Newspaper Page Text
OLD SERIES. VOL. LXXVI.
Chronicle & Sentinel.
HKXnV mooub,
A. It. WBICfHT.
PATRICK WAl.Mll. Associate BtliU.r.
TERMS OF Sl BSCRirriOX.
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WEEKLY.
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WKDNKSDAT SOHMM.. PEBKUABT 12.
Flax Seed and Castor Beans.—We
Lave received, for gratuitous distribution,
from W. H. Pulsifer, Esq., President of
the St. Louis Seed and Oil Company, a
number of pamphlets containing essays on
the cultivation of Fiax Seed and Ua.~tor
Beans. Persons who desire copies will be
supplied on application to this office.
Homicide A correspondent from
Monroe, Georgia, writing on the 31st uit.,
informs us that the quiet of that town
was greatly disturbed on the 27th by an
affray between Egbert B. Whitely and
William R. Wommack, in which the latter
was killed by a pistol shot wound inflicted
by the former. Whitely is now in jail to
await his trial for murder at the next term
of the Superior Court, to be held on the
3d Monday in February.
Mechanic Fire Company. —This grand i
old company, feeling the humiliation put
upon it by having the military Mayor as
President, lias determined to set itself
right before the community, and, accord
ingly, at a regular meeting Monday night, j
passed a resolution, four-fifths of the com
pany concurring, requesting Foster Biod- j
getl to resign, and ordering that his pic
ture, now hanging on the wall, be reversed.
Good for the Mechanic.
Death op T. 11. Aldas. —.A corre
spondent informs us of the death, on the
night of the 2‘Jth inst., in Sparta, of T.
H. Audas, one of the oldest and most
respected citizen-* of Hancock county, in liis
73d year, after an illness of only a few
hours. His disease was congestion of the
brain. The deceased was for over thirty
years in the Clerk’s office of the Courts of
Hancock, lie was universally esteemed
by the people of Hancock as a man of
great integrity and honor, and as a
thorough Christian gentleman.
The New Episcopal Bisiiop of
Georgia. —Rev. W. H. Clarke, Rector of
St. Paul’s Church in this city, made an
official announcement to his congregation,
on Sunday, with the consent of those
wiio.se consent it was necessary to obtain,
that the Rev. J. W. Beckwith, of New
Orleans, hud formally accepted the
Bishopric of Georgia, and, in all probabil
ity, would be consecrated to his new work
on Thursday, 2d April, at St. John's
Church, Savannah, though the arrange
ments are not yet completed. On the first
or second Sunday after he is expected to
visit this city, when the rite of confirma
tion will be performed.
Baptizing. —The colored people are
having another great revival at their
churoti, on the corner of Lincoln and
Walker streets, and on Sunday there were
about thirty baptized by immersion in the
Savannah River. The good work still
goes bravely on. As we passed tlie church
in theafternoon it wascrowded, besides the
yard outside being full, and a sable minis
ter holding forth to them with might and
main. Theeryoftho mourner and tiie
shout of the converted, however, could be
beard above all, and we may look for
another great immersion the coming Sun
day.
lior.iiF.KV,—The light fingered gentry
have been dealing very severely with our
friend C. W. Ilersey’s premises, at the
upper part of Broad street, and his prop
erty, also, during the past week. Some
few nights since they robbed him of seve
ral articles, and on Sunday night last
they gobbled up a fine gobbler, also sto'e
a fine liquor stand, a company prize which j
Mr. Mersey valued very highly, and other
articles. Our people cannot be too watch- J
ful. while the police cannot be too vigilant. J
Something should be done to stop these j
depredations, which are becoming rather !
frequent of late.
“Home, Sweet Home.”--ltev. J. S.
Lamar delivered his lecture, “ Home,
Sweet Home,” before an audience com
posed of the elite of Atlanta, Thursday
night. It was delivered for the benefit of
the Young Men's Library Association.
The Intelligencer speaks of Kev. Mr. La
mar's effort in the highest terms of com
mendation, adding : “Wo pronounce the
second lecture of the course a complete
success, and we were glad to hear the an
nouncement made that the third lecture
would be delivered about the 15th instant,
by the ltev. Father A. J. Ryan, the ‘Poet
Priest of the South.’ ”
The Bal Masque.— That is the new
style of alluding to Masked Balls ; and so
wo say the Bal Masque at the Planters'
Hotel on Monday night last was a splendid
affair. The costumes were all “«» regie, '
"tout au foil, ’ "apropos, ' and, in plain
English, “all right,” "you bet the
music capital, the dancing exhilarating,
the refreshments refreshing, and every
thing satisfactory in the highest degree.
We might say more, but “dancing all night
till broad day light” and theu “going home
with the girls in the morning," does not
fit a reporter to write a very descriptive
article ; and so we shall have to await
until our reporter gets his drowsy eyelids
open again before we can give a succinct
account of this very recherche affair.
The Board of Education.—The newly
organized Board of Education for Rich- 1
r.iond County met in the Grand Jury
Room Monday morning. Present. Judges
Levy and Deas, of the Inferior Court, and
Col. Jno. Milledge.
Messrs. Jos. T. Derry, M. V. Calvin
and J. C. Gordon were appointed a Board
of Examination.
Some thirteen or more teachers were
present, and passed a very satisfactory
examination.
The Board ordered that no persons be
allowed to teach in the Public Schools of
Richmond County unless they be ex
amined and l'ouud competent.
The Board further ordered that no
teacher in said schools be allowed more
than an average daily attendance of sixty
pupils, unless there be a competent assist
ant teacher. And the Board also ordered
that no Public Schools be allowed except
in localities where necessary.
Record of a Radical Leader.— Our
Augusta exchanges of Friday issue a
supplement containing a full list of the
official iniquities of the Military Mayor of
that city, Foster Blodgett. If he did not
at preseut rest under the ban of deliberate,
willful perjury, placed upon him, too, by a
jury of his own selection, we might won
der how one man could find time to so
thoroughly disgrace himselt. Knowing
that, though, the explanation is patent.
Deliberate falsehood ; using his official
position to make men vote contrary to
their convictions of right; turning loose as
a spy and tool for himself and the plun
dering gang who run the Radical machine
in Augusta, a negro thief who had been
sentenced by a court of competent author
ity to the chain gang '. giving free passes
to prostitutes and Radical emissaries over
railroads, and charging the same to the
city ; and denying most solemnly that he
bad ever taken the test oath—these are
specimen bricks from the tower of odium
this trusted and honored representative of
the Radical party in Georgia has built up
for himself. —Macon Journal A Messenger.
Increase of the Major’s Salary.
We learn that the legality of the in
-1 crease of the Mayoris salary is sought to
I be justified on the ground that the act of
the Legislature, passed on the 28th of
February, 1866, authorized the City Coun
cil to increase the fees, and extend the
, Term of all officer* oj the City Govern
ment whenever they shall see proper to do
j so. We have examined that Act, and
j find that no such authority is delegated to
Council. The Act expressly limits their
! action to the cases of those “afficers of
■ the City, elected or to be elccteel by the City
I Council."
The Mayer is not one of those officers
! elected by the City Council, which the
Act of 1860, refers to. He is (or ought
1 to te) elected by the people—Council has
no more right or power to elect a Mayor
than it lias tocicct a Governor or a United
j States Senator.
The Act which the Council relies on for
its justification in increasing the Mayor’s
salary is in the foliowing words:
; Sec. I. ‘ The General Assembly of the
State of Georgia uo enact, that the City
; “Council of Augusta shall have power, at
i “any time, to create, change, alter, and
“equalize the wards in said City, and to
“provide the mode, manner and time of
1 “elections of Mayor and members of' the
“Council thereof, to change or increase
“the salaries and fees of any of the effi
“cers of said city, elected or to be tltcted
i "by mul City t ouncil, at their discretion,
! “and to fix by Ordinances, the terms and
“times of said officers' election.”
This is the whole of the act of 1866, and
it is clear that nothing therein contained
can, by any rule of construction known to
legal tribunals, or recognized by common
sense, be tortured into a grant of power to
increase the salaries of officers not elected
by the City Council.
We learn that one of the officers sent by
General Meade to investigate into this
matter was so profoundly impressed with
tlie legality of tlie aetionof Council in rela
tion to the raising of the Mayor’s salary as
authorized by this law that for his special
accommodation a certified copy of the set
was obtained from Miilcdgeville for him to
exhibit to General Meade. If the latter
officer can find anything in the act which
justifies the action of Council, we shall give
him credit for discovering that which no
other sensible and honest man in the State
could do.
Supplies from llie Vrccdnicn’s Bureau.
We find in the New York Tribune a
statement of the operations of the Freed
men’s Bureau in this State the past year,
from which it appears that the material
succor given in food to the poor of the
State up to the close of the year, ending
September 30th, was as follows:
To Whites
1,258 men.
8,117 women.
8,067 children.
12,432 persons, to
whom were is
sued 103,409
rations, at a
cost of $12,-
141 40.
Total—to 32,516 persons, 435,250 ra
tions, at a cost of $64,711 93.
By authority of act of Congress of
March 30, 1867, the Bureau purchased
85,470 bushels of corn and 36,890 pounds
of bacon, of which were issued:
To Whites.
22,637 aduits.
38,114 children.
To 60,751 persons
—18,361 bushels of
corn; 187,427i ibs.
of bacon.
Total—To 105,738 persons, 35,422 bush
els of corn, and 3,50,517 pounds of bacon.
In addition to the above Government
supplies 37,713 bushels of corn were re
ceived from Northern charitable associa
tions. They were distributed by the Jus
tices of the Superior Court, under the su
pervision of a State agent appointed by
the Governor.
In relation to the operations of the
School Beard "we find the following report,
which shows a marked improvement over
the year 1866 :
1800.
Day Schools 48
Night Schools None
Teachers 63
Pupils 2,755
Sunday Schools 5
S. Sc’l Pupils. 1,400
Vacation Teach
ers None
Vacation Pupils “
The vacation schools being supported en
tirely by freedmen.
We think it quite likely that these fig
ures show a great many more pupils and
teachers than were actually enrolled, yet
upon the whole they exhibit a gratifying
indication of tbe growing thirst for knowl
edge and education on the part of the
negro.
Connecticut Democratic State [Conven
tion.
The Democracy of Connecticut have
taken a bold and manly ground on the sub
ject of negro suffrage. In the recent
State Convention which re-nomiDated
Governor English and a full anti-negro
suffrage State ticket, wo find among the
resolutions of their platform the following,
which has the “ring of true metal:”
Resolved, That we are opposed to forc
ing negro sulTrage on other States, or of
; establishing it in our own. We are op
i posed to the first, because we have no
right to interfere w ith the domestic affairs
of other sovereignties ; wears opposed to
the second, because the introduction ol
this interior element would only lead to
demoralization.
We believe that many thousand honest,
I sincere Republicans, who have been de
ceived by the Radical party, will embrace
tbe opportunity presented by the Con
necticut Democracy in the following ieso
lution, and wiil cordially eo-operate with
them for the preservation of the Constitu
tion and the Union :
Resolved, That in this crisis of the eoun
-1 trv, warn all true patriots bould unite
their votes and ntiueuce, we cordially in
vite all Conservative men to act with us in
upholding the rights of the States and the
integrity of the Republic.
Xegro Candidate for tioverncr in
Louisiana.
The negroes and extreme Radicals' are
not satisfied with the State ticket which
tlie Radical party has put in nomination in
Louisiana. It will be remembered by our
readers that the Radical Convention
nominated a white man for Governor and
a negro for Lieutenant Governor. The
latter declined on the ground that he would
1 not play second fiddle to any white skin.
Recently the extremists have nominated a
negro named Taliaferro for Governor and
the negro Dumas, who refused to run on
the white man’s ticket, lor Lieutenant
Governor. The two rival tickets are now
well in the field and their respective
friends are actively canvassing for them.
A nice commentary upon Congressional
reconstruction.
Xegro Impudence.
In the revolutionary menagerie, in
session in Richmond, an attempt was
made recently to expel some of the re
porters of the press for making in their
reports a distinction between the whites
and blacks by calling the latter "negroes.
The other day a reporter in the Mississippi
menagerie came within three votes oi
being expelled because he failed in his
reports to plaee the prefix Mister to the
name of the uegro members. W hat next ?
1 Returned. —The Maeoa Telegraph, of
Sunday, says its “sensor editor has
returned, in good health and spirits, after
a somewhat lengthy absence in the Federal
Capital and other Northern cities. He
will soon present our readers with his
views on national affairs, and his opinion
of the men and measures of the day, much,
doubtless, to their interest.”
The Modification of “Order So. 49” by
Maj. Gen. Meade.
i lleadq’rs. Third Military District, I
Georgia, Alabama and Florida, 8
Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 2,1868. J
| General Orders, So. 22.
Numerous applications having been
made to the Major General Commanding
relative to the provisions and the execu
tion of General Orders, No. 49, series of
1867, from these Headquarters, and being
-atisfied from reports and representations
| tLat, in some instances. the operations of
the order have proved embarrassing and
of an effect not designed when it was
issued— the intention bating been to pre
vent, by prompt and energetic action, the
use of official patronage to obstruct, hin
der and delay reconstruction under the
acts of Congress—he therefore directs that
the aforesaid order be modified to read as
follows:
I. The giving of all advertisements and
other official publications heretofore or
hereafter to be provided for by State or
Municipal laws or ordinances, by the civil
officers whose duty it is to cause suc.i
publications to be made; is prohibited, to
such newspapers and such onfy, as attempt
to obstruct, in any manner, the civil officers
appointed by the military officers in this
District in tlie discharge of their duties by
threats of violence, of prosecution or other
penalty as soon as the military protection j
is withdrawn for acts performed in their i
official capacity.
11. If in any of the counties in either of}
the States in this District, there be but j
one newspaper published, civii officers, j
whose duty it is to advertise in accordance!
with law, are authorized to advertise in
said paper regardless of the provisions of ;
paragraph 1 of this order. I
111. All officers in this Military Dis- j
trict, whether military or civil, and all j
boards of registration, or other persons in I
the employment, are directed to give
prompt attention to the enforcement of!
this order. Opposition to reconstruction, !
when conducted in a legitimate manner, j
is not to be considered an offence ; but wiil
be so considered when accompanied by
violent and incendiary articles threatening j
the preservation of the peace, or by at- j
tempts to obstruct civil officers, as indi- I
cated in paragraph I of this order,
should any civil officer violate the provis
ions of this order the case will be promptly
reported to these Headquarters.
IV. This order is not to be construed
as affecting advertisements being publish
ed at the date of the order, or prior to its
receipt by the civil officer who is affected j
thereby.
By order of Maj. Gen. Meade.
R. O. Drum,
Assistant Adjutant General.
Official :
The foregoing modification of Order No. ;
49, which was read in the Unconstitutional
Convention of Georgia Monday, we find in
the Atlanta Intelligencer of Tuesday. It
restores to the respectable and influential
papers of Georgia, Florida and Alabama j
the privileges and rights enjoyed until the
advent of “Old Hindquarters.” It is a j
hard, crushing blow to the few subsidized,
scalawag sheets published in the Third
Military District. The pap which has fed
them having been withdrawn, their early
demise may now be looked for. General
Meade will, doubtless, be denounced for
this act of justice, but then he will be sus
tained in his action by ail just and honora
ble men.
To Freedmen.
4,842 men.
6,938 women.
8,294 children.
20,074 persons, to
whom were is
sued 331,841
rations, at a
cost of $52,-
570 73.
This modification of Pope’s order au
thorizes all civil officers of Georgia,
Florida and Alabama to publish “their
legal and official advertisements, in ac
cordance with the laws of the State,
leaving them free to select such newspa
pers as, in their judgment, will best pro
mote the interests of the parties affected
by said legal or official advertisements.
The exception is ‘such newspapers, and
such only, as attempt to obstruct in any
manner the civil officers appointed by the
military qfficci's in this District in the dis
charge of their duties by threats of violence,
of prosecution, or other penalty, as soon as
the military protection is withdrawn, for
acts performed in theit official capacity.’ ”
Our columns are again open for a re
newal of former business relations with our
friends, the Ordinaries, Sheriffs and
Clerk of Courts, in Emanuel, Scriven,
Washington, Jefferson, Burke, Richmond,
Columbia, Lincoln, Elbert, Oglethorpe,
Green, Taliaferro and other county officers
who favored the Chronicle & Sentinel with
their official advertisements prior to the
promulgation of Order No. 49.
To Freedmen.
22,565 adults.
22,422 children.
To 44,987 persons
—17,061 bushels of
corn, 168,089i lbs.
of bacon.
Fire. —About half-past four o’clock
Tuesday afternoon the alarm of fire was
raised and, on proceeding to the spot, wo
found the stable on the corner of Ellis and
Houston streets, enveloped in one mass of j
black smoke, soon culminating in a lurid
glare and quickly reducing the stable and
contents to ashes. Two horses were inside
but were gotten out badly burned ; a pig,
however, was roasted alive with hair, bris
tles und ail on. The stable appeared to be
an old one and of but little value. It was
the property of J. E. McDonnald, and there
can be little doubt that it was set on fire,
beiug remotely situated from house and
kitchen. It was fortunate for the houses
in the neighborhood that it had been and
was still raining, as the fiames rose to a
prodigious height and flakes of fire were
scattered promiscuously around. Our gal
lant firemen were promptly on the spot and
rendered efficient service, but such was the
dryness of the material on tire the stable
was nearly to the ground before they ar
rived.
While this was on fire another alarm was
raised, but it turned out to be a false one.
Shooting Affray. —A negro named
Lindsay Clarke was shot and killed by a lad
named Michael Sullivan, Tuesday after
noon in the bar room at the corner of Jacx
son andTelt'air streets. The following facts
arc from an eye-witness : Lindsay Clarke,
in company with other negroes, entered
the bar room aud iusisted on gambling in
the room. The boy Sullivau informed the
party “they couid not gamble there;”
whereupon Clarke vehemently abused and
cursed the boy Sullivan, who seized a
broom and made toward the negro. Clarke
took the broom from the boy, struck him
with it and again cursed him. Sullivan
ran behind the counter, seized a pistol and
shot Clarke with the result above stated.
The boy Sullivan gave himself up to the
Police, and was conveyed to the Court
House. Sullivan has the reputation of
being a quiet and industrious lad and the
only support of a widowed mother. He
states that he did not intend to kill Clarke,
bnt presented the pistol at him merely to
scare him. but it went off and the bail took
effect in the negro’s heart, killing him as
already stated. Young Sullivan has been
put in Jail to await an investigation of the
case.
1867.
Day Schools 191
Night Schools 41
Teachers 239
Pupils 13,481
I Sunday Schools. 103
i S. So’i Pupilsl2,2lo
Vacation Teach
ers...., 40
Vacation Pu’ilsl ,400
Sale Day. —The following sales took
plaee at the Lower Market House Tues
day morning:
By C . B. Day & Co.—Five horses from
$67 50 to $l5O each. A house and lot on
Ellis street, the McWhorter residence,
si,u7s. Two vacant lots on Broad street,
opposite the Lower Market, 4ij feet front,
running half way through to Ellis street,
$670 and $7lO. A house and lot corner of
Calhoun and Mclntosh streets, 47 j feet 11
inches front, 95 feet 6 inches deep, S7OO.
A vacant lot Fronting 95 feet 6 inches on
Calhoun street, and running back two
thirds of the width 47 feet, and the other
third 78 feet, SSOO. A house and lot, the
lot fronting 95 feet 6 inches on Calhoun
street and running back 78 feet 9 inches,
house double tenement, SI,OOO. A leased
lot, the lease having eight years to run,
fronting 30 feet 4 inches on Mclntosh
street and 151 feet deep, S4OO. An uaex
pired lease and the building on the corner
of Jackson and Telfair streets, the lot
fronting 66 feet 3 inches on Jackson siren
and 154 feet 9 inches on Telfair street,
lease to run until October Ist, 1868, $705.
By P. Doris a- Bro. Twenty-five
horses and mules —the horses at an aver
age of S6O to $l4O a head, and the mules
at an average of $67 to slsl a head. Five
wagons at an average ol about S4O each.
Why are hogs the most intelligent
things living? Because they "nose”
everything.
AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 12, 1868.
Public Meeting In Hancock.
1 At an adjourned meeting of the citizens
1 of Hancock county, held on the 25th
j instant, Col B T Harris (in the absence
j of the Chairman of the last meeting) was
| requested to preside, and F L Little .to
; act as Secretary.
Upon taking the Chair, Col Harris made
a stirring speech, in which he reminded
the people that the times were full of
J peril to the life, liberty and property of
j every man in Georgia. The work of de
stroying the was still pro-
I gressing. An illegal Convention was in
| session in Atlauta, called by a usurped
; authority outside of our State, and it was
| proceeding with its foul work. This work
| ft was the duty of Georgians to bring to
! confusion and naught, and the people had
I been to-day summoned from their homes,
that they might here take council with
each other as to the best course to be
pursued. The people should act together,
they should concentrate their wisdom and
patriotism, that one grand effort might be
made by all for the good of all. He
wanted good government for the white
man and the black man, and that result in
his judgment lay in the overthrow of tlie
present Radical order of things. He
warned the people against the spurious
Belief propo-ed by the Convention, as a
delusion and a humbug, and exhorted
them to organize themseles for the defeat
of the work of the Atlanta Convention.
Honest efforts, uuited work and hope
might save to us Cnu§tilutional Govern
ment, but otherwise ruin was inevitable.
After this speech was concluded the
Committee appointed at the previous
meeting to submit action for to-day, con
sisting of Colonel B. ‘T. Harris, Colonel
T. M. Turner, Judge Jno. T. Berry, Col.-
J. T. Jordan, Solomon J. McMillan, J.
M. Hitchcock, and F. L. Little, being
called upon, reported, through CoioneiJor
dan, the following preamble and resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted by the
meeting, to wit:
Whereas, The Conservative Conven
tion recently held by the people of Georgia
in the city of Macon, embodied its action
in a series of appropriate aud patriotic
resolutions; and whereas, said Convention
was the beginning of anew organization,
destined to perpetuate constitutional lib
erty, aud to rescue the ancient Common
wealth of Georgia from the degradation
and humiliation which dow environ her ;
and, whereas, it is important there should
be auxiliary organizations in the several
counties of the fctate : therefore be it
Resolved, Ist. That this meeting shall
be a permanent organization for this
county under the name and style of the
“Hancock Conservative Club," auxiliary
to the State Conservative Convention.
We recommend to this Club Col. B. T.
Harris for its permanent President.
We recommend Col. A. J. Lane as Ist,
Capt. James J. Lawrence as 2d, and
Judge John Turner as 3d Vice-President.
We recommend the appointment of the
following named gentlemen to form a com
mittee of three from each Militia District
of the county, to aid in carrying out the
objects of this organization, to-wit:
101st District, John Amos, W J Harper
and A J J ones.
102d District, II H Culver, Joseph F
Deas and S H Wiley.
103rd District, J M Williams, J E Hud
son and M F Little.
104th District, J K Bignon, G G Smith
and Dr T J Jones.
106th District, Josiah Carr, Dr J J
Cooper and Ira M Miller.
107th District, J R Hilsman, A C Askew
and G C Copeland.
108th District, A S Mitchell, W J North
ern and George White.
109th District, W II Bonner, H T Mit
chell and Warren Clarke.
111th District, J L Culver, H M Collins
and J T Middlebrooks.
112th District, J L Birdsong, W D
Brantley and D A Jewell.
113th District, B C Culver, James Mc-
Cray and Henry Harris.
li4th District, W TBrinkly, J W Moore
and II W Coleman.
ilCth District, Wm H Bass, F A Butts
and J E Berry, jr.
117th District, F Minor, J C Mitchell
and J C Pearson.
118th District, J T Berry, Green B
Carr and Dr W R Gilmore.
Resolved, 2nd. That the Secretary of this
Club is made Corresponding Secretary to
communicate with similar organizations in
other counties and the Central Executive
Committee, appointed by the Macon Con
vention.
Resolved, 3rd. That we enter our solemn
protest against every act and deed of the
illegal and unconstitutional Convention now
in session in Atlanta.
Resolved, 4th That we deeply sym
pathize with the people of Georgia in their
financial embarrassments, and are anxious
that all relief may be extended them com
patible with the fundamental laws of our
land; but we feel it to boa solemn duty to
warn them against the ultra delusion in
the hope of repudiation held out to them
by the lawless assembly now in Atlanta,
believing it to be a cheat and swindle upon
the credulity of an impoverished people,
and only intended to aid them in the rati
fication of their illegal work.
Resolved , sth. That we deeply sym
pathize with the unfortunate condition of
the colored people of' the South, and are
ever willing to aid them ail in our power
in their moral and intellectual elevation as
a race, and guarantee to them “equality
before the law,” but just emerging as
they are from a condition of slavery, ig
norant and untutored, we deem universal
manhood suffrage now being thrust upon
them a crime against civilization, an out
rage upon humanity, and likely to result
in the ruin of both races.
Resolved, 6 th. That we tender to our
Conservative friends of the North and
West, whoareaidingusto ove’-oine Radical
misrule and tyranny, and endeavoring to
rescue our country from the thraldom of
anarchy, that is the inevitable resultof mad
fanaticism, our sincere thanks and hail
with joy the bow of hope they have recent
ly set in the sky from Maine to California,
and pledge them our cordial co-operation
in the achievement of an end so laudable
among patriots, and vital to the genius of
our free constitutional government.
Resolved, Ith. Thatthequiet, manly and.
patriotic efforts of his Excellency Charles
J. Jenkins, Governor ; Captain John
Jones, Treasurer, and John T. Burns,
Comptroller, to preserve the honor of the
State merits the highest commendation of
l evety true Georgian. We tender to them
! a 'hearty assurance of our satisfaction at
! the faithful manner in which they have
j preserved their own and the houor of their
i State.
Resolved, Bth. That it is.the sense of this j
Club that it behooves all men, who would
restore the State and country to pristine
prosperity and glory and preserve and j
transmit to their posterity the precious
inheritance of constitutional liberty, to lay
aside all lethargy and indifference and ex
ert themselves in this great and good * crk. j
The Club then adjourned, subject to the |
call of the President, after ordering the |
Secretary to furnish the proceedings of the
meeting to the Chronicle & Sentinel, Con
stitutionalist. Macon Journal A Messenger
and Sparta News for publication.
B. T. Harris, Chairman.
F. L. Little, Secretary.
— V-MMp ,
The New Supreme Court Bill.—
Os course it is unwise to go off “at a half
cock,” and that style of gunnery is the
bane of daily newspapering ; for the pen
—like the tongue —is an unruly member,
impulsive and quick, and apt to run be
fore sound judgment. We would, there
fore, await the sober second-thought be
fore condemning too decidedly the latest
Reconstruction act, introduced yesterday
(Thursday 1 into the House, by which the
: powers of the Supreme Court are so radi
-1 tally curtailed. But the first view of that
i movement is enough to startle the country,
for it seems like a cutting up, root and
! branch, and a plunging of the country into
' a revolution merged in doubt and dark
• ness.
I _ From the agreement of all the Repub
lican members cn that Committee save
I one, we infer that the Washington politi
cal atmosphere is much more exhilarating
; than outside that “social evil —as
Steven* calls that city—and hence our
j Congressmen thick nothing of lunching
daily, about 1 o'clock, on anew recon
struction act more highly spiced than its
predecessor. It looks to outsiders as
“high" political diet, and such as country
stomachs cannot stand.— Cleveland herald
[Radical).
A Suggestion, —lf anybody wants to
know how a horse feels on a bitter morn
i ing when a frozen bit is placed in his
i mouth, let them first place a piece of
1 frozen iron upon their own longues.
Having done this, let the or
driver see that the bit is warmed aeiore
. being fixed in position. The horse win
' look, though he cannot say, “thankyou.
j — Phila. Gazette.
I A farmer wrote as follows to a distin
guished scientific agriculturist, to whom
he felt under obligations for introducing a
variety of swiue: —"Respected Sir I
went yesterday to the cattle show, i
found several pigs of your species. There
, was a great variety of hogs, and ! was
i astonished at not seeing you there.
The Struggle for Existence.
There are some facts connected with the
present condition of things, says the
Mobile (Alabama) Tribune, that we must
n ever lose sight of. We must keep them
constantly before us, as the premises on
which to base all the reasoning by means
of which we can hope to blaze our way out
of the Black Forest whither our evil
fortune has led us.
It is the equality before the.law, con
ferred upon the negro at the point of the
bayonet, that has brought into active ex
ercise his hatred of the white race. It
forces him into a struggle for existence
with the white race, and when that comes,
any attempt at conciliation is as vain as
trying to bottle a hurricane or to reverse
the course of Niagara Falls. Instinct
teaches both races of men here, as it
teaches all other races of animals, that
there is no such thing as fcquality. Legis
lation from now till doomsday may pro
claim them equal, but God has made them
unequal.
Piaee a bear and a wolffin the same cage.
Then let a Congress representing the whole
world meet and pass a law that the bear
and the wolf are on terms of equality.
But one of the animals will destroy the
other, or aSsert his superiority over the
other, within less than an hour. And if
no more food is put into the cage than
will suffice for the wants of one of the
animals, the master bru.e will eat it ail.
That is what he does after his superiori
ty is established, and it is to secure to
himself that very’ power of appropriating
all the food, that he fights for superiority.
Equality will net answer his purpose.
Instinct teaches him to pfit his own ex
istence beyond peril, aud there is no in
stinct that impels him to give a thought
to the existence of the other beast.
We see a similar “struggle for exist
ence” going on in the vegetable world.
Look at a field of cotton aud grass.
Who in govtrniug such a field attempts
to keep the two species of vegetation on
terms of equality? There may be
equality for the different stalks of cot
ton, but when it comes to an issue be
tween the cotton and the grasss the very
existence of one must be sacrificed to
that of the other.
There can be no equality between the
white and the black race—political or so
cial. Such equality as may be enforced
temporarily by means of the bayonet wiil
not last. It ouiy brings about ihe “strug
gle for existence,” which must result in
the destruction of one race, or its subordi
nation to the other. Both races know in
stinctively, and are compelled to act upon
it. Neither one can help acting on it any
more than the bear and the wolf, or the
grass and the cotton, and in the cases
above supposed, can help acting.
We are wrong, then, when we say that
such gad-fiies as Griffin, Killhog & Cos. are
arraying one race against another. God so
arrayed them, but the same all-merciful
Being gave man a remedy. He gave the
Caucasian race the brain, the energy, the
endurance, the ambition, the pride, the
selfishness, and the avarice necessary to
maintain its superiority over all other
races. It destroys, or makes subordinate
to itself, all the inferior races. Some, like
the American Indian, choose extermina
tion in preference to subordination. Others,
like the negro, when left to themselves,
seek the shelter of insubordination.
Nations or parties of white men who en
deavor to sink any portion of their own
race to the level of an inferior race are
rebels against God. All white men who
show a willingness to use negro suffrage,
directly or indirectly, through design or
ignorance, are aiders and abettors of rebels
against God. ,
The country known once as the United
States of America, had become the mod
ern land of Sodom. But it wifi be re
deemed by the righteous Lots within its
borders. They are to be found in the
Democratic party of the North, andamong
the white men of the South who stand
fairly, squarely and unequivocally upon
the Democratic platform. The platform
stands at the head of our column.
Congressional Debates—What we do
Want and What We Don’t.
From the Nation (Had).
Mr. Bingham’s last speech on the bill
was very effective, and appears to have
thrown the Washington correspondents
into ecstacies, but it reads exactly like a
college “oration,” and touched nearly
every point except the one on which the
country needs to have light thrown. It
was, as reported in the daily papers at
least, entirely devoted to proving what has
been proved from one thousand to fifteen
hundred times during the past two years,
that the war destroyed the local Govern
ments at the South ; that it is the duty of
the General Government to reconstruct
the local Governments on the basis of’free
dom and equality, and that tlie work of
reconstruction has to be done witli the aid
of the military arm. But' then we ai)
agreed about these things long ago, and
three bilis have been passed already for
the purpose of reconstructing on these
terms, and tlie first one has been in opera
tion for nearly a year, and the work of
reconstruction under them has been, we
are assured, both by the Press aud the
politicians, going on satisfactorily. Gen.
Garfield, to whom Mr. Boutwell yielded
the floor, in this very debate gave the best
possible account of its progress. He ex
pects one State back in the Union in
February, aud says seven ethers are pre
paring to some. What the public wants
to hear about this last bill, therefore, is
some proof of its necessity.. We know all
about “the guilt of the rebellion,” “the
inalienable rights of man,” the opinions
of “that profound thinker, Montesquieu”
on the judiciary, etc., etc. What we want
to know now is. What are the precise
reasons for bringing in this Reconstruction
bill No. 4? Have the others proved fail
ures? Is reconstruction not' going on
under them? What has Mr. Johnson or
General Hancock done to retard recon
struction which this new bill will prevent or
remove? Is not the mere introduction of
it, without strong and palpable cause,
calculated to shake the confidence of the
North in the wisdom of the majority and
the confidence of the South in its sincerity?
What new facts have corne to light about
Mr. Johnson since last July which make
so great and sudden a change as this bill
involves even desirable ? If Mr. Bingham
will answer these questions, which we ask
in perfect honesty and simplicity, we
promise to “crowd round him during the
delivery of his speech,” as the correspond
ents say, “and congratulate him warnrly
at the close.”
Our “So-Called” Representative.
—ln perusing the proceedings of the At
lanta Convention we occasionally see the
name of Mr. C. A. Pince, the gentleman
from Washington County, as participating
in debate. Who is C. H. Prince? is asked
by many people in the county. Ail the
information we can give them is the fol
lowing :
One night in October last, a gentleman
arrived in this place, Carpet Bag in hand,
who registered his name at the hotel as C.
H. Prince, Augusta, Ga. On the follow
ing day he addressed a crowd of colored
; people, announced himself as a candidate
; for Washington County to the Convention,
and left that eyening again.
Now this man, who never lived twenty
four hours in the county, never associated
with its white citizens even for one hour,
foorsooth this man represents the people
of \V ashington County.
This is a beautiful illustration of repre
sentative government, as it now exists in
these Radically cursed Southern States,
I and such as this man, are the men who are
framing a Constitution so? the govern
ment. Can such a government stand ?
Sandersville Georgian, 22 d.
In looking over the list of delegates—
their counties and postoifiees, as publish?
ed in the New Era, we observe that the
said Mr. Prince is put down as from
Washington county., aud his postoffice
Augusta. Augusta was once in Richmond
| county, and we suppose the perils and
changes of reconstruction have not moved
| it. It is fully one hundred miles from
Washington county, by any railroad route
—rather an inconvenient distance for Geor
gians to go for their letters and papers, but
as a Live Yankee can doanything, it may
; be for Mr. Prince only a moderate walk
before breakfast In further noticing the
same list, it appears, that many of the
I delegates are without any postoffices wLat-
I ever, and judging from the conduct and
I intelligence of many we should say they
have no use for any. Perhaps Mr. Prince
1 is one of the “Augusta Ring,” that has
| given the Opinion much trouble i Bul
■ look A Blodgett send Prince to W ashing
ton and Richardson to Baldwin, and so on
with their other animals, that they might
control the menagerie—and thus mono
polize all the best offices of the new State
Government. What are the members of
the Convention about, whose interests are
to be damaged by these Bogus members,
that they don t have them turned out and
put to makmg wooden bams or nutmegs
instead of Constitutions? —Atlanta (Ga.)
Intelligencer, Jan. 31st.
A town in lowa bears the name of Semi
coionvilie. According to pur old spelling
book, the traveller would have to stop
there only “long enough to count two. ”
‘ Tho landlords should petition the Legisla
; ture to make it Periodviile, requiring a
‘ full stop.
General Meade as a Humorist.
, General Meade has been saying and
doing some very funDy things lately. He
j dispatches to Grant that unless Congress
, rescinds the test oath and permits him to
’ select men competent and faithful for the
I civil offices, he cannot execute the Recon
struction Law in this District. That is to
say, without the Honesty and intelligence
of the ex rebels to aid him, his recon
structed State governments will be a farce
and swiuale. He can’t find sufficient in
telligence and decency in the mongrel
Radieal ranks with which to run his ma
chine, yet at the same time, he writes to
Senator Wilson that lie is a Radieal and
desires the success of the measures of Con
gress.
His first act in taking command of this
District was to put in force one of the or
dinances of the Menagerie impairing the
obligation of contracts. He permits no
white man to collect his debts by law, but
permits tbe negroes tocollect their debts and
expels the Georgia Governor and Trea
surer from office for pot paying a swindling
Convention money which did not belong to
it. Members of bogus Conventions, elect
ed by flagrant frauds, must be paid, and
ail of the negroes must be paid, but he
will not permit payments to be made to
the w'nits race without whose intelligence
and honesty he cannot run his machine.
Gen. Meade displays his humor still
further by issuing an order that writs ot
habeas corpus issued by civil authorities
.shall be respected “so far as to produce
the body, but the custody is not to be sur
rendered.” The Louisville Journal, with
its fine appreciation of fun. says that this
order most gfaciously permits the civil au
thorities to see the features, the coat, the
breeches, aud the boots, but the military
must hold oil to the custody of the corpo
ral frame. Whether the civil authorities
are to be required to pay for the exhibi
tion is not stated, but it is hardly to M
supposed that the military are expected to
get up the prescribed show for nothing.—■
Mont. Mail. '
From Atlanta.
Atlanta, January 3, p. m.—General
Meade lias issued an order modifying
General Pope's Order No. 49, as follows:
1. All papers, except such as threaten
appointed officers with violence or luture
prosecution, are to be allowed to receive
advertisements under State or municipal
laws or ordinances.
2. Where there js but one paper in a
county it may receive such advertisements
irrespective of its politics.
3. All military and civil officers, regis
trars and persons in military employ in the
Third Military District are to see this
order enforced.
Opposition to reconstruction, when con
ducted in a legitimate manner, is not to
be considered an offence, the order says.
C. C. Richardson, one of the extreme
Radical delegates in the Convention, was
shot and dangerously wounded to-night by
a Radical politician of tills city.
From Savannah.
Savannah, February 3, p. m.—The
military commission has arrived to in
vestigate tbe charges against the Mayor.
They commenced examining witnesses to
day with closed doors. Nothing is known
outside.
Aid for the South.
New York, February 2. —A grand
mass meeting is proposed for the 22nd of
February to raise funds for Southern edu
cational purposes.
Fire in Galveston.
New Orleans, February 3, p. m.-
There was a destructive fire in Tremont
street, Galveston, last night, supposed to
be incendiary—loss $60,000. P. P. Hen
nesey $25,000; J. K. Moore & Cos.,
$5,000 ; John Lubeck $5,000, but fully
insured ; Prince & Barnum $7,000, insured
for $3,000.
From Texas.
New Orleans, February 3, p. m.—A
revision of the registration lists in Texas
ended on the 31st and General Hancock
has ordered the pubfieation of the revised
lists in county papers and in form of
hand bills to be distributed and posted in
most conspicuous places and the expenses
of printing and distribution to be paid from
the reconstruction fund. It is said Gen
eral Hancock has been petitioned to ex
tend the time for the revision but refused
on the ground that the time provided by
law has expired. Publication will prevent
fraud.
Plain Speech to Mothers.— Professor
Simpson, of Edinburgh, who has had
large Etnd long experience in the medical
treatment of mothers aud children, gave a
public address lately on matters of
hygiene. He spoke most plainly to moth
ers who send their children to the grave by
exposing arms and legs, while other parts
of the body are warmly dressed. Mothers,
he continued, commit child murder, and
tlien wonder how God couid be so unkind
as to take away their dariiugs. They not
only murder their children, but in bis
opinion commit suicide themselves by ex
posing their own necks to tho cold air. It
was a puzzle which lie couid cot under
stand, that women should cut off the top
of their dresses and appear with bare
bosoms, in refined society, while that part
of the dress which should protect the heart
and lungs, and other vital organs, is trail
ing in the mud.
Not to speak of health at the present
moment, wc would remark that tbe exhibi
tion of a semi-nude bust seldom ap
proaches to the classical standard of har
monious proportions of parts and fullness
of outline, and is rareiy suggestive of
beauty and loveliness. The inquisitive ob
server feels himself quite at a loss to know
the precise line of division between the
part wbicli fashion claims for exposure
and the rest which modesty would con
ceal. The boundary is too changeable.
More ought to be left to the imagination
and less to be condemned by good taste.
But if mothers and full-grown daughters
insist ou befog the victims of fashion,
children ought to be exempt from its in
sane and cruel requirements.
The City Government.—A number of
officers, comprising a Commission appoint
ed by General Meade to investigate certain
charges made against the city officials of
Savannah, are expected to arrive in the
city to-day. The charges were made by
members of the Convention ; but the only
names from this section attached to the
paper containing the charges, are those of
Bradley, Seelsy and Booby Clift. The of
fensive acts alleged to have been committed
are most ridiculous in character, and not
entitled to a moment’s consideration, as
wiii be seen when wa are at liberty to make
them public. The matters wiii pyofijbly
j be looked into immediately, and we have
no doubt but that our worthy Mayor and
the other officers oi the city government
will not only be fully sustained, but their
conduct prove to have been so straight
forward and just as to merit the complete
approval of the Military Commander, and
at once destroy the hopes of the officer
hungry Radicals.— Savannah Republican,
' Feb: 1.
A Woman’s Name. —Never make use
of an honest woman’s came in an improper
plape, at an improper time, or in mixed
company. Never make assertions about
her that you think are untrue, allusions
that yon feel she herself would blush to
hear. When you meet with men who do
not scruple to make use of a woman’s
name in a reckless manner, shun tham,
for they are the verv worst members of
the community—men lost to every sense of
honor, every feeling of humanity.— Ex.
Two fast young men just returning after
a riight’searousai, saw thesun rising. One
of them insisted that jt was the sun, the
other that it was the moon. They agreed
to leave it to the first man they met. He
also had been out on a lark. “Excuse me
sir, but my friend and I have made a
little bet whether that’s the stm or moon
rising, and we’ve agreed to lave you de
cide the matter.” “Fact is, gentlemen, I
should be very happy, but, you see, I am
a stranger in the city and been out all
night.”
Chinese Servants.—Bishop Simpson,
in a recent lecture, predicted that in a very
few year*, here in Boston, we would have
Chinese servants in our houses. Pater
fumiiias referred to this at the breakfast
table this morning, when little Minnie,
after a while, came to his chair and whis
pered, “Ob, pa, won’t it be nice? We
shall have a Chinese servant, and she wiil
eat ail the rats, so we won't have to keep
a cat I"
There is an ugly kind of forgiveness in
this world—a kind of hedgehog forgiveness,
shot out like quills. Men take one who
is offended, ana sets him down before the
b ow-pipe of their indignation, and search
him, and burn his fault into him, and
when they have kneaded him sufficiently
with tneir fiery fits, they then forgive
him.
dHE Judiciary was established as the
shie.d ot our Liberties.” Congress is
tearing away the shield, and leaving
liberty open to ihc tread of the usurper
and tyrant .—Hartford (Conn.) Times,
Jan, 27 th.
Thlrtj-Fourtfc Day's Proceedings of the
Georgia Unconstitutional Convention.
REPORTED FOR THE ATLANTA DAILY OPIN
ION.
Satcrday, FJbuary 1, 1868.
Convention met at the regular hour.
Prayer by the Chaplain. Journal read
and approved.
Mr. Martin moved to suspend the rules
to allow the introduction of a report from
the Committee on tbe Loan Resolution.
The motion was sustained, and the select
committee made the followipg report :
The Constitutional Convention of the State
of Georgia presents to the Congress of
the Uni ed States the following consid
erations :
A loan bytheUnited States Government
to the impoverished planters of the South
of a reasonable amouut of Uuited States
currency for agricultural purposes, properly
guarded by mortgages and equitably dis
tributed among the most needy, would be
of incalculable advantage to the whole
country.
Such a loan would restore the produc
tions ot the South and give a market for
the eoods of the North aud the produce of
the West.
It would at once energise the South in
an honorable attempt to compete with
England, our rival in cotton raising, and
return with interest a iuli payment tor all
her zeal in fostering our late troubles, in
order that she might establish her selfish
policy of producing cotton in tho State to
the injury of our cotton States, and there
by take commanding control of what has
been the great source of our commercial
prosperity as a people. Mortgages ou real
estate can be taken of twice the value ol
money loaned.
No man need borrow more than two
thirds of What he can give good assurance
will be the value of his coming crop.
The people of the South need relief. Al
most destroyed by the great conflict just
out, Providence so far has not smiled upon
the Southern planter.
In 1866 there was a short crop, from
drought and other causes. In 1867, plant
ers planted, hoping to realize from 25 to
30 cenfs per pound. By tho decline in
market, cotton planters have failed to
realize the cost of production and arc to
an alarming extent now comparatively
helpless for the coming crop. In pro
portion as the cotton planter is enabled to
plant for a largo amount of cotton will the
freedmen necessarily suffer. The extent of
suffering amoDg the freedmen, unless
Southern planters are fostered by the
Government, will he appalling to the
Christian heart. The “nation’s wards”
cannot be better cared for than by thus
providing for them remunerative labor
upon that staple with the production of
which they are already familiar, and
which yields to them the greatest reward
for that service, which they are best fitted,
by their raising, to perform.
A liberal law by Congress, as indicated,
would do much to stimulate national fra
ternity.
In view of the foregoing, be it there
fore
“ Resolved , That the Congress of the
United States be respectfully petitioned to
appropriate thirty millions of United
States currency, to be loaned under proper
regulations, to aid the developing the agri
cultural interest of needy Southern plant
ers.
Resolved, That copies of the foregoing
preamble and resolution be transmitted to
the President of the Senate and Speaker of
the House of Representatives of the
United States, with the request that they
be laid before those bodies, and that copies
be also transmitted to the Presidents of
the Constitutional Conventions in the
Southern States ; and that we invite the
co-operation of such conventions in this
application to Congress.
The report was taken up and Mr. Mar
tin moved its adoption.
Mr. Goodwin moved the previous ques
tion, which motion was sustained, and the
yeas and nays were ordered on the motion
to adopt the report of the committee,
which resulted—yeas 111, nays 13.
On the motion to indefinitely postpone
the yeas and nays were demanded, and re
sulted yeas, 37: nays, 77.
Mr. Trammell offered tho following as a
substitute for the reports under considera
tion:
Sec. 1. No court in this State shall have
jurisdiction of any contract or agreement
made prior to the first day of June, 1865,
or of any wrong or injury committed prior
to said date, nor shall any ministerial
officer have jurisdiction to enforce any
judgment or execution, rendered upon any
such contract or agreement, or for dam
ages on account of any such wrong or in
jury ; and in case any suit shall be brought
or pending upon any such supposed cause
of action against any inhabitant of this
State, it shall be dismissed by the Court
upon a plea to the jurisdiction filed by the
defendant, and upon proof that the cause
of action originated prior to June 1, 1865.
Provided, That no such pit a shall be sus
tained by the court, if the plaintiff or
plaintiffs shail establish by proof, that pri
or to the commencement of said suit, he
personally, or by attorney, or agent, pro
posed to the defendant or defendants, to
submit the matter in controversy between
them to the decision of arbitrators, chosen
equally by both parties, with an umpire
chosen by the arbitrators, upon principles
of equity, taking into account the losses of
the respective parties by the calamities of
the war (and all other grounds which, in
tbe opinion of the arbitrators, may in good
conscience, bear u P on the merits of the
case), and that the award of the arbitra
tors be made the judgment of the proper
court, which the defendant Or defendants
refused to do within one month after said
proposition. And in case of judgment or 1
execution heretofore rendered, the proper
officer may proceed with the election, upon
proof to the satisfaction of the court that
the plaintiff or plaintiffs have submitted,
and the defendant or defendants have re
jected alike proposition to refer the matter
between them to arbitrament and award as
aforesaid, but not otherwise. And pro
vided further, That no such plea to the
jurisdiction shall be sustained when the
defendant resides beyond the limits of this
State, or is actually moving or about to
remove his person or property beyond
the limits of this State, or auy county
thereof; and provided further, That in
lieu of a judgment now in existence shall
not be lost by said arbitration, but anew
execution shall be issued by the clerk, and
shall proceed after one year from the date
of each award for the collection of the
amount of such award. The right of set
off shall exist as heretofore.
On motion tbe Convention
THIRTY Firm '
JJovftAV, Feb wary 3, 1868.
Thg Convention opened at the usual
hour—Parrott in the Chair.
The journal was read.
A T Akerman asked leave of *W«ncc
for P Martin, on account pjf urgent family
business,
General Order No. 22, forwarded from
General Meade's Headquarters, w*a read
to the Convention.
THE REIJEF QUESTION.
L L Stanford made a long speech on
the proposed measure of relief from which
we make a few extracts :
This vast multitude is divided into two
great classes—Debtor and Creditor—both
being equally interested in the action of
this magnanimovsbody upon the important
question of Relief. The former, regarding
the favorable issue pf this subject, as did
the children of Israel the brazen serpent
which Moses erected in their camp, tbe
f panacea of all their maladies; the [y'.tct,
j as downright robbery by a fend of thieves,
' scalawags and negvw, filching from the
I honest man his just and hard earnings.
1* * ■ * * *
There are those in this mighty assem-
Iblage of applicants for whqm I have sym
pathy, ana to whom lam willing to extend
just and equitable relief, men who are no
repudiationists, but honest, and who are
willing to pay their just debts, but are
{ prevented from so doing on acoount of the
i disastrous results of the war. These men
| need time to recuperate, to build up their
| mine 1 fortunes, and I am willing to give
them all the time that this body can con
i stitutionally give them for this purpose. 1
1 know it is law, both civil and divine, that
the debtor should pay the last farthing
which he justly owes. This the honest
debtor admits; but he tolls you, “I can
not pay now and have bread for my family.
Self-preservation is the first law of nature,
j and if 1 pay you this debt, I perish.”
| Here is an honest showing made by an
| honest man, and justice and mercy both
combined say, “give him time —give him
i time.” lam no repudiationist—l spurn
| the name, and I want it distinctly under
stood, that I will never raise my voice, or
: give my vote, in favor of any measure
{of repudiation. I am unwilling to as
; sist any man, or set of men, to do any
' act which I conceive to be in direct viola
-1 tion of the letter and spirit of the Consti
-1 tution of the United States. And 1 throw
I the gauntlet down and defy any man on
I this floor to piek it up, and discuss with
me the Constitutionality of State repudia
tion. ...
Sir, I make this bold assertion without
! the fear of successful contradiction, that
: there is not a lawyer or judicial officer,
1 from the ih mblest magistrate up to the
NEW SERIES YOL. XXYII. NO. 6.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States, that would hazard his
reputation for a moment by deciding that
State repudiation of individual debts is
constitutional. If there be such an indi
vidual, I would say to him, as 1 did to the
delegate from Chatham, il yon have never
read the Constitution of the United State*,
read it, and you will find this language in
the first article apd tenth section: “No
State shall pass any law impairing the
obligation of contracts.” Now, if you
take position that the framers of that
sacred instrument were a set of fools and
illiterate men, and did not know the force
of language, and, consequently that sectiou
has no binning effect in the State of
Georgia, I will reply to you in the language
of H3sop’s Fables, where the mule ran a
race with the horse. After starting, the
horse distanced the mule so far he
stopped, and, thinking, said: “If I bad
thought who my father was, I would have
never made this race.”
I denounce repudiation as a humbug—
a fly-trap to catch the votes of illiterate
and unlettered men—the sugar-coating
which extreme men wish to interweave
into the fabric of'the Constitution, so that
their friends may swallow it pleasantly;
but I tell you it is like Dead Sea fruits—it
will turn to ashes on your lips. Yea, it is
a hobby for the demagogue to ride into
offico ou. Somebody wants to be Gov
ernor; that ivory chair is exceedingly
alluring to some men of small ability, but
of unbounded aspiration.
Let us not repudiate ; it will be ten-fold
worse than the march of Sherman’s army
through the State of Georgia, leaving one
long lino of sorrow and desolation.
Let us never consent to place this foul
blotch upon the fair escutcheon of our
State, but rather let us maintain her past
integrity, and make her the fairest and
most brilliant star in the constellation of
the States of this Republic. I could never
go home and meet my friends, with my
head up, and especially my wife and chil
dren,if I should be guilty of consenting to
cast my vote for downright robbery. Com
ing posterity shall never say to mo or my
progeny, your father was a repudiationist.
No, gentlemen ; so long as I live my acts
shall accord to me honesty and integrity of
purpose. 1 shall teach it to my boys, and,
like Hamilcar, I will swear them to pre
serve it when this mortal body shall lie
mouldering in the dust.
[One Bryant, who misrepresents Rich
mond county, had someth ng to say on the
question of relief, and offered a long-wind
ed and worded substitute, with which we
don't care to trouble the readers of the
Chronicle W Sentinel. ]
A Alpeoria Bradley (negro) made a
speech in which he knocked the arguments
of ail other speakers on the subject of re
lief into smash. He looked upon the origi
nal owners of the land as superior to the
New York speculator, because when the
Southern man became tbe friend of the
colored man, he stood up bold and firm,
but the Yankee when he came here stooped
his head and looked and sneaked around,
and brought down foreigners to do the
work and to take possession of the soil.
Bryant, Stanford and Akerman received
his most particular attention. lie laughed
them to scorn. He hurled the most gross
abuse and the most violent and flagrant
sarcasm upon them, and by his general
demeanor allowed an utter disrespect lor
the community at large.
"Mr. Bigby said:
The relief we are tendered when reduced
to its analysis means robbery, nothing less.
And what is the difference in point of fact
whether a man is robber upon the highway
by force and intimidation or in a Conven
tion under the guise of legislative sanction ?
Is tlie robbery any the less odious in the
one case than the other.
The truth is I believe I have more re
spect for the highwayman who boldly sal
lies forth and accomplishes his purpose by
a display of arms, than for the man who
seeks by cunning devices, to effect the
same end under a cloak of a doubtful re
spectability. In the one instance there is
the charm of a reckless desperation, while
in the other there is nothing but the mean
and hateful chicanery of a cowardly, moral
depravity.
We have the consolation of knowing,
however, that this hideous monster, repu
diation, can never ho nursed into life while
the’Judiciary remains unfettered and free.
The unbroken current of decisions of the
highest courts in the nation, tho Supreme
Court of the United States, as well as
those of the State Supreme Court are
against this monstrous outrage upon the
rights of the citizen. They have uniform
ly held all legislative acts to be null and
void, as being repugnant to-the Constitution
of the United States, which impair the
obligation of contracts or deprive the
creditor of a remedy for their enforcement.
Gentlemen say, however, that tho time
has come for a grand jubilee, and we must
have it. For one, I desire no jubilee
which is had at the expense < f honor and
the sacrifice of principle. Ido not wish to
be an invited guest to a banquet intended
to celebrate the robbery of widows and
beggary of orphans. I cannot keep step
to the music of the measure that despoils
my neighbor of iiis rights and plunders
him ot his just dues.
I hold my duty in this body to bo the
faithful protection of tho people of the
State in all their rights of person and
property to the best of my ability. Aid I
can readily see that wteo tlie guaranties of
the Constitution to specie:; of property are
broken down the way is paved for its over
throw as to tbe classes of property. I re
gard it as the sheet anchor of our rights,
and I ate for standing by it.
While tlie above speaker was addressing
the Convention an alarm ot fire was beard,
whicli caused considerable excitement, !
and it was found necessary to adjourn !
until the usual hour next day.
THIRTY-SIXTH DAY.
Atlanta, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1868.
Tlie Convention opened with prayer—
Parrott so the Chair.
The journal was read.
The following commuuioation from Gen.
Meade was read:
Headq’rs 3n Military District, )
Dep, Georgia, Alabama and Florida, s
Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 3, 1868. J
Hon. J. R. Parrott, President of Consti
tutional Convention, Atlanta, Ga.:
Sill—A careful survey of the condition
of the State Treasury, and of the probable
j incoming revenue and demands upon the
I State, justify me in reporting to you that
I I shall be able by the 15th of Miuoh pros.,
I to pay to the disbursing vvtfoßt of the Con
vention tho sum pf thirty thousand dol
i lars —one-fiftlf of which will be available
on op the 10th instant. As this sum
i w-tH complete the amount of the requisi
| tion approved by my predecessor arid my
; self, I take this occasion to say that after
carefully examining the financial condition
I of the 6tat*, as left by tlie out-going
Proyisfouai Executive officers, together
with the demands to be met under the
beads of the civil lists and public institu
tions, that I cannot feel myself authorized
to sanction any greater advance from the
State Treasury to the Convention than is
herein indicated, and that I must requost
the co-operation of the Convention in con
forming to this decision.
In coming to this decision, which L based
on providing for the immediate and imper
ative wants of the, Convention from the
i usual sources of**;venue —by the collection
of taxes mid net proceeds of the State
I to,ad, i feel compelled to decline approv
f fog or undertaking any financial scheme
I involving the credit of the State, or au
; ticipating future revenue. ,
Very rei}>eet fully,
Your ot'edieut servant,
Glof.ul G. Meade,
Major General U. S. Army.
the relief question.
Mr. Rigby proceeded at considerable
length to discuss the question, and con
cluded when tho time allotted to each mem
ber had expired.
t'o, ter Blodgett offered the following
amendment to the substitute of R. B. Bul
lock, which was accepted by the latter:
Sec. —. All contracts made and not exe
cuted during the late rebellion, with the
intention aud forthe purpose of aiding and
encouraging said rebellion, or when it was
the purpose and intention of one of the
parties to such contract to aid or encourage
such rebellion, and that fact was known to
tbe other party, whether said contract was
made by any person or corporation with
the State or Confederate States, or by a
corporation with a natural person or
between two or more natural persons, are
hereby declared to have been and to be
illegal, and all bonds, deeds, promissory
notes, bills, or other evidence of debt, made
or executed by the parties to such contract,
or either ol them, in connection with such
1 illegal contract, or as the consideration for,
or in furtherance thereof, are hereby de
clared null and void, and shall be so held
in all courts in this State, when an attempt
shall be made to enforce any such contract,
or give validity to any such obligation or
evidence of debt. And, in all cases when
the defendant or any one interested in the
event of the suit, will make a plea that he
has reason to believe that the obligation or
evidence of indebtedness upon which the
suit is predicated, or some part thereof,
has been given or used for the illegal pur
pose aforesaid, the burden of proof shad
be upon the plaintiff to satisfy the court !
and jury that the bonds, deeds, note, bill, I
or other evidence or evidences of indebted- {
ness upou whieh said suit is brought, is or
are not, nor is any part thereof, founded
upon, or in any way connected with any
such illegal contract, and has not been used
in aid of the rebellion: and the date of
such bond, deed, note, bill, or other evi
dences of indebtedness shall not be evidence
that it has or has Dot, since its date, been
issued, transferred, or used in aid of the
rebellion.
He read from sotno manuscript a speoch,
a sermon, a lecture, or perhaps something
that embraced all three. We can only say
that never have the halls of legislative
bodies in this country re echoed such
thrilling eloquence. He held the entire
audience enchained as by a spell, and it
will be many years before his talistnanic
influence shall cease to be felt by those
who heard him. If it deserved any more
merit we trust the paper to whom the
manuscript was cone gned will help us out.
G W Ashbum supported the measure,
but as we cannot afford, and are not will
ing to give the time and go through the
forms necessary to the giving of anything
like a report of his speech, we forbear.
The public, we trust, will pardon us for
tins omission, but we are sure those who
heard it will not hesitate.
W T Crane spoke at considerable length,
and stated that he did not consider the
question was one for any members to vote
on who owed money themselves, and,
therefore, it was not one for that Conven
tion to deliberate on. He was opposed to
relief, because he did not think it would be
productive of any good to the people.
fl K Mi Cay spoke at some length in
favor of the relief question.
F Biudgetb moved the previous question,
and upon a vote being taken the motiou
was carried.
The call for the previous question having
been sustained, the main question was then
put, when upon a calling of the “yeas”
and “nays” it resulted ayes 56, nays 65.
The previous question was then taken
up, when A T Akerman spoke at some
length.
1 Seeley offered the I'ollowing amend
ment, which he intended to come in as the
seventh exception of the substitute of J E
Bryant:
Provided, That jurisdiction over debts
for the purchase or hire of slaves, or over
debts the credit of whieh was based on
slaves as property, shall not be conferred
in any court in this State.
T P Saffold said he would only trouble
the Convention with one idea. The ma
jority report and all the substitutes re
quired two thirds of each bi anch of the
Legislature to give the courts jurisdiction
of the relations of creditor and debtor.
This was either from the fact that debtors
had more rights than other men, or from
the fact that those who were here seeking
to commit the Convention to this whole
sale payment of debts were afraid to trust
the people Debtors certainly had no
more rights than other men, and in a gov
ernment, based upon the political equality
of all men, he should insist that the ma
jority govern. He was not surprised,
however, at the wish manifested to tie up
and stifle the honest instincts of the masses.
They were not in debt, had never been in
debt, had always paid their honest debts,
and would never admit that bankers, capi
talists and real estate owners of thousands
and thousands of acres, if able, ought not
to be made do the same. If the Conven
tion were to set up any other rule, it
would, in his judgment, be stamped with
indignation by the people.
N L Angicr spoke to the following ef
fect : Certainly those who reported this
bill were influenced by their sympathies (I
will not say interest) more than their good
sense. They had allowed the cry of relief
to blind their sense of justice, and in their
compassion for the debtor they had for
gotten the rights of the creditor.
I have too much respect for them to
impugn inordinate selfish motives. Still
I am unablo to conceive how they could
come to the sweeping conclusion they have.
None of them would contend that they had
a right to take my house and give it to
my colleague without the least compensa
tion. Yet, the provisions they have re
ported here seek to force upon the people
of Georgia a measure equally unjust.
To illustrate : A buys B’s house and lot
before or during the war, and gives his
note with security tor SIO,OOO, 12 months,
and takes title. At the maturity of tho
note A refuses to pay B. B sues him and
obtains judgment. Before levy and sale
the Legislature passes a stay law that en
joins him. At the termination of the stay
B seeks to enforce his claim and make
collection, and is again met with a stay.
Ail the time A is occupying B’s house, or
receiving rent for the same, never having
paid B a eent for it, while B has been com
pelled to fee lawyers and pay eourt ex
penses. I have a ease in point with my
first door neighbor : In 1859, '6O and’6l,
N built a fine brick residence, costing him
in gold currency, including lot, $30,000.
In 63 N soid said mansiou to L for
$12,000, payable in gold at the close of
the war. L retusos to pay by the terms of
the contract. N commences suit. L stays
judgment by ingenious and frivolous pleas.
Six mouths alter the clo.-e of the war, the
property would have sold for $20,000 cash.
The first year after the Dote was due L
receives $6,000 in rent lor the house he
purchased trom A', and upto this time ha3
received uot less than SIO,OOO io cash,
while he has not paid None cent of
principal or interest, and subjected him to
the vexation and expense of prosecution.
By this, the majority report, you tase a
mausion that cost the vendor $30,000 and
give it to the veudue without oue cent com
pensation.
The Bankrupt law gives the debtor tho
privilege of relieving himself from debt,
and have enough left tor a comfortable
living by obeying the Divine injunction,
“in toe sweat of thy lace shaft thou eat
bread.” But the pinch is they are
snuggling to avoid the necessity. They
have so long lived in ease and affluence by
the labor of others, that rather than meet
the stern realities that are forcing them
selves, they prefer privilege legislation to
relieve them of their honest debts. It is
not tbe really poor that are seeking relief,
or that will be benefitted by tbe relief
sought for. From whence comes tbe out
side pressure and influence ? Who have
thronged the hall clamoring for relief?
CerLaiuly not tho poor who are laboring
hard and exercising rigid economy for a
living. They have not the time to leave
home, travel on railroads, an j live at ex
pensive hotels. The greatest and most
just relief ia to roil up our sleeves and go
to work,
F Blodgett offered the following resolution
whieh, after some discussion, was adopted:
Resolved, That debate on the question
of relief he closed till to-morrow at 11
o’clock, a in.
It would be very difficult to give anything
like even a summary of the proceedings at
this period, but we noticed that Blodgett
! was in the ascendant.
The Convention then adjourned to 9i
I o’clock am, next day.
The Negro Biot at Savannah.— Wo
extract the following particulars of the
negro riot at Savannah Tuesday from the
flews & Herald:
Some evil-designing persons organized a
mass meeting of negroes tj be held in
Gbtppewa square yesterday afternoon,
without notifying either the civil or mili
tary powers. They erected a stand, pro
vided the sneakers for the occasion, and
congregated a large crowd of excited ne
groes upon the spot. This state of facts
coming officially to the notice ol the au
thorities, an order was issued by His
Honor the Mayor for the dispersion of
tho crowd, which was promptly executed
by the police force, and the Square cleaned
of the tumultuous assembly. The negroes
then assembled at an African church,
called “Andrew Chapel,” on New street,
and re-organized tlieir meeting. Notice of
this fact being also brought to the at
tention of the authorities, another order
was issued, directing the Chief oi Police
to investigate the tact, and if any unlaw
ful assembly had gathered to adjourn the
same. Accordingly Gen. Anderson, ac
companied by five officers, visited the
place and found a very excited crowd of
negroes aseembled at tho church. He
ordered the adjournment £of the meet
ing and the dispersion of the- crowd, which
almost immediately commenced a furious
attack upon the little squad, which was
continued until reinforements arrived from
theßarracks, then the fight became general;
pistols,*roots and clubs were freely used
until finally the rioters were dispersed, and
some twenty-six arrested and carried to the
Barracks. We are sorry to state that
Lieutenant Bell, of the Policeforoe, receiv
ed a severe flesh wound in the log from a
pistol shot fired by one of the rioters, as
also a wound in the head with a rock; he
however remained at his post until over
come and faint from loss of blood, when he
was carried to his residence and the ball
extracted and his wounds dressed by Dr.
Bulloch.
Lieutenant Howard was knocked sense
less by a blow in the head with a rock, and
which liked to have proved fatal. He was
carried into quarters and his Wuund dress
ed. Sergeant Moran had a severeencouuter
with one ot the ringleaders and w»s slight
ly wounded. We have heard of but one
negro being shot, but as there were at least
forty shots exchanged between the oppos
ing forces, we should not be surprised to
learn of more casualties.
