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tie iMiimmmir
THE EIGHT NAME.
Au exclmuge suggests that the party now
rising to support the conservative views of
President Johnson be know as tlie National
Union Party. We object to such nomenclature.
It is inappropriate, inexpressive, and ill advised.
The issue before the country is not as to either
Nationality or Union—the one has never yet
been brought point blank before the American
people, and the other was sett led ayear since at
Appomattox. So far as National goes in the
general sense it is a word of but loose and in
definitemeaning, and rather serviceable to round
off a period than felt as embodying a practical
reality. And as to the Union, who doubts it;
what man or party essays its contravcrsion; or
•eeks to build a political edifice, at this present
day, upon its open or covert denial ? Charles
Sumner and Andrew Johnson, Stevens and
Seward, Lee and Grant, North and South arc all
upon that one platform now and, for all desig
natory uses, the word would serve the Radicals
as potently as those who seek in a distracted
land the restoration of old Constitutional forms.
Ono term, then, being incommensurate with the
idea necessary to be conveyed, and the other of
such universal acceptance as to admit of no dis
tinctive meaning, we reiterate our objection*to
l lie whole appellation as at once inappropriate
and inexpressive. To a certain extent, too, it
seems ill advised and of doubtful acceptance.
Macaulay declares that when Churchill wrote
with a certain elevation of style it was a sure
indication he was about to commit a baseness,
and, in like manner, the people of these United
States have, for five years hack, had a very la
mentable experience in the way of higli sound
ing phrases. If a Southern city was burned it
was a Union triumph; if a Northern editor
was dungeoned it was a Loyal coupd' etat;
Radical policy was the Government and New
England the People; bloodshed became Federal
glory and debt was figured into National bles
sing. The viler tlie deed the greater the name
under which it was done, till now there arc in
our political vocabulary no few words of origi
nally fair signification that need to lie fallow
some little space ere, to the popular mind, they
can bear anything better than a noxious fruitage.
And among those words we unhesitatingly
class the two going to make up this cognomen
our cotcmporary would bestow. They have
been cruelly and foully abused ; thfcy have fallen
among thieves and the rogues cling to them to
day. They need purification and tlie eve of a
battle is no time for lustral ceremonies. For
this reason, then, and those above given we
cannot but think it better to adopt some other
name for that immense army hastening up from
every part of this whole country to array them
selves in maintenance of that doctrine which de
clares “ Our only safety is in a strict adherence
to , and preservation of the Constitution of our
fathers. It is now unfolded. Tt. must now l>e
read."
And in that declaration the fitting name is
found fit is the Constitution, the Constitution
of our fathers, theguarantee of American free
dom, the Great Republic’s Bill of Rights. The
Constitutional Party is the emendation we
then suggest. The word may be a long one but,
for the promise that it holds, we would not part
with a single letter of its sonorous fulness.
There are no haunting memories about the Con
stitution. It never seceded front the North. It
never conquered the South. It never slew a
man or wrung a tear from woman. There is
not a blood drop on its surface or a sob in the
echo of its name. So long as it reigned supreme
we. were peaceful, were happy, were prosperous,
were great. Foreign nations respected us and
we respected ourselves. A heated debate or an
occasional money crisis wrere the. greatest of
our troubles and not even for these did the wild
est dreamer hold the Constitution to answer.
How we fared when we put it away we know,
but it is now again unfolded and must now again
be read. It is our only safety and for those
who determine/that it shall be read w'e can con
ceive nometter title than the ouo just given.
It is appropriate and expressive. The word fits
the thought and the thought can stir the hearts
'of thousands. It is pleasant, too, to the ear
and sweet unto the soul. Every man who loves
liberty can embrace it, it. matters not where, he
comes from or what his antecedents, whether he
lives in the North or in the South, whether he
stood by the Onion or fought in the ranks of
gray.
OOTTON FRAUDS.
The President, having sent a bombshell into
the Radical camp, it was highly proper for Mr.
HiM'WWitttttffag 1 Cdarg? of Executive
duck-shot . The recent order of the Hon. Sec
retary, enjoining upon his sub-Agents the neces
sity of a sett lement within ten days after the re
ceipt thereof, must have smote them with the
knee-trembling consternation of Belshazzar.—
When Mr. Gakbett Davis, Senator from
Kentucky, charges that frauds hi cotton
to the tune of $100,000,000 have been dis
covered, it will appear that an enormous
grab game lias been played upon the un
reconstructed States. Now, this prodigious
sum of $100,000,000 is the Treasury deficit
nloiie. Mow much lias been gouged out of in
nocent but timid holders of the staple, on pri
vate accounts, we have no full data upon which
to figure. It must hove been a pretty pile; the
Washington correspondent of the New York
World says that ffie Treasury swindle is but a
fraction in comparison with the personal pick
ings. We have had the most flagitious repre
sentations of bribery and corruption brought
to our notice, and have no doubt, but many of
these dishonest officials will have to disgorge,
even as Butlek felt compelled to, not many
moons ago.
Though these robbers have been preying upon
the necessities of onr people, and though the Se
cretary's proclamation may make their stomachs
feel a little miserable, we. can hardly hope to see
them suitably punished, this side of Tophet.
There are too many men sharing in (lie nefarious
plunder, and although chicken hawks like But
ler are occasionally peppered, even in this
world, obscurity will conceal tins peculation of
vulgar crows and tom tits.
But let us go back to the senatorial exposition
of these frauds. It seems that while the pil
ferers were working clandestinely against the
cotton holders, they were being countermined
bv the embezzled parties. A memorial giving
the most damning evidence of roguery, such
sweeping roguery as even Verres never dream
ed of, had been prepared and sent forward to
Washington. It found its way to the Senate,
and permission was given lor a reading. The
Secretary of the Senate had not proceeded very
tar in his task, when a number of Radical Sena
tors objected. Sumner can eject his Black
Vomit during the morning hour without inter
ruption, but here was an attempt to smother a
recital of veracious wrongs ot white men where
no such opposition is developed in the Mun
chausan fictions of Mr. Sumner’s scrap book.—
But still the reading went on, revealing how r an
outraged people “ under fear of death, or in
hope of release, consented to the confiscation of
their property—revealing further how | these
agents sent their avaricious glances abroad not
to see “who was entitled to favor, but who
would pay for it; not who was loyal, but who
had anything to steal.”
We are persuaded that Secretary McCulloch
has been compelled, by the pressure of this
Senatorial exposure, to call in his agents. Some
of these men are undoubtedly upright, but, if
half the talcs be true as affirmed in the Senate
or known to almost every neighborhood, very
few can hope to be enrolled in the army of
saints. Few orders emanating from Washing
ton have caused this long suffering and plun
dered people to rejoice with such universal ju
bilation. W e can almost hear the shout of joy:
it is as vociferous as the “neighing of all Tatter
sails.”
Adieu Messieurs ! some of you are clever
enough, but you arc in pestilent company.
There is a proverb, We believe, hinting at good
riddance to bad rubbish. But “Brutus is an
honorable man” and, of course, we do not refer
to you Brutus, nor to you Cassius—for are you
not all “honorable men ?”
A NEW NAME FOE THE “ NATION. ”
Mr. Anderson, a member of Congress from
Missouri, proposes to change the name of the
country and,to effect this if possible, has serious
ly introduced into the House of Representatives
an amendment to the Constitution. He pro
poses to sponge out United States and call the
new nationality “America.” We do not see how
this baptism would apply, seeing that the whole
boundless continent is not yet ours. As times
go, we are still in Utopia and, if Mr. Anderson
is fatally bent upon a change of name, we suggest
/ this one until the absorption of the entire hem
isphere shall be a fixed fact. Then “ America ”
tvill not only sound enphoncously but convey a
correct idea of the country. In the meantime,
we expect some other political Don Quixote to
issue another amendment to the Constitution
abolishing the sun and moon as (icing offensive
to the petroleum monopoly.
A Washington dispatch says that the Govern
ment Treasury agents have received orders to
commence the sale of cotton seized by the mili
tary authorities as confiscated and abandoned
property.
Odk New Dress.—The Constitutionalist
makes a bow to its friends, this morning, in an
entirely new outfit, procured from the type
foundery of Messrs. Hager & Co., New York.
This dress has been purchased at a large out
lay, but as it is our propose to publish one of
the best papers in Georgia, both in appearance
and in merit, we are determined to leave noth
ing undone conducive to this end. The me
chanical appearance of the paper, as well as the
quality of the type, speak for themselves, and
we do not, therefore, propose to indulge in any
encomiums in reference to either. In the fu
ture, as in the past, it will be our endeavor to
make the Constitutionalist a leading expo
nent of popular sentiment, and a consistent sup
porter of such measures as will conduce most
to the public good.
Our Washington Correspondence.
The War Between the President and Radicals In
creasing—The Stillness before the Storm —The
House the State—Cabinet Changes—Stanton
. Holds on—The President wants to Shake him
off—Gen. Steedman to be his Successor — South
ern Claims—Report on Reconstruction —The
• Tennessee Delegation—Southern Representa
tives,, etc., etc.
Washington, March 2, 1800.
The war between the President and tlie Con
gress continues with increasing bitterness. Tlie
House of Representatives is ominously silent.
It is the stillness that precedes the tornado. In
that House the Radicals are all ■ powerful; the
• House itself is the representative of the popular
will. And in this country the tendency of late
years lias been so much to exalt every thing that
represented numbers, and to decry every tiling
that was merely institutional. Tlie result is that
the House begins to feci like- Louis XIV, that
it is the State. The House is surcharged with
electricity, but it does not stick because it can
not annihilate. If it could launch a thunderbolt
that would destroy utterly it would do so, but
as it cannot, it pauses.
A strong effort is being- made to get rid of
Stanton as Secretary of War. It ftevident from
the tone of the Intelligencer and the Constitu
tional Union , that the President wants to shake
him off, but the Radicals are equally determined
to keep him in office, if possible. It is under
stood that a prominent member of Congvcss has
waited on Mr. Stanton and urged upon him in
the strongest terms not to resign. This prayer
to a man to hold on to office reminds me of the
entreaties courtiers make to kings on the eve of
battles not to expose themselves. It is advice
very apt to be followed, The object of this
advice is to compel the President to dismiss liis
Secretary of War, and then another outcry will
be set up by the Radicals, that the President is
going over to. the opposition. Tlie name of Mr.
Stanton’s successor is already mentioned,though
whether on good authority or not 1 cannot say.
It is said General Steedman, of'Oliio, is thccom-
iug man. He is of the Republican party, but
conservative and entirely in sympathy with the
President, personally as well as politically.
As a little indication of the animus of Con
gress in regard to Southern claimants, I would
call your attention to the action of the House
yesterday on the appropriation bill, in which an
amendment was inserted that no money should
be paid to those who have not taken the test
oath. So that under the amendment nothing
can be paid unless the party interested can take
the oath of non complicity in the rebellion, so
called.
The report of the Joint Committee on Re
construction, looked for daily, is expected to be
an immense ease for the Radicals, as the evi
dence in the card is intended to show that the.
Southern people are utterly disloyal.
it is said that the delegation from Tennessee
will be admitted, provided they can take the
oath, which it is said they can all do, except
one or two.
In refeecncc to the other States South, it is
undeAtood that the recommendation of the
Committee on Reconstruction will be, in effect,
that no [State government can be recognized,
except such government is exclusively tin
emanation of the original Union element in t lie
State, and represented by men who can take
the test oath. This would seem to require that
the work of reconstruction had all to lie gone
over again, from the very beginning. Mr.
Trumbull says, in his speech in Baltimore, “too
much blood and money bad been expended to
permit rebels to take charge of State Legisla
tures" —“we will not receive those who will
make treason honorable, loynlty dishonorable.
This is the fixed and determined policy of Con
gress." ,
Senator Nye, of Nevada, said the President’s
veto bad made Ibe rebels shout, ami lie lind no’
dOttjJkkil C.f nheiftjififcjpqrfy Tfinea "Tive* again?’ ’.
Wherever the President’s veto was read, these
skeleton rebels jump as though they had life;
but they are dead after all. The rebels had
been converted in a mass twice as quick as St.
Paul. They had been converted entirely too
quick. They say they accept the issue—so did
Wirzwhen lie had the rope round his neck.
Mr. Thomas, Representative from Maryland,
said on the same occasion : “No man who had
favored treason should enter the halls of Con
gress with the aid of his vote, and no State
should lie admitted until he was sure its ma
chinery was controlled by loyal men.”
Mr. Senator Wilson, from the Military Com
mittee, yesterday reported a resolution for the
disbandment of the militia of the seceded
States, and to prevent’ their reorganization.—
This is a, very Manning resolution if carried oyt
in its spirit.
The political agitation has paralyzed trade at
the North. Mercantile men are taking in sail
as fast, ns possible, and a general feeling of un
easiness prevails. The price of gold lias been j
kept down by the Government throwing-a large j
amount of gold on tlic market.
Business men think they see breakers ahead, 1
and there is great apprehension of a financial !
crisis before very long.
The Admission of Southern Representatives.
Mr. Lincoln anticipated that oue great diffi
culty in' the way of restoration would lie the
reluctance of the Southern people to send Re
presentatives to Congress after the termination
of the war. .To carry out his plan of restore
tion, President Lincoln contemplated the tic,
eessity in this event of suggesting to Congress
the propriety of passing a law making it com
pulsory on the people ot the South to send Re
presentatives to Congress. During the war
foreign nations were assured Hint the seats
which are now denied waiting for Southern
members. In this connection, the Nashville
Union in reproducing a few extracts, says :
For instance, on the 6th of February, 1863,
Mr. Lincoln authorized the Secretary of State
to make a reply to the French offer of media
tion. and, among other things, to make the fol
lowing important avowal :
“I must luajjllowed to say, also, that Mr.
Drouyn de Lliuys errs hi his description of the
parties to the present conflict. We have here,
in the political sense, no North and South, no
Northern and Southern States. We have an in
surrectionary party, which is located chiefly
upon and adjacent to the shore of the Gulf of
Mexico ; and we have, on the other hand, loyal
people who constituted not only Northern
States, but also Eastern, Middle, Western and
Southern States.
* * * * *
“There is, however, a better conference than
the one whieli Mr. Drouyn de Lhu.vs suggests.
* * The Congress of the United States
furnishes a constitutional quorum for debate
between the alienated parties. Senators and
Representatives from the loyal portion of the
people are there already, freely empowered to
confer ; and seats, also, are vacant, and inviting
Senators and Representatives of this discon
tinued party who may-fie constitutionally sent
there from the States involved in the insurrec
tion. Moreover, t lie conferences which can
thus be held in Congress save this advantage
over any that could be organized upon the plan
of M. Drouyn de Lhuys, namely : that the Con
gress, if it were thought wise, could call a na
tional convention to adopt, its recommenda
tions, and give them all tin; solemnity and bind
ing force of organic law.”
Now this is identically the policy of President
Johnson, and lie is only carrying out the views
laid down by his predecessor, and yet the Radi
cals oppose it, but the people sustain the Presi
dent and his policy will be successful.
Gen. Ci.ecijrnu. —ln publishing the beauti
fnl tribute to the peerless Cleburne, which
was copied into this paper, from the New York
News, and which originally appeared in the
Dublin Nation , the New Orleans True Delta
pays the following compliment to the memory
of this gillant soldier: “He was of that people
whose nationality, crushed at home, asserts it
self in furnishing the rest of the world with
statesmen and warriors. It is meet that the
Irish Harp should mingle its lament with the
notes of woe that go up from the South for our
fallen hero. These lines will awaken every
Southern heart the thrill which used to answer
to his name, when, in the day of deadly conflict,
the heart stood still and the pulses ceased their
beat, until, upon * the wing of the lightning,
came the words—Cleburne and victory. But,
in the breasts of those who knew him and loved
him, who stood by his side in the front of the
battle—they will arouse deeper and stronger
emotions. His generous soul, ins dauntless
mien, his great heart —womanly for tenderness,
and lion-like for courage—rise up before them,
and eyes that had wept dry the fountain oftears,
fill again and again.”
A Washington dispatch says Secretary Stan
ton has ordered the liberation of all enlisted
men, imprisoned in this department for deser
tion.
[Frorn our Milledgevillc Correspondent.]
Pen-and-ink Sketches of Legislators.
HON. GEO. 8. OWENS.
About the center of and to the
right of the aisle, as you enter it, sits in an erect
and dignified posture, (and with his feet always
on the floor !) tlie Hon. George S. Owens, .Sen
ator from the Ist District. He is a citizen, and
1 believe a native of Savannah, and is more
democratic, according to its comprehensive sig
nification, in his appearance, manners and senti
ments than any gentleman whom I have ever
known to have been returned a member from
that city. Ido not know whether this fact should
be ascribed to Mr. Owen’s deserved popularity,
or to the common level witli the rest of man-
kind to which his constituents may have been
reduced, by reason of the reverses of our late
disastrous struggle. At all events,he has not
got the “ swell head.” On the contrary, his
head is quite small, and is covered by a full suit
of light hair considerably besprinkled with gray,
/upon which lie does not seem to bestow much
attention —giving it only a “ lick and a prom
ise.’’ In this respect, it appears that he has de
parted from the habits of his early youth, for
when a student at Oglethorpe University, of
which institution he was an honored gradu
ate, it* is said that he was as assiduous in
tlie culture of the outside as the inside of his
head, the result being a very luxuriant growth
of sweet scented and beautifully curled ringlets.
But not so now. While his hair appears at all
times purposely disbevled, his mind has become
the store-house of extensively diffused and use
ful knowledge which he readily turns to good
account. He has an open and frank coun
tenance, usually lit up by a winning smile, and
the courteous and polished manners of a culti
vated gentleman. He is a lawyer by education,
but of late years his attention lias been directed
to the more independent and agreeable pursuit
of agriculture. A sound discretion w*s exercised
in his appointment to the important position
of Chairman of the Committee on Internal Im
provements. Its duties have been more oner
ous this session on account of the many bills
incorporating Mining, Manufacturing and Agri
cultural Companies. To guard the interest of
the State, on the one hand, against the evils of
a too liberal, and I may add unwise policy
wltich has characterized former legislation, and
on the other hand, to grant such powers and
franchises as would insure the develop
ment- of its resources, presented a problen
of no easy solution. But I an informed
that in every instance tlic recommendations
of the committee have received the sanc
tion and approval of the Senate. The published
report, prepared by Mr. Owens, upon the bill of
the House of Representatives, restricting the j
rates of transportation and travel upon the sev
eral railroads of the State, is universally pro
nounced a very able document, and secured the j
defeat of a measure which would have increased |
rather than diminished the e\ il sought to be
remedied. He commands attention whenever j
he addresses the Senate, but indulges in no
rhetorical display. His style of declamation is
easy and graceful, and his speeches arc distin
guished for condensation of thought, cogency of
reasoning, and clearness of expression. To the.
social circle he is always a welcome visitor. His j
unaffected simplicity of manners, and his warm
and genial disposition, render him a general fa
vorite. His constituents would do well to re
turn him to the Legislature so long as he may
he willing to serve them.
COL. JOHN B. WEEMS, *
the Secretary of the Senate, is a gentleman and
scholar. I never look upon his thoughtful
face, nor listen to the rich melody of his voice,
but to admire him -and wish there were more
like him in the land. He must be. near forty
years of age, is a man of low stature, dignified
carriage and deportment; lias dark chestnut
liair, which is interestingly thin; light hazel
eyes, which are deeply set; heavy and over
hanging brows and a face very striking fi»r it
thoughtful repose and freedom from corroding
care. His conversation is ahaste, his humor
elegant and always to lie enjoyed and appre
ciated by refined companions. There are men
of finer sorial qualities, of more wit and hu
mor, but none more companionable, or whose
absence ytm more sincerely regret when he says
adieu! The conversational tone of his voice is
unlike any I have ever heard, and I think more
naturally musical. A favorite with all, he en
ters no circle without a welcome, and always
eoutrihutes his full share to mutual enjoyment
The ladies, especially, appreciate him in this
regard, and he seems to hold the balance of
power, in the galleries, between Dr. Casey in
tlie Senate and Mr. Snead in the House.
. ate, Colonel Weems deserves and receives the
tribute of praise from every member of that
body. Venerable Senators endorse the fact
that no predecessor has ever surpassed, if they
have equaled the neuraey, the dispatch and the
uniform civility of his official conduct. He is a
guide to all, in pointing out the true parliamen
tary line of legislation, and in keeping them
upon it. In this respect his experience and
skill are, at this session, the more invaluable,
because the Senate is composed almost entirely
of new members. He is himself a close student
of Mr. Jefferson’s manual, and lias, besides, no
small experience, ns he was the Assistant Secre
tary under the lamented Colonel Colquift, in
1856. Colonel Weems is a lawyer by profes
sion. In 1848 he was elected Solicitor General
of the northern circuit, which office he held for
eight years, and such was the energy and as
siduity with which he performed his duties,
that lie was earnestly urged by the grand juries,
and by the members of his profession, to accept
the offiee'for another term. This he declined,and
i began a general practice in the city of Augusta,
j When the conflict of arms began, lie, like most
| of his profession, betook himself to the tented
j field. lie toon rose from a captaincy to the
! command of the Tenth Georgia Regiment. Aflcr
a severe wound at Savage Station, lie was, dur-
ing his disability, placed in charge of the Con
script Bureau of the State of Georgia. The ar
duous and perplexing duties of the position lie
filled with honor to himself and satisfaction to
his superiors. At his own request, lie was re
lieved from this department and again.sought
| his command upon the blood-stained fields of
the Old Dominion. He was a second time
wounded, at the battle of Gettysburg.
K..C01. Weems is a native of Wilkes county, Ga.
He is not a graduate of any college, but attain
ed a thorough education under the teachings ot
the justly celebrated Carlysle Beemnn. He is a
quiet, unostentatious gentleman, worthy of a
better photograph than I can give him, and will
receive an epitaph of many tears when he dies.
An Interesting Trial.
The pleadings in the ease which grown out
of the will of the late Mr. McDouough, were yes
terday brought to.a conclusion by the termina
tion of the argument of Pierre Soule, and there
' remains nothing more to be done but to await
the decision of tho Supreme Court, either re
manding Mr. Fox back to his condition of a poor
man, or making him the happy possessor of
§300,00. That amount of capital might easily,
in this country, give an income of 810,000 a year,
and this, with the other strange filets of this case,
make one in listening to the speeches and in
reading the evidence, almost imagine himself
devouring the history of Mr. Tittlebat Titmouse.
It really appears singular how the griping te- ]
naeity and baneful influence which the Dives and 1
accumulating hoarders of the Midas touch exer- !
cise upon property even after their death, and ;
that they who had no poetry or feeling in their I
nature, are the cause of so many romantic inci
dents and situations, joys and miseries, after
their death.. The line of arguments by the lead- !
ing counsel who brings this suit, was mostly a j
continuation of that of the day before, and eon
sistedto agreat degree in comments upon tin
laws and authorities applying to this ease. He
stated that it had been his aim to go into an ex- j
animation of all the evidence and law which in
any way affected the ease in hand, and begged
indulgence for his altered state of health. lie
had occasion to allude to the sacred trust which
existed between a lawyer and his client, and
cited the instance of a French counsellor who
refused to part with a document with which lie
had been entrusted, nlthough tbe penalty of his
refusal was a fine of 35,000 francs. Great stress
was laid upon the fact that the handwriting in
question had beqp submitted to experts, such
as writing masters, engravers, etc., who pro
nounced the signature ijjr question genuine.
One of the methods irff*fr was to write seven or
eight signatures upon a piece of paper, together
with a skillful counterfeit which ordinary judges
could not detect; this was pronounced a coun
terfeit by the party to whom it was submitted,
and yet the authority who was able to make so
nice a distinction had testified that the codicil
signature was genuine. The argument was clos
ed by quoting from a great civil -law authority,
reminding the judge that his duty is rather to go
by the evidence which is held valid by law than
to be influenced by mere convictions of right
and wrong.
The argument|wae one of Mr. Soule’s best. We
confess, however, as our judgment is not ham
pered by any legal evidence, that strong doubts
remain in our mind as to the genuineness of tho
signature. Where there nre three hundred
thousand dollars dependent in the matter, it
does not appear very difficult to get up a perfect
sac simile or to find the most respectable citi
zens, experts and counsellors, who would be
deceived by it. The only wonder to us is such
suits are not oftener brought, and that the most
incorruptible judges are not oftener deceived.
We hear it whispered that the fees in this ease 1
will be in proportion to the sum involved, and !
that obtained by Mr. Grimes (sixty thousand .
dollars) in one of his eases may possibly no lon- 1
ger rank, by a cipher, as the largest yet here ob- j
tamed.
In whatever way the matter may be decided, *
the wearers of the ermine are, after all, the ablest
judges. _ The ease will long be referred.to as an
interesting one, and we'shall await the decision t
with interest. — N. O. Southern Star. J
The Fenians are preparing for war with Eng
land. . t
The Queen's Speech. —Wc publish this
morning the speech -of Queen Victoria, deliver
ed at the opening of Parliament, on the 6th of
February. Notwithstanding its brevity, it con
tains the whole situation of the British Govern
ment at home and abroad, and suggests the
adoption of such measures as the security and
welfare of the empire and people demand. —
What a commentary upon rcrhpsity of
American State papers. Our pablie men would
do well to take pattern after the messages of
European sovereigns. Unfortunately, however,
the penchant for writing long win|ed didectic
papers is so great that every functionary, and in
fact every intendant and mayor, in the country
feels it incumbent to write up a qik-e or two of
foolscap every year, and then havejt published
in the papers at the expense of tht corporation.
The message of the Qpecn is an (Mainple to l>c
followed. Its brevity but adds tojts perspicui
ty. Speaking of the appearance f thfe Queen,
the reporter of the Times adds: shat she wore
a black—some said a deep purple velvet —robe,
which, whether it were purple or jlaek, looked
intensely black iu the dim light of the chamber,
trimmed with white miniver, anc a white lace
cap ala Marie Stuart,'to the poreaits of which
unfortunate lady she bore in thjk atfire a re
markable similitude. Around herueek she wore
a collar of brilliants,and over. herAreast the blue
ribbon of the Order of the ;Gart»\ Other or
naments she had none, and ldokel in this simple
and highly becoming costume jf every, inch a
Queen,” and far more pictureique ami regal
than if she had worn the royal ifibes that had
become so distasteful to her. j ,
Rupture between the President and Congress.
MORE VETOES TO COME.
The Washington correspondent of the Balti
more Sun, of Saturday, furnish ! the following
interesting items from theCapiilt «- •
The rupture between the Prpident and Con
gress is complete, and, on the mrt of the latter,
much animosity is manifested. What they can
do l'orthe recovery of their lostjwo-thirds pow
er in the Senate is to be seen. The breach may
widen with every veto and ev#y other Execu
tive act, aud a few more of the Jepubliean Sena
torc may pass over to the support of the Presi
dent, at least upon vital questiins. A meeting
of Republican members will tala place, at which
the present alarming crisis willbe considered.
The President will have occasion to veto the
civil rights bill, and the Distrie negro suffrage
bill, within a week. There is p doubt that lie
is quite ready for it. The Sena > might modify
the suffrage bill, but it is not ti tv probable that
either party desires this. The fadicul majority
urge an unqualified act or n< e; and the Con
servatives, acting in confonnl r with the prece
dent of their friends in the Hd sd, would prefer
that the bill should go to the I esident in a form
that will ensure a veto. -
Mr. Sherman endeavored, i the Senate, to
day, to prevent the eonsideral >n of the concur
rent resolution from the Com littec ph Recon
struction, declaring that the e ‘veil States lately
in rebellion shall not be rep esented in either
House until Congress spoil 11 declare that they
are entitled to be representf*. on account of
the present excited state of kc public’ min.d,
and of the Senate itself, after Ac events of yes
terday, aud of the last few dnj-. The House
had passed the resolution the day after t he veto,
and in a state of irritation. (ksidci,- the reto
lntion would amount to notliing. It was noth
ing more than a public declaration of a politi
cal opinion on the part of (jngre-s. It had
not tho form, effect or satn ion of law, and
would not go before the Pr idem for his as
sent. He thought, in fact, tl .t the discussion
1 of the subject here, at thii moment, would
greatly exasperate tlie preset feelings already
too much excited.
But, however, this forbeaauce was' Pot ap
proved by tlie majority, and ae resolution was
taken up by a vote of 26 toil, r which will pro
bably lie the vote by whichWkiU pass the Sen
ate. ' ,v ■
Major General Howard, ciliej of the .Freed
man’s Bureau, has addressetfa tirtilar letter to
the assistant commissioners, inforrnig them by
' authority of the President, that the {resent law
! will continue the existence of tlie bureau at least
! a year from this time. General Howard issues
ibis letter to prevent any sSteaftprelicipiop as to
the effect of the late veto.
To get another free (linen's bill w*ill iret be at
tempted. The existing bureau must empire by
limitation in one year after the end of he war.
It is argued among constitutional lawyers that
j tlie executive alone can determine tlie qit-stion
1 when the war ceased. Congress ran not tq that,
i The judiciary, in several decisions, have titled
tlie doctrine that the Executive is tlie sole judge
; as to the occurrence of an exigency reqqiiiig
force to suppress an insurrection, and, of oijirse,
i lie is to determine tlie time when tlie insffree
tion ceases to exist. The President may,and
| probably will, do Ibis by proclamation. _\i at
i tempt may be made, however, in Congre* to
i extend for one year (lie duration of tlie liu-eau
1 as constitutional under tie present law.
i The mass meeting of citizens of the Dish ic| of
; Columbia vostordny, to sustain the policy of
i the President in his effort to rest ore all'the
i States to their appropriate orbits, wap by. tar the
most important political i/aliing. In point of
i numbers and intelligence, ev4*witnessed here.
The Great Fire It Si#, Loifis.-(Af10
: o’clock last night. n Arc wis d: covered km sting
j of;the -tamer Peytoua,
j lying at the foot of Walnut «trei. The names
i spread with incredible ntpidity-4fte crew, who
were nearly all on hoard, liavijf barely time,
many of them, to escape with Mir lives. Al
most in on instant, the bells of tlu city rang out
the alarm, and as the tiames-sperai and assumed
the proportions of a great .and d astrous con
flagration, a scene of much excite icnt prevail
ed along the Levee, such as has pi bably never
been occasioned by any former cc ifl.igrntion in
our city since 1849. In less thin I alf an hour,
four magnificent steamboats, avaot g Die largest
and finest on the Western waters, were envel
oped together in onebroad sheet a flfme, which
ascending toward the skies, thre# fts glaring
light flir abroad upon the river anl (per the op
posite shore, and w arned spectators, who were
at a distance' of the extent of the’ disaster.—
j While the flames were swiftly ruiinißg along the
I length of the Peytona, and herjerew were seen
w ildly rushing to and fro and leaping from the
guards upon the adjoining’ steamboats, the
crow ds of men and w omen on sljfcre were hast
ening toward the scene of tlx conflagration
from all directions, and. In n she .time a mnlti
l tilde of more than tenithousau people were
; thronging the Levee. 1 The fli hes from the
I Peytona leaping over both i des, soon in-
I volved in one mass of Are the siperb steamers
Luna and Leviathan, lying abo* her, and the
Dictator, lying alongsidt towarj the south. In
the course of three-quarters oi*n hour, all four
were burned to the waters edlf.
The spectacle w as great v enMStced iu its apall
j ing interest, from time to ime,*y the falling of
j the wheels of the hapless sle*ers. It shook
| them from Stent to stern, ami fit a rush of cin
'• ders and burning particles of itoil high in the
i air. Another grandly grim Cut lire was the crash
! of the tall chimneys as the| v>irt over the side,
j splashing up columns of wiim\ . A large lloek
; of w ild geese was observed ving over just at
i the moment the conflagatim ias at its highest.
;In the reflected light thel>ij l-appharedas white
j as burnished silver, and thq lands of eyes were
upturned and watching th c as they passed
j over.
The losses, even eonside !d apart from the
i heavy disasters the commei eofjSt. Louis has
already sustained by the bre fe of the Winter,
are lamentably heavy. Roe Jiy speaking, we
place them at ?550,000—and counting the oar
i goes of the Dictator and I.un i.aucl freight dam
j aged on Die Levee, we, may iirrease the aggre
gate, to 8750,000. — St. Louis TfyiuMiean, Mondny.
Belligerent Rapaoit -Pacific Dis
■ gorgement, —We announe* 1 yesterday the
i termination of the suit of 8m ii et. al. vs. But
| ler, which resulted intbedefe ilant—who failed
. to meet the issue—coming Jot rard, through his
i counsel, and paying, not on t the amount, of
the plaintiffs claim for fifty ft wsand dollars in
; gold, alleged to have been np ropriated by the
- defendant when major genen 1 in the United
States service, commanding it New’ Orleans,
' but also interest thereon. Th i with the costs
! of the suit amounted to one hi idredand eighty
thousand dollars.
While congratulating the Nc r Orleans bank
ers upon the recovery of their j roperty unjustly
spoliated, we cannot but regr ftliat the case
i did not come to trial, since the videnee would
i probably have developed facts < [ great interest
i to the public, and also materia to the ends of
| justice hereafter. The motives i hieh influenced
; the ex-warrior to pay nearly bur times the
; amount of money originally s [propriated by
I him, can only be coujeetured. (Whether it be
j restored vitality of conscience, or excessive
I modesty—always an attribute of heroism—
j which prompted a concealment of the war-like
i deeds ot the gallant chieftain, when subjugating
the rebel women and children of New Orleans,
the interests of Messrs. Smith and Martin have
not suffered thereby. A judicial decision,
would, d however, have established a precedent
of great importance to many whose property
has disappeared iu the greedy jays of omnivo
rous confiscation. Plates and watches
and wardrobes, and such like contraband of
war might prove indigestible, ftiKj the relaxing
influence of the law tie applied for the relief ol
many sufferers.
The appeal of Smith and Marti) to the civil
courts of the land, even though no judicial de
cision has been given in tlieir l*iialf, is not
w-itbont its uses to others. We tail, ns a sign
of re uraing health to the body politic, the fact
that the grasp of the law upon the throat of the
spoiler should alone prove efficacious in restor
ing ill-gotten gains to the rightful proprietor,
without recourse to the usual tedious wrest’
lmg mid tripping in the arena of the judiciary.
We trust that others may lie encouraged by the
example of the Louisiana litigants, and come
forth bold v to assert their rights to property
ot wlitc-lr they hnve been unlawfully disposs
essed. W.i commend to the “Med. Fnc.” of
Harvard as a worthy “professor eonmeopia
ogiir, the late defendant, who should at once
be admitted to an honorary degrrt?; a raraavis ,
tiunc tmpliums. — World.
The Press and tub Veto.-Under the above
heading the Alexandria Journal, (of the 14th)
which brags on its “loyalty,” snvs:
The Washington Chronicle, the Philadelphia
Cress, North American and Inquirer, the Albany
livening Journal, the New York Tribune and
Post, the Chicago Tribune and Rejnilican the
Cincinnati Gazette, the Pittsburg Commercial
the Delaware Slate Journal, the Buffalo Express
the Rochester Democrat , the Portland Press the
New Haven Palladium, the Lancaster Express,
tiie Indianapolis Dazette and Journal, have all
taken a decided stand in opposition to the Presi
dent’s veto message. This list comprises almost
the entire number of leading loyal newspapers
in the North. The indignation of these papers,
and indeed that of the loyal people throughout
the entire land, will be greatly heightened when
they read the disgraceful speech delivered hy the
President ou the 22d instant.
If this is not a “ disloyal utterance,” “an at
tack upon oue of the branches of the Govern
ment,,” we do not know what is.
The Richmond Sentinel has been merged into
the Enquirer.
Early and Sheridan.
LETTER FROM GENERAL EARLY - .
City of Mexico, Feb. 1,1866.
To the Editor of the New York News :
I have just seen the letter of Major General
Sheridan, of the United States Army, to the
New Orleans Crescent, dated the Bth of January,
1866, which was forwarded by a friend, from
Ittvana.
I shall not bandy epithets with General Sher
idan, and nothing but the fact that he is an of
ficer of the United States Army, of high com
mand, indaces me to notice his letter. His sta
tus as a gentleman can be easily determined by
a glance at that letter, when it is recollected
that I am an exile in a foreign land, and that if I
were to set my foot within the limits _ over
which his command extends, 1 would, in all
probability, be immediately arrested and con
signed to a military prison. My experience
with him iu the Valley campaign had already
satisfied me that, as a military commander, he
was a mere preteudor. His statements of my
losses in the Valley are simply preposterous. —
The man who reported that he defeated Hamp
ton’s cavalry, at Trevillian’s depot,’ on the 11th
of June, 1864, and that his fart her progress was
arrested by an infantry force near Gordonsville,
“too strongly entrenched to assault,” when
there was not an infantry soldier iu arms near
er that place than with General Lee’s army, at
Cold Hgrbor—who subsequently reported that
he drove my command through the gaps of the
Blue Ridge, after the battles of Winchester and
Fisher’s Hill—that be captured tortv-eight
pieces of artillery from me at Cedar Creek, and
that pursuit was made to Mount Jackson, is
very capable of making, or having made any
statements to suit bis purpose. He lias n ficti
tious reputation to sustain, and his letter affords
a criterion of the means )>y which it was gained.
My officers know tlie correctness of my state
ments of our strength in the Valley, and it will
be news, indeed, to them to hear that 13,000
prisoners were, captured from my command,
and that I lost, in killed and wounded, oyer
13,831 men, between the 4th of August, 1864,
and the Ist of March, 1865. It will equally
astonish all my artillery and ordnance officers
to learn that 101 pieces of artillery were captured
from me between the 29tli of August, 1864, and
the Ist of January, 1865, especially when it is
recollected that General Sheridan’s telegraphic
reports, made after each capture, claimed only
77 pieces captured during the time specified, to
wit:
At Winchester, the 10th of September, 1864. 5
At Fisher’s Hill, the 23d of September; 1864. 11
At the cavalry fight below Edinburg, the 9th
of October, 1864. 11
At Cedar Creek, the 19th of October, 1864. 4S
At Cedarville, in the cavalry fight between
Powell and MeClausland, Nov. 12,1564. 2
• ___
Aggregate. 77
Os those claimed as raptured at Cedar Creek,
the greater part consisted of guns, which had
been abandoned on the field by his own troops,
while my real loss was twenty-three pieces,
making fifty-two guns captured in the time
specified, if all the other claims were correct.—
The impartial reader will not fail to notice the
number ofguus marked "U. S.” in the list given
bv General Sheridan, and the very few marked
“C. 8.”
His command may liavo captured 1,400 priso
ners at tlie time of the affair at Waynesboro, as,
at that time, there were at Stanton and else
where iu the Valley, a large number of recently
exchanged prisoners, on leave of absence from
General Lee’s army, who could not get trans
portation back, as the few railroad trains wc had
were engaged in removing stores.
If my estimate of General Sheridan’s st rength
was incorrect, he bad the means of giving it
with accuracy from his returns, and, as the offi
cial returns of my command w ere captured fit
Waynesboro by his troops, he. ought to have the
means of ascertaining my strength at each one
of these battles, without resorting to a dubious
certificate from memory by his Provost Marshal
General, or a certificate of his killed and wound,
ed by the Chief Signal Officer of the Middle Di
vision of the Gulf, or the statement of an ord
nance officer made iu such form “as to preclude
its publication” in tlie columns of a newspaper.
Sheridan’s letter has furnished another evi
jlcncc of the propriety of my caution to all fair
minded men of other nations, to withhold their
judgments upon the reports of our enemies,- un
til the truth can he placed before them.
Alas! how sad must lie the fate of my poor
country when such a man can have military
sway over any part of it.
Respectfully,
J. A. Eaki.v.
Circular from the Comptroller .of the.
Currency. * .
The Comptroller of the currency has issued
the following circular, upon a subject of great
public Interest—namely, that of mutilated Na
tional hank notes —in which he very correctly
maintains that banks are bound to redeem all
their notes in legal tenders on presentation, and
that they are not justified in making deductions
for parts of mutilated notes missing; mutilated
notes should, therefore, be redeemed in full or
not at all, and the redemption ol'such should not
be refused unless there is reason to believe that
the mnltilation was made for fraudulent pur
poses ;
Treasury Department, i
Office Comptroller of the Currency, £
Washington, D. C., Feb. 15, 186<5. S
An impression seems to prevail in the imblie
for the redemption of mutilated Treasury and
United States notes are applicable to the redemp
tion of mutilated bank notes. This is a mistake
—although a circular issued to NatiQuai banks
from this office, containing suggestions on this
subject, recognized tlio propriety in some in
stances of redeeming mutilated notes at less than
their face value —the intention was to leave the
matter mainly to the discretion of the officers of
the banks.
In order, however, to make the matter per
fectly clear, and to obviate for the future all
necessity for explanatory letters, I now propose
briefly to state that experience has demonst rated
the inexpediency, if not the illegality, of allow
ing fractional violations of mutilated notes;
besides which, it confuses and complicates our
accounts to such a degree ns to render the plan
impracticable. A bank is bound to redeem its
notes on demand. The fact that a portion, of
one of its promissory notes is torn off, or •miss
ing, does not cancel this obligation, so long as
►there is no reason to believe that the missing
portions of the note can or will be used to de
fraud. Section fifty-eight of the Currency Act
will always justify an inquiry as to the cause or
manner of mutilation. If the explanation is
satisfactory, the note should lie redeemed In
full; but if the inquiry should lead to the belief
that the fraud was intended, the bank would be
justified in refusing to redeem il,. Nothing
would justify a deduction from the face, value
of a note except a fraudulent intent, and evi
dence of a fraudulent intent. would justify any
bank in refusing to redeem the note ; therefore,
the note should be redeemed in full or not at all.
The full face value will he allowed for all muti
lated notes returned to this office when such
value was allowed by the hank which redeemed
them. Tiie officers of the lmnks are the only
competent judges as to the propriety or neces
sity of the ease, and all questions arising upon
mutilated notes presented for redemption are
left to their judgment and discretion.
Freeman Clark.
Comptroller of the Currency.
A Curious Mortuary Memorial.—A Cu
ban lias made a curious memorial tablet to
Washington and Lincoln, and sent it to New
York. It is composed of sea shells. They arc
almost of infinite variety, and of every possible
shade of every imaginable color, from the purest
and pearliest white to the darkest and densest
black, every tinge of blue, red, yellow, orange,
violet, green, purple; all the rainbow dyes, in
fact, and scores of others that were never seen
in any rainbow ever yet invented. Every va
riation of green from the sea, and of blue from
the sky, with all the tints with which the sum
mer clouds are painted, are reproduced in the,
thousand tints and tinges of their dainty shells.
Their structure is ten feet, high, and is a com
pound of the obelisk, the tablet, the shrine, the
urn and the column. Scrolls and spirals, scol
lops and pyramids, fluted, carved, and turned
and twisted, and wrought into every imagina
ble form of grace, elegance and beauty, adorn
it. At about three feet from the base there is a
Grecian temple, supported by five pillars,
which sustain a dome. On the floor of this
temple rests a sarcophagus, on the lid of which
is wrought in curiously colored shells the
American flag, and on the sides are the shields
and other appropriate ornaments. Above this
the structure assumes the form of the obelisk,
and vises to the height above mentioned from
the ground, the whole being surmounted by the,
golden eagle (made of shells), resting upon a
globe. Fine photograph pictures of Washing
ton and Lincoln are. inserted elegantly in shield
shaped receptacles on the sides of its shaft.—
The work is, perhaps, the most curious affair of
the. kind ever exhibited iu America.
A Delegation of Young Ladies visit the
President.— On Friday afternoon a delegation
of young ladies had an interview with the Pre
sident, of which the Baltimore Sun says:
Six of the young ladies were from Memphis,
Tenn., some of them the daughters of personal
friends of the President; six from Georgia, and
tiie remainder from Virginia and Maryland.
Prof. Brooks, on behalf of the young ladies, ad
dressed the President in a neat little speech, as
suring him of their high admiration for his ele
vated statesmanship, and their grateful appre
ciation of his kind and conciliatory feelings to
wards that section of the country from which
they came, in his efforts for the restoration of
tiie Union. The President received the young
ladies most graciously, taking them by the hand
singly. He expressed his gratification at meet
ing them; spoke of the benignant influence of
women in claiming the strife of the hour. He
considered their presence here as a cheering
evidence that it was not impossible to cement
firmly the bonds of the Union. The young
ladies then withdrew, much charmed with the
affability of the President. They returned in
the evening train to Baltimore.
Resolutions of New YorkßankOfficers.
The following resolutions were adopted at a
meeting of the New York association of bank
officers, March 2:
Whereas, Measures are under consideration
in Congress for the consolidation of the public
debt, having also in view, in their ultimate ob
ject, the restoration of the currency to a specie
Resolved, That this association deem all those
deliberations to be timely and appropriate,and de
manded by the best-interest ol tiie country.
Resolved , That we deem it to be an indispen
sable prerequisite of such measures that a sys
tematic plan be adopted for the regular redemp
tion of national bank notes, as recommended
both by the Secretary of the. Treasury and the
Comptroller of Currency.
Resolved, That without such a plan in effect
ive operation, any movement toward the cur
tailment of the legal tender issue will inevitably'
result in the substitution of a currency calcula
ted to protract indefinitely existing financial
difficulties, and to increase the embarrassments,
both of the Government and people.’'
Opening of the British Parliament.
THE QUEEN’S SPEECH.
Queen Victoria opened Parliament in person
on the 6th. The speech was read by the Lord
Chancellor. ~. ... .
My Lords and Gentlemen It is with great
satisfaction that I have recourse to your assist
ance and advice.
I have recently declared my consent to a mar
riage between my daughter Princess Helena and
Princfe Christian, of Schleswig-Holstein Sunder
bourg-Augustcnburg. I trust that this union
may. be prosperous and happy.
The death of my beloved uncle, the King ol
the Belgians, has affected me with profound
grief. I feel great confidence, however, that
the wisdom which he evinced during his reign
will animate his successor, and preserve lor
Belgium her independence and prosperity.
My relations with foreign powers are friendly
and satisfactoy, and I see no cause to fear any
dist urbance of the general peace.
The meeting Os the ileets of France aud Eng
land in the ports of the respective countries has
tended to cement the amity of the two nations,
and to prove to the world their friendly concert
in the promotion of peace.
I have observed with satisfaction that the
United States, after terminating successfully the
severe struggle in which they were so long en
gaged, are wisely repairing the ravages of civil
war. The abolition of slavery is an event call
in"- forth the cordial sympathies and congratu-'
lations of this country, which has always been
foremost in showiflg its abhorrence of an insti
tution repugnant to every feeling of Justice and
humanity. .. .
I have, at the same time, the satisfaction to
inform you that the exertions and perseverance
of my naval squadron have reduced the slave
trade on the west coast of Africa within very
narrow limits.
A correspondence lias taken place between
my Government and that of the .United States
with respect to injuries inflicted on American
eqinmeree by cruisers under the Confederate
flag. Copies of this correspondence will be
laid before you.
Tbe renewal of diplomatic relations with
Brazil lias given me much satisfaction, and I
will acknowledge with pleasure that the good
offices of my ally, tlie King of Portugal, have
contributed essentially to this happy result.
* have to regret the interruption of peace be
tween Spain and, Chili. The good offices of my
Government, in conjunction with those of the
Emperor ol' the French, have been accepted by-
Spain-, and it is my earnest hope that the. causes
of disagreement may be removed in a manner
honorable and satisfactory to both countries.
The negotiations which have been long pend
ing in Japan, and which have been conducted
with great ability by my Minister in this coun
try, in conjunction with my allies in Japan,
have been brought to a conclusion which mer
its my entire approbation. The existing trea
ties have been ratified by the Mikado; it lias
been stipulated that the tariff shall be revised
in a manner favorable to commerce, and that
the indemnity due under the terms of the con
vention of October, 1864, shall tic punctually
discharged.
I have concluded a treaty of commerce with
the Emperor of Austria, which I trust will open
to that empire the blessings of extended com
merce, and be productive of important benefits
to both countries.
The deplorable events which have occurred
in the Island of Jamaica have induced me to
provide at once for an impartial inquiry, and
for the due maintenance of authority during
that inquiry, by appointing a distinguished mili
! tary oflic-er as governor and commander of tlie
forces.
I have given him the assistance of two able
and learned commissions, who will aid him in
examining into the origin, nature and circum
stance of the recent outbreak, and the measures
adopted in the support of its suppression. The
Legislature of Jamaica lias proposed that the
present political constitution of the Island should
be replaced by a new form of government. A
bill upon this subject will be submitted to your
consideration.
Papers on these occurrences will be laid lie
fore you.
Papers on the present state of New Zealand
will be laid before you.
I will have given directions for the return to
this country of the greater portion of our regu
lar forces employed in that country.
I watch with interest the proceedings which
are still iu progress in British North America,
with a view to a closer union among the Pro
vinces, and continue to attach great importance
to that object.
I have observed with great concern the exten
sive prevalence, during the last few months of a
virulent distemper among the cattle in Great
Britain, and it is with deep regret, and with sin
cere sympathy for the sufferers that I have, learn
ed the severe losses which it has caused in many
counties and districts. It is satisfactory to know
that Ireland, and a considerable portion of Scot
land, are as yet tree from litis calamity, and I
trust that by the precautions suggested by ex
perience and by the Divine blessing on the means ;
which are now being employed, its further ex- j
tension may be arrested.
The orders which have been made by the
Lords of my Privy Council by virtue of the
power, vested in them by law, with a view to j
prevent the spreading of this disease will be laid i
before you, and yonr attention will bo called to i
the expediency of an amendment of the law re
latiugton subject so deeply affecting the interest
of my people.
t jENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS : I
have directed that the estimates of the ensuing
year shall be laid before you. They have been
prepared with a v due regard to economy, and are
at the same time consistent witli the maintenance
of efficiency in the public service.
y ,
averse like to authority, property and religion,
and disapproved and condemned alike by all
who are interested in their maintenance, without
distinction Os creed or class, has Unhappily ap
peared in Ireland. The constitutional power of
the ordinary tribunals lias been exerted for its
repression, and the authority of the law lias been
firmly and impartially vindicated.
A bill will be submitted to you, founded on
♦he report of the Royal Commission on the sub
ject of capital punishment, which I have directed
to be laid before you.
Bills will be laid before you fornmending and
consolidating the laws relating to bankruptcy,
and for other improvements in the law.
Measures will also be submitted to you for ex
tending the system of public audit to branches of
receipts and expenditure which it has not hither
to reached, and for amending the provisions of
the law with respect to certain classes of legal
pensions.
Your attention will he called to the subject of
the oatliß taken by members of Parliament, with
a view to avoid unnecessary declarations, and to
remove invidious distinctions between members
of different religious communities|iu matters of
legislation.
I have directed that information should lie
procured in reference to the right of voting in
the election of members to serve in Parliament
for counties, cities and boroughs.
When that information is complete, the atten
tion of Parliament will be called to the result
tints obtained, with a view to such improvements
in the laws which regulate the rights of voting
in the election of members of the House of Com
mons as may tend to strengthen onr free institu
tions and conduce to the public welfare.
In these and in all other deliberations, I fer
vently pray that the blessing of Almighty God
may guide your counsels to the promotion of
the happiness of my people.
Mr. Stanton hits just given another proof of
liis eminent fitness for the place he holds. He
lias shown that he is quick to detect merit, and
that he is equally prompt to reward U. Tie,
therefore, holds out to the soldier every incen
tive to discharge his duty faithfully. A pnra
, graph in one of our exchanges informs us that
; Colonel Burke, of the regular army, has been
breveted Brigadier General for meritorious ser
vice as commandant of Fort Lafayette. We
have no doubt that the word gallant preceded
! the word meritorious in the Secretary’s order,
and that it was, by some accident, omitted by
the printers. This promotion is well deserved,
for General Burke’s deeds certainly deserve re
cognition as much as General Baker’s, as the one
took care of the. citizens who were kidnapped by'
the other. Undgr the enrageons supervision of
General Burke the casemates of the Bastile, over
which he has pi esided for nearly five years, have
been carefully locked at sunset and reopened at
sunrise. Through his bravery the fort has held
out, although so long besieged by sheriff’s offi
cers. With only one company of artillerists he
managed, by his indomitable pluck, to repulse,
on several occasions, the assaults of a man arm
ed with a habeas corpus. The public journals
have hitherto been silent about the meritorious
actions of General Burke, but it was well under
stood throughout the land that they forebore to
mention him because of General Grant’s well
known jealousy of him. But now that his ser
vices have been recognized by the Secretary of
War, the press, we presume, will make his
merits known. —Baltimore Gazette.
A Want of Dignity.
It is strange how some people’s ideas of dig
nity have changed within a short time. The
Amalgamationists declare that Mr. Johnson’s
speech is lacking in dignity, and that, too, after
the four years of low wit and stale buffoonery
which the country lias endured. Mr. Johnson’s
speech was a plaiu, practical talk to the people,
and as such will be responded to. It is very
evident that the way Mr. Johnson has of deal
ing with public questions is just adapted to the
requirements of the impudent and bullying
faction he has to deal with. He has cowed thc£
already. He sent a bombshell into their camp
that perfectly amazed them, and almost froze
them stiff with horror. “Why, the President
was terribly violent,” says one of Sumner’s
lackey letter writers, “and with an excited
crowd around him, who had been yelling all
day that ‘that stable on the hill ought to bfc
cleaned out!’ (meaning the Capitol,) there is no
telling what may happen.”
Ah, ye cowardly, craven conspirators ! Your
knees begin to shake, do they ? Well they
may, for depend upon it, sooner or later your
hypocrisy, your machinations and your treason
will be laid bare to the indignnut gaze ol over J
American. Yon pretend to have been contend
ing for the Union. You know and feel it is a
falsehood, for under the cloak of that pretense
you have been trying to carry out the most gi
gantic revolution that ever befell any country.
And now, when the prospect is before yon tlug
you will be balked In the completion ot this
wicked design, yon dare not roar and rave as it
has been your wont to do, but you put on an
air of injured innocence, and talk ol a want of
dignity because the same epithets are applied
to you, that you have hurled with such unspar
ing profuseuess upon every person who has
differed with you for the past live years. V cry
well. You must grin and bear it. Vou have,
by resisting the re-admission of the Southern
States, placed yourselves in the attitude of dis
uuiouists, and no amount of subterfuge will
blind the eves ol the people to your present poJ
■ition. You are rapidly getting back to your
normal relations in American society. Peach
has stripped the lion’s skin from your carcass,
amt you stand forth the same braying traitors
and disunionists you hate always been, vy u
soon expect to hear Faneuil Hall resound with
your treason as of old. Query—rW ill Massa
chusetts secede ?—Day Book.
The. officer commanding the Department of
Virginia has ordered that a copy of each paper
published in the State be sent to his headquarJ
tors on the day of publication. A very good
way to cheat the pdor printers.
Ajiothe* Speech. _by_ the Presidint—Later
from Mexico— Excitement among the Fe
nians—'The Humored Cabinet Changes.
The following-is the latest .news received by
mail:
VISIT OF A DELEGATION FROM BALTIMORE TO
. PRESIDENT JOHNSON—ADDRESS OF THE PRES
IDENT.
Washington, March I.—To-day the commit
tee appointed at the mass meeting held in Balti
more to endorse the President waited upon
President Johnson, and presented the resolu
tions adopted at that meeting. The committee
was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Cox,
and was composed of the following gentlemen :
Hon. Peter W. Crain, James Cortlan, Jr., A. A.
Chapman, Clinton Levering, and I. Nevitt
Steele. On being admitted the members were
introduced to the President, and Lieutenant
Governor Cox made a short address, in which
he assured the Executive that Maryland is true
to the Union, and would firmly support the
policy of the President.
Judge Crain, alter a few remarks, in which he
spoke of the policy of the President as one
which would be supported by the people, pre
sented the resolutions.
The President said, in reply, that he could
make no speech further than to say that his pol
icy was before the country. It was not the result
of impulse, but the result of a conviction. That
it was the principle upon which the Government
was founded. It was before the country, and
would continue to be. He said this to give as
surance that the Government will be adminis
tered on that policy, and he did not say it men
acingly. It was believed that the safety of this
Government rested upon these principles. He
was not insensible to the compliment paid by
this visit. That man’s heart and mind must in
deed be barren not to he deeply impressed by
such assurances of the people’s support.
This compliment was peculiarly gratifying to
him. He believed the country would be restored
to its former condition of prosperity and har
mony. He entered the contest expressing the
same views he did now, and he stood now as he
did then, hy the Union and the Constitution,
not having swerved a hair’s breadth. The
taunts which had been uttered against him bad
iio effect upon liim. Ilis only work was the re
storation of the country—the thorough recon
ciliation and harmony of the nation. We are,
he added, steadily accomplishing the work.—
We have seen families who were divided
amongst themselves, and had considerable dis
sension among them; but we 6ee them all af
terwards all harmonized, and live in peace and
friendship.
It will be with us. If we can do this it would
be something of which to be proud. It will
come right in the end, notwithstanding. In the
matter extremists of both sections, while pur
suing different means, labored steadily for the
accomplishment of the same end—the destruc
tion of the Union. So far as the dissolution
of the Union is concerned, one is as had as the
other.
When the rebellion is put down and we find
a party for consolidation and concentration, it
is the same spirit as rebellion, and leads to the
same end—the destruction of the government.
| I desire nothing but to effect the reconciliation
: thoroughly. When I can do this, I can exclaim
j with full heart, I have reached the, summit of
my ambition. I have no other ambition. My
| only object is to restore the Union to its full
j and reconciled normal condition. Then my
| work will be done. I thank you, gentlemen,
| for this mark of your countenance and support.
I LATER FROM MEXICO—THE CHOLERA IN THE
WEST INDIES.
. New York, March I.—The steamer Eagle,
from Havana on the 24tli, has arrived. A
French steamer had brought thither Vera Cruz
advices to the 13th. Three thousand Juarists
arc reported to have been defeated in Miehoo
can, many killed and six hundred and sixty cap
tured, and the rest dispersed.
At Pesquira General Pedro Martineze was de
faated in an attack on two squadrons of an Im
perial regiment, on its way to Saltillo. Six hun
dred insurgents had also been defeated iu Sono
ra, with a loss of one hundred and twenty killed
nnd wounded, etc. '
Gaudaloupe statistics to the 21st. show cloven
hundred deaths from cholera. Advices to the
17th say that the pest is decreasing, but has made
its appearance in Dominico. Two American
war steamers were at St. Thomas, and five more
were expected.
The news from Hayti is that President Greff
ard is making an excursion along the coast, in
his new war steamer, stopping at all the ports.
The appearance of the. cholera was feared at
Havana. A sort of cattle disease had appeared
at Sierra Maestra, and large numbers of oxen
have died in about twenty-six hours after being
attacked. The small-pox is increasing at Regia.
| The escaped convict from Tortuga, Florida.
| had been picked up in a small boat at sea by an“
j.to named Jeff Berry and two whites, named
j Adair and Sumron. These names, however, are
i supposed to be false. They were returned to
Key West. Il was reported, at first, that one ol'
j the whites was Spangler, one of the conspirators
' in the assassination of President Lincoln. The
whites, it is said, intended tosell their comrades.
The President's Last Eeception.
On Tuesday evening last the President’s re
ception, in point of numbers, was the most re
markable of any that has taken place in Wash
ington during the season. ,r«.. Herald, of
Wednesday, has the following account of k ,
It was supposed the.climax had been reached
tlie evening preceding Ash Wednesday, when
all the carriages in the city were put in fequisi
to the veto of the Freedmen’s Bureau bill and
the speech from tlie White House on the 22d of
February, seems to have been the signal for a
more general expression of public approval
than ever before. Perhaps no public reception
held at the White House for years has had more
political significance. By 8 o’clock this evening
the rooms of the Presidential Mansion were
nearly filled with people eager to meet the Chief
Magistrate, and by a squeeze of the hand and a
hearty “ God blob you,” assure him of their
uudiiuinishcd confidence and steadfast suppor .
In addition to those crowds which filled the
sidewalks on all the streets and avenues leading
in that direction, carriages were rattling and
dashing through the streets in every direction
in all quarters of the city.
By nine the crowd could not be estimated by
hundreds, nnd by ten no estimate could be made
of the number present except by calculating the
dimensions of the building and the smallest
number of cubic inches a human frame cofild
be compressed into. Even this -would fail of
representing the visitors, for crowds were de
parting as others arrived, and long lines of car
riages stood in front of the main entrance filled
with those who preferred retaining their seats
aqd awaiting the exit of the crowd. Policemen
were distributed throughout the rooms and pas
sageways to maintain a semblance of order, but
were finally compelled to abandon all attempts
at restraining the avalanche of human beings by
which they were overborne, excepting at some
of the principal doorways. The rush for ad
mittance degenerated into a jam, in which the
weak were pushed onward or aside by. the
strong. Once iu the living current there was no
extraction ; delicate ladles were crowded to suf
focation ; several fainted and were extracted
from the crowd with the utmost difficulty, and
elegant dresses innumerable were ruinously
crushed or torn to pieces. Tlie President and
family stood in the Blue Room to receive, and
each visitor was presented by name by Assistant
Marshal Phillips.
The political complexion was closely scanned
by nearly every one, and each seemed t o draw
the conclusions most agreeable to himself.
Among those noticeably present were Secrcta
taries McCulloch, Stanton and Welles, the
family of Attorney General Speed, tlie staff of
General Grant, the heads of nearly all depart
ments and bureaus, Senators and Congressmen
of Radical proclivities well as Conservative,
and a very large admixture of the, rank and file
from civil fife from all sections of the country.
The spontaneous character of the gathering was
unmistakably shown by the comparatively
small number of persons attending in full dress.
There was no veal falling off in the latter, but
the number of those who came in ordinary
walking costume exceeded them ten to one.
After exchanging the usual salutations with the
President the citizens passed on to the East
Room, and either promenaded to the excellent
music discoursed by the Marine Band or con
versed in knots and groups according to their
acquaintance or political inclinations. En
dorsement of the President w r as uttered by all
condemnation by none, individuals were occa
sionally inveighing against his loug suffering
and forbearance with contumacious members of
his Cabinet. Beyond this censure or criticism
was not indulged. As an evidence of hearty
appreciation by the people it was all the Presi
dent could desire, and as an indication of the
popular political pulse it cannot be disregarded.
Cheever Prays for Johnson’s Death.—
The New- York correspondent of the Baltimore
Transcript writes as follows, under date of tlie
26th inst:
Significant words, showing the character of
the congregations assembled, were uttered in
several of our churches yesterday. In Union
Square, at the headquarters of the Radical re
ligious community, Dr. Cheever, who did not
have the courage to denounce the President by
name in his prayer to Almighty God, beseeehed
heaven that “ii'any of our rulers should per
sist in their present career of wickedness, and
should refuse to do unto others as they would
be done by, to take them away.” In his sermon
lie alluded to the speakers who, during the past
week, had addressed New York audiences, and
called them “ liars and hypocrites." lie said if
God was going to permit such men into heaven,
he (Cheever) aid not desire to go there. His
congregation seemed to be quite satisfied with
these incendiary remarks, and think that Cheev
er is the boldest Radical out to-day.
While this miserable agitator was haranguing
a number of fanatics on one side of the town,
the Bishop of Charleston, Rev. Dr. Lynch, ad
dressed an immense congregation at St. Pat
rick’s Cathedral, begging for aid and assistance
to rebuild the Cathedral, the Orphan Asylum
and other Catholic charitable institutions which
had been destroyed by the fire of our guns du
ring the late bombardment. His words breathed
nothing but peace, charity, amity and concord.
The sufferings of Ids flock, ag related by tlie
reverend prelate, moved the greater part of the
congregation to tears, who, at the end of the
sermon, contributed handsomely toward the
object for which the Bishop pleaded so elo
quently.
Run Aim for President.— The Clueugo Tri
bune (Radical) has made the discovery that
Fred. Douglaes is tlie superior of President
Johnson in about everything except in the offi
cial position he occupies. Why not, then, run
him as the Republican candidate for President
In 1868?— Ohio Statesman.
J. M. Hanna, the eccentric local of the Rich
mond Examiner , and B. D. Orsey Ogden, of
Theatrical fame, bod a street fight in Richmond
a lywiluys since, in consequence of a card pub
lished in the Examiner. Several shots wero ex
change but nobody hurt. ,
They have in Louisville a “ Horse Insurance
Company.” The plan of insurance is very
much like that of the life insurance companies.
BY TELEGRAptI.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DEBPlTryw^T^
LATER FROM EUROPE.
New York, March 7.
The steamship City of New York has arrived
with Liverpool dates to the 22d ult.
Cotton had declined l-4d. The sales for four
days were 82,000 bales.
Consols 87 l-2a87 5-8.
United States 5-20’s 69 3-4.
Bank of England rates 7.
Political and general news unimportant
The arrests of Fenians still continues.
FROM MILLEDGEVILLE.
Milledgeville, March 7.
The House passed the- county court bill, with
amendments.
Senator 11. V. Johnson is here. An informal
meeting of Senators requested him to speak.-
lle has uot yet answered.
CONGRESSIONAL.
Washington, March 7.
Senator Sumner made a lengthy speech on
the constitutional amendment now pending.
The House considered the bill for reciprocity
made with the British provinces. No decision.
NEW YORK COTTON AND GOLD MARKET.
New York, March 7.
Cotton steady. Sales 16.000 bales.
Gold 33 1-4.
A Northern Estimate of Confederate Leaders.
M e extract the following from a long review
of the late war in the New York Citizen , a Re
publican paper, edited by Col. Halpine, late of
the United States army :
DAVIS.
Let those loyal gentlemen, disciples of Mr.
Abbott, who worship the character of Bona
parte, make some consistent homage to the
brilliant directory of Jefferson Davis. Both
were men oi destiny, and the personnel of the
survivor is by far the nobler. Os the fallen an
gels, whose dark plumage swept from our
Senate Halls, he made the most courtly adieu
Os all the traitors he was most entirely in earn
est. Os all decision his was the sagest, the
promptest and the most enduring. He, oulv,
of the conspirators, felt that his quarrel with
the Union was irreconcilable, and stood by his
capital till the last, and has never yet advised
submission. Tlis captivity has been belittled by
none ofßonaparto’s querulousness. Blind, and
gray, and wasted, his dominions are narrowed
to a easematd, while the republic be, would
overthrow reaches to the silent oceans.
LIB.
In Robert Loo the same austere Providence,
to purify our republicanism, shattered our faith
in traditional respectability. The, heir of Wash
ington went with the rest of the new chivalry,
. and with ten times the talent of that great Fabiii
us, crushed the armies of our lesser respectabili
ties, till be met in Grant a man without a pedi
gro'e. He was the equal of Wellington in ma
neenvring great bodies of troops upon small in
terior forces. The Duke at Waterloo fought his
whole army upon a mile and a quarter arc; but
Lee, at Cold Harbor, for five days presented a
solid lino of battle wherever we sought him, till
his whole force seemed manoeuvred by the wink
of his eye, and overy salient that we touched was
a corps. While the fortifications of Richmond
stand, his name shall evoke admiration. The
art of war in unacquainted with any defense so
admirable. Splendid as were the triumphs of
his engineering, the victories of his infantry were
his best monuments. But over (lie glory of his
talent fell a shadow as eternal as his memory—
the frown of a resolute Democracy, whose sac
rifice was longer than his art.
STUART.
I stood in the cemetery of Hollywood at the
grave of Stuart—a space without a shaft. He
revolutionized the cavalry tactics of our time,
and was in dash and dissoluteness the Prince
Report of the West. Forrest and ■Stoneinan,
Morgan and Grierson, Mosby and Kilpatrick
were his imitators. He inaugurated the grand
raid which taught Sheridan the nothingness of
distance, and emboldened Sherman to tear (In
continent like a pocket map.
The fervid imagination of the Southern peo
ple„demonstrated in feats of romance, like
Stuart’s made them, during the war, the great
suggestive captains. They built (lie find iron
clad, made (he first of the great ridee, and under
Stonewall Jackson executed the earliest, of the
great, infantry inarches. Rut the colder adapt
ability of the North developed every hint from
the South into a perfect system. The experi
ment of the Merrimac has grown to the Dicta
tor, the Dttnderberg and the Ironsides. The.
engineering assiduity of Beauregard, imitated
by the North, has marked the camps of our
armieq-as if the protecting mountains had fol
lowed'ntfr columns. But it may be doubted
that any division commander has yet arisen to
rival the splendid infantry genius of Jackson,
JACKSON. ,-r .
As Lee was master of manoeuvre, Jaclop
pi dee ill. To eovWmftßJi,' 1 -
tlnuk in 1H62, he did not ' r
whole arinv with a division, and *,£l
lifo ni.iiOt up Hit. '.’ll- ut.mio.di, to
I on the field of Hull Run, was only
r the energy of his attack. He
with the speed of horse, and
three great, commanders back from the OTci 0o-
minion, died before the lustre of its arms had *
diminished in that flush of victory when rebel
lion had assumed, indeed, the proportions of a
nation. He was the most republican of. rebels,
stern and simple as any Roundhead, and this is
why we hold iiis memory greener than that of
his companions whose defection to the Union
was augmented by their treason to popular in
i stitutious.
There wore other personages identified with
this grand historical defense, but these are tlie
great statures—Davis, Lee, Jackson, Stuart,
Beauregard.
' The Southern Catholics —The Right Rev.
. Dr. Lynch, Bishop of the Diocese Charleston, is
j a prelate who is well known throughout the
f entire country. Recently returned from Rome,
he visited his home at Charleston and saw the
desolation which the Southern rebellion left in
I its track. On Sunday last he preached a ser
. mon in New York and told a crowded congre
\ gation how sadly he felt wiiefl he viewed the
wreck of much that the Cat holics held dear in
. Charleston. The Cathedral was a mass of ruins,
j His own residence was destroyed. The Semi
! nary, (he Orphan Asylum, thfc Convent of the
, Sisters of Mercy, nil were crumbling ruins.
All the Bishop and his predecessors that had
. labored for and built up, were proud of during
, yehrS of service, had been swept away by the
| rebellion. The natural course of the Bishop,
perhaps, would have been to abandon liis work
I in despair, or to speak ill-terms of the Northern
I army who besieged Charleston, or of the South
ern troops who burned it upon their evacua
I tion. He indulged, however, in no such feel-
I ings. The great ruin had been effected and be
. was sorry for it, but it was a kindred devasta
tion with that which swept over thousands of
square miles of Southern country. The Bishop
had advised his (lock at home, as he would ad
vise all, both North and South, to forget the
desolations as they would forget the war. Now
that the war is over, lie said, all remains of hos
■ tile feeling should disappear. All shonld be,
as Alexander Stephens nobly told the Georgiu
Legislature, forbearance and charity. To for
give and forget was the proper policy of both
North and South. —Philadelphia Ledger.
The Public Debt. —The following is a state
ment of the public debt on the Ist of March,
1866.
Debt bearing coin interest, 81,177,867,291 80.
Debt bearing currency iuterest, $1,185,428,-
980 50. Matured debt not presented for pay
ment, 8985,979 64.
Debt, bearing no interest, four hundred
sixty-three million five huudred efghty-six
thousand seven hundred seven dollars und fifty
two cents.
Total debt, two thousand eight hundred and
twenty-seven millions eight huudred sixty eight
thousand nine hundred fifty-nine dollars and
forty-six cents.
The amount in the Treasury, in coin and cur
rency, one huudred sixteen millions and eighteen
thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine dollars.
The amount, of debt, less cash in the Treasury,
is 82,711,850,000 22.
The foregoing is a correct statement of the
public debt as appears from the books of the
Treasurer’s returns in the department on the
Ist of March, 1866.
(Signed) Hugh McCulloch,
Soc’y of Treasury.
Steak Dishes, Chafing Dishes,
Soup Tureens, Tea Urns, Coffee
Pots, Tea Pots and other Planished
or Block Tin Goods, for sale at re
duced rates, by
Wm. SHEPH ERD & CO.,
255 Broad st.
Augusta, (ia., March, 1866. mh2— tlm
Cooking Stoves, of the most
approved kinds, varying in price
from twenty to one hundred dol
lays, sold under guarantees to
operate perfectly, by
Wm. SHEPHERD & CO.
255 Broad st.
Augusta, Gb., March, 1866. rnh‘2—tlm
House Furnishing Goods, of
every description, at rates much
reduced, for sale by
Wm. SHEPHERD & CO.,
255 Broad st.
Augusta, Oa., March, 1806. mh2—tlm
Tin Ware, of all kinds, at
Wholesale and Retail, for sale
by •
Wm. SHEPHERD & CO.,
. 255 Broad sfc. )rf
Augusta, Ga., March, 1866. mh2—tlno,
Cedar Buckets, Wash Tubs, Keel
ers, Measures, Clothes
Baskets, ‘Plough and
other Wooden Wares, for pale at re -
duced rates, by v-"' r
* Wm. SHEJHERD r <fc CO.
• ■, 255 Broad st.
Avgiutfh ts *•) Narek, mM—tl»