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About Weekly chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1877 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1874)
£t]romcie nrtt» jgrntintl. WEDNESDAY .... APRIL 39, 1874. IMMIHRATXOS FOR SOUTH CARO LINA. In immigration lies the surest and speediest hope of relief from negro and scalawag rule in South Carolina. The people are appreciating this fact. In Edgefield an immigration society has been formed for the purpose of intro ducing immigrants into that county. The society proposes to give away the laud, or sell it to immigrants on such reasonable terms as to induce them to settle in Edgefield. By the active co operation of the leading citizens and proper management by the society, im migrants can be readily induced to set tle in Edgefield. Other counties in the State are moving in this matter,with fair prospects of success. AIiHH'IiLTU it A L CON G K ESS. The National Agricultural Congress meets at Atlanta on the 13th of May. We learn from an exchange that the Central, Western and Eastern Middle Stub s will be largely represented by the richest and most intelligent farmers of the country. Atlanta was selected as the place for this convocation that these people might see and determine for themselves the value, productiveness and attractiveness of Southern farms and homesteads. Perhaps it wouhl prove a Ivantageous to send up a dele gation of our City Fathers, with Mayor Estes as Chairman, to invite the mem bers of this Agricultural Congress to visit, Augusta. It would be a cheap way to advertise the manufacturing facilities and advantages of Augusta. DIRECT TRADE. Mr. .T. A doer Smyth, the Commissioner appointed by the Charleston Chamber of Commerce to canvass interior cities in the interest of a line of steamers be tween Charleston and Liverpool, has been eminently successful in procuring m .ml support from the merchants in the various cities which he Ims visited. He addr. and the Louisville Board of Trade Monday on the necessities and impor tance of the proposed line. Resolutions were adopted pledging encouragement and support, and recommending Mr. Smyth and the enterprise he represents to the cities of the West. The estab lishment of a line of steamers between Charleston and Liverpool would secure ivr>r<: dir ••t, ;md convenient comniunicft tion between the South Atlantic and Western States and Europe. The bene fits to be derived by our people are in calculable. THE WEST AND MOUTH. This Government lias been run in ae cordanoc with New England ideas for the last twelve years. The Eastern and Middle States have absolutely controlled it, and the whole tiieoiy and practice have been to foster and develop the in terests of those two sections at the ex pense of the producing West and South. The St, Louis Republican considers “ tiic vote on the currency bills in Con gress is the most interesting and sug gestive sectionul division in that body that has been seen for years; it is a sig nal triumph of the West and South over the Fa t , and suggests, if it does not actually fori shadow, the union of the two victorious sections for future conquests. The vote in the Senate stood : For inflation, 36; against, 31; majority, 5. The political division on the question lias no significance what ever, except to show that both Demo crats ami Republicans are at sea, and neither have a fixed policy on it. It is the sectional division alone that is worth studying. This shows that the Western and Southern Senators united, without regard to politics, to carry the bill over the head of the Eastern Senators, the re sult being a triumph of the agricultural in terest over the commercial and moneyed in'erest. The Western Senators'voted 111 for inflatiouand 10 against; theSouth eni Seuatore voted 18 for and 5 against; and the Eastern States voted 2 for and 10 against the measure. The West and South together voted 34 for and 15 ai'uiust it. There was not complete unity between the West and South in fa vor of the measure, but there was a suf ficient. degree of it to carry the bill. The Eastern Stall's, on the other hand, were almost entirely united —the only votes they east in favor of the bill being Sprague, of Rhode Island, and Came itos, of Pennsylvania. Si’ll agu u's vote was simply that of a heavy debtor, who wants cheap money to pay out with. If the Sprague Manufacturing Company were not, in trouble, both the Rhode Isl and votes would have been cast with the other New England votes against the bill. The House voie shows a similar division. Os the l(W votes east in favor of the bill in that body, only 28 were from the Eastern States—all the others being from the West and the South; and of the 77 votes east against it, only 28 were from the West anil South.” Western and Southern members voted for an increaao of the currency because they believed that their respective sec tions would be benefittod by securing a more equitable distribution of it, which would give cheap money to the debtor class. They did not care whether it brought about an expansion or an infla tion of the currency, so long as it promised to bring temporary relief to their people, who have too long paid usury to the monied alliance of Boston and New York. The West and the South voted for cheap money. The Eastern and Middle States have all the currency that they require for their own wants and for the purposes of speculat ing upon the necessities of the agricultu ral South and West. The latter sections are tributary too and dependant upon the former, and it is because the East did not wish this profitable busi ness to bo broken up that an in crease of the currency was so oli- noxious, not only as a measure of in flation but as one destined to destroy the monied power so long wielded iu its own interest against the people of the West and South. The currency bill was a complete victory over Mow England and is indicative of the overthrow of Yankee domination in the conduct of the Government. The President's veto will only make the alliance of the agricultur al sections the more compact. The Jtc publican thus refers to this alliance, which is entirely devoid of part feeling and one solely of sectional interest: It was, therefore, a complete victory of the two sections over the other, and particularly over New England, whose votes were all cast against it, with the singh* exception of Si'kaoiu: in the Sen ate, and lirrLKK in the House. This division was u--t accidental. Too issue was sharply made, and both sides came op to it with unusual earnestness. Bos ton ami Now York, as representatives of th specie resumption idea, not only adopted emphatic resolutions in favor of it. but brought all the pressure to bear upon Congress that was at their com ] maml; and tin* West and rseutli, though' exerting none of that orgamz and effort which-the East is iu the habit of employ ing to such great advantage, brought up the irresistible influence of a com pact popular wish. New England is not accustomed to such smarting de feats as th s, and it is evident tout she is annoyed by it. Ever siu *e the Republican party ea ue luto power it has been almost absolutely controller!, and tiirouga it the Government also, by that section: the tariff, the public debt, tae national banking system, the inter nal revenue system and the recoustrnc t’ou of the South, have all been, in a measure, agencies for the consolidation of power and wealth in the hands of the Northeast. The disintegration going on in "the Republican party during tin last two years, however, has dep ived that section of the instrument by which it secured the docile obedience of the West, and left both the West and South to form new associations. It is not sur prising that they should come together iu a voluntary alliance, nor that they should be startled by the power which this alliance exhibits. It would rather oe surprising if, having discovered the power of this new sectional union, they shall not further compact it for fu ture occasions. Indeed, the consolida tion of the West and South into the governing authority of the country ap pears to be the probable product of this vote on the currency bill. The mi n strons official corruptions that have been developed at the East, the growing di visions in New England, and the la mentable decay of public spirit in Mas sachusetts, as exhibited in the recent history of many of her public men, con spire with the' growing habit of inde pendent thinking in the West to make an opportunity for this transfer of pow er. The very fact that the East is anx ious only to preserve things just as they are, and that the other two sections are becoming violently and aggressively clamorous for something better than the present condition of things, is, of itself, an indication of the drift of events in this direction. * THE GRANITEVILLE FACTORY. The report, which we published yes terday giving the operations of the Graniteville Manufacturing Company for the past year, shows an exhibit as creditable to the President, Mr. H.H. Hickman, as it must be satisfactory to the stockholders. If anything were needed to show the large profits of cot ton manufacturing in the South, the re nort of Mr. Hickman would be most conclu-ive. The financial panic, which paralyzed the manufacturing industries of the North, stopping the mills in that section and throwing thousands of ope ratives out of employment, did not ma terially impair the operations of our fac tories.* No Southern mills succumbed to the panic. There was neither suffer ing from this cause among employees nor any perceptible loss to the stock holders by reason of a reduction in the payment of the usual dividends. The net earnings of the Graniteville Factory forthepast year have been a littleovcr 22 per cent, of the capital stock, which was 8700,000. In accordance with the recom mendation of the President, alarge num ber of shares of the stock owned by the company were cancelled in order to re duce the capital stock to 8600,000, thus enhancing the value of the remaining -hares. As an evidence of the appre ciation of this stock, it has increased in side of a few years from below par to 173 per share, at which figures twenty one shares were sold at the stockholders meeting at Graniteville on Thursday. There are no industries that will con duce more surely and speedily to the enriching of our people than cotton fac tories. Every dollar of surplus money in the city of Augusta should be invested in factories on the line of the canal. The success of the Augusta, Graniteville and Langley mills establishes beyond per adventure that with proper management cotton factories are the most profitable and permanent investments in the South. PRESIDENTIAL DISCOURTESY. The committee of merchants selected to present a petition to President Grant in behalf of the leading bankers anil merchants and capitalists of New York, in opposition to the Senate currency bill, claim to have been treated with gross incivility by the President. Mr. Cyrus W. Field, a member of tlio com mittee, was very much annoyed at the conduct of Butler, Logan, Ferry and Carpenter, who had General Grant in charge when the committee reached Ihe White House. The President speci fied the hour for the interview. It was understood to be private. On tlie arri val of the committee the President met the members at the reception room. After the conversation proceeded for about five minutes Gen. Butler entered the room and drew General Grant away into the recess of a window, where lie kept him for over ten minutes, leaving the committee of Gothamites meanwhile standing with their fingers in their mouths. When Butler left the Presi dent said that he would hear the com mittee. Mr. Field then went through the ceremony of an introduction, and Mr. Low began bis address. Here an other interruption occurred. Gen. Bab cock, or some other person, entered and whispered into the Presidential ear. Then entered Senators Ferry, Carpen ter and Logan, who stood around in a very discourteous way, while the re mainder of the interview proceeded. The committee had expected the inter view to be private, and Mr. Field consid ers the presence of these Senators an act of great discourtesy. Mr. F. S. Winston complains of t he conduct of Senators Fer ry, Logan and Carpenter, who entered the presence of the Chief Magistrate smoking cigars. Their manner was not onlv discourteous to the President, but to the committee. Mr. P. E. Hawley did not relish the intrusion. Logan stood in a leaning attitude, with liis bauds in his pantaloon pockets and a cigar in his mouth. He characterizes the conduct of Senator Logan during the whole interview as not omy dis courteous and ungentlemauly, but posi tively disgusting. The statements of other members of the committee are but a repetition of those of Messrs. Field, Winston and Hawley. The action of Butler and the Senators named was looked upon by the members of ttie committee as the result of a conspiracy to prevent the President from commit ting himself. They wanted to guard him from saying anything to prevent an increase in the currency. The manner of the President and the conduct of liis advisers were characterized as “design edly cool and insulting.” Since the President has vetoed the currency bill, however, his marked dis courtesy to the committee of New York merchants, who had waited upon him for the purpose of invoking executive interposition to defeat the action of Congress, will be overlooked and lost sight of. This is perhaps in keeping with the peculiar characteristics of tlie “Universal Yankee Nation.” President Grant is as familiar with the sen sitive spot in the character of the people who inhabit Boston and New York as any other ordinary man in the country. He treated the represen tatives of the monied interest with al most as marked discourtesy as the dele gation of South Carolina Tax Payers. He has made no reparation for his dis courtesy and exhibition of temper to the South Carolinians because they are pow erless. They are down in the dust and so far as he is concerned lie never in tends to extend a finger to help them on their feet. For the discourtesy to the monied men of New York he thinks that lie has made ample amends. He has vetoed the financial bill, the effect of which, it was urged by the committee, would be most disas trous to the pockets of the people of the East, and thereby made ample apology for the insult offered the members of the committee at the White House. The Now York and Boston journals rebuked the President for his marked discourtesy, but he has made reparation for the af front in a manner so practical as to ef face its recollection. He lias made peace with the monied interest. New England hails lnm as the savior of the currency—having by his veto pre vented inflation which, was r- presented by the holders of United States bonds as the first step on the road to repudia tion of the debt contracted during the war. President Grant can play tlie tyrant and treat his betters with disre spect, as in the case of the South Charolina gentlemen who called upon 1 ini, and while no repara tion on his part can justify or ex cuse his conduct on that occasion, his veto of the currency bill will be a salxo to the wounded dignity of Mr. CTRrs \\ . Field and the other members of the New York Committee. What matters the President’s discourtesy to this Com mittee. The pockets of Boston and ■New York are not insulted, and these are the most vulnerable points to insult the diguity and wound the honor of a Yan kee. By deserting his friends in the West, President Grant has healed the schism in the East. He has sold out to New England on the currency-question. The services rendered will be received as ample reparation for lack of courtesy to the committee of New York mer chants. Prince Bismarck exoresses himself .pleased with the President’s veto of the inflation bill. OCR MIDDLE GEORGIA CORRES POSDEM’E. Plenty of Rain—The Arkansas War- Trade and Credit— Cotton at 20 Cents Hill and .Stephens—The Cremation Hoax. Macon, April 22, 1874. The Crop Situation-Clear Weather j Once More. After days an 1 weeks of almost inccs- ! sant rain the sun shown yesterday with 1 a brilliancy all its own, whilst a soft ; balmv Spring breeze blew up from the j Gulf 'and from off the Caribbean seas; j the green earth was mirrored in the sky, tinging horizon and zenith with a deeper blue than ever portrayed by painter’s brash. If Heaven be the place they say it is our yesterdav must have been a foretaste of it. It was indeed hard to realize that just a few hours ago the roaring tempest, clouds and rain, thun der and lightning, were sweeping over and holding carnival, when all was now the peace dreamed of the sainted soul. It was a peace with all nature save its favored creature —man. Here, there, everywhere, he was working, striving, planning, persuading, cursing, blasphem ing, his feet and his mind on the earth, with not a thought beyond the stars. Right glad are we all at the assurances that now the rains have ceased and an opportunity will be given for the'erops to get under full headway; although stunned and greatly retarded, a week of sunshine will make all the difference in the world. Later—half hour later. — Just as I got that off and was nailing down a little more of the same sort of moonshine a crack of thunder brought me to my feet. Looking out the whole western sky was covered with the blackest sort of clouds and in a few minutes they were overhead dealing out more water.” It is monotonous. We are certainly entitled to a little sunshine oc casionally, but it seems we are not to have it yet. The ” ground throughout Middle, Southwestern and Western Georgia is so completely saturated that it is impossi ble to do any work upon the plantations. The farmers who had been lucky enough to get seed in the ground before the deluge commenced are now confronted with an endless quantity of grass grow ing apace. To attempt to kill would only result in its cultivation. We will live in hope, however, if we do die in despair. The Arkansaw War as Seen by a Traveler. A Southern commercial traveler for a Northern house, who sometimes scribes a rhomboid in the perfectly healthy State of Arkansas, was in town the other day and gave us some of the ex act facta about the origin of tlie war over there. Some hooks are lies from end to end Aud some great lies were never penned. But this I going to tell, which lately (Arkan saw) befell, Is just as true as the de’ils in Colum bia and promiscuously distributed up and down South Carolina. He said that when the Radicals took up Baxter for Governor it was the plain bargain that when he got the office he was to steal everything paid into the Treasury and divide it out equally among the contract ing parties, like Scott and Moses have been doing ever since the war. But Baxter outrageously violated the contract. When he got the office he refused to take any thing, whereupon a great many hungry wolves got fighting mad, and they are now trying to put him out and get Brooks’ into the office. It is supposed that Brooks has made them the same pledges. Anyhow, they are in despair of getting any considerable amount of loot from Baxter, and to get rid of him is a matter of the very first importance. Decent Democrats all around the State have no sympathy of any consequence for either, but, upon the whole, rather prefer Baxter. If, in the fight now going on, both are killed and all their follow ers under arms, they will not feel specially, called upon to wear crape. It is a triangular battle between two wings of Arkansas Radicals and United States troops, with Demo crats standing back hollering “Go it, husband; go it, bear !” “ Charge, Bax ter, charge ! on, Brooks, on !” He says that the number of negroes year after year going into the State is so much greater than whites that no one need en tertain any immediate hope of its being any better in a decade of years. Hav ing been rendered harmless in Tennes see, Virginia, North Carolina and Geor gia, those of them who prefer going West naturally take to Arkansas, and this present difficulty is but the beginning of a repetition of Louisiana and South Carolina troubles, wholesale thefts and robberies upon gigantic plans.' He says that Grant is puzzled to know how to act; if Baxter or Brooks was a Demo crat lie could see his way clear—but they are both Rads, and therefore his States Rights principles in the case of Arkan sas are greatly muddled. “The Stone Which tlie Builders Re jected.” The situation in warehouse accept ances, in bank accommodations and in crediting planters by our merchants, is essentially unchanged. Almost every day farmers without bread, meat or money, who have their places broken up partially, or wholly planted, are in the city, offering to pledge everything they own in the world for supplies, with out being able to get a dollar’s worth. Some few tried and true men fare better, but they are as one in fifty. To this the people of Crawford county are an exception. As written some time ago, that is a people who have always made nearly enough to eat, have therefore jiaid tlieir debts promptly, and to-day can get all the credit their reasonable wants demand. When the country was mad with the cotton mania their trade was not coveted, their credit poor, and fortunately for them they could not get into debt very deeply. “But the stone which the builders rejected lias become the corner of the temple.” This state of tilings has and will force either the total abandonment of a great manv plantations or tlieir nominal cul tivation, until their proprietors shall have regained a sufficient foothold to go forward as in the days of old. They will have to get back to that whether they want to or not; it is Hobson s choice that or nothing. Adversity is a rigid schoolmaster —often thought cruel anil heartless—but to one who has lived among this people and been conversant with all their folly for the last eight or nine years, their present straits is a blessing, not in disguise, but so plain, that a fool can see it equally with the wise. Had these men now so hard press ed even sown enough oats in time, they could now at least support their stock sufficiently to do light work. But in spite of ail warnings in the public press, and the repeated declarations of factors and merchants that they could and would not get any more credit, they dreamed away the opportunity, each thinking he would be an exception to the rule—that what he lacked the good natured Macon friend would be glad to supply as usual. Fatal illusion ! happy disappointment for the country at large! Ring the Fog Bell. Cotton has jumped suddenly to 10 cents, with every prospect of its going 2 or 3 cents higher before the Summer months close. ” If it passes twenty before the time to sow grain this Fall anil next Spring runs out, “Farewell, Brother Crawford!” The cattle in our fields will sav, “Farewell. Brother Crawford !” The hot's in the lanes and in the roads will sav, “Farewell, Brother Crawford! F’t' slick happy horses and mules, with racks full of fodder, will say “Farewell, Brother Crawford !” From old Uncle Tonv down to the shirtless piccaninv will” be a shout, “Farewell Brother Crawford ! Isc gwine to jine de arrnali. Ise gwine away to leib you !’ Even the fieltls waving and jeweled with rich and vellow wheat and corn will say, ‘±are we 1 Brother Crawford !’ and that standard Methodist text—the cook—will fly npon the fence, flop liiß wings and crow, “Farewell, Brother Crawford ! The Stephens and Hill Controversy. Mr. Hill was in town the other day and conversed freely about the docu ment of Mr. Stephens. He said it was matter which he could not afford to let pass and the public may therefore ex pect a replv from him, if they have not it a readv.' That the controversy would lead to "the publication of the whole j Hampton Roads conference, removal of j Johnston and much other unwritten Confederate history. In this light the ; war betweeu tiiG .distinguished gentle- j men may reveal the truth about many j points upon which there is now doubt and contrary opinions. Let the whole . facts came out. We could even stand a I book upon this matter, not that it would . fertilize the present or any future crop j of corn «.r bacon, but it would till up a rainv day or a Fourth of July. J Jean Faljhan. SEW YORK NOTES. New Yobk, April 24.-The President of the Cot-tdh Exchange to-day received a telegram from the President of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, acknowl edging the receipt of So,(MW. Another remittance will be sent in a few days. The Hero of tlie Niobe. The resolutions of the Common Conn ed tendering toßirLambtouLorainethe hospitality and freedom of the city, were presented” to him this afternoon m the Governor’s room, at the City Hall, by Mivor Havemever, to which bir Lamb ton made a brief reply to the members of the Common Council Boards, the al dermen and assistant aldermen and city officials present,whom he bade au revoir when taking his departure, bir Lamb ton sails for England to-morrow. LETTER FROSI OGLETHORPE. Coniiiiiou of the Cr ps-Plenty of Food Crops—A Hopeful Outlook—Meeting of the Superior Court—Election for Ordinary. Lexington, Ga., April 22, 1874. To the. Editors of the Chronicle and Sentinel: Oglethorpe lias had a liberal portion of the heavy rains that have recently fallen, yet the damages have not been so great as in some other couuties. The fresh plowed fields have been badly washed, and fertilizers where applied, leeched off at least half their strength, aud will disappoint the expectations of the planter. I learn, however, that comparatively few have been purchased the present season, and that farmers generally are disposed to experiment on their own resources. The wheat and oat fields abound every where, and are perfectly luxuriant. If no disaster befalls these crops the yield will surpass any for years. The people are beginning to believe .that no perrna* nent prosperity will ever attend them unless they raise their own supplies. At the early dawn of day this morn ing I heard some person calling hogs, and an hour or so afterward the pealing notes of the bugle liorn, echoing over the distant hills and valleys, told that beef was in the market, refreshing us with the memory of ante-bellum times. I am glad to say that there are a number in this good o and comity who have not bowed tlie knee to Baal. Men who raise their own corn and meat, wheat and oats, and who have fat horses, and fat cattle and hogs, plenty of money, free from debt, and always will be, so long as they run this schedule. Among the worthy leaders of this class, are Zac Clark, Thomas Calloway, Augustus, Dozier, Dr. Davenport, Obeiiiah Ste vens, Reece Watkins, and others too numerous to mention, who are an houor to the agricultural fraternity, and examples worthy the imitation of their fellow-citizeus. Oglethorpe aud Elbert couuties raise more provisions than any I have visited, and talk less of hard times aud scarcity of money. The Superior Court is in session here—Judge Pottle presiding. Besides the local bar, Judge Reese and Mr. Colly, of Wilkes; Col. Lewis, of Greene; Emory Speer, Esq., of Athens, and the Hon. Mr. Ed wards, of Elbert, are in attendance. There are no heavy eases, either civil or criminal, before the Court, and the dockets will probably be cleared the present week. An election was held to-day for Ordi nary of the county, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Capt. Mit chell. Four candidates were in the field, consisting of Messrs. Gillam, Olive, Shackleford and Banks. Mr. Gillam re ceived a majority of the votes at this precinct, and it is thought will be elect ed. Though a considerable number of white and blacks were in attendance, the occasion passed oft 1 quietly, and the utmost harmony and good feeling pre vailed. Visitor. Death Rate of Georgia Lawyers.— In the proceedings of the Court and Bar, in Early Superior Court, in honor of the late Col. Thomas F. Jones, Col. Herbert Fielder, Chairman of the Com mittee, in his address, reported the fol lowing list of lawyers of his acquaint ance who have died amid the active duties of the profession since the late war : Joseph Henry Lumpkin, Eugenius A. Nesbit, James A. Nesbit, Ebenezer Starnes, Jno. K. Jackson, Ambrose Ran som Wright, Garnett Andrews, Augus tus H. Kenan, Ilines Holt, Nathan L. Hutchings, Howell Cobb, Linton Ste phens, E.G. Cabaniss, Junius Wingfield, Edward J. Harden, Thomas E. Lloyd, J. J. Pope, Wm. Law, Richard Sims, Isaac E. Bower, Geo. L. Barry, Louis A. Goneke, Ephraim H. Platt, James J. Kiddoo, Samuel S. Stafford, Thompson T. Swann, Thomas F. Jones, Malcom Gillis, A. G. Perryman, A. W. Brown, Francis M. Harper, James N. Ramsey, Wm K. DeGraffenreid, Benj. B. DeGraffenreid, A. B. Seals, Geo. W. Fish, James Milnes, Josiali R. Parrott, William Dougherty, to which others, perhaps, might be added, if re collected. He stated that, in liis opin ion, the exigencies of the times since the late war had thrown upon their intellec tual resources so large a number of the profession that the standard of ability hail been raised higher than at any other period in the history of the State. That passing in silence the eminent men of the court and bar who are living, there were in that array of the dead an aggre gate of genius and talent, ability and learning, of integrity, patriotism and virtue that will compare favorably with any other profession in this or any other country. And in accounting for the ex traordinary death rate, lie suggested tlie probability of over-brain work as a lead ing cause.— Early County News. Fractional Currency. —A city firm yesterday sent four dollars and twenty five cents in fractional currency, to one of the railroad depots, in pay ment of freight charges to that amount. The money was sent back,'with an arti cle from the Journal of Commerce, in explanation. As the article in question is on a subject not generally under stood, we present it in fulL: Newark, N. J., May 31, 1873. Editor of the Journal of Commerce : Can an expressman or collector for a railroad company legally refuse to ac cept fractional currency in payment of tlieir bills, which are usually small ? And is not said currency a legal tender in large amounts ? Please reply through the columns of your valuable paper. Yours, An Old Reader. Reply.— Neither the fractional cur rency (paper) now in circulati n, nor the postal currency, which it succeeded, was ever a legal tender (except to the Government) for any amount whatever. The smaller metal currency has under gone, in this respect, more fluctuations than can be described in a single article. For the last two or three years the live cent nickel was a legal tender for on dollar, the three cent nickel for thirty cents, and the one aud two cent piece for only four cents. On the 12tli of February last all former acts were rc pealed, and anew provision made the five cent, three cent and one cent piec of copper and nickel, a legal tender, not to exceed twenty-live cents in any one payment. By mixing these in due pro portion, any part of one dollar can be reached, but the limit is altogether too narrow for convenience. The fractional paper currency is not a legal tender. Sell the Races.— At the time when the rivaly aud jealousy of the great Whig leaders, Messrs. Clay and Web ster, disturbed the harmony and menaced tlie integrity of the party, Mr. Seaton, of the National Intelligencer, then Mayor of Washington, entertained at his hospitable mansion a large com pany of the most conspicuous gentle men in the city belonging to that organ ization. One object was to furnish an eligible opportunity for those of the same political creed to confer freely at the social board, with a view to securing unity of action in Congress. Mr. Sea ton iiad great faith in the softening in fluence of discreet conviviality, and be ing a general host, of elegaut address and winning manners, no man in Wash ington was better fitted to manage an affair of the kind. He was universally popular, never said or did an ungraci ous thing, aud his entertainments were always a success. There was a general attendance of the Whigs, including Con gressmen and members of the Cabinet, and some prominent officers of the army and navy—General Scott, whose Presi dential aspirations had given much un easiness to several gentlemen whose eyes j were turned in the same direction, be sides Mr. Webster and Mr. Clay. It was a jolly time, high living being a prevalent weakness of politicians in Washington, both Whigand Democratic. The situation had been discussed ; sev eral prominent gentlemen having frankly expressed their views. Obviously there was a lack of harmony among the lead ers. At this stage of the consultation, Cost Johnson, speaking in a tone so load as to arrest the attention of the i company, begged permission to relate an anecdote which he thought appli cable to the matter tinder consideration. “Go on ! go on !” resounded from all parts of the room. “A neighbor of mine m Washington county, a wealthy planter, was much addicted to horse racing. Tlie tnrf was a passion with him. He had a stable of fine horses, of the purest blood, and he attended every meeting, far and near, if the race course was accessible. His horses ran well, but he never won a purse. After repeated disappointments he told his trainer that he had made up his mind to sell liis racing stud aud re tire from the field. ‘Don’t do dat, mnssa,’ said the darkey; ‘dem’s first rate hosses, and ran iike de widd.’ ‘But they never win a race, and 1 am deter mined to self them.’ ‘Pray don’t mass— dey’s good for something—dey can just beat one anodder.” * There was a loud laugh at the story ; but it was observed that Messrs. Clay, Webster and Scott did not seem to en- j joy it as much as the rest of the com pany.—Harper's Magazine. The flourishing village in Williams burg county which has heretofore been known by the name of Leesville has as sumed the proportion of a town, and is now called Scranton. The wings to the new Lunatic Asylum, at Columbia, upon which work has been suspended for several years, are to be completed at once. Messrs. Howie A Allen have the contract. Treasurer Cardozo has returned—much to the delight of the numerous holders of State paper; but whether or not they will receive anything more than a bland smile, remains to be seen. THE FLOOD BELOW. WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE. 1 Serious Accounts from Memphis, Vicfes ] buri.', Shreveport. New Orleans and ’ Other Places. Great Crevasses in the Mississippi i Levees-Plantations(Submerged, Ac. j Memphis. [From the Memphis Appeal.] DANGEROUS FREAKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI. There is imminent danger that a fresh j stroke of bad luck is impending over | Memphis. For some years the narrow ! isthmus, fifty or sixty yards wide, that 1 separated the Mississippi from Loosa-, liatcliie and Wolf rivers, has been steadi- | ly wearing away. Civil engineers and ! property holders have not been unmind ful of the fact, and now and then have j visited the place where the waters of the great river have at last opened a way across the country to Memphis. W hat may be the consequences of this diver sion of the flood tide of the Mississippi it is impossible to predict. The river’s current, as we are informed, expends its whole force against the shore at the very point at which this crevasse has been made. If the resistless volume of water move on a straight line, it may sweep away several saw mills and the navy yard, and then transfer to New Orleans that great heap of sand lying in the midst of the stream just at the foot of Union street. But no living man can anticipate the conduct or movements of the Mississippi. A vast deal of proper ty is involved, and, by bare possibility, even the admirable new Court House, guaranteed to last as such for a full term of twenty years (!). Since ail this may be seized by the father of floods, and swept in among Eads’ jetties, or block up the Barrataria canal, and pother the Gulf stream, it might be very' well for persons interested, and for those in authority to investigate the facts and possibilities to which we refer, and if any great calamity, as asserted by a cor respondent, impend over the great jail, that cost tax payers half a million dol lars, measures to prevent it should be We had thought that when yellow fever had done its worst, that the cup of Memphis’ woes was full to overflowing; but it \yas not. It was the river of death that then deluged the land; now the great river of the continent sweeps by, desolating fields and hfimes, and de stroying everything that obstructs its course. When may these measureless calamities have ail end ? Vicksburg. [From the Vicksburg Herald.] The high water of 1867, and pro bably that of 1862, will almost certainly be attained before we find any relief from its subsidence ; and from present indications there will be few levees this side of Memphis on either side of the river that will be able to withstand the ' pressure. Already thousands of acres ' of the richest and most productive soil j of the Mississippi Valley is under water, i and the torrent is still pouring down upon us, tlie levees offering no protec -1 tion whatever to the planter. Below this city, especially below the mouth of Red river, the situation is very alarming, and the water is nearly EVEN WITH THIS TOP OF THE BANKS At nearly all places where it is not ac tually running over ; and while the tax payers are contributing thousands of dollars to the support of levee contrac tors, the only return they receive is an inundation of their farms anil tlie sweep ing away of their crop prospects by the relentless waters of the great inland sea. These facts staring the people in the face very naturally induce the opinion amo a great many people that the levee system is a great failure, and that the only means of preventing an over flow of this great valley is to open up all the outlets and give the water as much scope as possible, rather than at tempt to continue it to a narrow chan nel that has net capacity sufficient to carry off the immense volume of water that finds its way to the sea from the mountains and valleys above. Shreveport. [From the Shreveport Times.] The view of the situation is not a cheerful one. From every direction we hear of heavy rains, increasing floods, broken levees and threatened overflows. On the sixteenth, a terrific storm of wind and rain swept over the whole country. On the line of the Texas and Pacific, trees, fences and houses were blown down, and a freight train of seven cars fell through a bridge on the road undermined by the flood. About Min den, the country 7 is flooded, bridges re ported swept away, the bayou is still rising, and the warehouses in town are in two feet of water, while the cotton stored -in them is being removed to the high lands in boats. The waters of the bayou spread two. and a half miles in width. At Monroe there have been con tinual rains, with the Ouachita rising. The planting prospects in that vicinity are represented as gloomy. Upon the whole, tilings look threaten ing, and there can be no doubt that this season’s flood on the Mississippi will be one of the greatest on record, and it will probably not begin to subside before the latter part of May. [From tlio New Orleans Republican.] All along our city front the state of affairs is not mending, and the report is that a further rise has taken place. Cer tainly tlie flood has not abated, nor lias the danger. Water is sweeping through at hundreds of points, and in some places is running over in sufficient quantities to alarm the boldest. In the neighborhood of the French Market tilings look better, as laborers have per formed much good service, and tlie Mo bile Railroad construction trains have brought in considerable sand and gravel, which is placed where it will do the most good. From that point to the bar racks there are but few places consider ed as liable to crevasse. [From the New Orleans Picayune.] At noon Tuesday tlie river in front of the city stood six aud a half inches above the high water mark of 1871, and still rising. TnE CREVASSES ABOVE NEW ORLEANS. By the B. L. Hodge, which arrived at a late hour Monday night, we learn that no.new crevasses have as yet been made anywhere along. The MeCullom crev asse, about one mile this side of Baton Rouge, is over a hundred feet wide and ten feet in depth. 'Workmen are still engaged in doing everything possible on both of these, but it is not thought much can be accomplished beyond making solid tlie ends, so that the breaks will not increase. The water is flooding tlie entire country, and more than twenty-five plantations will be ruined. HUNDREDS OF PLANTATIONS DESOLATE. Through a gentleman who has just ar rived from the Ouachita river, we learn that the weather has been terrible up there for the last month. The river from Camden down lias overflowed its banks, and is rushing down in a tremen dous flood, ruining tlie rich and beauti ful country and making everything deso late in the extreme. The river is full of drift, dead cattle, and wreck of every description, and hundreds of families are rendered homeless by tlie rapidly increasing waters, the rise being unpre- I cedented and rather on the increase than j decrease. Every one appears paralyzed j with fear, and nothing is done to save j goods of the planters, which are swept i away in many instances. This flood, which has been pouring into the Red river, ! and thence swelling the Mississippi, on- | ly a small portion running up through Atchafalya, is now on the increase, and | will add to the vast volume of waters at our doors. appalling summary. * * It needs but a general overflow to complete the work of crashing cur commercial aud agricultural interests, and consigning Hern to that oblivion where our political existence has al ready gone; and this overflow is hourly becoming more iinmineut. Already there are numerous crevasses, some of them in the richest and most fruitful districts of the State; already millions of dollars, scores of fortunes and innumer able industries have been swept away. Water is covering the fairest spots upon the lower coast, in Lafourche, in Baton Rouge, in Point Coupee; aud the great stream pouring through Bonnet Carre has tilled the swamps and water courses until it begins to creep up against our city’s rear, and threaten the very thor oughfares on which we pursue our avo cations. In front of us the sullen flood has mounted six inches higher than was ever known before, aud in our rear it is, as we have just stated, attacking us with steady bnt persistent energy. We are threatened constantly aud alarmingly, from the northern to the southern boundary of the State. Bayou Sara. [From tlie Bayou Sara Leader.] The water has been creeping with such rapidity over the levees opposite Bavon Sara” that on Thursday, at 3 o’clock in the morning, it was found ne cessary to turn out an extra squad of •workmen to prevent the town from be ■U!rr overflowed. Work was carried on nntil the break of day, when it was found impossible to stop the water.. A general alarm was given and the citizens of St. Francisville and Bayou Sara turned out in full force, and after working manfully for several h urs the principal breaks were overcome and the town saved, for the present at least. Point Coupee. [From the Point Coupee Republican.] The river is still rising; at one time during the week it rose at least six inches in one night. On Thursday the INDSTINCT water was passing over the Jewell, Colomb, Bovard and Taylor levees. The people turned out in force and set to work in earnest, patching and raising the levees at these points, so that at nightfall they could be pronounced out "of danger. During Thursday night the levees protecting Waterloo gave way, and the town is now entirely overflowed. The levee in the rear is now pronounced safe. On the Grand levee the water is running over in several places. The Fisher’s lauding and Raccourci i levees, owing to the timely surveillance | of Capt. E. Oubre, so far have been able to withstand the pressure of the water. As we go to press we receive the following direct information from the 1 levees above: The Grand levee stands I firm. A good many hands are employ- 1 ed raising it at the points where the water threatens to run over. Part of the Morgan Bend levee is in a very : critical condition. The people, how ever are confident, if they can get the lumber, they can remedy this. Delhi. [From the Delhi Chronicle.] From all aronud us the pitiful wail of distress from inundation reaches us. The railroad track for half its length is submerged in water, tips Ouachita is full and running over, and the beautiful plantations along its banks are covered ! with sipage water and overflow; the same may be said for a good portion of the Boenf river and Lake Lafourche country; a portion of the town of Ray ; ville is under water; back water has crept up the ravines and drains of Del- S hi, rendering some of our streets impas sible for pedestrians; the water still covers about half the parish of Madison, while the remainder is in imminent danger of inundation. “For Pity's Sake Help.” New Orleans, April 2L—Appeals from the overflowed district in Louis iana say: ‘‘For pity sake send us relief. Cows that are not drowned are starv ing.” Details of the calamity are too wide-spread for telegraph. No mail trains reached Jackson or Mobile yes terday. The mails came via Vicksburg by boat. New York Responds. New York, April 24.—The subscrip tions at the Cotton Exchange reach 84,500. Rescued From Rafts. Cario, April 24.—The Minneola, from Memphis hither, picked up seven fami lies from skiffs, rafts and dug outs. The people are fleeing from their flooded homes. The country between this city and Memphis is overflowed, chiefly on the west side of the liver. The News (Jetting Worse. New Orleans, April 24. Letters from planters in Carroll parish cays, That from the overflow there will be 27 plantations in this parish that will make no cotton at all; 11 that may make half a crop; and 29 that are good for a full crop. The water from Barnett Carre and McCullen crevasses has over fly wed,Grand Point settlement,St. Janies parish, forcing many to leave .their homes and seek protection in other localities. Engineer Van Pelt, of the Levee Company, reports the crevasse at Hickey’s beyond control. It is fully a quarter of a mile wide and about ion feet deep. Mr. Hickey's residence, a two-story frame cottage, with eight rooms, wsi taken up by the flood and carried to the back part of the planta tion, where it lodged against some trees. Almost the entire parish of West Baton Rouge, and the whole of the parish of Iberville, lying on the right of the Mis sippi river, appear to be under water. Railroads Flooded and Bridges Wash ed Away. New Orleans, April 24.—The Jack son Railroad is flooded, and bridges are washed away, k.<s. Near Amite, on the Mobile Railroad, the bridge over Pearl river was washed away, and a portion of the West Pascagoula bridge is gone. There has been no train to-day by either road. A rain storm prevailed here this morning. The wind .was blowing half a gale from the northwest. Six days of Northwestern and Western mails are now due. The steamer Great Republic is due here to-morrow, with sixty-nine packages of mail matter. Boston, April 25.—Mayor Cobb to day authorized the Mayor of New Or leans to draw the second 810,000 of con tributions. Monroe, April 25, p. m.—lt is impos sible to give an idea of the extent of- the overflow here. The water is higher than ever known before. The town is an island two and a half miles long by a half mile wide, from which there is no exit except by boats or swimming. From the crossing of Railroad and Desard streets back is one wide sea. Boats come and go from Oakley’s. The peo ple living in the rear have been driven in. All vacant houses have been taken, and several families are living in the ‘Court House. Business is almost com pletely suspended, but the houses are open. Fully one thousand people have not had rations for three days, nor money to buy with. Stock of every description is gathered in the town, and are starving. On Desard Island almost all the plantations are under water. Washington, April 25r—Dispatches from the South regarding the flood are simplj 7 appalling. The Secretary of War’s communica tion to the House to-day says no com missary stores can be spared from mili tary stations on the Lower Mississippi. After a verbal conference between the President and the Secretary of War the Commissary General was directed to prepare 5,000 rations of meat, flour and beans. These rations will feed 20,000 people for twenty days. The Secretary of War asks for 90,000 of these rations from Congress. The details from the flood of the Mississippi show the situa tion appalling. Ninety-three of the richest cotton producing parishes are flooded and 27,000 people are needing relief from starvation. Monroe, La., April 25. —There are no crop? to speak of and not five days work lias been done along the river for four weeks. On the hills the land is washed badly and what has been done toward a crop has been merely thrown away. What the people are to do God alone knows, [Signed J Geo. W. McCbane, Editor Ouchita Telegraph. Chicago, April 25.—Three thousand dollars subscribed to down river suf ferers. Gloomy Reports From Alabama. Montgomery, April 24.—The rains all over the State for the past ten days have raised the water courses to over flowing for the third time in the last six weeks. The Alabama river is all over the low grounds and is still rising, with rain still falling heavily. Farming operations have been greatly retarded, audit is feared that much low land will have to bo abandoned. Railroads east of this city are unhurt. Between chis city and Mobile, and between Selma and Meridian, communications are tem porarily suspended. Selma, Ala., April 24.—There has been an immense rainfall in the past two days and streams in every direction are greatly swollen. The Alabama river is within two feet of high water mark of 1852. The country below is overflowed, causing immense damage to crops. | The crop prospectis gloomy. The sale of the magnificent diamonds belonging to Mile Du verger, the actress, drew together an immense crowd at the Hotel Drouot, in Paris, recently. The j jam was perfectly terrific, and, aS usual, tlje greater number of the persons pres ent had no intention of buying, but were brought thither by mere curiosity. | The magnific nt necklace, which con tained twenty-seven large diamonds of I the purest water, was the first article sold. It was not disposed of in one lot, 1 but was divided into fourteen, which produced the sum of 150,000 francs. The ear-rings, which were composed of two superb solitaires, with pendants, each formed of a single pear-shaped diamond, were sold for 75,000 francs, while a single large rectangular diamond brought 50,000 francs. The total for the first day was 209,000 francs. On the second day, among the most remarkable j “ lots” disposed of wore : A ring of five j fine brilliants, 4,400 francs; one of five I rubies, 8.000 francs; one of five sap phires, 8,000 francs; a bracelet of dia monds, with eleven sapphires, 12,000 francs; one of brilliants, with fine eme ralds, 15,000 francs; a pair of shoulder ornaments, composed of pearls and dia monds, 20,050 francs; three circular or naments, with large central diamonds, 39,000 francs; a Sevigne in diamonds, with large sapphire, 54,000 francs; the silver and silver-gilt plate, in forty-eight lots, 28,000 francs. The second day produced 208.550 francs, and the total of the two 507,550 francs. The oddest j part of the sale was the disposal of the morocco and velvet cases which bad' once contained these sparkling treasures, ; and which, in several instances, were ! stamped with the coat-of-arms of the i noble or royal donor. At Baltimore, six fine horses were burned in Mann’s livery stable, on Franklin street, near Howard. The Governor of Pennsylvania signed ; the tax bill taxing coal three cents per ton; imposing also a tax on dividends of j all corporations. The abandoned ship Amerique was found seaworthy, and will proceed to Havre Monday. The Admiralty Court fixed her bail at £125,000 sterling. A Cincinnati dispatch says the section hands aud bridge men on the Short Line to Louisville struck. The water tanks were tapped and some burned. No j freight trains are moving. The strikers i are determined to enforce their terms. | WASHINGTON NEWS. Congressional. Washington, April 24.—1n the House, the President seut in copies of all the orders and correspondence in connection with the Arkansas insurrection, which were referred to the Judiciary Commit tee.. The Senate passed a bill amendatory of the act to provide internal revenue to support the Government, to pay interest on the public debt, and foi* other pur poses, approved June 30, 1864. This bill provides that no legal document or paper required by law to be stamped, which wiis made, signed or issued iu the Southern States prior to the first of July, 1865, shall be deemed or held as invalid and of no effect by reason of the failure to impose thereon the required stamp. Mr. Conover, of Florida, intro duced a bill sot the relief of James Atkins, late Collector of Internal Reve nue, for the Fourth District of Geoigia. The Prostrate State. The House sub-Judiciary Committee held a brief consultation to-day on the South Carolina matter, and postponed final action till next Monday. The sub ject of the tax payers’ memorial excites the grave consideration of the sub-com mittee, who will report in conformity with the magnitude of the interests deemed to be involved. The influence wrought by the arguments of the tax payers is felt in Government circles out side of the Judiciary Committee, and is daily growing more potential, ns is evi denced by the gravity with which the subject is being considered. It is no ticeable that a. disposition to sift the complaints of the memorialists and the answers of State officials very closely accumulates force every time the subject comes up for consideration, though a solution remains involved in apparently impenetrable obscurity. The honest sympathy and, so far as possible, co operation of all right thinkiug people in authority here seems to bo going out towards the oppressed victims of mis rule, not only in South Carolina, but Other sections of the South. Washington, April 25.— Judge Loclu rane, of Gorgia, is here. Marshal Pack ard, of Louisiana, and Stelly, departed homeward. Washington, April 25.—Secretary Richardson goes to Charleston, Savan nah, and other coast towns, by steamer, iu search of health. Francis Xavier Douglass, of Savannah, has been appointed cadet at West Point. Congressional. Iri the House the Judiciary Committee agreed upon a lull restoring Southern pensioners to the rolls. The present law excludes those who sympathized with the Confederacy. Edmund’s postal telegraph bill pro vides for a commission of citizens un connected with any telegraph company, am] an nrmy and navy officer, to inquire about its practicability. The Secretary of the Treasury sent to the House a report of Bank Examiner Weiss upon the condition of the Freed men’s Bank and its branches in various eities North and South. Theliabilities of the institution, including those of its branches, are $3,338,896; resources, $3,121,008, of which $106,500 are doubt ful debts. There is a discrepancy in the amounts due depositors between deposit books and general ledgers of about $40,000, but tlie examiner thinks it the result of carelessness in carrying ac counts forward and opening different accounts. The by-laws were amended on January Ist the present year so as to allow depositors only such interest as the profits of the institution warranted, and the examiner says that if the depositors will exercise reasonable forbearance for six or twelve months, under the regula tions, it will give the institution time to recuperate from the misfortunes of the past, and add largely to the safety of the depositors. 'The House Committee on Banking and Currency, called upon the Secretary of the Treasury for full details of free banking including the number of appli cations and locations of free banks. The appropriation bill was finished in tlu: Committee of the Whole after a great, deal of discussion about the Attorney- General’s laimaulet, the President’s veto and other matters, and amid scenes of liaise, confusion and uproar which have been rarely if ever paralleled in the House. FOREIGN. Monarchy and tlio Republic. Paris, April 24 —The Moniteur reports the Count de Cliambord at Versailles. MacMuhon opened to-day ail exhibition for the benefit of expatriated Alsacians. English News. London, April 24.—1n the House of Lords to-day, the Marquis of Salisbury, Secretary for India, said the next har vest in India promised to be abundant, and the present provision against famine was undoubtedly ample. In the House of Commons, Mr. Smallet moved that the suddenness of the late dissolution of Parliament is deserving the censure of the House. He characterized the act as a coup d’etat by which tlio last gov ernment sought unconstitutionaly to re tain power. Ho declared that Gladstone had resorted to a strategem which was ungenerous to his friends, insolent to his opponents and barely honest to the nation. Mr. Whalley seconded the mo tion. Mr. Gladstone stigmatized the assertion that this dissolution was secretly planned as untrue, absurd and impossible. He challenged a repetition of the word “trickster,” which had been applied to him and upon the reaufal of i\f r. Smollet to repeat it, hecharged him with lack of decency and mhnliness. He de fended the act of dissolution, which he declared would have been more inconve nient had it been postponed. On con cluding bis speech Gladstone left the House. The motion was negatived with out a division. Much excitement was manifested during and at the close of the debate. The last Parliamentary election in Wakefield has been annulled, on account of bribery. Tlio Code. Paris, April 25.—Two Americans, Wm. Payne and Frank Riggs, went out to fight a duel on the borders of Belgium. The police interferred and compelled both to return without bloodshed. It is rumor ed that a feud existed between the fathers of the young men. Money Seized. Madrid, April 25.--Three million reals, intended for the Garlists, havo been seized at Santander. Towed Into Port. London, April 25. —The ship Abby Ryerson, from Mobile for Reva), before reported ashore, got off after discharging a hundred and sixty bales of cotton, and was towed into the harbor in a sinking condition. THE INFLATION BILL. What the New York Committee Say. New York, April 25.—At a meeting to-day of the committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce, to convey tlio anti-inflation petition to the President, the following report was adopted: “In re turning from their mission the commit tee deem it proper to report to those who sent them wlmt occurred at their interview with the President. It is but just to the President to say he most promptly accorded the committee a hearing and received them with courtesy, which they had a right to expect as rep resentatives of an influential part of the community, despite exaggerations to the contrary. A full expression of nur views was permitted and wo were favor ed with an expression of the views of the President, as correctly published by the Associated Press. The committee desire to congratulate those for whom they acted and the country at large that in vetoing the currency bill re cently passed by Congress the President has acted m harmony with the wishes of all who value the good name of the country, for it would have been a la mentable thing if the State corpora tions and individuals, when' prompted to repudiation by the exigencies of ne cessity, eonld have pointed to the bad examples of the United States in justi fication of tlieirowndishonorablecour.se. In view of the exceeding importance of this public act, we feel that the Presi dent is entitled to the most sincere ad miration and gratitude for his fidelity to the cause of truth and justice when be set by so many adverse influences.” BASIANA ISLAND. History of the Recent Complications. New York, April 23.—5. G. Howe has written to the Pre ident of the Samana Bay Company an elaborate report of''the proceedings u der which, on the 31st ult., President Jose G. Garcia seized the company’s property and, hauling down the American flag, hoisted in its stead the flag of San Do mingo. The seizure, which Mr. Howe attributes to English political in fluence, was made nominally for the non-payment of $33,000 due as rent— rent, however, that Air. Howe says was not due until noon on the first of April; whereas, the seizure was made at 8 o’clock on the morning of the 30th of March Howe formally protesting against the act. Howe says the in habitants of Samana are mainly Ameri cans, either by birth or feeling, and that this attempt to arrest the progress of Americanizing the Island of San Do mingo may lead to another revolution. A passenger shot a telegrapher at Green River, Utah, fatally. He mistook him for another person. OUR ATLANTA CORRESPONDENCE. [special correspondence OF chronicle AND SENTINEL.] Atlanta, April 24, 1874. Gov. Brown Will Contest. In pursuance to an act passed by the last Legislature, the Comptroller-Gene ral lias notified all railroad companies in the State to return their assets for ad valorem taxation. There is an impres sion that the railroads throughout the Stale will resist the collection of this tax, for she reason that their charters guarantee that the property of the company shall be exempted from taxa tion. How true this is it is impossible to say, but your correspondent is au thorized by Gov. Brown to say that the State Road Lessee Company will resist the collection by contesting the question iu Court. This company is among those notified by the Comptroller-General to return their property for ad valorem taxation, notwithstanding the road is the property of the State'itself. This cir cumstance gives rise to a complicated question in law. Gov. Brown says lie will contest the tax on two grounds—lst, that it is a violation of charter privileges, in which railroads are guaranteed exemp tion from ad valorem taxation; and sec ondly, that, the road is not the property of the lessees, and they entered into no contract to pay the taxes on the proper ty, and for that reason a requirement from the State to pay tax on the proper ty of the State would be a brenclt of faith on in part of the State. Governor Brown further states that it is manifest ly unjust that, in addition to their regu lar monthly rental, the company should be compelled to pay an additional tri bute iu the shape of $15,000 of tax. Es timating the taxable property of this road at $8,000,000, and the State assess ment at four-tenths of one per cent., the tax on this road would be $32,000 —a nice little fee for the lawyers to nibble at,. The suit, contesting the collection of this tax, it is to be supposed, will be brought in the Circuit whore the head quarters of the company are located. Commutation of Sentence. Gov. Smith yesterday commuted the sentence of Thomas Ware, of DeKalb county, from death to imprisonment, in the penitentiary for life. Ware commit ted a murder in 1 )eKalb several years ago, and was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. The case was carried to the Supreme Court, which sustained the de cision of the Court below, and he was again sentenced to be hanged on the first of May. A petition signed very numerously -having probably five hun dred names—by citizens of DeKalb county, together with recommendations from the grand jury, Judge Hopkins and the Solicitor-General, was placed in the hands of tlio Governor who acted upon it as already indicated. It appears that Ware is a very illiterate, obscure countryman, who was driven to the com mission of the crime by vicious asso ciates. Judge Hopkins, who is reported to be the most vigorous and zealous ad ministrator of the law in Georgia, united in the petition for this reason, and the fact that the jury that convicted Ware also recommended him to the mercy of the Court. Col. Avery. Out of the numerous rumors in regard to the purchase of a part interest in the Herald , it is to be supposed that the “dear public” is grateful to observe that one of its reports fins been verified in the purchase of an interest in that jour nal by Col. I. W. Avery, recently editor of the Atlanta Constitution. It is sup posed that Col. Avery will bo suc ceeded by Mr. E. Y. Clarke in the edi torial management ol' the latter journal, as no conjecture has beeu made as to the employment of any ono else. Mrs. Westmoreland. Mrs. Maria J. Westmoreland, former ly of Atlanta, more recently of New York, has announced her intention to lecture here on Friday evening, the 2,1 of May. She will be greeted with n large audience. Her friends will go to encourage her; her enemies will go to criticise, and the indifferent will go to gratify curiosity. A gentleman said of her to-day: “A woman with only ordi nary mental endowments, with no claims to genius, she deserves credit; and by her energy, self-possession and self-con fidence, she will some day make herself a name.” Alexander 11. Stephens (Colored). Your correspondent met here to-day a freedman who proudly boasted the name of Alexander H. Stephens, and says that whether self-made or not he is self-named. He says he formerly be longed to a gentleman named Smith in Jasper county, a great admirer of Mr. Stephens, who named him “Alex.,” and being himself a warm admirer of Mr, Stephens—declaring ho had the “most sense of any man he ever heard talk”— after freedom ho adopted that great Georgian’s name. Ho further declares that lie has a little sou which lie desired might be half as smart as that man. A Complimentary Ball Will be given at the Kimball House to night in honor of Mrs. Jenkins, of your city, who lias won many friends during her sojourn in this city by her winning manners and sprightly conversation. * * * * One of the parties charged with purloining cancelled jury certifi cates has disappeared. Another is a boy of ten or eleven years, and will probably not be punished. The third party will probably be acquitted as an innocent purchaser. * * * * The Catholic Fair is realizing ahandsome in come. The managers have many ingeni ous schemes to raise money. Last night a sword was awarded to Lieut. It. J. Lowry, of the Governor’s Guards, as the most popular officer iri the Atlanta mili tary companies. The money realized by this scheme reached nearly S4OO, at 25 cents a vote. A smoking sol awarded to the most popular director of the Y. M. Library Association realized about tlie same amount. * * * Mrs. Jurley repeated her exhibition with greater success. Miss A. M., recently of Au gusta, a charming young lady, sang with marked effect (on) Halifax. MACK’S LAMENT. The March of the Radical Parly Up to Its Political Graveyard. [St. Louis Globo, April 20.] Unfortunately, the defeat of Repub licanism in Missouri was so general that we have no remnant of an army left to rally around, no room to stand when ap plying our lever to uplift and overthrow a mass which wo may call by hard names, but which, when last heard from, was accurately estimated nt just 35,443 majority. And if we turn abroad to see what Republicanism is doing in other States, if we seek to guide ourselves by the light of the free and triumphant course of our party, we do uot see much to encourage us to get up and make a square fight. The last State heard from was Connecticut, and Connecticut lias cut her long connection with the Re publican party. We take it that the re cent defeat there means not that she loves Democracy more, but that she loves Republicanism less ; and the same causes which have led to an alienation of the old and reliable supporters there may very easily bo assumed to influence all other States equally. There is no use going over the unplea sant record of the States which have de clared against the Republican party since Missouri last uttered her opinion Wisconsin was almost as certain as Mas-1 sachusetts, yet in Massachusetts there j was a very ugiy reduction in the vote ; which approved of Republicanism, and a j corresponding reduction sent Wisconsin over to the enemy. Undirnini.slicd and j unflinching Republicanism is now to be . found only in tiie District of Columbia, where we could readily consent to see Democrats on the rack of investigation instead, and in the anarchies of the South, where one Republican State gov ernment is barricaded in the State House and the other issues its edicts from the headquarters over Jones’ store. Asa companion to the lighter votes and the frequent defeats, we have a decided weakening of loyalty in the newspapers, which erewhile found nothing in the Republican party that they couid not honestly support. The wholesale de fection of the Liberal Republican vis ionaries lias been followed by a less sensational but not less momentous defection, which is going on slowly, but steadily. A paper like the Boston Advertiser can not be read out of the Republican party, and yet it is hard to read it and rate its Republicanism much higher than that of the Chicago Tribune. There is an uneasy feeling that the New York Timen is getting to lie a little ex acting, and Jlarper'n Weekly , which has its whole existance bound up with an unswerving, unbroken devotion to' the Republican party, tells unpleasant truths, and, attempting to look facts in the face, does not find the prospects at all agreeable. These circumstances would naturally render it rather difficult for the Republican party to maintain an appearance of cheerful assurance. In dividuals may pluck up courage and J whistle with no audible quiver in their strains as they pass by graveyards, but j a party can not march up to its political graveyard in the same manner. The j outlook is unpromising, and there is no use in deceiving ourselves by saying soft things. Providence Aldermen, it seems, are noticeable for the breadth of sole and the quantity of ground covered in their debates. One of them, being called to order the other day for some personal remarks, gravely informed the President that ho “ couldn’t help it if he had step ped on some one’s toos; he must put his feet down somewhere.” HOW HIS SHIP TAME IN. This sketch, from the pen of Do/i Piatt, is equal to some of Mr.-Dickens’ finest: • , I run across what first'struck hie Tie a .< very singular genius on my road from. Springfield to Boston. This was a stunt, black whiskered-man, who sat -imme- J diatolv in front of me, ami who indulg ed, from time to time, in the most strange and uuaccountable maneuvers. Every*now and then be would get up and liuiiry away to the. narrow passage wlrfcjj leads to lire door in the drawing room cars, and-when he thought himself se cure from observation, would "fall "to laughing in the most violent manner, and continue the healthful exercise duty ( lie was as red in tlio face ns a lobster.-As we neared Boston these demonstrations increased in violence, save that the stranger no longer ran away to laugh, but kept his seat and chuckled to himself, f with liis chin deep down in his * shirt collar. But the changes that tlieso. portmanteaus underwent! He moved them here, there, everywhere; 1 e put them behind him, in •front of him, oil* each side of him. He was evidently • getting ready to- leave; but, as we were yet tweuty-fivo milts from Boston, the idea of such early preparations was ridiculous. If we had entered the city, J then the mystery would have remained unsolved; but the stranger at last be came so excited that he could keep his' secret no longer. Homo one must help him, and as I was the nearest, lie se lected me. Suddenly turning, as if I had asked a question, he said, rocking himself to and fro in his chair the moan time, and slapping his logs and breath ing hard : “Beeu gone'throe years!” “Ah!” “ Yes, been in Europe. Folks don’t expect mo for six months yet, but I got through and started. I telegraphed them at the last, station; they’ve got it by this time.” As lie said this lie rubbed his hands, and changed his port manteau on liis left to the right, ami the one on the right to the left again. “Got a wife y” said I. “Yes, and three chil dren,” he returned, and he got up and folded liis overcoat, anew, and hung it over the back of the scat. “You arc pretty nervous over the milkier, ain’t you?” I said, watching liis fidgety movements. “Well, I should think so,” lie replied ; “I haven’t slept soundly for a week. And, do you know,” lie went on, glancing around at the passen gers, and speaking in a low tone, “I am certain this train will run off tlio track and break my neck before I get to Boston ? Well, tin' fact is, 1 have had too much good luck for one man, lately. The thing can’t last, 'tain’t natural that it should, you know. I’ve watched it. First it rains, then it shines, then it rains again. It rains so hard you think it’s never going to stop ; then it, shines so bright you think it’s always going to shine ; and just as you are settled in either belief, you are knocked over by a change, to show that von know nothing about it.” “Well, according to that philosophy,” said I, “you will continue to have sunshine, because you are ex pecting a storm.” “It’s curious,” lie re turned ; “but the only thing which makes me think that I will get, through safe is, because 1 think 1 won’t,” ‘‘Well, that is curious,” said I. “Yes,” ho re plied, “I’m a machinist—made a discov ery—nobody believed ill it, ; spent, all my money trying to bring it out— mortgaged my homo—all went.— Everybody laughed at me—everybody but my wife—spunky little woman said she would work her lingers off be lore 1 should give it up. Went to Eng land—no better t,hero ; onmo within an ace of jumping off London bridge. Went into a shop to earn money enough to come home with ; there I met the man 1 wanted. To make a long lory short, I’ve brought, £30,000 home with me, mid here I am.” “Good for you I” l ex claimed. “Yes,” said he, “£30,000; and the best of it, is, she don't know anything about it. I’ve fooled her so much that I just concluded I would say nothing about it. When 1 got my money, though, you better believe I struck a bee-line for home.” “And now you will make her I appy,” said ). “Happy !” he replied, “why, you don’t, know any thing about, it. She worked like a deg while I have been gone, trying to sup port herself and her children decently. They paid her thirteen cents apiece for making coarse shirts ; and that’s the way she’d live half the time. She’ll come down there to the depot to meet, mo in a gingham dress, and a shawl a hundred years old, and she’ll think she is dressed up, () she won’t have no clothes after this—O no, I guess not 1” and with tin so words, which implied that his wife’s* wardrobe would soon rival Queen Vic toria’s, the stranger tore down the pas sage-way again, and getting in his old corner, where lie thought himself out of sight, went through the strangest pant o mime—laughing, putting his mouth in the drollest shapes, and then swinging himself back and forth in the limited space, _ as if lie was “walking down Broadway," a liill-rigged metropolitan belle. And so on till wo rolled into tlio depot, and i placed myself on the other car, opposite the st inger, who, with a portmanteau in i aoh hand, had descend ed, and was standing on the lowest step, ready to jump to the platform. 1 looked / from liis face to the faces of the people ' before us, .but saw no signs of recogni tion. Suddenly ho cried, “There they are !” and laughed outright, but, in a hysterical sort of a way, as he looked over the crowd. I followed liis eyes, and saw, some distance back, ns if crowded out and shouldered away by the well-dressed and elbowing throng, a little woman in a faded dress and a well-worn hat, with a face almost pain ful in its intense but hopeful expres sions, glancing rapidly from window to window, as the coaches glided in. Sho had not yet seen the stranger; blit a moment after she caught his eye, and in 1 another instant he had jumped to the plat form with liis two portmanteaus; and making a hole in the crowd, push ing out here and there, and running one of his bundles plump into the well de veloped stomach of a venerable old gen tleman in spectacles, lie rushed toward the place where she was standing. I think I never saw a face assume ho many different expressions in so short a time as did that of the little woman while her husband was oil liis way to her. She didn’t look pretty. On tlio contrary, she looked very plain ; but some way I felt a big lump rise in my throat as I watched her. Hlie was try ing to laugh ; but, God bless her, liow < completely She failed in the attempt! \ Her mouth got into the position, but it ' never moved after that, save to draw down the corners and quiver, while she blinked her eyes so that I suspect she only caught occasional glimpses of the broad shouldered fellow who elbowed 'v, his way so rapidly toward her. And then, as Ire drew near, and dropped those everlasting portmanteaus, she just turned completely round, with her back I toward him, and covered her face with her hands. And thus she was when tlio I strong man gathered her up in his arms I ns if she had been a baby, and held her € sobbing to his breast. There wire I enough gaping at them, Heaven knows ; ’ and I turned my eyes away a moment, and then L saw two boys in threadbare roundabouts standing near, wiping their eyes and noses on their little coat i sleeves, and bursting out anew at every 3 fresh demonstration on the part of the f mother. When i looked at the stranger again, he had liis hat drawn down over his eyes ; but his wife was looking lip hint, and it seemed as if the pent tears of those weary months of were streaming through her eyelids. 7'//e Capitol. Michelet, tin; French writer who re-j I cently died, wrote most touchingly I 1 about the happiness of domestic life ; i the family ; the love and affection of | home ; the close ties which hinds those living together to each other. Not Byron, who did everything lint beat his wife, and then wept over the recognition of Ins dog, could have been more ten der. Swift, when lie had just returned from that stormy interview that broke the heart of Vanessa, could not have praised more highly the sweet amenities of a happy household. Now, Michelet did, after Lis fashion, love Lis wife, loved her too much, in fact. While ho was turning his pretty phrases in his studies he sided with his wife ngainsti the rest of his family, and in a short time he and his wife were isolated from all the rest. First his eldest son was ■ driven from the paternal roof. Tno young fellow lived in great misery for a long time, but finally got u place in the j railway office at Strasburg. He had just I enough to keep him alive and no more. I One day lie fell ill, and his place was i given to another. When living on I charity lie wrote homo for aid, but re ceived no reply. This killed him. The next letter was from the doctor, aud Michelet went to Strasburg to find his son a corpse. Then his son-in-law left , his home ; his daughter died on bad j terms with him on account of his second ' wife, and as M. Dutnesnill was not willing to have his children raised by Miue. Michelet, an open warfare was be gun, and is still going on over the dead body of Michelet. Gbanitevillk Factory Stock. As will he seen from our report of the an nual meeting of the stockholders of the Graniteville Manufacturing Company, twenty-one shares of the capital stock of the company were sold yesterday at one hundred and seveuty-threo dollars per share. The nine men blown to sea in small boats, near New Orleans, a week ago, have been picked up. A month s pay for the track men on the Cincinnati and Louisville Short Liuo was sent up Friday.
