_COLUMBIA.
Wednesday Horning, Sept. 13,1865.
The Convention of the State of
South Carolina, for the revision of the
Constitution, "will assemble this day,
at the Baptist Church, probably at 12
m. The members were arriving yes?
terday. From all quarters, as far as
we have the report, the selections
have been well made, and the body
promises to be equally strong in moral
worth and intellect. We take for
granted that the Hon. Mr. Wardlaw
will be elected President, though we
should prefer to sec his large abilities
in frequent exercise upon th ti floor.
We assume that, almost as a matter of
necessity, many of the members of
the Convention will also be required
to serve in thc Legislature, yet to be
elected. There will bc no inconsis?
tency or impropriety in the members
holding seats in both bodies. By
reason of the number's who will bc
excluded from seats in cither body,
as specially excepted to by thc Go
vernment of the United States, be?
cause of their active participation in
the conduct of the Confederacy, out
State will be found singularly deficient
of resources in the matter of able
men. Wo shall have to tax the ser?
vices of those we have to the utter?
most. The Convention, unless it
undertakes too much, will probably
be able to adjourn by Saturday night.
But the introduction of any ".bjeet,
held irrelevant, will launch u - mem?
bers on a wide sea of debate, where it
will be found difficult to bring them
into port again. Let them beware
of this danger. Wo hope that the
Convention^will at least be unanimous
in one thing-in thc preparation
of an earnest remonstrance, or ap?
peal, to the General Government
forthat indemnity, partial though it
be, for our slave property, -which will
enable us to recover, in some degree,
from tho utter prostration which
keeps our fortunes prostrate in the
dust. The claim is founded on prin?
ciples of equity, justice and good po?
licy, if not State necessity; and has
its sufficient example in the course
pursued by Great Britain when she
emancipated the blacks in her West
i ndia Colonies. There can be-no im?
propriety in the Convention address?
ing itself, on this subject, to the*Con
gress and the Government. We do
not counsel that they slndl urge it as
a condition for the political conces?
sions which we are required to make;
but our readiness to submit, on this
v point, is suggestive of a claim itself,
which a magnanimous ^Government
and people will not be slow to reeog
uize.
Beecher on Davin.
Thetiger-Christian preacher, Beech?
er-if it be not profanation to speak
such a name in close association with
that of Jestis Christ-has been regal?
ing his audience with a picture of the
execution of Jefferson Lavis, as the
proper ''cap-stone of the war." [The
metaphor is not ours.] And though
he exhorts his audience to witness the
scene without shouting-nay, he even
permits that they shall weep-Oh!
tears of the crocodile!-yet he exults
and luxuriates throughout in the hor?
rid details of the scene of blood 'and
terror which he seeks to make pic?
turesque to the minds of his audience,
by all those words of sounding de?
din nation with w hich the ad capUmdum
orator disguises a falsehood or clothes
a crime in a sort of moral.plausibility.
And this miserable stuff-this solemn
balderdash-this tiger-like craving for
blood-this revengeful and malignant
passion-is poured forth, on the Sab*
bath, in a church claiming tobe Chris?
ti:::; nad through the medium of a
regular sermon. The reader will find
the precious sermon in another co?
lumn He will revolt at it as we do
sis ui! must do, with rightly constituted
min Is, and hearts not actually satu?
rated by Satan with all the demonic
a-pr^U***" nf HftlL
CHIME TN CHARLESTON.-The freed?
men of Charleston are exhibiting, in
full odor, all the characteristic virtues
of the age. Billy, a colored civilian;
(how names lose their import !) George,
another colored civilian; . Smart, a
third colored civilian, have undergone
trial in Charleston, before a military
commission, for such minor virtues as
stealing, burglary, arson, ?fcc, and
have all been found guilty, and have
been sen tenced to confinement at hard
1 labor for periods ranging from six
months to two years and six months.
In old times, Billy, George and Smart
(civilians) might have been guilty of
the stealing and the burglary; hardly
for the threats of arson and murder
these were rare crimes with the negro
in old times-would have been sound?
ly flogged, and sent home that night,
to sup with wife and children on bacon
and corn bread, peas, greens and po?
tatoes.
Since writing the preceding, wc fi Ad
the results of another military com?
mission for trying Anthrum McCon?
nell, Seipio, Win. Arncll, Billy Wilson
and Gabriel, all colored -civilians, for
the murder of J. W. Skinner, at thc
plantation of Joseph Ford, of George?
town District. They were all found
guilty, and sentenced ' 'to bo hanged
by thc neck until dead." We fear
that this catalogue of crime is destined
to bc fearfully increased. The subjeet
is at once too copious in suggestion
and too painful for any comment;
especially as there are reports now
current in our city of a crime of st?l
greater enormity, occurring also in
Georgetown District, the criminals
being again these colored civilians.
*
CHOLERA IN LONDON.-By an ex?
tract in this day's paper, which wc
make from the Richmond MThig, ol
the 9th inst., and which seems to bc
taken from one of tho more Northen
papers, the Asiatic Cholera is an
nounceel as having already ajijnwcU //
London. We sincerely trust that this
announcement is premature. If true,
the Turrar?a more nearly at hand thai
we had supposed, though wt! still ad
hero to the opinion we have already
expressed, that it will scarcely rcacl
this country before the opening o
next summer. Now York will proba
bly, as before, become the chosen spo
of its first advent, and it may requin
one or more seasons before it shal
reach the cities of the South. This i
the history of our first experience
But. foregoing all conjecture on th
probable, or the possible, in its eborac
ter, our authorities cannot bi to
prompt in taking their precaution
and preparing their hospitals.
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.-It is whoU;
impossible to keep the record of th
railway disasters which occur daily
and in all sections of the North esp?
cially. In all such eases, it is foun
upon investigation that nobody ha
been to blame but the sufferers. The
happened to bc in the way. It will b
a curious subject of investigation wit
philosophers to ascertain why it is th.
these casualties seem to occur like ep
demieal disesises. They seem cont;
' gious. One railway crash or cxplosio
begins a long series of the like, as
engineers were especially resolved nc
to be outdone by their competitors i
making a noise; in thc; world. A reel
less disregard of human life, and
false economy on .roads which seek t
clo a smashing business on slouch
means, arc; probably the true causes <
all the mischief.
MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION. -Tl
following members havo been elect?
to thc; Convention:
EDGEFIELD-W-G. D. Tillman, W. ?
Mobley, R. G. M. Dunovant, Jam.
A. Talbert, F. W. Tic-kens, Dani ]
Hammond.
LEXINGTON--L. Boozer, John Fox
The emigration from the port
Cork alone of persons whose destin
tion is the. Un;te?l States, is at prese
fully 1,4)00 per week. The uvera;
?number of trans-Atlantic stearne
calling at Queenstown for passeugei
I is eight in a fortnight.
The State Convention of fhe Demo?
cratic party of the State of New York
has adjourned, to the satisfaction of
all parties/after doing what is thought
a satisfactory business. The Herald
says of the proceedings:
The resolutions adopted, which are
of much mbre real importance than
the ticket, a? they establish a platform
which not only speaks for the dcmo
cracy of this 'State, but from which
the shibboleth of thc party through?
out the cou retry, in their endeavors to
regain control of national affairs, will
no doubt be talion, are to the follow?
ing effect: -The Democratic party,
notwithstanding its present displace?
ment, is the real conservator of the
nation; thc people are congratulated
oh the return of peace with an undi?
vided Union, and thc national author?
ities arc admonished that this result
should be followed by a relaxation
of military ride in the lately re?
bellious States, and the cessation
of military arrests and trials; the
Southern Kates should be re-ad
mitted to all the rights they enjoyed
[before the commencement of their at?
tempt to destroy the nation, and the
question of negro suffrage should not
be allowed ty form an impediment to
the accomplishment of this object;
President Johnson is pledged the sup?
port of the Democratic party of the
State af New York, and his reconstruc?
tion policy is endorsed without quali?
fication; the idea of a national debt
being a national blessing is severely
denounced; but at the same time it is
maintained that this debt should be
faithfully discharged, and that every
portion of thc country should bear its
proper proportion; the Monroe doc?
trine is mentioned as a cardinal prin?
ciple of American policy which cannot
be abandoned; thc soldiers of the re?
public are thanked for their patriot ic
services, and it is urged that the cor?
dial acquiescence of the Southern peo?
ple in the results of the war entitles
them to the generous and magnani?
mous consideration of the national
authorities.
CHOLERA.-Cholera, thc genuine
Asiatic, has appeared in London. Nor
mountains, nor rivers, nor ocean, nor
doctors' drugs, nor prayers in tem?
ples, whetln r Mahommetan or Chris?
tian, elicok thc invader's fearful march.
It is time, then, for people on this
side the ocean to make ready t<> meet
it. Even in times when no epidemic
raged, or was approaching, our city
fathers (now unhappily in a state ol'
paralysis,) passed an ordinance organ?
izing a Board of Health, to consist of
three physicians, one from each ward,
whose duty it was, at least throe times
between the first of April and the first
of September, in each year, ti) inspect
the city carefully, visiting all localities
suspected of being unhealthy, or of
being exposed to disease, and to sug?
gest such measures ns they might
think fit tin preserve the health of the
city, "and especially to prevent the
introduction and spread of contagions
and infectious diseases, and to pre?
vent or regulate thc purquiitof callings
prejudicial to the pubh?wiealth or the4
public comfort."
Now here is a duty plainly presented,
and most imperative under the cir
eumstanees, and we hope the Provi?
sional Manager of the city will look to
it that health officers, if there be such
now, do their duty and report to him;
for the ordinance says, "The Board
shall keep a journal of their proceed?
ings, which may be at all times ex?
amined by the Council."
We don't want to alarm any one,
but when the invader is coming up the
river on board some ship, we don't
want to have such a fuss as we had
during the ever-memorable Pawnee
war, when people ran down the street
with thirty-two pounder guns, with?
out sponge and rammer, shot or shell,
carriage or anything else, and dropped
them plump in the gutter, where they
remained until the war-the Pawnee
Avar-was over. .
Already in New York the Superin?
tendent of the Five Points House of
Industry is out in an appeal for Ward
organizations, for the distribution of
food and the ear?! of the sick and poor.
He urgently advises.the establishment
of hospital accommodations in vairious
parts of thc city, and regular visita?
tions from house to house. He ex?
presses the belief that, if the cholera
should be as bad in New York as it
was in 18'52, accommodations will be
needed for 21,000 patients.
[ UicJimond Whig, Wilt inst.
It is said that the work of ex
President Buchanan, being a defence
of his Administration against the
charges of the Republican party as to
its identification in any way with tho
rebellion, is already printed, bound
and ready for publication by one of
the leading publishing houses of New
York.
From Washington.
THE WIRZ TRIAL.
The revolting character of the evi?
dence now being deduced in the Wirz
trial, in support of the prosecution, is
said to be wearing heavily upon the
mind of the accused, and torturing
him with the most fearful apprehen?
sions as to the decision of the com?
mission hearing the case. ?Some peo?
ple who are watching thc demeanor of
the prisoner closely,' give the opinion
that, should he continue to be a prey
to the fearful doubts that now beset
him, he will not survive another
month. So far, about forty witnesses'
have been examined in this case. The I
record makes eleven or twelve hun- I
died foolscap pages of testimony. At
the rate testimony was taken to-day,
four or five days more will suffice to
close the case for the Government.
The prisoner continues to occupy a
place at the table with his counsel,
and in writing and making sugges?
tions to them as to the cross examina?
tion.
The Tribunes Washington special
says:{,G. H. Emerson, baili li' of Werz
Military Commission, has just return?
ed from the South, where be was sent
by the Government to summon wit?
nesses for the defence. Thc names of
about sixty rebel officers and men
were furnished hy Werz. Consid?
erable difficulty was experienced b\
Mr. Emerson in finding the witnesses,
as they were scattered over the States
of North Carolina, South Carolina,
Alabama, Florida and Georgia, and a
number were found to have gone to
Texas, Mexico and Europe. Chit of a
hst of sixty, but thirty-three wert;
found, all of whom are now on ? their
way to this city.
Many of the ex-rebel officers were
fearful that if they came to Washing?
ton they would bo arrested and placed
in confinement by the Government,
and it was not until they had received
due assurances, that they would come
out from their hiding places. The
list of those subpoenaed embraces the
names of ' officers of all grades, from
the rank of colonel down, and also a
number of private soldiers. Most of
th<>se summoned served with Werz
while he was in command of the Au
dersonville prison pen. The Sutler,
Commissary and Quartermaster of An
dersonvil'le are also among the num?
ber. Dunno; his sojourn in the South
the different commanders cheerfully
co-operated with Mr. Emerson, and
gave him every assurance in the dis?
covery of and summoning of witnesses.
IMPORTANT TO BANKTNO INSTITUTIONS.
The Currency Bureau have re?
cently made an important decision
in regard to banking institutions, an
imperfect statement of which has been
already published. Its purp? >rt is that
although a bank might- be permitted
to organize without circulation, by
waiving their claim to it, yet the law
requires all banks to deposit at least
one-thiad of the amount of their capi?
tal in United States bonds, and this
requirement can in no ease be dis?
pensed with. Athough the privilege'
of circulation may be waived, the
deposit, as above stated, must be
made.
THE SPREADING OF THE CHOLERA.
The State Department is in receipt
of advices from the United States
Consul stationed at Palermo, dated
August 14. He speaks of the serious
spread of tho cholera at Ancona, Italy,
where some HOI) persons have dieu.
Isolated cases have occiUTea in other
towns of Italy, Spain and France.
EX-GOVERNOR PIC-KENS.-A Charles?
ton letter-writer thus reports the
views and policy of this gentleman:
Since the expiration of his official
term, Governor Pickens has been
quietly residing on his fine plantation
in Edgefield District, taking no part,
other than a deep interest, in the great,
events of the war. Being one of the
largest and most successful cotton
planters in the State, of course the
emancipation of the slaves has seri?
ously affected his wealth. But, with?
out indulging in any vain regrets, the
ex-Governor quietly announces his
intention to begin planting anew,
upon tho principle of compensated
labor, and says that he will do all in
his pover to benefit the people Lite
his slaves, by inducing them to work
diligently and faithfully at u fair rate
of remuneration, and by 'affording
them the means of educating them?
selves and otherwise elevating their
condition, according to the schemes
suggested by" the Government. He
is, however, not over sanguine as to
the result of the experiment, adhering
to the opinion that tho plantation
negro cannot be made to work under
any other than a compulsory system.
Miiny supposed that Gov. Pickens
would have been among tho first ar?
rested after the war; but, in his re?
gard, as will as towards his successor,
Gov. Bonham, the authorities seem to
have adopted a lenient policy.
Local Items.
To insure insertion, advertisers arc re?
quested to hand in their notices before 4
o'clock p. m.
We are indebted to Mr. Janies Kin;- for a
Now York Herald, of the 8th, and the Ricfc
mc-nd Whig, of the 9th.
We are requested to give notice that all
communication.-; for the Secretary of State
and Surveyor General must bc addressed to
"Wm. It. Iluntt, Secretary of State, Colum?
bia, S. C." His office will be mund in Col?
lege Campus.
NEW ADVEKTISEJIESTS.-Attention is called
to the following advertisements, which are
published for the first lime this morning:
Fisher & Agnew-Dissolution.
1'. Lyona & Co.-New Store, New Goods.
Dr. P. Melvin Cobon -Drug s Medicines.
Wm. Hitchcock -Stallion Peace-maker.
Melvin M. Coli? n-New Goods.
H. "E. Nichols Fire and Life Insurance.
Zealy, Scott & Bruns -Champagne, Ac.
*. " " -Cheese. .
" " " -Teas.
" " " ---bacon, Uiec, itc.
" " - -Sugars.
A. It. Phillips-Stallio.i ai Auction.
The Catholic Areh-hishop who has
jurisdiction over Missouri, has issued
a circular asserting that priests cannot
take; the oath ot' loyalty required by
the new Constitution, "withouta sacri?
fice of ecclesiastical liberty." Bishop
Kavnnaugh, in a sermon preached be?
fore tho Conference of the Methodist
Church South, at St. Louis, on Sun?
day, counseled his brethren not to
take tho oath; while Bishop Hawes, of
the Episcopal Church, has given ad?
vice of a directly contrary character.
Governor Perry, of South Carolina,
has? written a letter to Postmastcr
Geroral Dennison, returning the com?
missions sent out for several postmas?
ters, they being unable to qualify
because of their participation in tho
rebellion. He expresses the hope
that measures will soon be taken to
relieve the well disposed people of his
State from the operation of harsh
laws, and says the general temper of
the State is good.
The Chattanooga Gazelle says a diffi
cultv occurred at Knoxville, between
W. S. Hall, Clerk of the Circuit Court,
at Knoxville, and a young n*in named
Baker, late of the rebel anny, result?
ing in the death of Hall. Baker was
j committed to jail, but the citizens got
j him from the sheriff and hanged him.
A very excited state of feeling exists
between the whites and blacks in
j Chattanooga.
I It is said that tito Emperor of tho
j French will not allow the Prince Im
; peria! to confess in the ordinary way,
but that a number of questions, drawn
up by himself, are put by the father
! confessor to the Prince, in the pre
i sence and hearing of a third person.
I No other questions are allowed.
The President has ?rderod the
Southern Methodist Churches, which
have been in the hands of Northern
ministers by military agency, to lie
restored to the ministers of the
Church South, who now assume their
ministerial duties in New Orleans, at
Memphis, and elsewhere.
j Tlie Republican State Convention
j of Wisconsin has held its session.
\ The prominent feature of the proceed
I ings was the tabling of resolutions
I favoring negro suffrage. Charles R.
j Gill was nominated for Attorney-Ge?
neral of the State.
Guerillas continue to give tho Go?
vernment trouble in some parts of
Mississippi. A party of them recent?
ly captured the steamer Pluto, rob?
bing the officers and men. Governor
Sharkey luis taken vigorous measures
to squelch them.
It is stated that the course of Gen.
Carl Schurz, now traveling , in the
South, by orders from the Govern?
ment, does not meet the approval of
the President, and it is expected he
will be recalled soon.
The cotton crop in Tennessee is
likely to be an entire failure this year.
The rust destroys it almost as fast as
it matures.
On the 11th ult., the New Orleans
J)elta newspaper establishment (confis
\ eated) was sold at auction for $0,21)0,
j Seventy-five thousand foreigners
immigrated to this country during tho
six months ending in June,
j Tho Hon. John Forsyth has bee?
; appointed Mayor of Mobile.
Gold in New York, at Uist advices,
is 1U?F. Cotton, 35(W 40.
_,_._?
Several Gentlemen
CAN bc accommodated with comfortable
rooms, by applying to Mrs. JOHN
PALMER, South-west corner Gervais and
Henderson streets. sept 12
Wanted to Hire,
ASHALL HOUSE, already hirnishrd.
Apply at this office. Scot 5