The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, November 16, 1865, Image 6
_ Grant ?? H!?oirnAchievcmcst*.
In Washington, I hail the privilege
of an introduction to General Grant.
The eminent man was in Iiis official
department, much the sort of room
in which a London attorney might lie
imagined giving audience to his cli?
ents. The General was not in uni?
form, and plainly dressed. The por?
traits of him are faithful representa?
tions of his square and spacious fore?
head, and of the settled and regular,
but not strongly marked features be?
low. A military officer was in attend?
ance upon him, who was of old
Indian descent-a person somewhat
above the ordinary height, whose com?
plexion and features bespoke his
orign, but whose civilized experiences
had given bim a little more flesh than
would seem to have been common
among his ancestors.
This stately descendant from the
sons of tlie old Wilderness gave me a
cordial grasp of the hand on being
introduced. The manner of the Gene?
ral was simple and quiet. I soon saw
he was a man of few words, and had
reason to think that his words were
usually well chosen. After a few com?
mon-places had passed, he began to
speak freely on public affairs. Thc
tone of the English press concerning
the military action of the North
seemed to have impressed him un?
favorably. "If your newspapers are
to be believed," said the soldier, who
is second to none of his time, "we
never went into the field but to be
beaten. I have been in more engage?
ments than any other man iu the ser?
vice, and have not been beaten yet.
On the continent of Europe, too, thc
disposition, it appears, has been to
harp on the same string. Friends
who have visited your country and
France tell me that, go into what
circle they might, the talk about
America all went one way."
In reply. I mentioned some facts
which seemed to warrant a somewhat
different conclusion. These facts were
frankly admitted as tending to show
that in England there must after all
have been a considerable breadth of
sympathy with thc North. *. Say
what you will," said the General,
"this war has been the biggest job of
its sort that has been done in this
world; and it will be a chapter to it?
self in the history of war; nothing
like it has gone before."
Win n about to take my leave I was
pleased to hear the General say,
..Well, I think I shall come to Eng?
land some day; but it must not bc
until I can spare something like a
twelve-month for that part of tin.
world." 1 did not fail to express m\
conviction that if he came among m
he would lind not a few capable ol
appreciating what he had done, ant!
of doing so generously. Of Lee, thc
General spoke honorably, describing
him as au able man who had made t
great mistake. This mistake, I pre
sumo, was in committing himsel:
against the Northern cause-the cause
tlie final success ol' which the Gene
ral himself had never doubted.
[ British Quarterly Review.
The great results obtained fron
skillful farming, may be known b]
reading what follows :
It may be that some who own larg<
farms and neglect the important dut;
of cultivation, barely subsist ; bu
that it is their fault is clear from tin
fact that niau, with small farms an
actually growing rich. A piece o
land too small to be dignified by tin
name of farm, will often yield in ?
single season more than its marke
value. Wc know a farmer in one o
the towns of the county who raise?
five hundred bushels of onions ot
three-fourths cd' an acre, and sold bi
crop for one dollar per bushel. II
had done even better than this ol
the same ground with 'lie same ero]
in former years. We know anothe
farmer who sold the apples i'.i hi
orchard ol' moderate proportions fo
$200. A man in Greece sold ten bal
reis of Northern Spy apples, from
single tree, 1er $52.50. * fifty acre
of good land rightly cultivated is
fortune to the possessor. Many me:
will make a little fortune in'cult;
vating ten acres. 'Hie cultivation <
fruit, and vegetables rarely fails t
handsomely reward the man wh
makes that his sole occupation. Lat ;;
farms go to decay and become a btu
then to tlie owners because they ai
neglected.
The statement, of the Washingto
correspondent ol' the Cincinnati Ki
quirer to the effect that Genen
McClellan is returning from Europ<
at the requcsl of President Johnsoi
and that be is likely to be called int
the Cabinet on its re-organizatioi
will attract attention. Ex-Postmaste
General Blair declares that Mr. Lit
coln ?iud General Cirant had conf
deuce in McClellan.
United States Senator Jacob Colli
mer died on Thursday.
T FfT?T imi?nrc an C O?l TH f IB ftUiVf 1
LEmuLil u nw m aulilii l invuliM. j
-
SENATE. j
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13. 1805.
!
Tho Senato mot ut half-past 10 A. M.. pursuant to adjournment.
Thc Clork read thc Journal of tho proceedings of yesterday.
Mr. DAV ANT submitted the following report, which was considered j
and agreed to, and a message was sent to the House of Representatives j
asking leave to substitute the report for the resolution referred to tho ?
Special Committee :
Thc Speei..] Joint Committee, to which was referred a resolution to j
inquire and report whether any measure can be devised by which the ?
General Assembly can procure thc remission of thc 10 per cent, per
annum, incurred by owners of lauds in St. Philip's and St. Michael's, I
St. John's Colleton, Prince William's and St. Luke's, for neglecting a \
notice of which they could not possibly bc informed, report: That it i
finds the facts to be as follows :
Thc " Tax Commission" for South Carolina, in conformity with the]
letter of the law, did, as soon as they were able to advance into the i
localities specified, proceed to assess and call for payments of the tax on
land imposed by Congress. The Act required publication of notice, and !
the Committee does not doubt that this was done. It was, however, only
a compliance with the letter, and not the spirit of the law. Most of the
men of these localities were in the army, and nearly all the white inhabi- !
rants liable to pay the tax had been obliged to leave their homes, and it
was wholly impossible that the great majority could see or hear of the
notice. In fact, the Chairman of the Tax Commission has admitted to !
one of this Committee that only one person became aware of the notice
in time to save himself from the penalty. Under these circumstances, it
is reasonable to hope that C? ingress, when it meets, will see the justice of
releasing the penalty, and that it is proper for thc General Assembly to
urge them to do so, and in tho mean time, to request the. President to
suspend thc collection of the tax.
Thc Committee recommend the adoption of the following resolutions :
Resal red, That tlie President is earnestly requested to suspend the
collection of the tax on land until Congress shall meet, and time is given
to apply to them for remission of penalties inadvertently and innocently
incurred.
Resolved, That thc State Agent at "Washington be, and he is hereby,
instructed to present these resolutions to the President of the United
States, and as soon as Congress meets shall bring to their notice the
hardship of the case, and ask that in caces where the penalty has been j
paid, that it shall be refunded, and where unpaid, released.
Tho Clerk requested the instructions of the Senate, whether the Consti?
tution had altered the rate of computing the per diem of members as
heretofore provided, from the first to the last days of the session, both in?
clusive.
The Senate, on the motion of Mr. KERSHAW, decided that no change
had been made.
Air. BUIST offered a resolution, providing for an inquiry by the Com?
mittee on Finance and Banks, us to the amount of interest due ou out?
standing bonds and stocks of the State ; which was referred to the Com?
mittee on Finance and Banks.
Tlie following message was communicated to the Senate :
EXECUTIVE 1 DEPARTMENT,
SOUTH CAROLINA, November 13, 1S(>.">.
To the Ho nor obie the Senate and House of Representatives.
GENTLEMEN : I have the honor of communicating to you thc promised
notice of the Secretary of State of the United States, of the proposed
amendment to tlie Federal Const itution abolishing slavery.
In the last Message which I had the honor of sending you, I gave
copies of the several communications which had passed between the
President and the Secretary of State and myself, on this subject. You
will remember that the construction to widen this proposed amendment
of the Federal Constitution was liable, and which made it objectionable
to South Carolina, was entirely repudiated by the Secretary- of State. I
stated, too, in that Message, that the President and Attorney-General of
the United States were understood as concurring in the construction given
to the second section of the amendment by the Secretary of State. I
know it will give you the greatest pleasure imaginable, to do all that you
can, consistent with your honor and duty to the State, to restore her once
more to self-govei-nment and civil government, to peace and harmony,
and to happiness and prosperity, in the Union of States.
There can hardly be a doubt that this amendment will be adopted by
three-fourths of the States, although you should refuse to accept it, and
will become a part of the Federal Constitution. This consideration alone
should lessen, very much, your responsibility, in acceding to it, on the
part of South Carolina, whilst it increases, very much, the evil and
damage, in rejecting it to the State.
I repeat what I said in my last Message to you, the destiny of the Stato
is in your hands for woe or for weal, and I have an abiding confidence in
your judgment and wisdom, and in your honor and patriotism. I would
remind you, also, ol" all that President Johnson has so nobly done for tho
Southern States, and that it is he who appeals to South Carolina, in 'he
name of God, 'not to throw away all that has, so far, been well done,
and defeat the restoration of the Union," but to "be guided by love and
wisdom from on high, and Union and peace wil once more reign through
the land."
B. F. PERRY.
WASHINGTON, D. C., November ll, 1865.
To His Rccellency B. J'. Perry.
The subjoined letter was posted lo the Governor ol' South Carolina on
the dav of its date.
WM. ii. SEWARD, Sec. of State.
DE i ARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, February ii, 18G5.
To His Rccellener/the Governor of South C<trolina, Columbia, S. ('.
Sn: : 1 transmit an attesb 1 copy ol' a joint resolution of Congress,
approved on 1st instant, proposing tlie Legislatures of th'. several States
a Thirteenth Article to the Constitution of United Stale.;. Your Excel?
lency is requested to cause the decision of the Legislature of Soufh Caro?
lina to be taken upon the subject. An acknowledgment of the receipt of
this communication is requested by your Excellency's most obedient
servant.
(Signed) F. W. SEWARD, Act. Sec.,
United States of America.
DEPARTMENT <>F STATE.
To all whom these I'reseals shall come, (Jreeling :
I certify that annexed is a true copy <>f a joint resolution of Congress,
entitled a resolution submitting to the Legislatures of the several States
a proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States, approved
February 1, 1805. The original of which is on file in this Department.
In testimony whereof, 1. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State of
the United State:., have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused
the Seal ol' the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the
City of Washington, this second day of February, A. D. eight?
een hundred and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the
United States of America tb?: eighty-ninth.
; (Signed,) WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
A resolution submitting to tho Legislatures of tho several States a /
proposition to amend thc Constitution of the United States :
Resolved, Ly tho. Senate and Hou^e of Hop rose nt; it i vc.-, of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled, two-thirds of both Houses
concurring, that the following Article be proposed to tho Legislatures of
the several States, as an amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be
valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the said Constitution, namely :
ARTICLE XIII.
SECTION* 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a pun?
ishment for crime, whereof thc party shall have been duly convicted, shall
exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
SECTION 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this, article by appro?
priate! legislation.
Approved February 1, 1865.
Which was under consideration, when Air. SULLIVAN submitted the
following report :
Tho Committee on Fedora.! Relations, to which was referred the Mes?
sage of his Excellency the Provisional Governor, in relation to the pro?
posed amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and also sun?
dry resolutions on tho .same subject, respectfully report : That they have
duly considered thc same, and recommend the adoption of the resolutions
offered by the Senator from Colleton, as hereinafter set forth, to wit :
Whereas, the General Assembly hus learned, through a communication
from the Provisional Governor, that the Secretary of State of the United
States intends to communicate to this State, that a proposed amendment
to the Constitution of thc United States has passed Congress, abolishing
the institution of slavery in the United States : and. whereas, it is desira?
ble that this General Assembly, now about to adjourn for a short time,
should announce to the country its opinion upon the amendment pro?
posed :
li-', it Resolved, That tho General Assembly of South Carolina, in further?
ance of thc provision of thc Constitution of the State in this behalf, enter?
tains no opposition to thc abolition of slavery by an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States.
Resolved, That any attempt by Congress towards legislating x-pon thc
political status of former slaves or their civil relations, would be contrary
to the Constitution of the United States, as it now is, or as it would be
altered by the proposed amendment-in conflict with thc policy of the
President, declared in his Amnesty Proclamation, and with the restoration
of that harmony upon winch depends the vital interest of the American
Union.
Resolved, That the General Assembly of South Carolina, while main?
taining the doctrine that the Government of the United States "is the
white man's Government." will be controlled in its legislation upon the
civil relations of former slaves by the spirit of justice and tho sentiment of
humanity.
Mr. KERSHAW offered thc following resolutions as a substitute for
the report of the Committee : v
Whereas, official information has been received by this House from the
Secretary of State of the United States, of the passage Ly Congress of
certain amendments to tho Constitution of the United States, and tho
reference theref to the Legislature of South Carolina for its ratification ;
and. whereas, this Legislature has for good and sufficient reasons moving
them thereto, passed a resolution by which a recess of a few days lias been
ordered from this day. Therefore, bc it
Resolved, That thc message of the Provisional Governor, with its
accompanying communication from the Secretary of State of tho United
States, be referred to the Committee on Federal Relations, with instruc?
tions to report on thc first day of the ensuing regular session of the
Legislature, the mode by which, according to the established precedents
of this State, such amendments should be ratified ; and that the said
Committee be further instructed to report by Bill or Joint Resolution, as
may be in conformity with the former usage of the State, and for that
purpose have leave to ?it during the recess.
Mr. TOWNES moved that the resolutions do lie on the table ; which
was ordered to bc decided by yeas and nays, and they are as follows :
Those who voted in the affirmative arc: The Hon. F.J. Moses, President
pro lem.; and, Messrs. Boozer, Buist, Charles, Hemphill, Jo1 ison,
I McDuffie, McQueen, Skipper, Sullivan, Townes, Townsend, (. . W.
Williams and Wilson.
Those who voted in the negative are: Messrs. Arthur, Beaty, Brutton,
Davant, Do/.ier, Kershaw, Lawton, Reid, Tillman, Thomson. Tracy and
I J. H. Williams,
j In the affirmative, 14.
In the negative, 12.
Thc motion was therefore carried, and the resolutions were ordered to
i lie on the table.
j Mr. SULLIVAN offered the following resolutions as a substitute for
those of the Committee.
Whereas, thc Congress of the United States, by joint resolution,
approved on the 1st day of February, A. 1). ?S65, proposed an amend?
ment to the Constitution of tho United States for the ratification of the
Legislatures of the several States, which amendment is in the following
words, to wit :
ARTICLE XIII.
" SECTION 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a
? punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within thc United States, or any place subject to their jurisdic?
tion."
" Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appro
I priate legislation."
j 1. Resolved, therefore, by the Senate mol lions- of Representatives, of the
\ General Assembly of the Slate of South Carolina, in General Assembly met,
\ and bu the. authority of the same, Thr\c the aforesaid proposed amendment
of the Constitution of the United States be, and the same is hereby
' accepted, adopted and ratified by this State.
.J. Resolved, That a certified copy of the foregoing preamble and reso?
lution bo forwarded by his Excellency thc Provisional Governor to the
j President of the United States, and also to thc Secretary of Slate of the
! United States.
!\ir. TRACY offered thc following as an amendment thereto :
Resolved, That any attempt by Congress towards legislating upon the
I political status of former slaves, or their civil relations, would l>o contrary
: to the Constitution of tho United States, as it now is. oras ?t would bc
j altered by the proposed amendment, in conflict with the policy of thc
I President declared in Iiis Amnesty Proclamation, and with tho restoration
! ?>f that harmony npon which depends the vital interests of the American
i Union.
j The amendment was agreed to, and the resolutions, as amended, were
! agreed to, ami were ordered to bc sent to the House of Representatives
for concurrence.
The Message No. ."> of his Excellency the Provisional Governor wa ;
ordered to lie on the table, and to bo priutcd.
Mr. KERSHAW introduced the following report :
The Special Joint Committee of Conference, to whom was referred the
the report and resolutions from the House, amending the resolutions from
the Senate, in regard to thc sale of the State Works, at Greenville, beg
leave to report :
Thal they have can-fully considered tho subject and matters of disagree?
ment between the Senate and House of Representatives. The sale of tho
property at an early day is deemed essential to prevent loss to the State,