Weekly chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1877, December 17, 1873, Image 2

Weekly chronicle & sentinel., December 17, 1873, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextfAronicic anb Sfntiml. *WDNEBDAY. .DECEMBER 17, 1873. SPEAKKI! BUIKX. The little reputation for honesty which Mr. Speaker Blaine gained by having nothing to do with Credit, Mobilier and by his vote against the salary steal has been sacrificed by the selection of his committees. He has endorsed both of the iniquitous measures of the last session by putting the men implicated with them at the head of the most im portant committees. Credit Mobilier scoundrels and advocates and receivers of the bock pay are given their old posi tions and treated with all the considera tion which should be given men of blameless character. Mr. Blaine has shown a disregard for public opinion which is positively indecent, and when he prates of liis honesty again he can be easily answered by a reference to the Committees of Congress. A man who is so friendly to the Credit Mobilier ring cannot be very honest himself. WHY THE MEETINGS SHOULD BE HELD ON THE FIRST TUESDAY IN JANUARY. We are glad to notice the endorse ment given by the Constitutionalist to our suggestion that meetings be held liy the people for the purpose of taking action upon the Convention question. We are glad to have such an ally. We arc also glad to notice that a number of other journals have en dorsed this suggeßtion, and have ap proved the day mentioned by us, to-wit: the first Tuesday in January. The rea sons for the selection of this particular day are sufficiently obvious to most peo- The first TnSiit&y in'ftfe'Wbhtli is legal sale day throughout Georgia, and is the day which the people select for visiting the Court House. At this busy season of the year the farmers cannot often find time to leave their plantations, and many would be unable to attend a meeting unless held upon the first Tues day. The country people are as much, or more, interested in the question ns the residents of the towns or cities, and they should be given an opportunity to give expression to their wishes. GEORGIA CONOREHBMKN. The nine representatives from Georgia do not seem to have taken a very high stand in Congress, judging from the character of the committees upon which they have been appointed to serve. Gen eral Young does not appear to have been honored with a seat upon any com mittee (we take the list from the Atlanta Constitution). General Cook figures upon the Militia. Hon. It. H. Whitelt will have charge of Manufactures and Public Expenditures. Hon. J. H. Buoiint will assist Mr. Whitbly in the Committee on Manufactures. Hon. Mr. Freeman will be busily engaged during the session attending to Private Laud Claims. Hon. Morgan Rawls will bear a portion of tho tremendous responsi bility which burdens the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. Hon. Henry It. Harris will have an "eye to the En rolled Bills and to Mines and Mining. Hon. James 2. Belt, serves upon the Coinage Weights and Measures Com mittee. Hon. Alexander H. Stephens will attend to the Revision of the Laws. How is it that in this list we see noth ing of the Smithsonian Institute, of Public Buildings aud Grounds, of the Library? If it shall appear that Geor gia lias been discriminated against in the selection of these three last named committees, it is to be hoped that Mr. Speaker Blaine will be held to a strict account for tho indignity offered the Em pire State of the South. THE CONTENTION. It will bo seen from the letter publish ed in the Chronicle and Sentinel yester day that the sturdy patriot, Col. Alexan der 0. Walker, who for so many years represented tho people of Richmond county and of the Eighteenth District in the Legislature of Georgia, strongly favors the calling of a Convention. He ; gives his views with a frankness and boldness characteristic of the man; and he presents his reasons for favoring the movement with a force and vigor equally as characteristic. There are thousands in Georgia who, like Col. Walker, re gard the Constitution under which we are now living as “a foul etnauation from semi-savage negroes and Yankee thieves," i and who are determined to have a Con vention which will represent the people of Georgia. Col. Walker is right, too, when he says that in a Convention alone can the people find a bulwark against extravagance, robbery and corruption. A constitutional command or inhibition will stand uutil tlio people desire n change. The work of tho Convention will bo passed upon by the people—will become tho act of the people. Legisla tures have been corrupted, and they can be corrupted again. Witness the opera tions of the lobby in tho dark days of l SUH, 18»i9 and 1870, when dishonesty held high carnival, and spoliation was the order of the day. The Legislature of 1871 72 disowned a mass of fraudu lent indebtedness imposed upon the State by Bollock and Comcast. At the first session of the present Legislature strong efforts were made to have these bonds recognized, and if report be true the advocates of the bond ring did not confine themselves to argument alone. It is true they failed last Winter, but thev will renew the attack year after year, until they succeed in purchasing a majority. What will prevent the tax payers of the State from shouldering eight or ten millious of dollars of frau dulent indebtedness? Nothing but a clause in the Constitution which shallfor ever prohibit the recognition of these spu rious obligations. There are many, too, who are anxious that the jurisdiction of the Supremo Court should be materially abridged—as the present system works a great deal of vexatious delay and an noyance and not nufrequently actual loss to the suitor. Col. Walker well an swers those who complain ot the “great expense” of a Convention. He was a member of the Convention which met in 1805. The members of that body sat three weeks aud received four dollars per day for their services. JEFFERSON DAVIS. It is gratifying to not© that nearly i nine years after the termination of the struggle between the North and South, the Federal House of Representatives has consented to remove the disabilities imposed upon a certain class of South ern men, vis : Those who held positions in the military, naval, judicial, diplo matic or legislative branches of the Government and resigned them to take part in a movement which defeat has stamped with the name of “rebellion.' We say that though all armed hostility to the Government ceased nine years ago. and there was nothing to prevent an earlier restoration of their rights to the Southern people, except the policy of hate adopted by the dominant politi cal party, still snch an act as the one passed on Monday is gratifying because it :.eems an indication that there is about to be a turning in what has been a very long, long lane. Even a tardy act of grace is acceptable. Better late than never. We have little doubt that “general amnesty” for the whites is to be coupled with “civil rights" for the blacks, and that in return for the pard.tm of one or two hundred men, whose h°le aim was that they were loved and trusted b J their people prior to the war. we mas* open the doors of oar hotels, theatres, churches, schools and railway cars to the negroes. But then we might have gotten rights cram med down our throats without even the thin sugar-coating of general aumesty. For what we have received let us be thankful. We cau fight social equality with such weapons as we may when the evil is upon us. When the bill which re moved all political disabilites was re- phrted to the House, of course the average ultra Radical , objected, and held up the spectre of the President of the Confederate States in order to frighten his loyal brethren. “Will yon let Jefferson Davis take a seat in Con gress?” asked theanper-loyal Lawrence, of Ohio. But the spell had lost its pow er. The question was answered vtry promptly, and to the point, by May* nard, “If the Vice-President of the dead Confederacy was allowed to take a seat in Congress, why should the Presi dent be refused admission?” Maynard is right for once. There are no grades in guilt. No degrees in treason. And Mr. Davis is not guiltier (if there was any guilt in the matter, which we deny) than the humblest soldier who carried a musket in the armies of the Lost Cause. He was the head of the Confederate Government because the people of the Confederacy chose him from among their number to be their leader. He was not celebrated as an orator—though a ready and effective Congressional de bater—and had not done near so much of the work of “firing the Southern heart” as many others whom the people passed by when they were searching for a President. But he was a man who had made himself a leader with the aid of other talents than those which conspire to form the mere orator.— He had the sagacity to plan and the nerve and fixedness of purpose to execute what lie had designed. He was, it is true, a man of strong preju dices, and equally strong will. But he made an able leader, an honest and in corruptible Executive —one who caused himself and his country to be respected while he presided over the administra tion of her affairs. Above all, he was a true man. He never faltered in his alle giance. and frqjn tbs slay be took bis in augural oath until the time he was manacled and cast into a Federal bas tile, all his talents, all his energies, were bent to the attainment of the one grand object to which he had dedicated his life—the independence of his country. He knew the risk which he ran in be coming the head of a “rebellion.” He knew, that though no more a traitor than any other citizen of the South, he must expect an ignominious death in the event of failure. And knowing this risk, he willingly took it. He did his duty, his whole duty, and he did ifr no bly and well. Since the war he has borne himself with a dignity in misfor tune and with a patience under insult and contumely which have compelled the admiration of the world. We believe that if Mr. Davw desires a return to public life the Southern people will be proud to have him as a representative in the halls of Congress. He will be, in some respects, a true representative, at all events, however distasteful his pres ence might be to the apostles of loyalty. But we do not think that Mr. Davis cares for the honors which oan be ob tained in political strife. He recognizes the fact that anew generation has sprung up, educated in a different school, and imbued with different ideas. To this generation he is willing now to give the control of the South. He does not care to enter Congress and play the part of the Atturian parrot seen by Humboldt in the Azores, which spoke the language of the Atturians, ail extinct Indian tribe, and whose words no one could understand. He is con tent to remain in the retirement of private life-wise enough to know that nothing which he could now do would add to his fame as a statesman or patriot, and confident that in this re tirement he enjoys the respect and love for his people. BAZAINE. Tho dispatches from Versailles, pub- j lisl icd in the Chronicle and Sentinel yes- , terday moruiug, announced that the trial of Bazaine had terminated in the conviction of the accused, and a sen tence of degradation from rank and death—the extreme penalty of military law. In many respects tho trial has been one of the most remarkable events in the history of modern warfare. There is but one other ease which bears to it any resemblance whatever, and the circum stances of these two are widely different. Tiie trial of the French Marshal is often compared to that of the English Admiral, Uyno; but a very little reflection will show that they are by no means aualn gons. Byno was entrusted with a squad ron for the relief of the Island of Minor ca at a time when the English army and navy had been peculiarly unfortunate in their euconuters with the French. After ■ reaching the Mediterranean Byno dis- : covered that he was too weak to cope with the enemy, aud put into Gibraltar to refit aud reinforce his squadron. While there*the French succeeded in landing an army of nearly twenty thou sand men in Minorca, which rendered it impossible for Byno to accomplish the task which he had been ordered to per form. Notwithstanding this fact he made the attempt. An attack upon the French fleet, faintly pressed it is true, was easily repulsed, and he sailed for England. Upon his return he found the whole nation convulsed with indigna tion. The repeated disasters which had befallen the English arms by sea and land inflamed the people almost to mad ness. Passion was at a white heat. A sacrifice was demanded, and Byno was brought to trial before a naval court martial upon a charge of cowardice.— There was not a shadow of proof to sus tain the shameful accusation. But the clamor of the populace could not be re sisted. He was convicted and sentenced to death. An appeal was made to the Government to save him, but without avail. The Government was itself frightened at the violence of the storm. It thought only of self-preservation.— The Ministry made of Byno a scape goat for the inertness nnd imbecility which had characterized their conduct j of the war. The sentence of the court was executed, aud the blood of the unfortunate Admiral—the victim of i a blind and senseless fury—has left a ! stain upon the honor of England which ; time has been powerless to efface. What are the facts with regard to j Bazaine? He was an old and often tried soldier of France. He had shown i himself a brave and skillfal officer in a hundred hard fought battles. He had conquered a country in the New World. He made himself the master of Mexico, and only gave up his conquest when policy destroyed the frnits of his cour age and ability. He had the confidence 1 of the Emperor and the Empire, apd when war with Germany was declared he became the virtual oommander-in chief <rf the French forces, Napoleon being the nominal head of the army.— j After a brief campaign, in which un- j paralleled success attended the opera- j tious of the German armies, the French were beaten back from the frontier, and a brilliant movement of Prince j Frederick Charles oat the French j line in the centre. MacMahon and the ! Emperor were forced Chalons, ! while Bazaine was left surrounded in the famous fortress of Metz. Having now divided the enemy, the Germans lost no time iu improving the advantages which they had gained. MacMahon and Napoleon were vigorously pursued, their line of retreat intercepted, and, the German armies converging from differ ent directions upon their prey, the iron circle was formed which led to the sur render at Sedan. This capitulation placed the Emperor of France and one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers in the hands of the enemy, and virtually ended the war—the rest could be but a question of time. Marshal Bazainr now found himself with an army of one hun dred and seventy thousand men shut up in the town and fortress of Metz, which had been provisioned for only a gar rison of twenty thousand. Napoleon was a captive, the Regency of the Em ! press had been overthrown and swept . -way ia a day, and a Republic had been proclaimed. The siege ol the be leaguered city was energetically pressed, 1 and a scarcity of food was added to the horrors of daily attacks and nocturnal bombardments. After making several ineffectual efforts to cut lift way through the lines of the investing army, and fading further redstawce hopeless, Ba zaine surrendered at Metz just as Na poleon had done at Sedan. Imme diately the authorifciaa at Paris pro claimed the sarrender 'fi*ason and the Marshal a traitor-ai* accusa tion which called forth En indig nant denial from the commander who had conducted the negotiations on the part of the Germans. But the--de nial coming from such a source—only added fuel to the Jkae. The charge was transmitted as a legacy from,the Re public to the Commune, from the Com mune to the Republic of Thiers and from Thiers to MacMahon. Until tranquility had been restored to France, until peace had been proclaimed, until the last dollar of the indemnity had been paid and the last foreign soldier had been removed from her soil, the matter was held in abeyance. Then, after a lapse of three years, in which feeling had had opportunity to subside and time should have taken the sting from the humiliation, Bazainh was brought to trial. It is safe to say that out of France no one doubted the result of the investigation. No one believed that the charges prompted by passion would stand for a moment when subject ed to the test of a judicial inquiry. But the verdict which was rendered on Wed nesday shows how hard it is for a na tion to accept defeat as a result of its own weakness or of causes which it is powerless to control. There must be someone to blame. There must be a victim. There must be a sacrifice up on the altar of national vanity. Baziine has been made to answer for .the feng train of disasters wjjicli com* menced at Worth and culminated at Paris. He has been found guilty of negative treason, and eentenoed to deg radation and death. The French people need not expect the world to approve the sentence which they have passed in this case. The world will not believe the verdict a just one. The world will not believe that Bazaine failed to do anything which honor and duty demanded. The world will believe that he made every effort which could have been made with any possibility of success to extricate him self from his perilous position, and that he only capitulated when he felt that farther resistance would be unavailing and could but result in the useless sacri fice of human life entrusted to his keep ing. He did attempt, not once but re peatedly, to cut his way through the enemy’s lines and every sortee was re pulsed. Why are not the French com manders at Sedan who failed to cut their way through the army which sur rounded them court martialed and shot? If Bazaine is a traitor so are they. Who can review his past services, his personal courage, his patriotism, and say that Bazaine was either coward or traitor ? “I have but two words in my breast — honor nnd country. I have never been wanting towards this proud motto dur ing forty-two years of service.” “I swear before Christ,” said the unhappy Marshal, “that I have not betrayed France.” These noble and pathetic words will live long after the shameful accusation has been pronounced a cal umny, and will be heard long after the vindictive shouts with which the rabble greeted tho verdict have passed away. France will soon see the day when she will bitterly regret the injustice done the Marshal who was one of the bravest aud most loyal of her children. "SUITABLE SOCIETY.” The New York World is capable of saying some harsh things about the lead ers of the Republican party. The fol lowing “essay” on political leaders may be characterized as brief and forcible : “True indeed is it that Carpenter is un fit for the Chair of the Senate, but he is not so unfit for it as the Vice-President. A drunkard in the White House, a venal liar in the Vice-Presidency replacing a venal perjurer there, a debauchee in the Chair of the Senate, Credit Mobilier bribees leading the first committees of Congress, an uncanght Mobilierist in the Speaker’s Chair, and a caught Mo bilierist the leader of the House, a C. M. salary grabber our Minister at Japan, a murderer our Envoy to Spain—why disjoiut Carpenter from such suitable society ?” THE CAPTAIN OF TUB NIOBE. After the noble aud heroic Fry and a number of his crew had been executed, the work of death was suspended until the next day, when the balance of the crew of the Virginius—fifty more—-were to be shot. In the meantime the Brit ish man-of-war Niobe sailed into the harbor of Santiago de Cuba. Learning the actual condition of affairs, the Cap tain proceeded to the headquarters of the Governor and demanded that the executions should cease. The Spanish official at first declined, but the plucky Britain brought him to terms when he threatened to bombard the city. The prompt and decided action of the Brit ish sailor is worthy of all praise. His humanity and heroic conduct deserves to be officially recognized by the Gov ernment of the United States. THE CAT IN THE MEAL TUB. The two able and dignified dailies published at the centre of intelligence and political wisdom in Georgia readied us last night filled with grape and canis ter against the calling of a State Conven tion. Hitherto antagonistic—the one the very antipodes of the other on all questions and issues—they have, for the present, buried the hatchet and have united their forces in warring against the inevitable—the calling of a State Convention by the people of Geor gia. The Legislature will submit the question to the people, and the people will call the Convention, The opposition of the Metropolitan dailies, the great luminaries of Atlanta, is based upon the fear that the capital will be moved back to Milledgeville. This is the cat in the meal tub, and accounts for the opposi tion to the Convention. This objection is untenable. It is too weak an argu ment to defeat the accomplishment of a great good. EX-PRESIDENT DAVIS. There are certain men in the South who take a special delight in decrying .Mr. Davis. This is done generally in such a way as to escape pnblio criticism and thereby avoid the just censure and indignation of the people. He is damned with faint praise and belittled by com parisons that are odious and inappli cable. In a covert way, Mr. Davis is I accused of intense egotism, inordinate i vanity, implacable hates and strong at • tachments. His ability is denied and i his arbitrary conduct, it is insinuated, i hastened the downfall of the Confed eracy. In striking contrast to this de • famation of the fallen leader of the Con federacy we find the following merited euloginm in an article in the Courier- Journal: With a firmness of execution, indicat ing an honestv of purpose, he discharg ed his high duties, and the people ap preciated him for it. Foote charges favoritism and obstinacy on him with more truth than most assertions he makes. Several instances of that were shown during the war. In the first days of the war, when it was our proud boast that one Southerner could whip five Yan kees, and after the ill-omened victory at Manassas had inspired us with over con dence and nerved our adversaries to fresh effort, Albert Sidney Johnston was assailed with the most outrageous and abusive clamor by the Southern press be cause he fell back before the advancing foe, and the demand for his removal was ten’thousand times repeated. This the President obstinately refnaed to do; and when tt» news of Shiloh was flashed throughout the land, it was met with a jreil of woe from an entire people fortne loss of a great General and a good man. When General Lee commenced his career as a Confederate officer by retreating across Virginia before Roeemaanz, the same tumultuous clamor for his being removed or superseded was raised by the valorous stay-at-homes, and again the obstinacy of Mr. Davis sired to the country a General that all the world now delights to honor. The patient spirit of the indomitable Stonewall Jackson, ere he was known to fame, gave way before the rough assaults of the chimney-corner generals, and he demanded peremptorily that he might resign and be saved those humiliations; and once more the peculiM; obstinacy and favoritism of the Presi dent saved to the country its greatest military genius. Out of sixty thousand appointees how few mistakes did he commit. Faults he had, this President, but none to obscure his virtues; mistakes did he make, no doubt, but take him all in all, a most noble and gallant fight did he and his people wage against fearful odds, and failed to make the “lostcause” a success only because of circumstances which no mortal hand could have con trolled. SPEECH OF MR. STEPHENS. Mr. Stephens has made a most inau spicious beginning for himself in de fending the back salary grab. It is not only a great blunder politically, but his speech does violence to his constituents, who sent him to Congress neither to jnstify and defend this legalized raid upon the public Treasury, nor to be the apologist of President Grant. He appeared in the first role Thursday, and actually justified aud defended the back pay steal as being proper and just, both morally and legally. We shall not be surprised if Mr. Ste phens next appears as the apologist and champion of President Grant. With Mr. Stephens’ admiration for President Grant— his high appreciation of what he is pleased to term his private virtues and his wonderful ability, and his justi fication of the President’s outrage upon the people and State of Louisiana —it will not be a difficult task, but a pleasing duty, for the distinguished Representa tive fromThfs District to appeal In the House of Representatives as the cham pion of President Grant. It is now well known that Mr. Stephens, in private conversation, is lavish in his encomiums of our modem Caesar. His speech in the House Thursdny will elicit from the people of Georgia—es pecially from the people of this Dis trict—prompt and emphatic condemna tion. How Mr. Stephens can defend the back pay appropriated by members —for services already paid for at a stip ulated price—is beyond our comprelier— sion and our sense of justice. The pro priety of a legislative body regulating the pay for its own members for services to be rendered is even questionable and can only be justified in cases of emer gency which sometimes arise. But there was no such emergency to jnstify the Forty-second Congress. Had the mem bers of that body confined the increase in salary or compensation for future ser vices, their action, however indelicate and open to harsh criticism, might be justified; but when the members go de liberately to work and make the opera tions of the increase retroactive, the shame and scandal of the job outrage all sense of propriety. ¥he back pay grab has been denounced by Legisla tures and Conventions without regard to party, and Mr. Stephens has committed a great blunder in defending what pub lic opinion characterizes as “legalized robbery.” This speech will meet, as it merits, the condemnation of the people of Georgia. “OLD BULLION.” Thirty-fire years ago Thos. H. Ben ton—“ Old Bullion,” as he was called— delivered a speech upon finances in the United States Senate, in the course of which he made some remarks which come to a prominent issue of to-day. One passage was as follows : “One of the highest functions of money is to measure values. That is a function which paper cannot perform. The meas ure of values must itself possess in trinsic value, and must itself be free from sudden or material variations of value. It must have a uniform and uni versal value. As well might you attempt to make a measure of lengths out of that which lias no length; a measure of weight out of that which has no weight; a measure of quantities out of that which has no capacity to hold any quan tity, as to endeavor to make a measure out of that which has no intrinsic value. The precious metals alone can consti tute a measure of values; paper money can measure tho value of nothing, not even of itself; its own value is eternally measured by its reaction—by its con vertibility—into specie." HON. M. J. CRAWFORD AND THE CONVENTION. Below we publish a letter from Hon. Martin J. Crawford, of Columbus, on the subject of a Constitutional Conven tion, which will be read with in terest by the people of the State. Geor gia has no son more loved or more re spected than the author of this letter, and his opinions will carry with them great weight. Mr. Crawford is strongly in favor of a Convention. Here is what he says: Columbus, Ga., December 8,1873. 7b the Editors of the Chronicle and Sentinel : Gentlemen —Yours of the 29th nit. was duly received and would have been answered immediately but for the press ing duties which the session of our Superior Court then and now required of me. I write this letter simply to acknowl edge the receipt of your favor, and to say that I am decidedly of the opinion that the Legislature should call a Con vention in which the real people of Georgia should have the opportunity to declare tho great organic laws for the State, and to return as far as may be practicable to the old land marks in the great past. Every people should make their own Constitution, and under it enact their own law 9. Ours was made principally by aliens, strangers and fools. Therefore, just so soon as our impoverished people can stand the bur den of<i OviFenfcion, it should be called, that the wickfcds.es* hfi anjestb^ fastened upon us may be wise and judicious laws, and our people indulge themselves in the freedom and luxury of a government of their own. With great respect I am yours, Ac., Martin J. Crawford. The New York Sun says: “One of the latest innovations in Washington is to be seen in the House of Representa tives, where a special part of the gallery has just been set aside for the families of members of Congress exclusively, in imitation of and near that assigned to the diplomatic body. If this separation from the people means anything, it is an attempt to draw a line of distinction, to set up a superior class, and to look down upon the constituency. This is the sort of republicanism which the so called Republican party practices at Washington, and it is a very bad sort. THE CUBAN QUESTION. Address From Captain-General Jo vellar. Havana, December 11.—The tone of the press and expression of the authori ties stud prominent Spaniards indicate a quiet compliance with the protocol. Captain-General Jovellar, this even ing, issued an address to the inhabitants of Cuba, saving, “The moment a treaty is signed between the Government of Spain and the United States my duty, although painful it may be, is to comply faithfully with its terms. For this I have received final orders. A failure to comply with the same would produce war and with a great power without the aid of Spain. In the meanwhile obey the law of necessity and the orders of the Government of the Spanish Republic. Let us deliver np the Virginias and the survivors of her passengers and crew. I have faith in the nobleness of your procedures in compliance with my words. [Signed] Joaquin Jovellab. Cotton thieves are on the rampage in ; Edgefield county. It is rumored that resolutions of im peachment against Governor Moses have been drawn np, and will be presented at an early day. So Bays the Lexington Dispatch. A. H. STEPHENS. He Makes a Speech in Support of the Back Salary Grab. Washington, December 11- Ste giens, of Georgia, was the next speaker. e got on his feet with some difficulty and not withont assistance. There he supported liimself wit h a crutch under his left arm. He spoke with a clear ringing voice’which was distinctly audi ble in every portion of the chamber, ex cept when he dropped his tones, as he did very frequently at the close of sen tences. His manner was nervous and rapid aud his remarks very digressive, many of his sentences beihg left uncom pleted. He was listened to with the oloaeat interest and attention by atem bers, officers and the audience. He commenced by saying he would exam ine the question' before the House, first, in its niqral and then in its political aspect. He spoke of the comments of. the public press on the subject. He would say nothing in dero gation of the power or usefulness of the press. The position of journalist in this country was one of the highest, i The fonrth estate did in this age control public sentiment, but he would, in all earnestness, say lo the press and its con ductors, that nothing was more impor tant than that -in treating of subjects with the masses of the people, they should look well to the truth and cor rectness and principle of what they ad dressed to the people. The press had denounced as thieves and robbers the members of the last Congress, and he had seen one paper which represented the raid on the Treasury very much like the charge of the 600 at Balaklava. He had thought the wit of that representa tion more appropriate than the wisdom. The gentleman from New York (Tre main) had spoken yesterday of dema gogueism. He (Stephens) maintained that there could be no statesmanship without it. There never had been a statesman who was not a demagogue. The word originally meant a lead er of the people. Pericles was a demagogue. There were two kinds of demagogues—the sham and the genu ine, , The was the sajfn who who guided the people. Ttffsham(Temagoguephudered to the errors and prejudices of the peo ple. The real statesman was the physi cian of humanity. The sham dema gogue simply courted favors in order to get office and the spoils of office. He considered Lord Chatham as the true, the genuine demagogue, aud related an anecdote to the effeot that when Chat ham was proposing to the English Cabinet anew measure of taxation, in cluding thetaxing of windows, he missed one member of the Cabinet, and asked for him by name. The answer was that it made 10 difference whether that mem ber was present or not, because he was a fool. That is the very reason, said Chatham, that I want him here, because the way he thinks about this thing is the way that the majority of the people of England may think about it, and I want to know the sentiment of the public. He wanted to know it not to pander to it, but that he might go before the people and raise them to a sentiment of the necessity and propriety of the mfeasure. Recurring to the con sideration of the increased salary bill, Mr. Stephens said that he was very glad to say that that was a measure for which neither political party was responsible. His opinion was that the Democracy, iu the proportion of its votes in Congress, wns quit* as responsible as the Republi can party. The gentleman from New i York (Tremaiifl hail admitted yesterday | that under the Constitution every Con- I gresa had’a right to fix its own compen j sation. IS had done so from the begin | ning of the Government. It had fre quently increased that compensation, and the increase was always aud neces f sarily retroactive. Worthy men had \ done this in the last century aud in the early partof the present century. The brightest ornaments in American history had subjected themselves to be denoun ced as salary grabbers and thieves. The first great thing to be learned in this life —that which had been taught in the schools of ancient Greece—was to dis criminate bet ween that which the mul titude thought was right and that which was right in itself. If there was any thing wrong, anything immoral, anvthing dishonest, which would reflect disgrace on a man’s memory for taking that legal appropria tion, he wanted to know where it was. If it was wrong for members to take what the law allowed, where were meu to find rule of right and wrong. Hri remarks On this subject did not apply to himself, but he was a citizen of the i country, and he felt a deep interest in | the dignity and character of Congress. ! He claimed that when Congress passed • the retroactive law of the last session it had a constitutional right to do so. He was not saying whether it was ex pedient or *aot, but no blush should rest on the cheek of any man, whether he voted for the bill or not, who took the money. If he had beeu here he should have taken it,whether he voted for it or not and should have felt that he was as justly entitled to it as he was to receive a dollar a day. It was a I constitutional law constitutionally passed ! and those who were entitled to pay I under it were as much entitled to the whole of it as they were to any dime received under it. If any thought it was too muoh and returned it he (Stephens) I would not cast a slur upon him for doing I go. He had now discussed the moral I view of the question and he would now j proceed to discuss it in its political ! aspect. He was not going to place a i value on his own services as a repre i seutative, but if lie were to state what he thought the services of a representa tive ought to be worth, lie would go far above the figure of any law that has ever been passed. A representa tive of the people ought to be a man of that mental calibre, that infor mation, that education, that virtue, that trustworthiness and all those qualities which command the highest remunera tion. He had given it as his opinion in the last speech he made in the House, fourteen years ago, that if the salaries of members of Congress were $10,000; of Senators, $15,000; of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, $50,000; of the Associate Judges, $25,000, and of the i President, SIOO,OOO, it would be better : for the country at large. He held the l game opinion still. He certainly should | not vote for the bill reported by the | committee, but he believed that the most unwise action of last Congress was j the abolition of the franking privilege. ITHE STORY OF W. M. TWEED. Up Like a Rocket and Down Like a Stick—A Plain Narration of His Life and the Rise and Fall of the Famous Ring. [From tha Utica Observer.] Wm. M. Tweed was born in the city of New York fifty years ago last April. His parents were poor people, and the boy was early thrown upon his own resour ces. He learned the trade of a chair maker, and worked at it for a few years. He soon became ambitions of political distinction, and to increase his qualifica tions and improve his chances he entered the University Law School, from which he graduatedas a member of the bar. His newer began in the old volunteer tkte def larttneae (k the metropolis. He became foreman of “Big Six”—an en gine company famous in the lower part of the city. His immense vital energy | and his organizing ability were here de veloped and exhibited. In that day a popular fireman was a positive power in | local politics, and Tweed began to make himself felt. In 1851 he was elected Alderman from the seventh ward, serv ing in the Common Council through the years 1852-53. In the Fall of 1852 he | was elected to Congress from the Fifth District, which then embraced the seventh and thirteenth wards of New York and the village of Williamsburg, Long Island. He took his seat in the House in De j cember, 1853, while his term as Alder- I man was about expiring. He was thirty ' years old at that time, with the promise jof a fair future before him. While in CoDgress he was elected x school com missioner of the seventh ward. The year after his term as Representative ex pired he was chosen to the Board of Supervisors, and continued to hold a place there until the day of his over throw. In 1861 he was a candidate for ! sheriff on the Tammany ticket. The 1 office is now one of enormous emolu ment, and TweedAttwsk for it with his usual energy. He reckoned himself worth $30,000 at that time, and he had • made the money honestly. He expen ded every dollar of it in the canvass, led j on by the hope and belief that he would ' triumph. He was beaten, and during the Winter which followed he found i great difficulty in meeting the house rent and paving his batcher sand gro cer’s bills. 'lt is probable that his career as a public plunderer dates from the day of his defeat as sheriff. He was not a fine-grained man nor troubled with many conscientious scruples. He saw i himself as the victim of what he looked upon as a cowqHracy. He had distribu ted his money among various ward organizations in return for their prom : ised assistance. They divided his for ! tune and withheld their support. He resolved to “get n" with the public who had preferred another to him, and i he set about the job with the coolness j : of a great general and the wickedness of j a great robber. In 1862 he became | deputy street ecmmißsioner, and while j ; holding that office he got his hand, 1 freely into the public parse for the first time. At about the same! period he male himself the leading spirit in the Tammany organization. He ; showed soon that his power as an or- I ganizer was very great. He drew men * around him usually by appeals to their selfish uatures. To one he gave money* to another some place of lionor'wfQ trust. He proceeded on the theory that everysiaii had Jiis price. If u rival arose ,to dispute lift authority, he crushed his rival if he could, and if he couldn’t he crushed the rivalry by supportin'' the man for some office, and thus making him his ally, in tlii3 way he catted a trnee With his most popular enemy, the “ Big Judge,” Michael Connolly. In 1867, Richard B. Connolly, vn tygid man, plausible in manners, but exceedingly corrupt at heart, becameCoinptroller of j New York. With him Tweed formed an | was greed#' and j close-fisted. He never could secure a j popular following. He held office at the ! pleasure of Tweed, who was; however. ' compelled to share equally with him in the division of the money plundered from the city. That same year, 1867, Tweed was elected to the State Senate from the Fourth District by a large ma jority. In the Senate he found a ma jority opposed to him politically ._ How he used that majority to effect his pur poses is one of the chronicles of Albany which is yet to be written. In 1866 Tweed found a counsellor far wiser and much more honest than liimself in the person of Peter B. Sweeney. He also found a flippant and brilliant advocate in A. Oakey Hall, a man free from cor rupt motives, but one willing to blind his eyes to the crimes committed around him as a reward for temporal power and pleasant notoriety. When these four men—Tweed, Connolly, Sweeney and Hall—joined their various forces and talents the Tammany conspiracy was complete. In 1870 the first revolt against this concentrated power be gan. It was badly planned and disreputably officered. Norton, Genet, Creamer, Peter Mitchell, Michael Murphy and others who led the move ment in the Legislature were not the men through whom reform could come. It looked for a time, however, as if the movement would succeed. Tweed was beaten in the preliminary skirmish in the Senate. He pretended to surrender, and voted for the charter of the Young Democracy, But he had secretely formed an alliance with the Repub- lican. party, in the Legislature, ami could ufford to bide his time. Mean/' while his rivals had lost their heads. In the flush of temporary supcess they di vided—on paper—all the offices in the city among themselves. The charter, under which this grand distribution was to take place, was taken to the Assembly, where it was understood that it would pass by general consent. But to the amazement of many, and to the dismay of the Young Democracy, it was defeat ed. Tweed’s rivals surrendered at dis cretion. Creamer, Norton, Mitchell— all but Geuet—sued for terms of peace. The next week Tweed's charter was in troduced, and, receiving the support of all the Republican Senators excepting Thayer, of Rensselaer, it passed. This was followed by other measures which made the power of the ring well-nigh absolute. It was then that the system of plunder began to werk out its amaz ing results. Bills against the city were deliberately raised from $50,000 to $500,000, "and the enormous excess divided between Connolly and Tweed, who in turn shared part of the money with subordinate strikers. — Hall looked on and held his peace.— Sweeney put forth an effort to stop the stealing, but was overborne. The ac counts of the Comptroller's office were secreted, and the general public, as well as the Democratic party, were hood winked and misled. Among those who sought to profit in the general carnival of fraud was James O’Brien, who, as sheriff of New York, had received up wards of $300,000 for three years’ ser vice. After retiring from office he cook ed up a bogus claim aggregating $200,- 000, and demanded its payment. The board of audit refused to consider it, though Tweed espoused O’Brien’s bad cause. To strengthen his chances of getting the money, O’Brien placed a confidential clerk in the Comptroller’s office, and secured transcripts of the fraudulent vouchers therein contained. Armed with these evidences of the guilt of his former comrades, ho again de manded his plunder. It was again re fused. The ring had grown so bold,and they felt that their lease of power was so long and strong that they could brave any exposure. Thereupon O’Brien turn ed his evidence over to the New York Times, and that paper printed it. The effect was startling. With one voice the people demanded thepunishment of tljgse men who hod betrayed so great a trust. They were tlirnst out of the Demo cratic party, whose temple they had de filed. Said Judge Davis, in’ sentenc ing Tweed: “O’Conor, who has been named here, and who holds the foremost rank in his profession, and who stands upon a character as pure and noble as any man’s in this great city, immediately from his semi-retirement, came and aid ed in the rescue of this city from its great corruption. And Tilden, who stood as the lencHngirmn at the head of the Democratic State Committee of this State, devoted weeks and months of toil in ferreting out these crimes, in ascer taining from these bank accounts what had been done, till he was able to lay be lore us the other day, on the trial, the result, crystiline in its simplicity, and so clear that no man could fail to read its meaning.” Against a feeling of wrath which was universal, 'f weed op posed the power of his ill-gotten wealth. He doubtless believed that no jury could be found to convict him. His courage did not forsake him. While Connolly slunk away to other hinds to avoid pun ishment, Tweed stayed and fought it out. How the fight ended is told in the heavy -sentence passed upon the great public plunderer. LETTER FROM THOMSON. Thomson, Ga., December 11, 1873. Editors Chronicle and Sentinel: Thomson, the county seat of McDuf fie, has anew Court House and jail—the latter is of solid granite and affords ample security for the evil doers of the county. The Court House is a neat and substantial building, an ornament to the town, and a credit to the building com mittee and the contractor, Mr. Knox. The architecture of the building, the taste and skill displayed in all its apart ments, will compare favorably, if not excel, with most of tlve Court Houses in Georgia. If such buildings are an index to the taste, intelligence and public spirit of the people, the McDuffians may well afford to be proud of theirs. The adjourned term of the Cbftrfc is in session. Judge Gibson presiding. Twelve cases have been disposed of, but none of any public importance. Besides the local Bar, we notice Judge Pottle,, and the Hon. Mr. Dußoße, of Warren; General Dußose, Milton Reese, of Wilkes; Judges Hook and Twiggs, of Augusta, and Mr. Strother, of Lincoln, in attendance and participating more or less in the bnsiness of the Court. The harvest is nearly over in this county, and the husbandmen are about realizing the fruits of the past year’s tori. While a few may be wrecked by the injudicious schedule they have run, the most of them are on a safe footing and will enter upon another year with out any serious incumbrance upon their plans and labors. I learn that a couple of boys about three miles from town, one 17 and the other 12 years old, raised this year twenty-two bal£3 of cotton, averaging five hundred pounds each, also 75 bushels of corn and 50 bushels of potatoes, all the work of their own hands. Such exhibitions of energy and effort are worthy of praise, and a gener al diffusion of their spirit among our race would soon achieve that independ ence and prosperity so much desired, Avery remarkable pig is on exhibi tion at tlie store of Mr. Butts. It has eight feet, four eyes, four ears, two tails and two backbones. The feet are all natural except two in front, which re semble the dog or cat. On one side of the head the ears, eye* and snout of the hog are fully developed, while on the other side are the ears, eyes, noae and savage brow of the owl. This freak 61 nature is quite a curiosity, and draws crowds to witness the like of which they have never seen. Visitor. EDITING A PAPER. The Paper That was Run by the Devil and a Dummy—Racy Sketch of Jour nalistic Experience. A correspondent pf the Cincinnati ; Commercial vouches for this; Yon complain thet there is a class of persons who do not comprehend some of your jokes. This, as you might ex press it, is sad. If there is anything in this life calculated to envelope a man in the blackness of despair, and to m*ke him pray that death may come and re lieve him of hie suffering, it is for him to pull the trigger on asright good joke, and then have some noodle ask him wli3t he is aiming at. But there never was aa editor of a buoyancy of mind who did not have occasionally an excel lent hit hang fire, owing to the muggy intellectual atmosphere by which he is surrounded. I devoted some of tlie best endeavors of my young manhood to a newspaper at Peoria) Illinois. It was not one of those princely concerns, where the whole ma chinery is rnn by one ponderous engine, aa it were ; where every article, before it goes into the paper, is'sahmitted to Old In falls bill tv, who reads it acrutinizingly, then meditates, then reads it backward, then upside down, then examines it with » microscope, then holds it off and looks at it through a field glass, so as to get all its bearings: but it was a one-horse, free and easy, democratic apparatus, and every body around went it on his own hook, When the mailing clerk got an original idea of public events he wrote out his views and published them as a leader. When the errand boy went in swimming in daytime, and was chased by a ffcdicernan, he didn’t go blubbering off horns, but straightway attacked the Mayor ami his police force thrsjigh Hie paper. From the “sanetvim,” in which we wrqlte alien we could find room there, leading up two stories tothecomposition room was nil elevator by which heavy editorials and other matters were hoist ed, It consisted of a pnlley wheel at the top, and over it a cord, to either end of which was tied an oyster can. What ever got into these oyster cans went into the paper, for as soon as the foreman of , the eoqiposing room heard the rattle of the elevator, he went to the box, cleaned it out, and hung the contents on the 1 cbp'jPl&oSir'Tßis ho" did without close inspection, for he was also proof-reader, and got to see the news in the performance of his duties in that respect. He hadn’t much of a lite rary appetite anyhow. This arrangement gave tone to the i paper. Everybody said there was not a journal in the country that could be compared with ours. The proprietor wrote occasionally, but the bent of his j mind was rather in the line of job work, i Asa journalist he was devotedly at tached to job work—so much so, we sometimes thought, as to bias his mind —because all a man had to do to secure press endorsement was to get a little printing done. lam not sure but this reciprocity policy is carried out in other newspaper offices throughout the length and breadth of the fruitful land. To the credit of this journalist be it said, however, he never read his paper. As I was saying the oystorcan dummy was the editor-in-chief. Whenever any thing offensive was printed and a fuss made about it we smoothed it over by saying some -otrtei de-rooster had been ! fooling with that dummy. These de testable ‘ fowls were coutinully coming around to make suggestions and write something. And so they would write poetry and politics and financial ar ticles, and cut out tables of figures from the big dailies, and sparkling gems from the country weeklies, and if nobody was iu, scoot tnem up the elevator. Thus au old fellow once brought to the office a paper containing Andrew 'Tilcksoillgfttst aipl m. liis hurry to slice it out, and send it up before any one came in, missed the cut and gouged out a column treaties ou Dr. Henry’s great pile remedy, which duly appeared next morning, with the editori al comments, which the old snoozer had pasted on top. In like manner we once published a complete set of rules for the successful playing of whisky poker, which a boy placed in the box, and tack ed ou to the manual was an extract from the published sermon of one of our local preachers. I remember thisrinnde some of the people mad. They could not see the point of the joke, and we lost a large number of subscribers. It is possible that you are beginning to suspect that I am lying about this, or if not, giving an unhealthy swelling of the truth, but among my old friends at Peoria au accompanying affidavit from a justice of the peace would not be re quired to confirm the historical correct ness of my simple narrative. THE MAN OF METZ. Opinions of the English Press in Re gard to the Sentence. London, December 11.—The Times says Bazaine is justly convicted. The Telegraph considers him a sacrifice to the national vanity. The News hopes, as the evidence was so conflicting, the sentence be commuted to perpetual exile o .’imprisonment. Paris, December 11. —<The ert wd at the Trianon to-day warmly cheered the verdict. The sentenee4neludes payment of costs audjexpulsion from the Legion of Honor. Soon after the judgment of the Court was pronounced against Marshal Bazaine last evening, he requested that his sou might be allowed to visit him in prison, he also refused to avail himself of the right of appeal. President MaeM“hou will to day decide whether lie will listen to the appeal of the Court for mercy and com mute tlie seneence of the condemned man. Later. -rrMcMahon postponed action on the appeal to mercy in behalf of Bazaine until a time when the Court may reverse its judgment. The President of the Court has gnue to Basancon to his command. The Journal de I'arts says the unanimity of the Court precludes a reconsideration of the sentence, but the condemned Marshal may take advantage of the lapße of time and plead his splendid services to France in mitiga tion. London, December 12. —The News re ports that President MacMahon intends to commute the sentence of Bazaine to twenty years seclusion. . Later accounts from Paris agree that Bazaine received his sentence with the greatest calmness. Berlin, December 12.— The press re gard the verdict as the psult of politi cal intrigue and censure the conduct of the Duke d’Auuiale. Paris, December 12.—The decision of President MacMahon in the case of Bazaine is announced this morning.— The sentence of death against Marshal Bazaine is commuted to twenty years seclusion. He is to bear the effects of degradation from rank, bnt will be spared the humiliating ceremony. London, December 12.-—Marshal Ba zaine addressed a letter to liis counsel yesterday,thanking them for their efforts in liis behalf, and concluding ns follows: “I shall not appeal against the Sentence, not wishing to prolong in the eyes of the world the spectacle of such a painful struggle. I request you to take no fur ther steps. I look no longer to men for judgment. Strong in my conscience, vvhioli reproaches me with nothing, I confidently await that justification which will come with lapse of time and subsi dence of party passion.” The conservative press generally ap prove of the commutation of his sen tence. The Siecle says it will create a painful surprise in the country. Paris, December 13.—Marshal Ba zaine, since receiving notice of the com mutation of his sentence, has written a letter to President MacMahon, in which he says: “You remembered the days in which we served our country together. I feared that the impulse of your heart would be overmastered by Stale con siderations. I should have died without regret, since the recommendation of the Court vindicates my honor.” Bazaine’s counsel in a letter to ex-President Thiers thanks him for having expressed his opinion that, the Maishal was inuo cent of the charges upon which he was tried. THE GRANGES. Resolutions Adopted by the Illinois State Grange. Bloominoton, December 13,—The State Grange adopted a long Series of resolutions, settiug forth that the ob jects of the order are for the social, in tellectual and moral elevation of tlie people; expressing fraternal feeling for fanners’ dubs and similar organizations, the object of which are mainly identical the order; favoriug a system of free bauking; condemning the increase of Congressional salaries; requesting the Legislature not to meddle with the pres ent State temperance law; declaring that Congress has the power to and should control the interests of commerce and transportation, and commending its ac tion thus far in this regard; asking for the modification or repeal of tlie tax on for eign bottoms; favoring the improvement of rivers and canals by the General Gov ernment as a means of cheapening trans portation, <a«d alsd favoring the building of additional railroads, with the proper •restrictions, and, as a last resort, the building of a freight railroad by the Government solely for the benefit of the people; declaring it the inherent right of the people to control corporations, and opposing any repeal or essential modifications of the State railroad laws. Jjie convention then adjourned. Hurpau Howard. New York, December IJ.— A special dispatch from Washington to the Tri hime, says : “The Secretary of War has sent a tetter to the House making direct charges of fraud and malfeasance in office against Brig. O. 0. Howard in connection with his management of the Freedmen’s Bureau. The letter is ac -1 oompanied by evidence from the records and accounts of the late Bureau which : fully sustains the Secretary’s charges. Tlie Secretary says: “Since Assistant ■ Adjutant General Vincent took chargeof the papers of tlie Bureau complaint after complaint was repeiyesj that claim ants had not received from the Bureau their bounties, arrears of pay, etc., and said complaint* were referred to the Second Auditor, with whom all settle ments and the final adjustment of accounts rested. It gradually be came apparent that vouchers to a considerable amount were filed as if paid, and wedit taken for the amounts, when strong proof wgs pre sented that the claimants had not been paid and in a similar manner fievelope ments embracing other subjects called for consideration. The Department of Justice, however, has been furnished with some cases and others are to follow of apparent malfeasance with a request to institute either a criminal suit or a civil suit to recover money belonging to the United States, or both suits as may be proper against such of the officers and agents of the late bureau as will be liable. The responsibility and account ability attaching to the late commission er, so far as developed, amount to up ward of $271,573 jiG. All the gambling houses n* Neb York are closed in apprehension of the raid. THE REVENUES FALLING OFF. Another Reasou Why the Pay of Con - gressmen Should Be Increased— Nearly $50,000,000 More Wanted. Washington, December 12. The Secretary of the Treasury, in his annual report, while urging economy upon Con gress, said: Should there not boa revi val of business at an early day and au increase in the receipts over those of past two and half months, additional means would he re quired to meet expenses. Should such,be the case, he would recommend addition al taxation, judiciously laid, so as to be the least burdensome upon (he people and business of the country, rather tUiUt a result to borrowing money and increasing the public debt. The Secre tary said this morning: The public debt this month would be largely in creased, although it was now too early to approqimate the amount. He lirs written a letter to the Chairman of the Ways and Means,recommending,and en closing a bill for that purpose,the resto ration of duty on tea and coffee, which will yield about twenty million dollars per aunum. He also enclosed a letter to him from Commissioner Douglass making the following recommendations: Increased tax of ten cents per gallon on distilled spirits, which would yield seven millions annually; fonr cents additional per pound on tobacco, which would yield four millions; on il luminating gas, two million five hundred thousand dollars; on gross receipts of railroads, from passengers and freight, six millions; steamboat gross receipts, passengers and* freight, six hundred thousand dollars; express companies, five hundred thousand dol lars; insurance companies, one million three hundred thousand dollars; tele graph receipts, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars—making in the aggre gate, $22,150,000. This, with tax ou tea and coffee, would make over ferty-two million dollars. The Commissioner says if more revenue is wanted it could be obtained to the exteut of ten million by restoring taxes, as formerly, in sohedule B, which includes stamps on all legal instruments—deeds, mortgages, etc. thus making additional receipts of ower thirty-two millions from internal ■ £eai»*r IWljMjfc. c ./mRu THE ALABAMA MUDDLE. Heavy Verdict for False Imprison ment. Washington, December 12.—The jury in the case of Lewis E. Parsons, against Richard Busteed, Judge of the United Stateb District Court, for false imprison ment, gave the plaintiff SIO,OOO damages. Parsons is Speaker of the House of Representatives. Hunter, of Lowndes, made a motion last session looking to bringing about a now election for United States Senator in place of Sykes and Spencer. Parsons ruled Hunter out of order. Hunter refused to be silenced and Parsons had the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring him before the bar of tho House. Hunter sued out a writ before Busteed, ou complaint that Parsons was conspiring with certain other parties to defeat the right of representatives to elect a United States Senator. On hear ing of the ease Busteed discharged Par sons and codefendaat, atjd thereupon Parsons sued Busteed for false imprison ment. Hunter is a Republican and his idea was ihat neither Spencer nor Sykes were legally elected, because Attorney- General Williams had not decided either the Court Room or Capitol Legislature to be legal; hence, as a compromise had then been effected, he desired to elect a compromise Senator, about whose elec tion no doubt could exist. THE VIRGINIUS. The Spaniards on the Rampage. Havana, December 13.—Tho Virgin ins has gone to Bahia Honda, sixty miles west of Havana, where 6he will be delivered. Last night a party of men to the num ber of several hundred, assembled in Oampo de Norte square and proceeded in a body to the Plaza de Armos, giving vent during their progress to their dis satisfaction at the departure of the Vir ginitis by loud shouts and other disor derly conduct. On reaching the Plaza they gathered in front of the palace of the Captain General, where they renew ed their shouting, at the same time ex pressing their disapprobation of tho course of a number of prominent per sons who have favored the delivery of the Virginius. During these demonstra tions several harmless shots were fired. It is believed they were accidental. Two Spaniards who endeavored to pacify the mob were severely hustleiL The crowd lingered in front of the palace until midnight, when Captain General Jovel lar appeared and addressed them, and succeeded in prevailing on them to dis perse. CIVIL RIGHTS. What the Colored People Desire. Washington, December 13. - The National Civil Rights Convention which adjourned sine die at a late hour last night say in tho address adopted their grievances arc many. They take it for granted action will be had by Congress protecting the colored people from dis tinctions on the part of common car riers, hotels and other public places of convenience and refreshment, in public places of amusement and in enjoying other civil rights, including entrance to public schools without reference to race. They want the denial of these rights punished with penalties. Washington Notes. Washington, December 13.—Persons who nave polled the Senate #e satisfied that Judge Williams will be confirmed as Chief Justice. General Spinner, U. S. Treasurer, goes to Florida in a few days for liis health. Commodore Win. Reynolds wi 1 succeed Rear Admiral Jenkins, retired. A meeting of the Western and Southern members of the House is con sidering cheap transportation to-night. The President told the Republican mem bers of Congress from Virginia to-day that he would on Monday nominate Col. Hughes as Underwood’s successor as District Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia. Jules Favre and Gambetta at the Bazaxne Trial. —A letter,'describing tlie proceedings at the Trianon on the 21st November, contains the following: To day M. Jules Favre was examined, and gave his evidence with great clearness and precision. His account of the inter views which he had with Bismarck was listened to with very great attention. When he repeated Ihe words in which the Prussian Minister expressed his firm opinion to M. Jules Favre that Marshal Bazaine did not consider himself bound to obey the Government of the National Defense, a prolonged murmur came from the audience. Immediately after hearing this witness, the court, at the request of the prosecutor, condemned M. Regnier to a fine of 100 francs, and all the members of the conrt put on their cocked hats while the Due d’Aumale read the sentence. A most sensational witness was then called—namely, M. Gambetta—who was dressed in a black coat and black gloves, and spoke sitting in an arm-chair, leaning over the red velvet bar, holding his hat under his left arm, and gesticulating with his right hand. His rich Southern voice was never more sonorous and i effective. The picture he gave of the endeavors made by his Government to enter into communication with Bazaine —of tlie zeal with which the Tours dele gation published every rumor which j could possibly be construed favorably to the Marshal or add to the popular faith ip hinj—and, finally of the agony experienoed by the Government on learning the tragic fate of the great Metz army—was drawn with great power and pathos. The public was held spell bound by his alUumate pathetic and passionate eloquence, and the breath less silence which reigned in the hall while he spoke was broken only by the stifled groan which endorsed the opinion he so distinctly expressed respecting , Bazaine’s guilt- • ! Cheap Transportation. Washington, December 13.—A meet; ing of the Southern and Western Repre sentatives was held to-night for the pur pose of discussing the different schemes for cheap transportation. Mr. Sypher, of Louisiana, spoke in favor of the Mis sissippi river route. Mr. Harris, of Virginia, advocated tiie construction of the Jpaes River and Kanawha Oanal. A number of speeches were made by West ern and Southern members, and the meeting adjourned afte? resolving to unite upon some plan to secure the con ctruqtion of one or more routes to the sea, - ; _ The Bender Butchers. Columbia, S. C,, December 13.—The Bender family aoeused of murder in Kansas, has beep arrested at Bevings ville. Tlie father and mother are in custody. The son and daughter are liv ing in North Carolina. and officers are in pursuit of them. The fami y name is Webb. ' A Freshet. j Pittsburg, December 13,—The Mo uongahela is twenty-one feet nigh amt rising eight iqches P. e . r^ our T h e flats are I ghany is rising rapidly. The Hats are , flooded. Great damage has been done to the works at F Ol ' J hrg. Ex-Judge Nelson, of tlie U. S. Su- I preme Court, died suddenly at Coopers- | town, N. Y./.yesterday. I MR. STEPHENS ON BACK PAY. Editors Chronicle A Sentinel : I have noted with care every position which you liavo nssmned, and have quietly given them my endorsement. I have admired your boldncssandthuaght well of you for your iudepemlEco. Your course, ns journalists, has i*#MVed the hearty approval of an enlightened district, anil to your folumns wo may safely turn for an honest statement of facts and a true review of public opinion. You have advocated the call of a conven tion, through which our own people oau speak, thus ignoring the ugly product of an angry mob, who had iu view only the debts which overwhelmed them, a hireling constituency and a cohort of “Christian statesmen.” You spoke wisely and well of the “salary grab;" you denounced its supporters, and the world believed that our much honored section would bear no part in the taint which nttaclied to this theft. But the first words uttered by the only one who has wit or honesty enough to represent our Commonwealth iu tho Assembly of the Nation rebukes the people of the South, and endorses, with a great name, an iniquity which has a parallel only in the fall pf man and the Yazoo fraud ! “ How liavo tho mighty fallen !” The Hon. Alexander H. Ste phens held not up the trembling hand of our President Davis, but with a firm determination to place liimself onoe more in the ranks of tho truly loyal, aud seat ftimself beside our puny Cwsar, he not only hows his head to the decree of fate, but sings his songs of rejoicing. In the name of those who have not forgot ten the past, 1 thank you. Georgia. NATIONAL TESTIMONIAL TO JOHN MlTCfl K I/. Address of the Committee to tho Peo ple of 1 relaud. It seems to us, friends and admirers of our exiled fellow-countryman, John Mitchel, that a time has now oomo for giviug some practical expression to the admiration and gratitude with which his life of long and faithful service in the cause of Ireland is regarded by the Irish people. Few men, if any, have shown a love for Ireland—few, if MrliTTi Iro ; lalu . Uhn Mitchel. We need ’offer noapahT gy, then, in appealing to evevy Irishman who loves his country to aid iis in prov ing to Mr. Mitchel that, long exiled ns he is, his name is still remembered in Ireland with love rind gratitude. After some inquiry and consideration, we have decided on proposing the fol lowing as a fitting form of testimonial: We ask the Irish people for the sum of £2,1X10, and we ask them to contribute the money immediately, so as to oim.de us to conclude our task within throe | months from the date of this address.— If this sum be given us, we shall present it at, once to John Mitchel as a free gift from the Iriali people, aud we shall at the same time take the liberty of ex pressing to him the wish of liis country men to possess a complete edition of liis writings, revised by himself aud their hope that it may prove a labor of love to him, at his leisure and convenience, to | carry that wish into effect. AU who have read his “Jail Journal,” his “History of Ireland Since the Treaty of Limerick,” or liis “Last Conquest (Perhaps),” will agree with us that Mr. Mitchel is one of tho most vigorous and original of living writers; a writer of whom Ireland may well be proud. His great literary powers have been steadily and unselfishly devoted to the service of Ireland; nml we would regard it as a na tional loss that any of liis writings should perish. For these reasons it is that we [impose to adopt the form of testimonial specified above. We trust that this Irish work of gratitude and duty may be crowned with signal success. Ireland has never, heretofore, been wanting in gratitude to those who have suffered iu her cause. To Irishmen of all classes we confidently appeal to prove in this instance, by a great Na tional Testimonial, that they are not ungrateful to the man who still remains an exile, charged with the one crime of having loved and served Ireland too well. Signed on behalf of the committee, John Martin, M. P., P. J. Smyth, M. P., J. P. Ronayne, M. P., Very Rev. Thus. Bithke, O. P., Treasurers. MARVELOUS NARRATIVE. A Man Loses liis Identity. The St. Louis Republican publishes an account of a trial involving a most marvelous question of identity now prd* gressing in Court at Malone, Franklin county, New York. The story goes that Willis Peyton, a farmer, forty years of age, went South two years ago to peddle a patent spring bed, leaving a wile aud several children, some of whom were well grown. At Terre Haute he spent’ some time, and after leaving that plaoo ha lost all consciousness, but after a time realized that he was in a hospital at Evansville, Indiana, recovering from small pox. Ho was then bald, and when he resinned his clothing every article appeared to have lieen made for a much smaller man. Tho pantaloons, which ho recognized as his, were at least six inches two short. He could get no traco of liis money, watch, model, spring bed, or other effects.— When lie was released from the hospital ho went to a friend, who spurned him as an imposter. He looked in a mirror and doubted liis own Identity. Ho first thought of suicide, and his next thought was of home. The latter j prevailed. On tho way he was taken ill again, and once more all tho world was a blank. He finally arrived at his own door after an absence of two years. Willis Peyton’s family believed him dead. The Willis Peyton who had j left that threshold two .years before had light hair, nearly red, and a very scanty ! beard, and was thin iu flesh. The Willis ! Peyton who now knocked at tho door was much taller, rounder, aud had brown curly hair and a heavy beard. Ho j knocked and was invited into tho house of the “Widow Peyton," and took a seat. Looking at Mrs. Peyton, ho said: “I suppose yon don’t know me, Addie?” | She answered: “No, sir, Ido not; who are you ?” The man burst into tears and said: “You’ll not believe ine, I know, when 1 tell you; but it’s got to I come some time, and might as well now jas not. I am Willis Peyton.” Mrs. Peyton shrank from him, ordered him j out of doors, and two of her sous and a I hired man took him to the nearest i justice, who sent him to jail as a lunatic. ! He was first tried by a commission iof lunacy, and was adjudged per fectly sane. He is now being tried before tho surrogate on the question of his pretensions as the husband of Mrs. Peyton, and the owner of the Peyton property. He has shown marks ou his person, related instances of his private family history, recalled circumstances in connection with old as sociates, all tending to prove tho truth -of his claim. ' Aud the "Widow Peyton” sits in the court room, by turns lookiug at the claimant to her bed and board, and crying as witness after witness avows liis belief that tho strange man is Willis Peyton. Shelias told her friends that if he really was Peyton he may have the farm, stock, and everthing but herself. So retimes during passages of the triul ho implores her to look again aud see ii she cannot recognize one feature and acknowledge him as her husband, but she refuses, and his earnest, appeal ing face suddenly becomes clouded by despair. He says if the suit terminates in his favor ho will only ask a living off the farm, and will never intrude upon his wife grid children, unless they voluntarily recognize him. How Dr. Jones Treats Ozo:-na, the Most Disagreeable or all Diseases ("in thb No e). —Extract of a letter from Mrs. 8, E. Lumpkin, of Lexington, Ga., one of the most intelligent and re spectable ladies, after her niece had been under Dr. Jones’ treatment five days: I)r. Jones : Dear Sir—l write to tell you of the progress your prescription is making in my niece. Bhe is getting on i finely, and says her head feels clearer | and better than she ever remembers to have known it. The disagreeable smell i lias entirely left her nose. Her father j seems more than delighted with your ! treatment. We follow your directions perfectly, which is easily done. I am, most respectfully, Mbs. 8. E. Lumpkin. Lexington. Ga. Dr. Jones has returned from Europe, and can be consulted at the Pulaski House, in Savannah, Ga., until the first of January.— Savannah Advertiser. Insurance in Chicago.— The Cliioago Times says: An important movement is on foot among many of the leading merchants and capitalist of this city, for securing relief from the presentggxor ! bitant insurance rates oharged by the companies that are members of tho Chi cago board of underwriters. For a long time past there lias lieeii a widespread feeling, emphatic in its nature, that the insurers of this city were paying rates al together out of proportion to just re quirements. The great fire of 1871 came with a heavy swoop upon the coffers of insurance companies, and, prompted by the desire of refilling them, *n advance has been made in insurance rates whioh is altogether uncalled for. Rev. Dr. Cheney, of Chicago, an nounces by telegraph that, with the consent and approval of Ids congrega tion, he will accept the office of Bishop in the new reformed Episcopal Church. He wants to know when lie can be con secrated by Bishop Cummins.