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OLD SERIES, NO. 575.] By smith, WIKLE & CO.] IMBLISUED EVERY WED ESDAY. RATES OF ADVERTISING. 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Wlio Hut rayed General Morgan. An Account of lli* Treacherous Surprise 1 ami Hi atal Murder. From the Savannah News.] Savannah, Oct. 25, 1871 My at tention having been called to an ar ticle which appeared in a Memphis paper—over the signature of Gen. Alvin C. Gillcm, U. S. A.—purport ing to be a true version of the man ner in which Gen. J. 11. Morgan was killed and the statement made by your eflicient correspondent, whom I suspect to be an old and respected friend, in your issue of the 24th ult., compels me, very reluctantly, to ap pear in print to refute a willful mis representation on the part of the for mer and an unintentional mistake of my worthy comrade. I had intended, soon after the war, and several times since, to have published a statement of what happened under my personal observation on that eventful 4th of September, the disirce of our com mand, but cautious friends advised against tne re-opening of dead issues to incite fresh animosities, which our medal (?) accept-the-situationists de clared would delay the day of the prodigal’s return to the bosom of this “ glorious Union.” The letter in the Memphis Appeal determined my course, and I had already com menced a reply, when your corres pondent’s notice of the circumstan ces causes rao to hastily lay before your readers, and all who love our dear South and the glorious cause so manfully sustained, as succinct a statement as I can possibly make of the true events of the mournful day. To anticipate : On the morning of the 2d of September, 18G4, I re ceived orders from Gen. Morgan, then at Abingdon, Va., to have tho command ready for immediate move ment. At that time it consisted of the old brigade, under command of Col. 11. Smith ; the second brigade, under command of Col. 11. L. Gilt uer; and a detachment of Gen. Vaughn’s brigade (the latter com posed of stragglers, men reporting from leave of absence, etc., their brigade being absent with Gen. Ear ly in Maryland) under command of Col. Win. E. Bradford—tho whole force numbering, as well as I can recollect, thirteen hundred men. We were stationed at Carter’s station on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, about thirty miles from Greenville. Later in the day orders came for the force to move next morning early on Greenville, and on the 3d, Gen. Morgan, with Maj. W. C. Gassett, G. M., Capt. Henry Gay, Acting Aid-de-Camp, Capt. James Rogers, Acting Inspector General, and L. C. Johnson, a clerk in my office, arrived on the train, and we immediately proceeded to Jonesboro, at that time the terminus of the road. We here met the com mand, and advanced in regular marching order to Greenville. Not having an opportunity on the train of discussing his plans, the General invited me to ride forward with him, and we rode beyond our advanced videts. I remonstrated against this as dangerous, but the General said he desired to converse with me quietly. He seemed to have a foreboding of evil, for he remarked upon my suggestion that we might be captured, u they will never take me alive—they have sworn to kill me if they ever catch me again.” We still rode in advance and entered Greenville fully fifteen minutes be fore our advance guard. The General, after directing me as to the disposition of the troops, es tablished his headquarters at the house of Mrs. Williams, but immedi ately sent for a detail of a lieutenant and ten men ; and upon going up to tho house, I learned that upon our arrival, a Mrs. Williams, daughter in-law of our hostess, had suddenly taken her departure, for the ostensi ble purpose of getting some “ water melons.” To those who know that smile when he was angry! I refer to whether the General suspected treachery or no. His reply to me was that “he wished the men to as sist Mrs. Williams in bringing back her watermelons, and that they must go until they found her.” When alone he told me his suspicions that Mrs. Williams had gone to give in formation to the enemy—“ but that fus nothing, as a thousand of our noble girls had brought us news, but I must prevent, if possible, the ene my getting news of our approach.” The scouting party returned unsuc cessful after a dilligent search, and Reported that she had not been to the Cto which the elder Mr s . W. had said she had gone. 5 ■ In the disposition of the division CoU Bradford was on the ex treme left, hie lea » the Nolicliucky river, andhislin « dine in a semi-circle until it tonjlied Col Giltner’e left, and the‘attetm the same manner to the left H, Smith-thus forming tw .?* thl l r d oSnt 0 S nt i n<y l v circle around Gteenville, fronting the enemy’s position, an miles from the town. I the propriety of placing C •• in Bradford’s position, as the fore THE WEEKLY STANDARD & EXPRESS. of the latter was without regular or- j ganization, but the General said he 1 intended his men should lead the charge in the morning, and he desir- j ed they should be relieved from all duty. A written order was dispatch ed to Col. Bradford to select his bes officer and fifty picked men as a scouting party, with instructions to advance toward Bull Gap, until they struck the enemy’s position, and to feel his picket until the command ar-1 rived next morning. Capt. Clay and and Maj. Gassett were ordered to ride over the picket line, and see that every road and by-path were properly guarded, and at 11 o’clock p. m., they reported that all in3truc- j tions had been fully executed. After issuing orders for the com mand to rendezvous on the Bull’s j Gap road at daylight the next mor ning, the General retired. He occu- i pied a front room alone. At day light on the morning of the 4th I was awakened by tiie sentinel on duty, and went into the General’s room to awaken him. Upon inquiry, finding | that it was raining, he instructed me J to countermand the order for imme diate movement, and fixing 7 o’clock as the hour. After receiving reports from the different brigade comman ders, I returned to bed, and was awakened by the heavy firing around j the house. Hastening into the Gen- | eral’s room, I found that he had gone out, and on searching found him iu the garden. A description of the grounds will better enable your readers to fully understand subsequent events. The enclosure occupied just one block, and therefore was surrounded by four streets, on the northern side, aud occupying almost the whole space, stood the house—a large sub staucial brick, fronting south; to the right and southward were the stables, and still further, and reach ing to the front street, was a small vineyard, of probably two hundred vines; iu the southeast corner of the lot stood a small framed church, raised on brick columns about three feet from the ground ; the remain der of the lot was filled with flowers and shrubbery. I found the General in the vicini ty of the church, and we took shel ter under it to consult. He direct ed me to go to the top of the house to see if there was an opening through which he could pass, and upon reaching the upper rooms, I went into each opening in different directions, and found every street blocked with cavalry, while lines of men were riding around next to the fence, (a high plank fence,) shooting in all directions through the grounds. I could also see squads of men at the terminus of each street on the outkirts of the village. Reporting these facts to the Gen eral, I urged him to go into the house and there surrender, as it was our only chance, and that growing momentarily less, as the fire was growing heavy and at a point blank range. He replied: “It is useless ; they have sworn never to take me a prisoner.” Hearing the church being foiced open, we crossed over into the viu yard. It must here be stated that all movements were effected by al most crawling and taking advantage of each bush, as the enemy were not over twenty yards from us; and crouching down among the vines, Mr. Johnson and myself again ur ged him to go up to the house. This he refused, and told us that we had better separate, as three togeth er might be perceived. In leaving, the General shook bauds with me and remarked : “You will never see me again.” I had gone but a few steps when I heard him call out: “Don’t shoot! I surrender.” Stopping immediately, I looked around, and upon the out side of the fence, almost over the General, who had risen, and was holding up his hands sat a Yankee with gun presented, who replied : “Surrender and be God damned; I know you,” and fired. I was so close that to this day I firmly be lieve that I can identify the man. As soon as the shot was fired and the General fallen, he commenced shouting, “I’ve killed the damned horse thief,” and he began tearing down the fence, in which he was soon assisted by a large crowd of his comrades. I neglected to mention that while we were dodging about in the gar den some fiends in the noble guise of women were calling to the Yan kees from their upper windows: “Yonder he goes,” “That’s him,” That’s Morgan,” etc. Being soon after captured and taken some distance out of town, I saw nothing of the General’s body until when, after repeated solitita tion, the sergent who had me in charge consented to take me to Gen. Gillem, tho commander of the Fed eral forces, and on my w r ay there I was stopped by a crowd of halt drunken wretches who made me dis mount. “They wanted to show me something.” That something was the dead body of Gen. Morgan, thrown in a muddy ditch by the road side, the features almost un distinguishable from the mud blood, and the body nude, save a pair of drawers, the clothing then being torn into small pieces, as souvenirs of the “Dead Lion.” Upon reaching the town, I found Gon. Gillem at Mrs. Williams’ house, and with him was the Mrs. Williams who had gone out the day before after and who had returned, strange to say, about the same time, with the \ an kees. I stated to Gen. Gillem that my object in coming to him was for permission to get the General’s body “as his men were treating it like a dog.” “Aye, sir, and it shall lie there and rot like a dog,” was his reply, and then followed a series of abuse, would scarcely be palatable readers, or pertinent to this Sufficit, he rejected ev | by which I had The Family Newspaper—Devoted to Science, Art, Literature, Agriculture, Political and General News. CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA, THURSDAY" MORNING, NOV EMBER 30, 1871. hop U to have succeeded in getting the General’s body to his friends. Our force having rallied. Gen. Gillem was summoned to the front, aud one of his staff, whom I have thought was Colonel Brownlow, t tough my memory may be at fault, but who, nevertheless, seemed a gentleman, offered to bring in the body, which was done, and in a small back room Capt. James Rog ers and myself with the assistance of a negro man, washed and dressed it. The wound was full in the bre st, and seemed to have glanced on the breast bone, passing through the heart and coming out under the left arm. The head was much bruis ed, and the skin broken in several places upon the face and the temples, seeming a verication of the state ment that the body wa3 thrown over a horse, with the head dangling against the stirrups. Such, Mr. Editor, is a plain, un varnished statement of facts, so far as my memory goes, for I have no date upon which to reply. I sent a similar statement to Mr. Reedy, the father of Mrs. Morgan, immediately after my escape and when I reached Canada 1 also wrote more fully to the General’s mother, in Lexington, Ky., and to Col. Dick Morgan, then a prisoner at Fort Warren. This is another reason why I have not giv en this statement sooner to the pub lic, as I felt that as the General’s immediate family were in possession of the facts, they would publish them ,if they thought best. Now, however, as Geu. Gillem has deemed it prudent to make a statement, and as one of our own staff has endors ed it, I can no longer remain silent, not only in justice to the holy cause, but to ihe sacred memory of one with whom it was my honor and privilege to serve, and than whom there never breathed a more noble and gallant spirit, whose name will be fondly cherished when those of his foul murderers shall have perish ed in oblivion. Very respectfully, C. A. Withers, Formerly Adjutant General on the slaff of Gen. John H. Morgan. CONLEY’S MESSAGE. His Veto of the Election Bill. Executive Department, 1 Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 21, 1871. / To the House of Representatives : I here with return to your honorable body, in which it originated, the bill entitled “an act to provide for a special election for Governor, to fill the unexpired term of Rufus 13. Bullock, late Governor, and for other purposes,” with my dissent to the same aud the reasons therefor. I have not adopted this course without the greatest considerations. As the object of thi3 bill is to- fill the unexpired term of Governor Bullock, which at the time of his resignation devolved by the Constitution upon myself, my person al pride would impel me promptly to affix my signature to it, since to refuse so to do, is to put it in the power of these disposed to judge harshly to attribute my action to interested motives. But however much I may feel iuclined, by giving the bill my assent, to repel such imputations, I must in this, as in all my “official actions, be guided by my judgment rather than my pride. Indeed, it cannot but occur to every thinking man that if the Constitution au thorizes so unseemly a proceeding as that presented by the bill under consideration, in which the Executive of the State is call ed upon to sit in solemn judgment upon the question of the propriety or impropriety of determinating his own official existence— the Constitution is in this respect, at least, is anomalous. It is a settled rule, both of law and of common sense, that no man should be compelled or permitted to sit in judgement upon his own rights—not only because the selfishness of human nature leads one to judge in his own favor, but because a proud man would prefer to sac - rifice his own rights rather than subject himself to the suspicious of ungenerous critics. Iu so important a law as that now proposed, the people are entitled to the free judgment of both the Legislature and the Executive. Nothing is more carefully guarded against in the Constitution than the hap pening of a contingency in which a public officer shall become personally interested iu the exercise of the duties of his office. If the Governor be impeached, even, the President of the Senate is, upon the trial, to vacate his seat, since, if conviction takes place, he becoms clothed with the functions of the Governor. The Judges of the Supreme Court, if in terested in a case before them, are tempo rarily displaced by Circuit Judges selec ted by the Governor. If a case arise in which a Judge of the Superior Court is in terested, the law provides that he shall not preside. And, generally, by the Constitu tion aud law3, by the rules of legislative bodies, aud by common consent of all pub licit <«, it is as I have said, a settled rule that no one shall be permitted or compelled to exercise his public functions iu a mat ter directly involving bis own interests. Were the duty imposed a mere ministerial one, in which I was called upon simply to to do an act, in which I was not bound by my oath of office to exercise my judgment., the case would be diflerent. I have said thus much because I cannot but feel that the General Assembly in the passage of this bill has not fully consider ed the position in which it places niyselt ; aud because I cannot think so strange an anomaly as its presentation to me tor my signature was ever contemplated in the Constitution of the State. The Constitution, article four, section one, paragraph lour is as follows; ‘ln case of the death, resignation or disability of the Governor, the President of the Sen ate shall exercise the Executive powers of the Government, until such disability be re moved, or a successor is elected and quali fied. And in case of the death, resignation or disability of the President of the Senate the Speaker of the House of Representa tives shall exercise the Executive powers of the Government until the removal of the disability, or the election and qualification of a Governor. The General Assembly shall have power to provide by law for fill ing unexpired terms by a special elec tion.” Without doubt it Is upou the last sen tence of this quotation from the Constitu tion that this bill is founded. The bill is entitled “an act to provide for a special eloction for Governor, to fill the unexpired term of Rufus B. Bullock, late Governor, and for other purposes.” It provides that an election shall be held ou a fixed day, to-wit : The third Tuesday in December, eighteen hundred and seventy one, for that purpose. In my judgment, the clause of the Con stitution referred to docs not authorize, or justify, such a law. The language is, “The General Assembly shall have power to provide by law for filling unexpired terms by a special election.” It was contemplated that the General Assembly should provide, by a general I law, not for filling a particular unexpired term, but for filling unexpired terms gen erally. No man can read this language of the Constitution without feeling that it is a very strained construction, to 3ay the least of it, to hold that it authorixes a special case. The language is unsuited to such an idea. The word terms indicates clearly that a general law is meant, passed in view of the general public good, and looking to future vacancies, and not to one that has already occured. The action now taken can only be called a law by courtesy. It is rather au order than a law, as is indica ted by the constant use of that term when speaking of it in common conversation. It does not provide for future events, but for one past event. Upon the resignation of Governor Bul lock, I was informed thereof by the Secre tary of State, and, on the 30th day of Oc tober of this year, in pursuance of section one hundred and twenty-seven of the Code of Georgia, I appeared at the capitol and took the. oath of office, and the same was entered upon the minutes of the Executive office, as required by the section of the Code just Qited. Tnat oath was in these words, as prescribed by the Constitution . “I do solmnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of Governor of the State of Georgia, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution thereof, and of the United States of America.” At the time I took said oath there was no law in this State for filling unexpired gubernatorial terms by a special election. The Constitution was the only law. That conferred the office upon the President of the Senate, until the regular election for a Governor, in the mode and at the time therein provided. Is it competant for the General Assem bly under the clause authorizing it to pro vide by law for filling unexpired terms, to order an election, by a special act, to fill a term already filled according io the Con stitution 1 Section twenty-six of articles one of the Constitution provides that “Laws shall have a general operation, aud no general law, affecting private rights, shall be va ried in any particular case by special leg islation, except with the free consent, in writing, of all persons to be affected thereby.” At the time Governor Bullock resigned, aud the oath to “execute tho office of Gov ernor of the State of Georgia” was admin istered to me, it was the general law that the President of the Senate should exer cise the duties of Governor until the regu lar election, and it is not competent for the Geneial Assembly, by a special law, to’vary this general law so as to affect a case occuring before the enactment. Now, is there any significance in this ar gument ? in the use of the word, “special election,” in the clause referred to. The Constitution, iu article two, section eleven, providesthnt the election of Governor, mem bers of Congress and General Assembly shall be held at the same time, to-wit; ou the Tuesday after the first Monday in Novem ber. The election of a Governor is also provided in article four, section one, para graph two of the Constitution, to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in No vember, quadrennially, at the places for holding general elections. Any election to fill an unexpired term must necessarily, though provided for by a general law for all such cases, be a “special election,” since it is held at a different time from the “ gen eral election,” to-wit some time regulated by the law for filling unexpired terms. Had the intent been to authorize the General Assembly to provide for filling a particular unexpired term, after it had oc curred, it seems to me the language used would have been very different. The Con stitution would have said, “ The General Assembly shall have power, by special law, to provide for filling an unexpired term by a special election.” A power to provide by law for filling un expired terms by a special election, neces sarily involves a general survoy of such cases, and especially, docs it involve the free exercise of judgment by the Legisla ture and by the Governor. This free judg ment cannot be had in a special law for a special case, when the passage of it involves the official exist ence of the Executive. He can give no free judgment in the matter, since he : s necessarily interested in the event. No proper provision can be made law for such a case, after the occasion has arisen, because one of the elements of every law— the free judgment of the Executive upon its propriety—cannot be obtained, and because its passage involves the violation of that clause of the Bill of Rights which prohibits the varying of a general law by special en actment, when private rights are thereby to be affected. Another objection to the constitutionality of this bill is drawn from the provisions of article four, section one, paragraph two of the Constitution. This paragraph is these words; “ After the first election, the Governor shall be elected quadrennially, by the per sons qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, until such time be altered by law, which election shall be held at the places of holding general elections in the several counties of this State, in the same manner as is prescribed for the election of members of the General Assembly. “Thereturns for every election of Gov ernor, after the first, shall be sealed up bj the managers, separately from other rf turns, and directed to the President of tie Sfcnate and Speaker of the House of Repre sentative?, and transmitted to his Excellen cy the Governor, or the person exercising the duties of Governor, for the time leing, who shall, without opening the sad re turns, cause the same to be laid before the Senate on the day after the two houses shall have been organized; and they shall be transmitted by the Senate to the House of Representatives. The members of each branch of the General Assembly shall con vene in the Representative Hall, and the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall open and publish the returns in the presence of the General Assembly ; and the person having the majority of the whole number of votes giveu shall be declared duly elected Gover nor of this State ; but if no person have such majority, then from the two persons having the highest number of votes ; who shall be in life, and shall not decline au election at the time appointed for the Leg islature to elect, the General Assembly shall immediately elect a Governor tiva voce ; and in all cases of election of a Governor by the General Assembly, a majority of the vote* of the members present shall be necessary for a choice. Contested elections shall be determined by both houses of the General Assembly, in such manner as shall be pre scribed by law.” I am aware es the claim that these provi sions do not apply to special el.ctions to fill unexpired terms ; since it is contended the power to provide by law for filling such terms iucludes the mode by which the re sult of those elections shall be ascertained and disclosed. But nothing is more clear to my mind than that all parts ol the Con stitution aro to be considered together— that no part thereof is to be ignored. It will hardly b«- contended that this power to provide by law for tilling unexpired terms is to be constructed as though it stood alone. May the General Assembly, in the exercise of this power, say who shall vete at the election ? Who should be eligible to the office'? Who shall open the returns, declare the result and decide the controversy if there be no majority, or if the election be contested ? It seems to me that the clause conferring the power to provide by law for tilling un expired terms by special election, is to be read and understood with this qualification —that the General Assembly, in the exer cise of the power, is to be restrained and counteracted by a;;y other part of the Con stitution applicable to th« matter. As the Constitution fixes the qualifications of vo ters, the eligibility of candidates and 'tbe mode of transmitting and opening the re turns and declaring the result; as it pro vides that the person elected shall have a j majority of the votes cast; and what shall happen if no one receives that majority ; and also provides what body shall decide | the controversy, if there be a contested I election. As all these things are provided for in detail in the Constitution, aud are, I by the express words used, declared to ap ply to every election for Governor, it is a I very unfair construction to say that they apply only to the regular quadrennial elec tion. and not to the special elections to be provided for by law for filling unexpired terms. The true rule of construction would be, as I think, that every provision in this par agraph not positively inconsistent with the J clause authorizing the General Assembly Jto provide by law for filling unexpired terms, is intended to apply to the case of j special elections. There is the same neces ! sity for all provisions iu one case as in the other, and 1 can see no reason for them in the case of a general election that does not apply equaliy to special cleetions. In this way only cau*all parts of the Con stitution be made to stand. The paragraph I have quoted requires the returns of every election to be trans mitted to the Senate on the next uay after the organization of the two houses. The two houses are organized twice in every four years—once with tbe incoming regu larly elected Governor, and once two years thereafter. A special election may beheld and tbe returns transmitted to the Senate as provided by the Constitution, on the next day after the two houses shall have been organized, only if the vacancy shall liappeu during the first two years of the quadren nial term. Here is a solemn provision of the Constitution. What right has any one to say that it is to be ignored, espqpially in a case m which it cap be obeyed to the letter, and the power to provide by law ful filling unexpired terms still exist. True, the power will be much restricted, as it will be confined only to such unexpired terms as happen within the first two years of the quadrennial term. But if the Constitution can be ebeyed in no other way, the conclusion is irresistible that such was the Intuition of the framers of that instrument. A brief sketch of the history of this clause for filling unexpired terms, will indicate that this was the probable meaning of those who in troduced it. The Gubernatorial term had long been but two years. The inode of making the returns, declaring the result, etc., was a part of the old Constitution and was in harmony with the term of office prescribed. It harmonized with the election, and meeting, and organization of the General Assembly. Under previous Constitu tions there was no power to provide by law for filling unexpired terms by a special election. The term being but two years, it was not thought necessary to have an election in case of a vacancy. The Constitution of IS6B extended the term to four years, and this clause was added, no change being made in the mode of transmitting and opening the returns for the simple reaspu that it was not intended there should be a special election unless the vacancy occurred within tbe first two years of the quadrennial term, so that the returns could be transmitted to the Senate on the next day after the organ ization of the two Houses, elected at the end of two years from the commencement of the quadrennial term. There was, too, an obvious propriety in hav ing this limitation of lhc power granted to stand. For, whilst there was great reason for having a special election by the people, if the vacancy occurred during the first two years, there was but little reason for it if the vacancy occurred during the last two. Besides, in one case the vacancy could be filled, tbe returns opened, the result declared, and the Governor elect inaugurated at the meeting of the General Assembly at the reguler time, whilst, in the other case, a special session of the Legislature, with all its attendant expenses, would be nec essary. This brings me to an objection to the bill based upon the great expense necessary for its execution. The regular election for a Governor occurs under tbe Constitution on tbe Tuesday after the first Monday in November next, less than a year from the time fixed by this bill for this election. Should the election contemplated by this bill take place, the returns can hardly be made before the first day of January 1572, which leaves only about ten months for the Governor to be elected to serve. It does not become me to say that tbe duties of the office can be as well performed by the present incumbent, but it cannot escape the reflection of any man, that the expense of the election, and more especially, the expense of a special session of the Legislature to receive the returns, declare the result, and inaugurate the new Governor, will be a large item and ought only be iucurred for some very neces sary and pressing exigeucy. Should the present session be protracted till that time, it cannot be done at a less expense than one hundred thousanJ dollars, and should it adjourn to meet again, say by the second ffonday in January, tbe expense of mileage aud pay of members and officers for the extra session cannot be loss than one hun dred and fifty thousand dollars, if the extra sesson continue only for a few days, which is no- at all probabl#. To incur so great an expense in the present embarrassed condition of the finances of the State, for the single purpose of changing for a few months, the incumbent of the Executive chair, might, it is true, under some circum stances, be a public nesessity; but I may be pardoned for saying that, in my judgment, such a necessity does not now exist. In looking more closely into the bill under consideration, I perceive that it is based en tirely upon the idea I have endeavored to combat. It takes for granted that the detail ed provisions of the Constitution for making, transmitting, opening aud counting the re turns, etc., do not apply to special elections, and the bill therefore purports to provide for Said details by enacting that such proceedings shall be had as is provided in articles four, section one, paragraph three of the Constitu tion in case of a regular election for Govern or. I assume that this provision would not have been in the bill unless the General Assembly was fully satisfied that these provisions of the Constitution did not apply to the case of a special election; and that without a special adoption or reenactment of them for a special election, (here would be no law at all to provide for the case. I present for your consideration another objection to tbe bill presented for my signature. By sotie strange mistake, only noticed by myself since the body of this message was written, and therefore too late to call attention to it in time for its remedy, it will be seen that the refe-encc in the bill is to article four, section one, paragraph three of the Constitution. That paragrtih provides, not for making, trails - mittingand opening the returns and declaring the re»ilt, but fixes who shall bo eligible to office. If ths bill were to be signed by me, the auomious case would present itself of a law to elect i Governor with no provision for a tribu nal toopen tbe returns, declare the result and annoaice the same. Should article four section on*, Jaragraph two, of the Constitution, apply to the case, the law would be that the returns are to be transmitted to the Senate on the day after the two Houses shall have been organized. This it is impossible to do, as the two Houses Cannot be ifganized until after the Tuesday after the fi®t Monday in November, 1872, at which time the regular quadrennial election for Governor takes place. For tliteo reasons I refuse to sanction the bill and respectfully return it. Bemjamis Conley, Governor. A ictim of Horace Greeley’s hand friting says: “If Horace Greeleyhad written that inscription on the tali in Babylon, Belshazzar would hive been a good deal more scared trim he was. ” “ Are tpse bells ringing for fire? ” inquired Jimon of Tiberias. “No, indeed, ’’ answered Tibe, “dey ab got plentlof lire, and de bells are now ringing for water. ” TUt AVIV ES OF GREAT MEN. Fifteen Heniarkable In*lances. Robert Burns married a farm girl with whom he fell in love while they worked together in the plow field. He, too, was irregular in his life, and committed the most serious mistakes in conducting his domestic affairs. Milton married the daughter of a country squire, but lived with her only a short time. He was austere, exacting; a literary recluse; while she was a rosy, romping lass that could not endure the restrait irnpos upon her; so they separated. Sub sequently, however, she returned, and they lived tolerably happy. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were cousins, and about the only ex ample in the long line of English mouarohs wherein the martial vows were sacredly observed and sincere affection existed. Shakespeare loved aud wedded a farmer’s daughter . She proved faithful to her vows, but we could hardly say the same of the great bard himself. Like most of the great poets, he showed too little discrimi nation in bestowing his affections on the other sex. Byron married Miss Millbank to get money to pay his debts. It turn out a bad shift. Benjamin Franklin married the girl who stood in her father’s door and laughed at him as lie wandered through the streets of Philadelphia with a roll of bread under his arm and his pockets filled with dirty clothes. She had occasion to be happy when she found herself the wife of such a good and great man. Washington married a widow with two children. It is enough to say that she was worthy of him, aud that they lived, as married folks should live, in perfect harmony. John Adams married the daugh ter of a Presbyterian clergyman. Her father objected on account of J obi’s being a lawyer; he had a bad opinion of the morals of his profes sion. Thomas Jeffersou married a Mrs, Martha Skelton, a childless widow, but she brought him a large fortune in real eatate. After the ceremony she mounted the horse behind him and they rode home together. It was late in the evening and they found the fire out. But the great statesman hurried about arid rebuilt it, while she seized the broom and soon put things in order. It is needless to say that they were hap py, though Jefferson died a poor man, on account of his extreme lib erality and hospitality. John Howard, the great philan thropist, married his nurse. She was altogether beneath him in social life and intellectual capacity, and besides this she was fifty-two years old, ivhile he was twenty-five.' He would not take “ no” for an answer, and they were married and lived happily to gether until her death, which occurred about two years afterwards. Peter the Great, of Russia, mar riej) a peasant girl. She made an excellent wife and sage empress. Humboldt married a poor girl be cause he loved her. Os course they were happy. It is not generally known that An drew Jackson married a lady whose husband was still living. Site was an uneducated, but amiable woman, and was most devotedly attached to the old warrior and statesman. J ohn C. Calhoun married his cous in, and their children fortunately were neither diseased nor idiotic, but they do not evince the talent of the great “ State Rights” advocate. Edward Lytton Bulwer, the En glish statesman and novelist, married a girl much his inferior in position, and got a shrew for a wife. She is now insane. To Exterminate Hats. Being sadly plagued with rats about my house and farm-buildings, I tried in vain to catch them ; they are too cunning to be trapped, and to lay poison I dare not for fear of killing my dogs, cats and hogs; and to wait for them with a gun was a loss of too much time, though I have dropped three at a shot. At last I purchased two goats, which I kept about my fold, barn and stable, the pigstyes being in the fold. In a short time all; the rats emigrasted they evacuated the place, cleared right out every Jack of them, and I have not seen a single rat about the place for upwareds of three years, but my neighbors who are within eighty, rods have plenty of all sizes an and ages Perhaps it is not generally known that where there are many horses stabled together very liltle sickness pervails if there is a goat about the yard and stables. A friend of mine in lowa was so i«; fested with rats that they were to be seen running about his fold and farm buldings by the half-dozen at a time and playing like rabbits (his farm buildings are extensive). He tried the'goat system, and to his astonish ment entirely cleared his premises. He could not leave a rug or buffalo robe in the stable a single night, without having it cut to pieces by the rats. The smell of the goat is obnox ious to the nostrils of the rats, and the two won’t be friends and compa nions on any account whatever. Farners and liverj’-stable keepers, try the goat. Mr. S. B. Leak, of Griffin, who took the premum at the Columbus Fair, raised bushels of sweet potatoes on one acre of ground. General Frank Blair addressed the people of Meridian, Mississippi, Saturday night, in a speech of two hours. The colored Radicals in Pittsylvania have determined that “the wite trahsh” in their party shall no longer dictate candidates for them!—Lynch qurg Republican. A young lady writing on the sub ject of kissing, says : “I should quite as lief have a good kiss as anew cashmere:” And we would quite as Bel—if not “ liefer” give it to her. POETK Y, THKOTHKK WORLD. U I*»^A’ u,KI , us lite » cloud „ A- 4o not see * 1 et the sweet cLising of’an eye May bring us there to be. Its gentle breezes f au our cheeks Amid our worldly caress Its gentle voice* whisperiovc. And mingle with our prayers. sweet hearts around us throb and beat sweet helping hand* are stirred • ’ And palpitates the veil between ’ with breathings almost heard. And in the hush of re*t they briue ’Tis easy now to see How lovely and how sweet a pass The hour of death may be. To close the eye and close the ear Wrapped in a trance of bli» s . And gently laid iu loving arms, To swoon to that—from this. Scarce knowing if we wake or sleep, Scarce askiug where we are, To feel all evil sink away. All sorrow and all care. Sweet souls around us watch us still, I’ress nearer to our side ; Into our thoughts into our prayers, With gentle helpings glide. ’ Let death between us boas naught, A dried and vanished stream ; Your joy be the reality. Os suffering life the dream. AVHAT DORS IT ME AX ? “ Father, what does it mean to be a drunkard ? Maggie Gray said you was a drunkard, and her father said so J” Had a bomb shell exploded at the leet ot Mr. \V oston lie could not have been more surprised. Ho stood mute, and one might have heard a pin drop, so silenfc were they all. But Katie, nothing daunted, after waiting what she considered a prop er length ot time, repeated the ques tion, and it was answered : “ A man who drinks liquor aud makes a beast of himself.” “ Is that what you do, father ?” “ It’s what I have done some times,” replied the man in a choked voice. “ It’s bad, ain’t it ?” “ Yes, child ; the very worst thing a man can do.” “ And that’s what makes mother cry when there don’t anything hurt her; aud that’s the matter I have to wear such dreadful old shoes ?” Only one word in reply to this “ Yes.” “ Then I shouldn’t think you’d do so auy more", ’cause mother’s good, and I don’t Hkc to wear old shoes a bit! Y"ou won’t be a drunkard any more, will you ?” said Katie ; and she looked up to her father so con fidingly, that he caught her in his arms and hid his face upon her shoulders. “ Say, father,you won’t, will you?” “No darling, I won’t !” ~ And raising his right hand, lie promised never , never to drink another drop of intoxicating liquor ; “ Gold help ing me,” he added reverently. “ Bless you, my darling ; you have saved me !” Then there were tears, and sobs, aud broken ejaculations, all for very joy, while supper was forgotten. It made no difference to Katie whether her shoes were old or new ; but when, a few days after, she became the possessor of some long boots, with red lacings and tassels, she had a better appreciation of the change which had taken place. Since then, she has often received beautiful gifts ; and always she re membered with grateful heart that her father is not a drunkard.— Tem perance Banner. A NOALEL GARDEN. The young King of Bavaria has an immense garden on the roof of his palace at Munich which is said to rival the celebrated hanging gardens of Semiramis. In the center of it is a lake with fishes and swans swim ming in it, and this is surrounded by woods in which there are various an imals and birds, and also rock-work and grottoes. The rocks had to be hollowed out before transporting them to the roof, the better to ena ble the building to bear their weight. There is in the center of the garden a sort of tent or pavillion of great magnificence,'which no one but the King ever enters. The apartments undej" the palace roof were for merly occupied by the ladies of honor but they have beeu converted into stables, because too much time was required to hoist horses to the roof whenever the King wished to ride or drive through this fair}’-like resort. The Dusty Room. A young girl was sweeping a room one day, when she went to the win dow-shade and hastily drew it down. “It makes the room so dusty,” she said, “to have the sunshine coming in!” The atoms of dast which shone golden iu the sunbeams were unseen in the dimmer light. The untaught girl imagined it was the sunshine which made the dust. Now, many persons imagine them selves very good peopele. One poor old man, who had lived all through his life without a thought of love to God, said when he was all ready to die. “He didn’t owe any man a cent.” If the Spirit of God should shine brightly into such a heart, how would it look? It would show them sins enough to crush them! This light of the Spirit is like the sunshine iu the dusty room ,It rev eals what wa3 before hidden. When we begin to feel unhappy about our sins, let us nevea try to put away the feeling. Don't let us put down the curtain, and fancy there is no dust. It is the Holy Spirit’s voice in our hearts. He is showing us our selves, and better still, he will show us the true way of happiness. Speaking of the relative merits of Tom Scott and Grant, the Nashville Union and American says: “per haps better neither than either.” A philosopher who had studied out almost, everything says he is satisfied that the reason why girls are in the habit of pouting out their lips is because they ard always will, ing theirs should meet yours half way. [NEW SERIES, VOL. I-NO. 4 WIT AND HUMOB, A man was once travelling through the State of Illinois, and coming to a ferry, and being out of money-, the following colloquy took place be tween him and the ferryman : Ferryman— I say, M:ster, Imvo you got any money ? Traveller— No, sir. Ferryman—Have you got any at home ? 1 ravellcr—No, sir. l erryman—Can you borrow any ? Traveller—No. I’crrymaa—Do you expect to get any on the oth. r side. Traveller—No, sir. Ferryman—Well, then you had better stay where you are, for it makes'd—d little diliereuce which side you are on. A lawyer eugaged in a case tor mented a witness so much with ques tions that the poor fellow at last cried for water. “ There,” said the Judge, “ I thought you’d pump him dry.” An irrascible old gentleman was ta ken with a lit of sneezing in the cars lately. After sneezing in a most spasmodic way eight or ten times, he | arrested the paroxysm for a moment, and removing his haukerchief he thus i indignantly addressed his nasal or ! gan :“Oh !go on—on ! You’ll blow your infernal brains out pres ently’.” Os the woman question, a lady says, in a communication to the Des- Moines Register : “ You may- look at this matter in whatever light you will, but simmer it down aud it is but a quarrel with the Almighty that we are not all men.” “ George,” asked a teacher of a Sunday school class, “ who above all others shall you first wish to see when you get to heaven ?” With a face brighteuing up with anticipa tion, tho little fellow shouted, “ Ucr liah!” A German friend of ours got “ on his ear” last w-eek, upon the arrival of his second pair of twins,‘and said to his family physician : “Ov you blease, doctor, it ish better dot a sclitop be boot to dcse ding. One bair ov duinns, I dinks, ish aller riot, but more as dot ish blaik owit, don’d it? Dot’s vot’s he mattermit me. You know how it ish myself.” Suwarrow, the great Russian gen eral, even in peace always slept fully armed, boots and all. “ When I was lazy 7,” he said, “ rnd wanted to enjoy a comfortably sleep, I usually- took off one spur.” A Connecticut deacon nearly 7 cap tured five boy-s who had been devas tating his chestnut trees on Sunday afternoon. Shaking his fist after their retreating forms, he angrily shouted ; “ The sneaking little dev ils ! if I had hold of ’em one minute, I’d ” and then suddenly espying his pastor on the scene, he impres sively added, “I’d pray for ’em!” A gentleman, engaged in investi gating the charges of carelessness against the workmen in the Scranton mines, found afterward that, during the investigation he had been given an open keg of powder to sit on, while he held a lighted candle in his hand. A Local Report of tiik Period. —“ Mr. Collins of Hartford, bought a ferocious watch dog. Mr. Collins came home late that night. Ilia wife says that his trousers can’t be mended. The dog’s skin is for sale cheap. Mr. Collins hopes to be able to sit down in a few weeks.” Two reasons why some persons don’t mind their own business : One is, they havn’t any business; and the other, they havn’t any mind. William O. Murphy pines in the Rockdale jail for the offense of hav ing stolen a “ creetur.” Dr. A. W. Lelaud, of Co’umbia, is dead. Business in Yorkvillc is de pressed, and there is but little dispo sition evinced either to dispose of the products of the couhtry or purchase supplies except sufficient for immedi ate use. —Yorkvillc Enquirer. R. D. Shropshire has been after Jas. A. Damour, the present Editor of the Macon Daily Citizen, with a sharp stick. lie makes Rim sign the following note, which we find in the Tel. & Messenger of the 15th inst: Macon, Ga. Nov- 9, 1871. To whom it may concern: —This is to acknowledge that my note to Mr. Jno. R. Griffin, of 9th instant, con tains several deliberate and inten tional falsehoods, in so far as they relate to R. D. Shropshire, and I hereby wholly and unequivocally retract said statement and acknow lege that I lied. Jas. A. Damour. A Warsaw reporter saw a war among the wives and widows of Warsaw, and remarks that of all the wars we ever saw we never saw a war like the war among the wives and widows of Warsaw. A Kentucky conversation—“ He llo, dar, you darkey, what vou axe for dait old blind mule, hey?’'’ “Well, I dunno ; guess I mout take th rtv five dollars.” “Thirty five dollars! I’ll give you five.” “Well, you may have’ im; I won’t stand on thirty dollars—in a mule trade.” An Illinois farmer has told his rat story. He was going out to his corn crib the other morning, he says, when he saw a large rat with head erect, carrying a full-sized ear of corn in his mouth, while at the same time his tail was wrapped around another ear, which he was dragging behind him The new bonnets are a cross be tween a round hat and an inverted coffee cup. [Terms—s<2 A YEAH