Newspaper Page Text
.■
OLO SERIES —VOL. XCI
NEW SERIES—VOL. U.
TERMS.
THE DAILY CHRONICLE A SENTINEL, the
oldest newspaper in the South, is pnbliahod
daily, except Monday. Terms : Per year,
410 ; six months, 45; three months, 42 50.
THE WEEKLY oHKONICLE A SENTINEL is
published every Wednesday. Terms : One
year, 42; six months, 41.
THE TBI-WEEKLY CHRONICLE A SENTI
NEL is published every Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday. Terms One year, 45; six
months. 42 50.
SUBSCRIPTIONS in all casea in advance, and
no paper continued after the expiration of
the time paid far.
BATES OF ADVERTISING IN DAILY.—AII
transient advertisements will be charged at
the rate of 41 per square each insertion for
the first week. Advertisements in Tri-Week
ly, 41 per square; in Weekly, 41 per square.
Marriage and Funeral Notices, $1 each.
Special Notices, 41 per square. Special rates
will bo made for advertisements running for
one month or longer.
ALL COMMUNICATIONS announcing candi
dates for office—from County Constable to
members of Congress—will be charged at the
rate of twenty centa per line. All announce
ments mast be paid for in advance.
Address WALSH A WRIGHT,
Csbonicu A SprnwNL, Augusta, Ga.
Ctjromcle and iSmrtnri.
WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 17, 1877.
TO OIK NUBNCRIBERM.
We request oar subscribers who owe
us to pay their subscriptions. It is im
portant to us that every man on our
books should pay at once. Let each
subscriber bear in mind that while one
or two dollars may appear to be a tri
fling amount, the aggregate amounts to
a targe sum. We hope our friends will
respond promptly. wtf
A tremendous gale has been raging
on the Atlantic coast of France. Two
villages were threatened with destruc
tion by the high water, and several
lives were lost. One of the telegraph
cables between France and England has
parted.
It is suggested by a correspondent of
the New York Tribune that the State of
New York should build and equip a rail
road of its own from Chicago to tide wa
ter, and thus secure for New York city the
monopoly of the gram trade by means
of the low rates it would be enabled to
make.
Aooobdino to tuo Cleveland Plain
dealer, there is less determination and
swagger on the part of Republicans.
The fact of Tildk.n’h election was as op
parent the day after the election as it is
now. But the Republicans have stabled
their high horse, and are now bestride
a much more diminutive mule.
The Baltimore Sun thinks that no
concession on the part of Mr. Tilden
can give Mr. Hates a valid title to the
Presidency if he has not such title
already by the votes of the electors,
duly appointed and cast in accordance
with law. Neither can the House and
Senate enter into any compromise upon
the subject.
Grorqb Peabody Russell, who, as
the representative of the Peabody edu
cational fund, traveled through the
South a few months ago, reports to the
trustees that “ nothing can be expected
in the advancement of education in
Louisiana, South Carolina or Florida
until their State governments are
changed.”
Sam Bowles, of the Springfield
(Mass.) Republican, shrewdly insists
that the reason why the best Republi
cans sometimes admit that they may be
wrong, and that the best Democrats
never do so, in regard to the Presiden
tial trouble, is that Tilden was evident
ly elected, while Hayes was elected by
the barest possibility.
The leading Republican organ of
Florida says of the late reoount by the
Keturniug Board, that “if MarobllusL.
Stearns was defeated in the late contest,
then the electoral vote rightfully be
longs to Tildes, and juggling will de
ceive nobody and satisfy no one who is
worth satisfying." With faith in the
honesty of Governor Hayes it says he
cannot afford to reoeive an office won by
each meaus.
The Detroit Free Press observes that
the length of time which, under ordi
nary circumstances, it takes to effect a
change in the political complexion of
the United States Senate, is shown by
the faot that, although since the close
■of the war the Democrats ha7e, after
very election, increased their strength
in the United States, it will take two
years more before there will be a Demo
cratic majority in the Senate chamber.
The mint has its statistics, of oourse,
for the bygone year, like other institu
tions. And they Show that a total value
of $22,186,835 was coined into 49,403,346
pieces of money. The double eagles
■umbered 2183,905; the gold dollars,
3,245; trade dollars, 456,150; half dol
lars, 8,419,150; quarter dollars, 17,817,-
150; twenty cents, 15,900 ; dimes, 11,-
461,150. There were more than six times
as many silver as gold pieces coined, but
the gold pieces included a little more
than half the total value coined.
Fio-rks show an increase in the pub
lic debt in December. The liabilities
of the Government exceed the receipts
for the month by 83,585,142. For the
six months ending December 31st, the
public debt has decreased 83.158,003,
which is 82,338,428 less thau the de
cease for the corresponding six months
•of last year. The unfavorable showing
for tfae six months just ended is owing
to the large falling off in receipts. For
December the receipts fell off nearly
$2,000,000 as compared with November,
and as compared with December, 1875,
#2,316.177. There is also a large falling
off in internal revenue receipts.
The economy in European municipali
ties should put American city govern
ments to shame, London, notwithstand
ing the large salaries paid, and the aris
tocratic form of government to be
maintained, is more economically admin
istered than New York. In the English
metropolis, the total yearly cost for
1875 was covered by eleven dollars per
capita. The tax in New York is thirty
four dollars per head, and the city debt
is $136 for every man, woman and child
of the population. In all that respects
the safety of life and the security of
property, England’s chief city is much
superior to onr own.
Thh Columbia correspondent of the
New York Times compliments the col
ored members of the Maoksx Legisla
ture of Sonth Carolina at the expense of
the white members of the last Legisla
ture of Georgia as follows:
The number of good speakers and debaters
is comparatively few in any Legislature, but I
doubt whether the Aseembly elect in New
York will be able to allow throe better parlia
mentarians or debaters than Messrs. Stuaker.
of Sumter; Thomas, of Newbery, and Mn.t.ss.
of Charleston—all colored members of the As
sembly of South Carolina. And it is very cer
tain that Georgia, where the “shot gun" policy
haa been sncoesaful end the “White Linen"
have aeenmed the reins of government, can
not boast over foutb Carolinia either in the
superior intelligence or honeety of ita law
makers. A gentleman who attended many of
the sessions of the Georgia Legislature at At
lanta bet Winter informs me that for ignor
' *nce. coarseness, vulgarity, venality, and gen
oral corruption, thst body ooaid carry off the
palm from any Legislature that ever assembled
in Sonth Carolina or elsewhere.
As Mrs. Malafbop would say. com
parisons are odorous.
UOTERtOR SMITH.
In a few days Governor Smith's term
of office will expire. He has been Gov
ernor of Georgia since January, 1872.
He was the first Democratic Governor
elected in Georgia after the adoption of
the Reconstruction lots. He was a
member of the new Legislature, and had
been chosen Speaker of the Honse of
Representatives when elected to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the flight from
justice of Rufus B. Bullock. He was
nominated unanimously by the Demo
cratic Convention, aod daring the first
six months of his administration ap
proved himself such an able and up
right Executive as to insure hisre-nomi
nation by acclamation in a Convention
composed of the best and most promi
nent citizens of the State. Since his
re-election no public act of his has been
the legitimate subject of adverse criti
cism. Private resentments may be en
tertained. We have nothing to do with
his personal matters ; bat even the bit
terest of his personal enemies fan say
nothing against bis management of
pnblio affairs. He is being abased now
in certain quarters—and for no better
reason, so far as we are able to jndge,
than that, influenced by an honorable
ambition, he aspires to serve his State
in the Senate of the United States. It
seems that he is in somebody’s way,
and, therefore, most be driven from the
field, not by argnment bnt by splenetio
inveotive. We protest against such
attacks as being both anjast and
ungenerous. Why should not Governor
Smith aspire to a seat in the National
Senate ? To say that he has not intel
lectual capacity for each a position is to
pay a poor compliment to the intelli
gence of the Democracy of Georgia who
have twice called him, by a nnanimons
vote each time, to the discharge of the
highest and most responsible office with
in the gift of the people. To say that
he is not deserving, is to make a grossly
nngratefnl return for the faithfnl and inf
telligent service of five long jears. If Gov
ernor Smith is to be beaten, let him be
beaten fairly. He will be strengthen
ed, not weakened, by unfounded as
saults. The faots of his administration
are yet fresh in the minds of the people,
and they oannot be deceived by baseless
charges made for tVe thinly concealed
purpose of aiding rival candidates.
As Governor Smith is now about to
retire from the offioe which he has held
so long, it may not be oat of place to
say something of his administration;
When he was elected Governor the State
had been for three years and a half in
the oomplete control of a band of po
litical plunderers, led by snch men as
Rufus B. Bullock and Foster Blod
gett. Its treasury had been bankrupt
ed ; its oredit destroyed. It was saddled
with a bonded debt of many millions that
had been fraudulently contracted. The
Beach had been degraded by bad ap
pointments ; law had become a mocke
ry, the Courts a farce, and the doors of
jails and penitentiaries been flung
wide open for the escape of thieves,
murderers and criminals of every de
scription. This was the state of affairs
which the new Governor had to encoun
ter—this the political and social chaos
that the new Governor must reduce to
order. In the work that followed he
had the assistance of the Legislature.
This we do not deny. But the heaviest
portion of the burden was, of ne
cessity, borne by the Executive.—
Under his firm and honest rule re
form in every department of the gov
ernment was instituted. The virtuous
talent of the State was employed in the
service of the State. The Courts com
manded respect. Justice was done.
The laws were enforced. Crimi
nals were punished, and the certainty of
punishment caused crime to diminish.
The fraudulent indebtedness was ex
posed to tlio world and disowned. Many
believed that this step wonld destroy
the publio oredit and thought it better
to recognize spurious obligations than
to injure the State in the money markets
of the world. The event proved the
fallaciousness of such views. The valid
bonds of the State were promptly paid,
principal and interest, as they fell
due. New bonds issued on the
heels of this so-called sot of “repudia
tion" were readily placed at par. All
honest debts of the State were liquidat
ed. The publio credit has steadily im
proved, and the bonds of the State which
he found so greatly depreciated in value
are selliDg at a premium of from seveu to
ten per cent. The material interests of
the State have been fostered and
enoouraged. The taxable property
baa increased in value from two hun
dred and twenty-aeven millions in 1870
to two hundred and sixty-one mil
lions in 1875. Not a single interest of
the State lias been neglected—all have
thriven and prospered. Although five
years ago Georgia was in as deplorable
a condition as any Southern State—with
the exception, perhaps, of Sonth Caro
lina and Louisiana—she ia torday the
Empire State of the Sonth in reality as
well as in name, and in wealth, in intel
ligence, and in good government will
oompare favorably with any State in the
whole Union. Governor Sjoth leaves
ns order instead of the ohaos which he
found on entering offioe. He leaves ns,
in a single phrase, good government in
stead of bad government; could any
man do more than this for his fame or
for his people ?
It has never been charged upon Geor
gians that they were ungrateful to those
who had served them faithfully. We
know they will not be ungrateful to one
who has served them so long, so faith
fully and so well.
ROME BONDS.
A few days ago the Mayor and Conn
oil of Rome made a detailed statement
oonoerning the hooded debt of that oity.
This is a matter in which the citizens of
Augusta are interested, as a large pro
portion of the bonds were sold in Au
gusts. It is wall known that Rome at
first attempted to repudiate her debt on
varions technical grounds, bnt was pre
vented by a decision of the State Su-
preme Court, Afterwards a proposition
to compromise was offered, the city
agreeing to settle at fifty cents on the
dollar, principal and interest, giving
new bonds for the amonnt, payable in
twenty years, and bearing interest at
the rate of seven per oent. per annum.
This was not accepted, for the very good
reason that the holders of the bonds had
paid abont sixty cents for them. The
next proposition made was to settle at
60 cents on the dollar, and give new
bonds fox tbe amount, on the same
terms as to time, bat with semi-annual
interest for the first five years at five per
cent; for the next five years at six per
cent.; for the next five years at seven
per oent.; and for the last five years at
eight per cent. This offer, after some
negotiation, was accepted by a con
siderable number of the bondholders.
Under this arrangement $196,400 princi
pal, and $85,302 interest—making a
total of s23l,7o2—have been taken np
and replaced by $138,400 of new bonds.
In addition to this, Borne, through
Messrs. John J. Cohen & Sons, of this
city, has purchased and taken np $16,-
686, principal and interest, of other
bonds. Altogether, $249,378 of the
bonded debt haa been taken np—leaving
8197,0(00 outstanding. The actual re
duction of the debt is $110,978. From
this statement it will be seen that per
sons holding a large amont of the bonds
have not as yet accepted the compro
mise. It is to be hoped that they will
do so; and it is also to be hoped that
this experience will prevent Rome from
attempting repudiation again.
THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF AU
GUSTA.
We have had occasion of late to speak
more than once of the financial condi
tion of tlva city of Augnsta. These com
ments were rendered necessaiy (first)
by the staterne.it made by the late Mayor
on retiring from office that dnriDg the
past year the expenditures had exceed
ed the receipts; (second) by the reduc
tion of the salaries of city officials which
had already been reduced; (third) by
the failure of the city to meet the bonds
which fell dne last December; and
(fourth) by the large addition made to
the bonded debt of the city during the
administration of Mayor Estes. What
we wished to accomplish was to show
the people of Augnsta how their books
stood and to impress upon the City
Ooufacil the necessity of employing the
most rigid economy in every depart
ment of the city government. We have
every reason to believe that the Mayor
and the Members of Conncil fully real
ize the condition of affairs and that un-
- der the administration of the new Mayor
retrenchment will be practiced in every
branch of the municipal service and
that the most scrupulous faith will be
kept with the holders of the oity’a obli
gations. It is trne that the bonded
debt is large; that from the time of the
inanguration of Mayor Estes to the day
of the inauguration of Mayor Meyer it
was increased from one million three
hundred thousand dollars to nearly
two million one hundred thousand
dollars, but there is not the
slightest reason to apprehend that it will
not, in future, be met promptly, princi
pal and interest, at maturity. Mayor
Meyer has already made arrangements
to pay the bonds that have matured
and holders can obtain their money
upon presentation of the obligation. With
the prudent management which we are
promised, we feel confident that no fur
ther embarrassment will be experienced.
And here let us say something concern
ing the bonded debt. The bonded debt
of Angnsta on the Ist day of January,
1876, amounted to $1,961,000. Daring
the year there were issued $250,000 ad
ditional—sloo,ooo for the enlargement
of the canal and $150,000 to be used in
payment of maturing bonds. This made
a total of $2,211,000. Up to the first of
January $74,750 of maturing bonds had
been paid. When all of the issue of
$150,000 have been sold and all of the
past due bonds has been paid the bond
ed debt of the city will be $2,086,000,
All that we need in the administration
of municipal affairs is just what is need
ed in the management of private busi
ness—prudence and econony.
STATISTICS OF SUICIDE.
The Cincinnati Commercial has com
piled some curious and interesting sta
tistics of the suioides committed in the
United States daring the past twelve
months. Of course, many cases of self
murder have occurred that did not come
to the knowledge of the Commercial;
but it is fair to presume that its tables
represent a very large per centage of
those who anticipated death in 1876.
The total number of suicides is given
as five hundred and fifty-two; and
of these four hundred and forty-one
were males, and one hundred and eleven
females. Two noticeable defects in the
table is its failure to show the propor
tion of single to married persons, and
the failure to show the nationality of
the suicides. The first figures would
have enriched our sooial and the latter
our race statistics. For instance, it is
the generally received opinion that more
married persons kill themselves than
single ones (in proportion to numbers),
and that the French shuffle off this
mortal coil for lighter causes than any
other people. Thirteen children com
mitted snioide, and we leave it to the
doctors to determine what is the reason
of infantile destruction. The causes are
enumerated as follows; Insanity mast
answer for aixty-one of the deaths, and
temporary insanity for sixty. Hard
times have to answer for between one
fifth and one-sixth of the whole number
—ninety-eight being credited to poverty
and financial troubles. “Love,” which
has been a fruitful source of trouble
since the days of Troy and Helen,
killed fifty-four—or nearly one-tenth of
the total. Love ia rather a broad term
and we are left in doubt as to what kind
of love is meant. We are not told
whether it was the love of sweetheart,
step-father or mother-in-law that proved
so fatal. Domestic troubles sent forty
five, or one-twelfth, to an untimely
grave. Whisky is only responsible for
thirty-seven, or one-fifteenth. These
figures show with mathematical certain
ty that it is better for a man to be a
drunkard than to be poor, have domes
tic troubles or fall ip love. 11l health
caused twenty-six to grow weary of ex
istence and to seek a place where disease
is unknown and doctors trouble not.
Nine committed suicide to evade the
gallows and died nnder sentence of
death. Thirteen axe charged to the ac
count of morbid religions feeling. Eight
were ennuied as badly as Sir Charles
Coldstream in the play, grew tired of
life and quit living. The same number
committed suicide because of "mortifi
cation,” whatever that may be. The
methods adopted to commit snioide
varied almost as m*uch as the canses
which provoked the deed. One hun
dred and forty-three shot themselves;
one hundred and seventeen tried hang
ing; one hundred and thirteen took
poison; eighty preferred drowning; for
ty-five cut their throats; sixteen stabbed
themselves in other portions of the
body; and thirty-eight resorted to dif
ferent ingenious methods to quench the
“vital spark of Heavenly flame” which
most men are so anxious to keep aglow.
A MOST EFFICIENT OFFICER.
In reviewing the administration of
Governor Smith, one cannot fail to be
impressed by the fact that, in the selec
tion of officials, State and county, His
Excellency has shown remarkable tact
and praiseworthy knowledge of men;
for his appointees have demonstrated
their special fitness for the positions to
which they were appointed. When Pro
fessor Gustavcs J. Orb reoeived the
appointment of State School Commis
sioner, the friends of public instruction
in the State were made glad.—
A gentleman of high scholarship
and deserved popularity, Professor
Ohb brought to the discharge of
the important dnties of his office
that degree of energy and painstaking
which was so essential. He has thor
oughly mastered the subject of public
education, and largely assisted in elevat
ing the standard of the schools under
his supervision. His able articles on
the pnblio schools, published in the
leading papers of the State in 1875,
attracted widespread attention, and were
exhaustive of the subject. Last Sum
mer Prof. Orb made a canvass of the
State, and aroused a deep interest
among the people in the cause of which
he is the chosen representative. Geor
gia has no more efficient offioer than
Prof. Orb,
AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 17, 1877.
HAMPTON AND HATES.
We publish this morning in the
Chronicle and Sentinel a communi
cation that will attract general attention,
and which conveys some very surprising
I information. The mission of Jadge T.
! J. Mackey —who went to Governor Hayes
as the accredited representative of Gen
eral Wade Hampton —was a surprise to
the whole country. Candor compels ns
to admit that General Hampton’s act has
been condemned in every quarter as un
wise, impolitic and calculated to injure
the cause of the National Democracy,
and of the battlers with corruption, op
pression and usurpation in Louisiana
and Sonth Carolina. No one has charg
ed that General Hampton meant to pro
pose a bargain to the candidate of the
Republican party—by the terms of which
the case of the latter should be strength
ened by the admission on the part of head
of a Southern Democratic State govern
ment that he had been legally elected, in
return for which Hates, when firmly es
tablished, should repudiate the Cham
berlain government and recognize
Hampton as the lawfnl Governor of
South Carolina. The character of the
man forbade that he should be consid
ered in the light of a pclitical trader,
willing to sacrifice the interests of the
whole country in order to protect his
own. His manner and bearing during
the past five months, the extraordinary
charaoter of the canvass he conducted,
have challenged the admiration of
the whole country, and no man
believed, or believes, that he would bar
ter his well earned fame for position or
power. The opinion generally express
ed of the visit of Maokey to Columbus
and of the letter which he bore to Hates
was that it was a mistake—an error of
judgment on the part of one who had
made few blunders before. This has
been the judgment of the country.
The letter which we publish this
morniDg takes rather a different view of
the question and professes to give the
true explanation of this strange proceed
ing. The writer speaks as if the cor
rectness of his information is undoubt
ed, and gives the names of gentlemen
whom he thinks are also familiar with
the faots. A page in the secret history
of South Carolina politics is opened and
the pnblio invited to read for them
selves. None of the things which he
tells have ever appeared in print before.
In brief, he states, from information he
has received, that Governor Tilden ad
vised strongly against the nomination of
General Hampton —this opposition first
manifesting itself at the St. Louis Con
vention and continuing until the meet
ing of the State Convention in Colum
bia, when an agent of his was present to
prevent a candidacy deemed injurious to
the party. After this nomination had
been made, and wisely made, the Na
tional Democratic Committee declin
ed to give any assistance to the South
Carolina Democracy, and a private let
ter from Hampton to Tilden was not
answered. When he heard of Gover
nor Tildbn’s opposition to his nomina
tion it was with great difficulty that
General Hampton was persuaded to be
come a candidate, and this f<eling of
irritation was naturally intensified by
the refusal of assistance then so sorely
needed and the failure to notice his
own communication. The two Republi
can Judges— Cooke and Maokey— who
come over to Hampton shortly after his
nomination, but who, though violently
opposed to Chamberlain, were warmly
in favor of the election of the Republi
can National ticket, took this occasion
to urge General Hampton to abandon
the cause of Tilden and Hendricks and
to make no fight for them in South
Carolina. Maokey, especially, strongly
urged the propriety and the necessity
of such a step and went so far as to
offer to insure the election of the Demo
cratic State ticket if it should be taken.
He was confident that if the canvass
should be confined exclusively to local
issues he could obtain a large sum of
money from the Republican National
Committee for campaign purposes. It
is further stated that General Hampton
listened favorably to this suggestion,
and that at the time of the Abbeville
meeting he made a direct proposition to
carry it into effect. He proposed to Gen.
Samuel McGowan, one of the candidates
for elector for the State at large on the
Democratic ticket, that the entire Til
den and Hendricks electoral ticket
should be withdrawn and the contest be
confined to the redemption of the State
from the hands of Chamberlain and
Company. General McGowan declined
to be a party to this withdrawal and,
we think, very properly. The Democ
racy of Soqth Carolina voluntarily sent
representatives to the St. Louis Con
vention, and these representatives
helped to make Tilden and Hendricks
the candidates of the party. Their nom
ination was afterwards ratified by the
State Convention, and it wonld have
been wrong for the Democracy of South
Carolina to abandon the cause of the
National Democracy which they had
formally made their own. It is stated,
however, that only a want of time pre
vented snch a course from being at
tempted—that if a State Convention
could have been assembled in time for its
action to have had any effect upon the
canvass it wonld certainly have been
oalled together. It is also said that
from this time the candidacy of Tilden
was tacitly ignored. The Democratic
speakers confined themselves exclusive
ly to State politics, and Maokey, occupy
ing the platform with them, spoke fot
Hayes and Hampton. These things,
our correspondent thinks, fully explain
the visit of Maokey to Columbus and
the letter which he bore from Hampton
to Hayes.
This is the story. It is hardly neces
sary to say that we know nothing of the
facta ourselves. The statements made
are as astonishing to ns as they will be
surprising to the public. The inner his
tory of the canvass in South Carolina has
been a sealed book to us as well as to the
world. We print this letter because it
is written in such a way as to show its
perfect good faith and because the state
ments contained therein are of general
interest. We have, at present, no com
ments to make npon its revelations.
They are either true, or they are not
true. Jf they are not true they should
be denied by the parties principally
concerned. If the writer of the article
has been misinformed it is due to them
that he should be corrected. "As he says,
names and dates are given with great
particularity. The distinguished gen
tlemen who are mentioned will find the
columns of the Chronicle and Sentinel
open for their reply.
The Baltimore Gazette says the Badi
cals think that the colored vote belongs
solidly to them, and the measure of its
alienation is the measure of the im
proper influence brought to bear, which
must be eliminated from the returns.
So they want to offset the oharges of
fraud against them.
The British ship “ King Arthur,”
cleared from New Haven on the 30th
Rli, direct for Constantinople, freighted
with munitions of war. Her cargo con
sisted of 10,000,000 cartridges, 10,000,-
000 bullets, 10,000,600 Martini-Henry
shells, 40,600 guns, 40,000 scabbards,
50,000,000 gun wads. The Sultan seems
to be preparing to fight.
HAUPTO.XjVND HAYES.
A LITTLE LIGHT ON A DARK SUB
JECT.
The .Meaning of Macke) Mission—A Key to
the Campaign in Carolina—Some Facts Not
Generally Known—Tildenfc Opposition to
Hampton’s Nomination—The Request for
Assistance Refused by Hewitt—Hampton’s
Disgust—A Proposition to Withdraw the
Tilden electoral Ticket—Cooke and Mackey
on the Stump—Nothing to Say for Tilden.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel:
I have observed that the Northern
Democratic press do not seem to know
what to make of Judge T. J. Mackey’s
recent visit to the Republican candidate
for the Presidency, and of the extraor
dinary communication yhich he bore
from the legally elected Governor of
Sonth Carolina. I have observed, also,
that Southern jonrnalitts seem to be
equally as much befogged on this sub
ject as their brethren of the North, and
that even Sonth Carolina editors either
do not know, or, else, have declined to
give, the true solution of a mystery
more apparent than real. Northern and
Southern newspapers have been swift to
condemn the embassage, the ambassa
dor and the document which he bore, as
a mistoke-upes'thtf-part-af-Governor
Hampton. Northern and Southern
members of Congress, and Democratic
politicians generally, have deplored the
act as one calculated to injure the Dem
ocratic party and to weaken the chances
of the inanguration of Tilden. They
have said that it seemed an admission
by a prominent Southern Democratic
leader—one who had just fonght and
won a desperato battle in a State long
considered hopelessly Republican—that
the National Democratic ticket had been
defeated and that the Republican can
didate was the legally elected President
of the United States, and as such oame
at a most inopportune time and had done
much mischief. The Louisville Courier-
Journal, one of the leading Democratic
papers of the West, whose editor is gen
erally supposed to bo high in the confi
dence of Governor Tilden, declares that
the letter “felt ljke a wet blanket on the
Democrats in Washington City.” It
says “General Hampton’s Southern
friends and admirers are deeply morti->
fled at the step he has taken. The
opinion of the best observers is that the
situation is rendered deeply critical by
these utterances, and so far from the
prospect of a collision being lessened by
letters like these, it is greatly increased.
The Republicans are justly encouraged
by these demonstrations,” etc. The New
York World has been equally outspoken
and has deplored a mistake that was so
injurious iu its effects. The New York
Herald said the letter “added to the
demoralization of the Democrats,” and
that if Hampton could obtain the recog
nition of his State government he would
not object to the inauguration of Hayes
as the price of snch recognition. Sena
tor Robertson, in the published report
of his interview with a reporter of the
New Yoik Herald, went quite as far as
this, if not farther. “The Democrats in
Sonth Carolina,” he said, “would have
preferred the election of Tilden, but
were not unwilling to consent to the
election of Hayes, provided they could
get an honest Democratic government in
their own State." And again: “In his
campaign speeches Hampton told all to
vote for Hayes and Wheeler who wanted
to. He put the question of who should
be President away behind the question
of the administration of State affairs,”
As the report of this interview was pub
lished in the New York Herald, of De
cember 30th, and has not been contra
dicted, it is but fair to assume that Sen
ator Robertson spoke the truth. I make
these prefatory statements for the pur
pose of showing that the Mackey em
bassage has done harm to the
Democratic cause, and that North
ern and Southern journals have
not attempted to give any expla
nation of an act from which have re
sulted such unfortunate consequences.
The generally received opinion seems
to be that it was an error of judgment,
that General Hampton was deceived by
the wiles of Mackey and let his solici
tude for his State betray him into an
act which he wonld not, otherwise, have
committed. Even in this view of the
case it is considered an egregious mis
take, because most men are confident
that as soon as Tilden is inaugurated
the bayonets will be withdrawn from
Louisiana and South Carolina and the
bogus governments of those States will
fall to the ground beneath the weight
of their own corruption ; that if Hayes
be declared elected President Chamber
lain and Packard will be declared
legal Governors and kept by Federal
power in the positions which they have
usurped. It has also been said that
Mackey exceeded his instructions and
made representations which fie had no
authority for making. But as General
Hampton has not repudiated any act or
deed of his envoy, though re
quested to do so, this position
seems scarcely tenable. From in
formation given to me recently, and
which I have reason to believe is
entirely trustworthy, it seems that
General Hampton knew exactly what he
was doiDg when he dispatched Maokey
to Columbus,and that the latter did and
said nothing not warranted by his prin
cipal. Ido not mean to be nnderstood
as saying that General Hampton is in
different to the snceess of the National
Democracy; bat if what I hear be true
he was by no means an enthusiastic sup
porter of Tilden and is not unwilling to
concede the election of Hayes provided
the latter will reoognige the Conserva
tive State government of South Caro
lina.
The 81. Louis Convention.
It is necessary to go back a little and
to say something of events which trans
pired prior to General Hampton’s elec
tion last November. It is well known
that last Spring there was a formidable
faction in South Carolina in favor of the
nomination or endorsement of Chamber
lain on a reform platform. The Charles
ton News and Courier strenuously ad
vocated snch a coarse and many of the
leading politicians of the State support
ed the policy proposed by that paper.
The “straighout” movement, as it ig
termed, which culminated in the elec
tion of a Democratic . Governor and a
Democratic Legislature last November,
originated, if I am not mistaken, in the
counties of Edgefield and Anderson,
and General M. 0. Rutler, of Edgefield,
early in the Spring, nominated General
Hampton as a suitable candidate for
Governor, General H. had recently re
turned from hie Mississippi plantation,
and it was believed that he would not
refuse to make the fight against Cham
berlain. Another wing of the t-outh
Carolina Democracy were in favor of a
straight ont campaign, bat opposed to
the nomination of General Hampton,
becanse they did not believe him con
servative enough to win the battle.
Among these it is said were General
John Bratton, General John.D, Kenne
dy and Colonel Jas. H. Rion, and per
haps Colonel James A. Hoyt. These
gentlemen were all delegates to the St.
Louis Convention, and the first named
was chosen Chairman of the Sonth
Carolina delegation. At St. Louis the
delegation met Colonel Pelton. a nephew
of Governor Tilden, and one of the ac
tive, though quiet, organisers of that
gentleman’s political campaign. While
in St. Louis it is understood that Caro
lina politics were fully discussed by the
delegation with Colonel Pelton, and
that the latter geatleman strongly ad
vised against the nomination of General
Hampton. He nrged that some man of
less prominence and of more known con
servative views should be selected as the
candidate, and said that tbe nomination
of Hampton would injure the party at
the North. It was generally recognized
that the candidacy of Hampton would
be distasteful to Governor Tilden, be
cause tbe latter feared it would work
mischief to the National Democracy.
The Columbia Convention.
In the meantime General Gary and
others had continued to nrge the nomi
nation of Hampton upon the people of
the State, and the idea took so well that
it soon became apparent tbe movement
would be successful in spite of the
strenuous opposition which the scheme
encountered. He had intimated a will
ingness to run, and his high personal
character and brilliant military reoord
made him a favorite with the people.
When the State Democratic Convention
assembled in Columbia in Jane it was
evident that Hampton was the strongest
candidate t efore it. Governor Tilden,
however, had net abandoned his oppo
sition to this candidacy, and waß repre
sented in Colombia daring the session
of the Convention by Colonel Coyle, of
Washington Oity. This gentleman con
ferred with the most prominent of the
delegates, and, in the name of his chief,
warmly remonstrated against the pro
priety and policy of the proposed step.
It was explained to him that Governor
Tilden was entirely mistaken in his
estimate pf Hampton’s aharaoter—
that the latter, instead of being
'an ultra Democrat and a fire
eater, was very prudent, cautions and
conservative, would unite all faotions
and make a stronger race than al
most any man in the Btate. Moved by
these statements Colonel Coyle finally
proposed to telegraph to headquarters
on the subject. He sent a telegram to
Colonel Pelton, who had been with the
Carolina delegation at St. Louis, asking
his opinions. The answer was short and
to the point. It was substantially as
follows: “General Kennedy knows my
views with regard to the nomination of
General MamptoD.” General Kennedy
knew that Governor Tilden was strongly
opposed to snoh a nomination and so
stated. Unless lam misinformed, Gen.
eral Bratton subsequently went in
to the Convention as a candidate
against .General Hampton, but was
defeated. Those who know Gener
al Hampton will not be surprised
to learu that when he heard of this in
terference and opposition he was deep
ly angered, and was inclined to with
draw his name from the consideration of
the Convention, He was finally- over
ruled by his friends and consented to
run for Governor.
A Letter That Was Not Answered.
After this matter had been arranged and
the Democracy had fairly commenced
that memorable canvass which attracted
the attention of the whole nation, still
other things occurred tending to widen
the breach between Harrpton and Til
den. I learn that with a yiew of re
storing that entente cordiale which
should exist between the Democratic
candidate for Governor of a State and
the Democratic candidate for President
of the United States, General Hampton
wrote a letter to the latter, after his
nomination, assuring him of his hope of
carrying the State. This letter received,
no reply, though common civility should
have dictated an aswer. I understand
that Governor Tilden’s explanation is
that he was too busy to attend to the
matter. This is soarcely a valid ex
cuse from one who had a regiment of
clerks at his command. But this was
not all. The Carolina Democrats were
poor and needed money for campaign
purposes. The State Democratic Execu
tive Committee wrote to Hon. Abram
S. Hewitt, Chairman of the National
Executive Committee, reciting their ne
cessities and asking for some assistance.
Mr, Hewitt replied that he had no
money to give them, and said, in effect,
they must take care of themselves.
These successive rebuffs, taken in con
nection with Tilden’s opposition to
1 Hsmpton’s nomiattioD, naturally enough
irritated the latter and made the Demo
cratic Presidential nominee anything
but a favorite with him # Who can well
wonder at his feelings when these faots
are remembered ?
Tilden’s Candidacy Not Recognized.
It is not astonishing, then, that in
the campaign which ensued General
Hampton confined himself to making
votes for the State ticket, and let na
tional politics and the candidacy of
Governor Tilden severely alone, J am
credibly informed that from the open
ing of the canvass at Anderson O. H.
to its close in the oity of Columbia
Hampton had scaroely a word to say on
the subject of national politios, and al
most refused to recognise the candidacy
of Tilden, In his Darlington speech,
when he said he should vote for Tilden,
he also complimented Hayes, and said
he accorded to the latter all the ca
pacity and patriotic worth attributed to
him by his most ardent supporters.
Hampton invariably took the position
that he stood on a platform higher
than party, viz: the platform of honesty,
reform, economy and good government
—a platform on whioh whites and
blacks, Radicals and Democrats, could
all stand,
Proposed Abandonment oi Tilden.
But this was not all. It will be re
membered that at- ope time it was re
ported that a proposition had been
made by oertftin Republican leaders in
South Carolina to support Hampton
against Chamberlain if the former would
have the Tilden electoral ticket with
drawn. It was generally believed that
General Hampton declined to consider
such a proposition. This is not the
fact. I am informed that he favored
snch a course when it was suggested,
and that want of time, alone, prevented
it from being taken. Judges Mackey
and Cooke, who saw that Hampton was
dissatisfied with the way in whioh he
had been treated, and the Bepnblioan
Congressman Hoge, made overtures to
him on this subject, promising that if
the Tilden electoral ticket was with
drawn they would support the Demo
cratic State ticket and insure its success.
Mackey even went so far as to Bay that
if these terms were accepted, he could
secure ten thousand dollars from the
National Republican Executive Com
mittee for the Hampton campaign.—
General Hamptou was willing and anx
ious that suoh an arrangement should
be made. At what is known as the
“big meeting” in Abbeville this propo
sition was made to General MoGowan,
one of the candidates for. elector from
from the State at large on the Tilden
ticket. General Toombs, of Georgia,
is reported to have been present when
the scheme was suggested, favored the
withdrawal, and himself offered to give
ten thousand dollars to the Hampton
campaign fund. General MoCfcwau de
clined to be a party to such a proceed
ing, but there ia little doubt that the
withdrawal would have been attempted
if the step had not been proposed at
suoh a late day. In order to accom
plish it legally, it would have been
necessary to have a State Convention of
the Democratic party, and by the time
each a Convention had assembled and
acted, it would have been too late for
the action to have much effect upon the
canvass. This alone prevented a Hayes
and Hampton canvass, for Hampton’s
word was law, and Hampton favored the
withdrawal.
How Tilden Lost the State.
Though this scheme failed the spirit
which inspired it suryiyed and made it
self felt in the pampajgh and at tfreelep
tion. Dis not too mqch to say that the
State was lost to Tilden and ttye National
Democracy through thp policy pursued
by General Hampton. These two Re
publican Judges—Cooke and Mackey
canvassed the State with Hampton from
the time of the Abbeville meeting until
the close of the campaign, and every
where spoke, from the platform oooupied
by the Democratic candidates, in advo
cacy of the election of Hayes and
Wheeler and Hampton. Tilden and
Hendricks seemed entirely forgotten,
and the whole fight was made against
Chamberlain. With this change there
was also a change in the tactics em
ployed. The moat ultra conservatism
was practiced. With the taoit repudia
tion of Tilden and Hendricks there was
also a repudiation of the plan of cam
paign adopted. There was a milk and
cider, “peace and prosperity," concilia
tion of Radicals and flattery of ne
groes policy instead of the bold and ag
gressive policy inaugurated by the
straight-out leaders, ancj thus a majority
of ten or fifteen thousand votes wafc lost
to Tilden in South Carolina, while the
State ticket was only elected by a bare
majority. Though the straighUouts
brought about hia nomination in the
faoe of a tremendous opposition from
within the Democratic party, and
i thongh their courage and skill had so
much to do with redeeming the State
they claim to have been praotically
ignored by General Hampton when
be selected the State Executive
Committee. Three of his avowed op
ponents were placed on this committee.
Five oat of six of these gentlemen fail
ed to carry their own counties in the
election, while the straight-outs carried
Edgefield, Laurens, Abbeyille, Barn
well, 4ifcen and Colleton by storm.
Richland, General Hampton’s own
county, went heavily against him. It
is safe to say that but for the fatal mis
takes madein this campaign—the deser
tion of Tilden and the surrender to
Cooke and Mackey—the majority for
the State and National ticket would
have been too large to admit of investi
gation or question.
This is the leaf ef secret his
tory given to me. The facts as
stated remove any mystery connect
ed with Mackey’s mission to Columbus
and make bis embassage the logical
sequel of events. Names and dates are
given with great particularly and so
many witnesses are mentioned that if
any of the statements above made are
incorrect it will be an easy matter to
disprove them. A Tuski Democrat.
TILDEN AND HAMPTON.
WHAT A NEW YORK DEMOCRAT
BAYS.
*f §*“•* H Utary—Caveraor
Tilden Never ia Favor of Iluapton’a Nomi
nation.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel :
For my part I- believe every word of
the artiole published in yonr paper
signed “A Tilden Democrat,” though I
object to the spirit of it; and I regret its
publication, for although trne, it is sen
sational, and tends to provoke contro
versies in the time of national peril most
dangerous to the harmony as well as the
sneoess of the friends of constitutional
government. I read between the lines,
however, enough to hlnnt the edge of
the attack some of the papers are now
making on Carolina’s honored Governor
by showing what I believe to be the
troth—that Gov, Hampton thinks from
the events of the past that the happiness
and prosperity of his State ean be best
subserved by peaoe, and in view of the
faot that she has been ornshed to earth
nnder the heel of her enemies and de
serted by her friends, she mnst work
out her own salvation, and create no an
tagonisms even if she forms no alliances.
Now, as to the facts stated by “A Til
den Democrat,” the kernel of whioh is
the course of the National Democracy
towards Sonth Carolina, I wish to say
this ; That it is pateat to all that Caro
lina has not only been the Niobe of the
South, bat regarded even by the Nation-
al Democracy, especially by the “Invin*
oible in war and invisible in peaoe”
wing as the Pariah of States, contact
with whom was unclean. She has been
and is the Southern scape-goat; and I
know .Mr. Tilden wrapped his robe
aronnahim and told her, “stand off.”
In new Tork last Summer, Col. -,
of Sonth Carolina candidate for Adju
tant and Inspector-General on the State
ticket called in oompany with the writer
at the Democratic headquarters at the
Everett House, and met Mr. , the
Secretary of the Committee. We were re
ceived with courtesy certainly measured
if not soant, and Colonel was
quickly informed although he had asked
nothing, ” that the committee intended
to mass their money and speakers on
the doubtful States—Ohio and Indiana
—for the Ootober elections, ” and that the
Demooraoy of Sonth Carolina must fight
out their own salvation,to whioh Colonel
i —remarked: “Wejintend to, and al
though our people are poor, we shall make
up in effort and enthusiasm that whioh
we lack in money,” I quote the spirit If
not the words. Mr. Secretary then went
on to State that Mr. Tilden regarded
the nomination of Governor Hampton
as a mistake and deprecated the canvass
as they feared it would have a bad effect
at the North on aaoount of Gov. H.’s
war record. Col. replied that fie
himself had opposed a straight-out can
vass, bat after the Convention deoided
otherwise had given it his hearty sub
port, and that there was a great mistake
in the Northern idea about Geu. Hamp
ton, who was a man of great conserva
tive prudence and moderation, although
a brave and illustrious soldier. When
we left the committee room I remarked
to Col, M. : “You have nothing to ex
pect, neither money nor sympathy, from
the National Democracy.’’ “No,” re
plied he, “We must make the fight bn
State issues and do the best we can.”
In conclusion, I draw these deductions:
1. South - Carolina owes nothing to the
National Democracy, and Mr. Tilden waa
personally hostile to the candidacy of
Governor Hampton. 3- Thai it is now
the duty of Gov, Hampton <0 protect
hia people, who have found neither
“strength in their arms nor meroy in
their woe.” and that from this stand
point his famous letter was, even if in
opportune, nothing for which he should
be censored. 3. That no truer man lives
than Governor Hampton, and if mad
ness should rale the hour and war be
forced upon us to preserve constitution
al liberty and defeat usurpation, he will
be fonnd, as in ’6l, occupying “e place in
the picture near the dashing of the guns.”
A Nbw York Democrat,
7 1
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Meeting at Aiken—The Citizen* Recognize
Only Hampton as Uovernor—Resolution*
Adopted.
A special reporter of the Chronicle
AND Sentinel went to Aiken yesterday
to attefid the mass meeting of the dti
iens of Aiken oouDty, The meeting Was
called to erder at 11 o’olook by Oapt. J.
H. Giles. Mr. 0. E. R. Drayton, in a
beautiful and classical address, offered
the following resolutions :
Resolved, That we, the conservative
citizens and tax payers of Aiken county,
in mass meeting assembled, and repre
senting all shades of political opinion,
recognize none other than Wade Hamp
ton, the lawful choice of the people, as
the Governor of South Carolina, and
that we herehy solemnly pledge our
selves to yield him an obedient and ear
nest support, and to aid him morally,
financially, and by all lawful means in
90V power, to establish the lawful gov
ernment. Of which be is the honored
bead,
Resolved, That we recognize none
other than W, D. Simpson as the lawful
Lieutenant-Governor of Sonth Carolina;
and that we recognize the House pre
sided over by the Hon. W. H. Wallaoe,
as Speaker, as the only legally constitut
ed House of Representatives of South
Carolina.
Resolved, That we regard Daniel H.
Chamberlain as a dangerous and dis
?;raoed usurper, who, though defeated
or re-eleotion by a righteous use of the
ballot in the hands of long suffering,
plundered and ontraged people, is now
trying to usurp the position of Chief
Magistrate of the sovereign State of
Carolina upon the declaration of an il
legally constituted Legislature, backed
by a despotic use of Federal bayonets.
Resolved, That we hereby announce
our unalterable determination to repu
diate every act of D. H. Chamberlain es
the pretended Governor, and to repu
diate every act of the pretended Honse
of Representatives, over which E. W-
M. Mackey presides, and the* never
again shall the thievish palm of Cham
berlain or any of his crew clutch one
cent of taxes from the harraesedand
plundered people of Aiken county.
Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to
'•hey the oall of Governor Hampton for
a tax contribution, and will hold our
selves' readiness to meet the same
wheneyer it Is, made.
Thb vesolptieina were auunimoosly
adopted. This meeting was largely at
tended by citizens of both oolors, who
wees enthusiastic in their adherence to
Hampton and profuse in their denuncia
tions of Chamberlain.
The Western coal strike has ended
and the hearts of the people of Atlanta
and other places, whioh have been
threatened with a “ coal faininine,”
have been made glad.
Referee Wilkes has nearly oonelud-.
ed his investigation of the Ropth Caro-,
lina State election. Bis report will
Show that Lbaphabt and Conner, Dem
ocrats, are elected, while Haoood is de
feated by one vote.
The Florida Legislature has directed
the new Returning Board appointed by
Governor Dbhw to furnish the result of
thp Residential vote as shown by the
returns on file.
*" 1 - g—W-W— ■■■ in
Richland, Charleston, Colleton, Or
angeburg, Aiken and other oounties
have declared allegiance to Governor
Hampton and their determination to pay
taxes to his government, but not one
cent to Chamberlain.
The Hon. Julian Habtruxje. mem
ber of Congress from the First District,
will shortly present Bulloch county with
s beautiful flag, of heavy, rich blue silk,
fashioned hi the ,deft hands of Mat,
Mbybs, of. .Savannah. The News al
ludes to it ifcs unique, elaborate end ele
gant. Upon one side is the inscription;
“ A token of gratitude from Julian
Haetbilge,” and on the other this :
“Bulloch, the banner county.”
The Bennett-Max affair is the sensa
tion of the hour at the North. A col
lision has taken place between Bennett
and Mat, in which the latter same off
second best, receiving a slight wound.
The Blatter has threatened to absorb
public interest even in the Residential
muddle, for time at any rate. Ben
itos is a eccentric individual, if all
accounts be true, sad none t his an
tics appear to create much surprise
mao*g those who know him beet.
$2 A YEAR—POSTAGE PAID
GEORGIA CONGRESSMEN.
PEN SKETCHES OF THE GEORGIA
DELEGATION IN CONGRESS.
[For the Chronicle and Sentinel .]
N. 1.
Washington, D. C., December 31.
A merry Christmas to one and all! and
now that I have taken up my pen to
sketoh you my Centennial Christmas of
fering, you will bear with me should
you disoover any imperfeotions of out
line or omissions of lights and shadows
in detail that would otherwise have
brought ont more conspicuous the sub
jects of my attempted portraitures.
With this preface to my sketches, I will
prooeed to outline the charaoter of
Senator John B. Gordon,
Whose figure is tall and commanding
a man born to lead, not to follow
in the wake of others. Senator
Gordon was born February 6,
1832, in Upson county, Georgia. As
a boy, young Gordon gave distinctive
evidences of his superior qualities of
mind and commanding powers, always
taking the lead among his playmates in
their boyish sports and gambols. Hej
was educated at the University of Geor
gia; and ohoosing the profession of la w
was admitted to the bar, but practiced
his profession only a short time. At
the breaking out of the late war be,
tween the States he entered the Con
federate army as Captain of Infantry,
but soon rose to the rank of Major, then
Lieutenant-Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier-
General, Major-General, and finally
Lieutenant-General, commanding the
Seoond Army Corps of the Confederate
foroes, and was in oommand of one wing
of General Lee’s army at Appomattox
Court House at the time of the sarren*-
der. In the person of General Gordon
is displayed not alone the qualities of a
brave and daring soldier, but the
true qualities of a, noble patriot
one who loved and was willing
to die, if need be, in defense of the
rights of his native State, then strug
gling to maintain the Federal forms of
constitutional government and “home
rule”—out of the old Union it is trne—
for a number of the Northern States had
repeatedly broken their oompact, and
the Southern States therefore sought
safety in anew and separate confedera
tion. During the four years of the
bloody strife General Gordon was
wonnded eight times in battle.
The war at an end, the old Union in a
process of reorganisation, General Gor
don beeame the JJemooratic candidate
in 18fi8 for Governor of the Stat 9 of
Georgia. The State was still under
United States military rule, and though
it was believed that the Democratic
nominee had reoeived a large majority
of the popular vote, yet by the returns
made by the Badioal reconstruction
party, General Gordon was “oounted
out,” and Rufus B. Bullock “oounted
in.” Daring this year General Gordon
was a delegate from the State of Geor
gia to the National Democratic Conven
tion held in the oity of New York, and
was a Presidential pleotor for the State at
large on the Seymour and Blair ticket.
He was likewise a delegate to the Balti
more Convention of 1872, that nominat
ed Horace Greeley for President,and, as
in the previous campaign, was one of
the Presidential electors for the State at
large. During this campaign he made
some of the ablest political speeches of
his life. Upon the meeting of the Leg
islature at Atlanta, in January, 1873,
General Gordon was elected to the
United States Senate for six years from
the 4th of March following, to succeed
Hon. Joahua Hill, Repnblioan. Asa
Senator, Mr. Gordon ranks among the
first statesmen and debaters of that au
gust body. His conservative counsels,
iia unswerving integrity, and his readi
ness in debate does honor to himself and
oredit to the State of Georgia. Unless
re-elected, fiis term of service will expire
March a, >B7s.
Next in the group upon my canvass is
Seaator Thomas Man nod Norwood,
Of Savannah, Ga., who was born in
Talbot oounty, Georgia, April 86, 1830.
He reoeived an academic education at
Onlloden, Monroe county, Georgia, and
afterwards graduated at Emory College,
Oxford, Georgia, in 1850, He subse
quently read law and was admitted to
the bar in February, 1852. Choosing
Savannah as his field of professional
labora he settled there in March, 1852,
where he has praoticeJ his profession
with acceptance and profit ever aince. In
the Fall of 1861 he was elected a Repre
sentative to the Georgia Legislature
from Chatham oounty, and the eity of
Savannah. This was just at the out
break of the war, when it required 000 l
heads and wise councils to guide the
helm of State. He was re-eleoted in
1862, and it was during this session of
the Georgia Legislature that Governor
Joseph E. Brown sent to that body a
message violently opposing the Con
script law passed by the Confederate
Congress. Bon, Linton Stephens, the
member from Hanoook connty, and one
of the ablest debaters and logioians
Georgia ever produced, made a speech
in support of the message, which, for
power of logic and eloquence of aotion,
remains unsurpassed and will never be
forgotten by those whose good fortune
it was to hear it. But there were many
able men in that body who favored the
law, and, henee, opposed Governor
Brown’s message. Among these was
Mr. Norwood.
It waa decided, finally upon consulta
tion, that Mr, Stephens must be replied
to; and Mr. Norwood, though but thirty
one years of age, then unaccustomed to
forensio debate outside the Court Room,
modest and retiring as he is now in the
United States Senate, was chosen from
their number to cross swords with the
champion of the message. Mr. N. con
sented, and the next morning made his
debut in reply to Mr. Stephens in a
speech of some length, eliciting the ap
plause of the House, and the general
approval of those who had the pleasure
to hear him;anaong them I may name
suck men aa Judge L L. Harris, Augus
tas Kenan, the Judges of the State Su
preme Court and others who warmly
congratulated him upon his effort, which
was able and exhaustive. This was
the first time that Mr, Norwood had
appeared as a publio debater,' and
from this time‘forward his character was
established as a scholar and able de
bater. He here took rank with the first
statesmen of Georgia. Like the Steph
ens, Cobbs, Johnsons and Lamars, he
only needs great occasions to bring ont
the latent energies of his powers and
the genins of his nature. It was dnring
the year 1862 that Mr. Norwood doffed
his legal slippers, and for a few days en
cased his feet in the brogsns of the
editor of the Savannah Republican,
daring the temporary absence of the
editor on a bridal tonr. It was in his
first editorial that the publio were made
aware of his fund o| wit and humor. We
well remenjher this editorial. Instead
of giying a notice of the editor's mar
riage editorially, aa was expected, he
wrote an equivoke so complete, that
every one, npon first reading it, came to
the oonolnsion that the editor was dead.
Yet, when the reader saw in the local
oolnmn the notice of his marriage, and
again read the editorial, to hia astonish
ment at bis obtnsene&o, jt exhibited
nothing but a simple marriage notice.
For months thereafter, that happy edi
tor, on meeting his frauds, waa told that
they had been moarning him aa dead 1
In 1868 Mr. Norwood was eleoted an
alternate Democratic elector for the
State at large on the Seymour and Blair
tioket. At the November session of the
Georgia Legislature of 1871 Mr. Nor
wood waa eleoted to the United States
Senate as a Democrat; and, after a short
contest with Foster Blodgett, was ad
mitted to the Senate December 19, 1871.
I might here improve both lights and
shadows in my sketch by extracts from
Senator Norwood’s speeches on Oivil
Rights,‘Louisiana and other extreme
Radios} measures of attempted legisla
tion *d usurpations of power, but the
time allotted me will not permit. These
aw familiar to Georgians, both for their
power* of logic and forensio ability as
well aa for their wit and homor. While
it is true that Senator Norwood has not
been much upon his feet in the de
bates on grave questions in the Senate,
there ia _ one thing that oan be said of
him whioh cannot be said of many
•thers in either Honse of Congress; that
is, daring hia nearly six years of service
in the Senate, he has not been absent*
from faia post during the sessions of the
Senate one week in all, as his votes will
show upon all questions ooming before
that body. He has been faithful to bis
trusts, and uphh *ll questions of mo
zqent or intricacy, his judgment has
been aoqnd, and ni advice as well as
hia vQtes have been given with a view of
subserving the best interests of his
country. Unpretentious, ever kind to
wards others, and yet firm in his con
victions of right, he has established
himself the peer of any in the Senate,
Approachable at all times by the most
humble who call upon him, it is a
pleasure to transact public business with
him. Not so, however, with those who
oonsider themselves not of but above
the people—their masters and not theiv
servants. Metropolitan.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
PALMETTO NEWS LEAVES.
Oats are frozen out.
Burglars are in Yorkville.
Justice is frozen in Walhalla.
Port Royal calls for a laundry.
David Madden, of Greenville, is dead.
Thermometers are quoted below thaw.
Edgefield is running surprise parties.
Colombia hopefuls still chew doves.
The Anderson Democracy still flourish
es.
Dr. J. J. Lee, of Abbeville, is no
more.
Williamsburg favors “ kissing cro
quet.” * °
The Congressional Committee have
gone North.
The Williamsburg Methodists are
renovating their parsonage.
. T. J. A ebb is President of the Char
leston Typographical Union.
Weekly editors continue to advertise
for genteel newspaper duns.
It seems that Mackey overdid General
Hampton m his Hayes interview. '
The Dae West Cornet Band received
anew set of instruments recently.
Hampton believes Tilden eleotod and
so do the South Carolina Democracy
The Port Royal steamer, reoently
damaged by fire, was heavily insured.
■i 0 j 8 “ ow •twin last week blocked
railroad travel on the Blue Ridge Road,
a e ! 6 ?I 1 nas shipped this season, over
tllo P- C ’i?' 7,155 ha,es °f cotton.
The Newberry Herald don’t oharge
a "]“8 to insert marriage notices.
S’OUu bales of ootton were sold in
Newberry during the month of Decem
ber.
Sixteen hogs and goats froze to death
m Greenville Wednesday, under a cov
ered shed.
Mrs. J. P. Philips, of Ninety-Six, a
wife of one short year, died at that place
last week.
Hfr- W. N. Craig, Sheriff of Oconee
county, died of heart disease at Walhalla
last Saturday.
Owing to the scaroity of money they
propose to hold no Court in Camden
oounty in January.
Chicken thieves, aotive with an'up
ward tendency, as choice poultry roost
high in oold weather.
The Barnwell Sentinel, in turning
over its new leaf, begins the 26th year
of its journalistic existence.
Thus the Pickens Sentinel: The man
who pays taxes to the Chamberlain con
cern is a traitor to his State.
Miss Hattie Dufort, the young lady
who was accidentally shot in Charleston
on Christmas day, died on Saturday
The gin house of Mr. J. 0. H. Duff,
near Clay Hill, in York county, was de
-Btroyed reoently by an incendiary fire.
Mr. W. W. Freeman’s gin house, near
Barnwell, was burned last week, de
stroying abont SI,BOO worth of property.
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Wilson, of New
berry, lost four children, from the Ist
to the 24th of December, from diphthe
ria.
During the present season 12,000 tons
of guano have been received at Port
Royal. There are now in store about
8,000 tons.
A Newberry man who has not had
snow rubbed down his back is not al
lowed to discuss the situation with ro
speotable folks.
Seven Spartanburg prisoners knocked
down the jailer, cleared the portcnlts,
gained the mountain pass and are now
basking—in jail again.
A French journal informs its readers
that Messrs. Edgefield and Laurens
have been excluded from the South
Carolina Legislature.
The Newberry baohelor who sat down
to a Christmas dinner all alone, by a 27
lb. turkey, has also an improved flat
iron to warm his sheets.
The Abbeville Press pertinently asks:
What shall it profit a man if he has an
account against every man in town, nnd
is unable to collect a cent ?
Leauder Gampton, in the neighbor
hood of Smith’s Turn Out, committed
suicide recently, by shooting himself
through the head with a pistol.
The Charleston Journal rightly says:
There is no surrender in Governor
Hampton, and there should be none in
the tax payers of South Carolina.
The Lanrensville Herald announces
“ a masquerade party for the benefit of
the Presbyterian Church.’ Shades of
the ancient Cnldees, what next ?
The Abbeville Banner says that
many tax payers express their willing
ness to pay the one-fonrth tax rate call
ed for by the Constitutional House.
Mr, Peter Keenan, of Augusta, has
given $25 to Mrs. Gilmer, whose hus
band was assassinated by negroes in
Edgefield county on the 18th of October.
A Spartanburg hunter after catching
110 rabbits in one morning can put away
as much “pop-skull” and talk as much
politics as any Congressman in the coun
try.
The situation is now on ice. Thus
protected it may keep until Judge Car
penter returns from high converse with
the mighty records in the Washington
library,
Aaren Tillman, a colored barber of
Newberry, was found on the streets
Tuesday night frozen to death. Too
much or not enough spirits, as the oasa
may be.
Mr. Thos. Barnes, while riding homo
ajfew nights since, was shot at twice in
the neighborhood of Hnrrican Church,
Laurens oounty, by parties supposed to
be negroes.
Mr. W, (X Hampton, at Greenville,
while loading his gun last Tuesday, dis
charged the pieoe, the load entering hia
temple, and taking off half hia skull,
killed him instantly.
O. F. Cheatham, Esq,, the newly
eleoted Clerk of the Court for Edgefield
county, is in quiet possession of his
office, including seal, books, records and
a commission from Gen. Hampton.
A little nig in Abbeville, who in
nocently toyed with aChristmas cannon,
is hunting for the jetty fringe from her
left eyelid, while her dainty fingers
nestle in red flannel and turpentine.
The Commercial says tbe business
offering to the railroad company is now
far beyond their capacity, although sev
eral new cars and one engine have been>
purchased and trains are kept running
night and day.
“Stern tide of human time which
bears upon its dusky breast successive
generations to the tomb,” also precipi
tate into a worse than Aslabnla gorge
scores of delinquent subscribers. Gone
to meet the Romp legislators.
The Newberry Herald learns that Mr,.
Lewis Simkins was shot at Chappels,
Christmas day, by the accidental dis
charge of a pistol. On the same day
Mr. Eldridge C. Simpkins, brother of
the former, was severely stabbed in the
abdomen by a negro.
Speaking of the Hampton-Hayes’ cor
respondents and tbe many unjust com
ments thereupon, the Charleston News
says} Slander and misrepresentation
love a shining mark. It is in order to
weaken the Democratic cause, at a time
when union is most necessary, that the
reports of bargains by, or with, South
erners are industriously circulated.
It has been generally presumed in
this section that Gen. Lorikeet went
to New Orleans for the purpose of com
manding Packard’s forces. The follow
ing extract from a special telegram to
the Louisville Courier-Journal shows
that this is a mistake : “At a late hour
to-night it is ascertained that General
James Longstbeet has pronounced
against the Paokabs government. He
will probably be appointed Major-Gen
eral of militia under Nicholas. D. B.
Penn is to be Adjutant-General.” It is
now in Gen. Lokgstbeet’s power to
atone for past errors and reinstate hint
self in the opinion of his people.
The vexed Eastern question appears
to be as far from settlement as ever.
The Porte seems to hold the key to the
situation, and has evidently gotten the
best of the European diplomats from
first to last. Russia would doubtless
not hesitate to provoke a difficulty if
she felt certain of the result, but with
her finances in a precarious condition,
the mobilization of her militia a failure
and the feeling in Europe against her,
she evidently does not feel secure of the
future in the event of hostilities. Still
the craving of the Muscovite to possess
the patrimony of the Moslem may even
tually lead to a struggle which will in
volve the whole of Enrope,