.—Charlaeton Nt»et, 4th The comments of a colored preacher, on the text: “It Is more blessed to give than receive,” are Inimitable for point as well as eloquence. ” I've known many a cimrch io die ’cause it didn’t give enuff; hut I never knowed a cimrch to die because It gave too innch Dey don't die that way. Hredren, lias any ol you knowed n church to die cauae it gave too much t If you do, Ju*t Ini me know, and I'll make a pilgrimage to d*t church, and I'll climb by and« soft light of de moon tn It* u»>s<* covered roof, and I'll aland dar and lift my hand* to (Imivcii an I *ay: ’ ItlcaiMHl are if" dead d*i din In and« (Kiwi * ” "I'm ruined," a* Urn old woman **id w!m*9) h* r wm rtm , 11 tint il'n u ; cold ulgid, and I may a* well warm iti VOL. 29. NO. 2 I From the New Orleans Commercial Bulletin. The Cotton Tax. IMPORTANT SUIT INVOLVING ITS CONSTITU TIONALITY. So far as the South Is concerned, by far the most important suit that has ever been submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States, or perhaps ever will be again, has lately been argued and is now awaiting a decision. We refer to the case of Farrington vs. Saunders, which involves the constitutionality of the cotton tax. The following is a brief history qf the suit: An organization formed at Memphis, Tennessee, represented by Robertson Topp, Samuel Tate and Wra. M. Farrington, ex ecutive committee, purchased in the State of Tennessee, in the name of Wm. Farring ton, 148 bales of cotton, which had been grown In the State of Mississippi. The right to ship the same to another State, to wtt: Louisiana, free from taxation, was claimed by the purchaser. This right be ing denied by Rolfe 8. Saunders, the Col lector of Internal Revenue located at Mem phis, the tax of 3 cents per pound, amount ing to about $2,064, was paid by Farring ton under protest, and the cotton shipped by him in the Summer of 1887 to Messrs. S. O. &T. A. Nelson & Cos., of this city. As the object in view was to make this a test suit, the consignees declined to sell here, but procured freight on a foreign vessel and consigned the cotton to a Liverpool house for sale op account of owner. Farrington then instituted suit against Saunders in the District Court of the United States for the Warren District of Tennessee, claim ing the right to recover and get back the money, which, as alleged,had been Illegally. taken from him in the shape of tax or duty. The Government made Itself a party to the suit by defending Saunders through its District Attorney. Judgment was ren dered against Farrington after the attor neys on each side had agreed upon a state ment of facts containing the points at issue, to be decided by the Supreme Court. Hence it was appealed to Washington fora final hearing. On the part of Farrington this case was luly and elaborately argued by briefs of Judge John A. Campbell, of this city; Judge Wm. L. Sharkey, of Mississippi; Albert Pike, of Memphis ; Robertson Topp, of Memphis, and Judges James Hughes, of Indiana, and orally argued by P. Phillips, of Washington, aud Judge Curtis, of Bos ton. It was contended by counsel that the tax was a direct one, and not laid In conformity t<» the rules of apportionment ns provided In Article the First of the Constitution ; that it was a tax without representation ; that it did not come within the rules of uniformity as precrlbed by the Constitu tion ; that if regarded in the light of an ex port ’ax or duty, it was prohibited by the placed on , the f foofemg s ol n a spdMHPdi sive tax, without apportionment or unifor mity, there Was no clause tonnd in the Constitution to warrant it; and Anally, that the taxing power of the Legislative branch of the Government did not confer the right to levy taxes on the raw productions of the earth in one section of the Union, whilst the productions of other sections were found exempt. Hence it was contended by counsel for appellate, that the act of Con gress authorizing the collection of such tax was unconstitutional. They showed by the Agricultural Re ports of 1807, that The corn crop of that year was worth $010,048,490. The wheat crop of that year was worth $421,790,400. The hay crop of that year was worth $872,804,070. The cotton crop of tliat year was worth $201,400,402. The oat crop of that year was worth $172,472,970. That of these cottoa was the only pro duction on which a tax had been collected; that all of the cotton (except one hundred biles raised in Southern Missouri, and six bales in Southern Illinois) had iteen grown In the eleven cotton States of the Union. It was shown that the payment of this cot ton tax by the people of the South had not exempted them from their full share of every other character of tax collected by the Government, and which hud been paid alike, Bouth as well as North. It was shown With what tenacity the members of the conven tion who framed the Constitution strove to guard the people of each State against par tial or unequal taxation. On the opposite side the case was argued by Attorney General Hoar and Assistant Attorney General Field. On the decision of this case will depend the future fete of the South, or any other section of the Union that may chance to be in the minority. Once the principle is es tablished of taxation without representa tion, apportionment or uniformity, then the Constitution fails to perform its func tions, and is forever gone. Exomis or Negroes from Virginia.— The Danville Timet, of the Ist instant, says: One hundred and sixty negroes took the cars at this place for Mississippi last Tharsday night. A good many families among them. We understand that another crowd will leave here in a few days. There is a gentleman In town who says be wants fonr thousand. At this rate, we shall soon be deprived of all our negro labor. It is the cheapest and best labor an Old Virginian can have; but those who come among us from the North will be glad they are gone. A Printer's Challenge. —The Cincin nati Commercvd says: “ George A. Barber proposes to work for five or eight hours, or a Week, at the rate of eight hours per day, on solid, straight matter—reserving the choice ol either measure or typo—against any printer In the world; the type not to I*’ larger than brevier, nor smaller then agate, fur the sum of one thousand dollars. To coma off oil" month alter this shall be accepted Mr. Barber cen lie addressed at lit" (ummemul office, Cincinnati, Ohio.” John J, Hook us -Our John lingers, familiarly known as " Man Holt" tale a compositor In 7Vm OontUlvtlnn hßw, has gone lou ton hie high calling Ihi Matur •lay h" accopicd a position a* Mss*cng*>r Air thu MoutWn Repress <Jonipsuy w« (mil ronfiilcnt that Jobe will (nebs a isipu ier Messenger ducat** to kiwi
