Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, August 26, 1858, Image 2
Scraps # Jfarfs*
Complaint is made in some parts of
Alabama and Georgia, that the red rust is
seriously injuring the cotton.
?;? We learn from the Cincinnati Gazette,
of the 17th instant, that Mrs. Harrison,
widow of President Harrison, was very ill
at the resident of her son, the Hon. J. Scott
Harrison, about twenty miles from Cincinnati.
It was feared that the venerable lady
would not survive many hours.
"... I
The accounts from some soctions of
Virginia and North Carolina, relative to
the corn crops are very distressing. The
dorn is drying up, and large fields will prove
almost worthless,. A good rain would be
too late for many fields; bot would save
others from utter ruin.
The Philadelphia North American
says the fall styles of ladies' bonnets will be
graced with clusters of artificial currants,
fox grapes, cherries and other fruits done in
glass of the least possible thickness. The
Bew bonnet is an unique affair, resembling
a cabbage leaf trimmed with tomatoes.
: If is said that one of the editors of
the Lewisburg Chronicle, soon afterhe went
to learn the printing business went to see a
preacher's daughter. The next time he attended
meeting, he wa9 considerably astonished
at hearing the -minister announce as
his text, 'My daughter is grievously tormented'with
a devil.'
The 16th of August, on which, the
first telegraphic message was sent across the
ocean, is a memorable day in American annals.
On that day, in 1519, Cortez set out
on his expedition to Mexico; in 1777, the
battle of Bennington, and in 1780 the battle
of Camden were fought, and in 1825 the
Northern Sea wr.s discovered by Capt.
Franklin . _
tv_ ? ? ,
UT. luuisouvuvr e uovr ajrstcut ui oiwi'
ance of Amputation in cases of injured limbs,
has been presented to the Acederaifc de Medicine,
at Paris,.and is said to have been tried
in various hospitals with success. The invention
consists in the application of a machine
by which the limb is c>:id to be torn
from the socket without pain and without
the loss of blood, the patient in some cases
being completely restored in the course of a
few days. f .
The Recorder of Chicago, 111., in
charging the grand jury, recently, said:?
"During the past five years I have held this
court, it has been my unpleasant duty to try
and sentence to the State prison several hundred
persons; and I am sorry to say that
while, it is an easy matter to find jurors,
who are ready and willing to punish poor offenders
without position or friends, it is with
great difficulty that jurors can be found who.
appreciate the fact that one bad man of position
and wealth can do more harm than one
hundred poor^meu^an, who are in the humble
walks of life.'*
A few weeks sinoe says the New Orleans
Crescent, we mentioned, as a singular
circumstance, the marriage of a German
widow in the third district, to her fifth hus/Mnd?no
one of the previous four having
outlived his weddiDg a year. Well, a few
days since the fifth husband took the yellow
fever. He died, and on Friday was buried.
This singular and most remarkable fatality
among the the husbands of one lady would
create doubtful talk among that lady's acquaintances,
were not she well known and
respected, and the causes of the deaths of
her different husbands well known to their
friends. As it is, it is one of the mo3t *cn?
rious instances of fatality we ever heard of.
The first steam machine adapted to
plowing purposes wliich has ever been tried
in this State was exhibited some days since
a few miles from the city. The machine
was taken to the spot over an exceedingly
rough and hilly road, but attained a speed
of some four miles per hour. It moved over <
the field selected for the trial at about the
same rate, and is calculated to work a half
dozen plows at a time. Charles Mann, a
practical mechanic of Troy, is the inventor,
and, while he confesses the machine quite
defective at present, is confident that it can
be made to operate with entire success.?
The trial took place in the presence of Committees
of the State and County Agricultural
Societies.?New Tori- Herald.
One of our city physicians, has han- ,
ded us the following extract from a letter
written to him by a professional brother in
the upper countvy, describing a somewhat
singular case, we believe of rare occurrence
in surgical practice : 'I must put. in a slip,
to give you an instance of death from the j
rapid accumulation of far. We had a young |
man, residing 18 miles from this place, who i
was one of the miracles of nature. At the I
age of 22 years he weighed 565 pounds; he
continued gradually to increase in flesh un- (
til he reached over 600 pounds ; lie was able ,
to get about with tolerable ease to himself, j
and attended io his planting interest. Some
weeks ago he commenced increasing in flesh ,
very rapidly, and gained 11 pounds per day; (hen
it was found he gained a little over 2 j (
pounds per day. Last week he died sudden- j j
ly in his chaise, I think from the accumula- j
tion of fat arouud the heart. Three days j ]
prior to his death he weighed 646 pounds; 1t
and had he been weighed the day of his j <
death, no doubt he would have goue over :
660 pounds. I have often seen him, aud (
visited his family a few months ago profes- i
sionally.'?Savannah Neics.
Speaking of the disputed question of 1
Gen. Jackson's birth-place, the Lancaster
Ledger says: The family of Jackson was 1
Scotch, and emigrated at an early period to
the North of Ireland. Andrew Jackson, the |
father of Gen. Jackson, with his sons Hugh
and Robert left Ireland and landed in Charleston
in 1765, and removed to the Waxhaws,
there to reside. Maj. Robert Crawford
with others of the Crawford family, came
over with him and likewise settled in the
Waxhaws. Andrew Jackson died shortly
after his arrival in this country, and just be-!
fore the birth of his son Andrew. The lat- j
ter was born on the 15th day of March, 1767. j
The Jackson s were m ratner indigent cir-1
cumstauces; but Maj. Crawford was a weal-1
tby man, was by the marriage of one of his ;
brothers with the sister of Andrew Jackson's !
(Sr.) wife's sister, somewhat a family con-1
nexion and was the firm and undeviating i
friend of the Jackson's. From the best in-1
formation we can gather the mother of Gen.
Jackson, had left the place where her husband
first settled and was at the time of the ;
birth of her son Andrew living on a place,'
belonging to Maj. Crawford, and very near
to his place of residence. In a very short!
time after that event?the birth of Andrew
?Maj. Crawford took her to his own house;!
and it was her home until her death. I
C|t gorlibilk drapttwr.
edited ay >
SAM'Xj W. 3MOBXJTOJJ.
YORKVILLEj S. C.
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 26, 1868.
We are very desirous to give particular
attention to the local department of our paper;
and to this end, we would ask our friends in the
various portions of the District, Postmasters and
others, to give tts reliable account? of whatever i
matters of general interest, that may transpire in
their respective localities. Notices of Marriages |
and Deaths will be promptly inserted, when acAS*A/J
Kw a rocnnnaihlp nftTTlfi. AllDOUDCC" ?
wvui^auivu uj tM ?woj/vhw.v.? ? ?
ments of religious find temperance meetings will ;
be inserted with pleasure, and witbont charge.
1&, Personal Communications, when admissible
; communications of limited or individual interest,
or recommendations of Candidates for of- \
fices of honor, profit or trust, will be charged
for at from 2.} to 10 cents per line.
Oar friends, Clergymen, Postmasters and oth- ;
era, can, and'we trust will, aid us materially in i
contributing interesting items, of this nature to i
our columns.
*#* In order to encourage the efforts of all i
who are favorable to our enterprise, we propose
to~fcend a copy of the Enquirer, gratito any one j
making up a club of ten subscribers and sending
$15, in advance. To clubs of six, the paper will
be sent for $10 50, with an extra copy to the person
making the club. " * j
faf Wm. P. McFadden, Esq., and M. Jokes, ,
are authorized to act as agents for the Enquirer, (
receive money and give receipts for the office. ,
j?p?The absence of the Editor will account for
the want of the usual editorial matter.
We are requested by Ret. Wm. Curtis, 1
Corresponding Secretary, to state that the Board
of the Broad River Association will meet at Euon
Church on Saturday next. 28th instant. The roin- '
istering Brethren will continne^the meeting on the 1
Sabbath. * * !
CAMP-MEETING AT CONCORD.
Rev. John W. Kellt reqnests ns to state that .
the Camp-Meeting at Concord, near Clay Hill, will (
embraop the xeennd Sabbath in September, instead 1
of the third, as heretofore. *
VOEKV1LLG FE9IALG COLLEGE.
The exeroise* of the Yorkville Female College
were resumed on the 18th instant. We are gratified
to learn that the session opened under the
most favorable auspices. The number of pupils
in attendance was unusually large, and it is cheering
to see that number increased by the daily arrivals
from all parts of this and tkea<\joiuing States.
The Trustees havo secured the services of a full
and efficient corps of Teachers, with the Rev. J.
M. H. Adams still acting as President, pro (em.?
Every department is now complete, and the establishment
of this, noble institution may be regarded
as a decided success." That the efforts of those
who have it in charge are well-meant, we have not
the shadow of a doubt, and if they continue td be
well-directed, there is no obstacle in the way of
its continued advancement and prosperity.
We might dilate at length on the superior advantages
and claims of this institution of learning,
but they are so apparent that "he who ruus may
read." *
Female education is no longer an experiment;
"* ?J '1 A.#.kU.1iar1 ito nlaim fn iWinni*. 1
11 una tt3Cin icu auu covauitcucu ivo vmiu< w .
tance, and is rapidly extending itself through all I
ranks of female society. Man is no longer the
sole votary at the shrine of literature and science,
but woman claims it as her prerogative to gather
bidden treasures in every department of knowledge.
The deep-rooted prejudices that once stood
as a barrier to woman's intellectual improvement
have abated, while a thorough and complete education
is regarded as lending additional lustre and <
brighter clarms to the female character. But as
much as has been done to remove those orude and
unjust notioneso dishonoring to tbesex, very much
remains to be accomplished, and we very much
fear, the due importance of the subject has never
yet been weighed. In proof of this, we' may
point to the action of our Legislature on this subject.
Whilst thousands of dollars are being expended
annually for the education of the Sons of
Carolina, not a dollar is appropriated to the great
cause cf female education. This should noj be 1
so. It is high time that a more liberal and en- ?
lightened policy should control the legislation of (
the State. But it is needless to urge this matter. 1
IT.L V C -A ?.1 ??,1 T
lue iiuuiucr ui cuugnicu auu nv>vuui|/ticuvu j uuu^ | ?
Indies who receive their diplomas in our semina- I n
ries of learning angurs well for a better state of j c
things. Scattered throughout the State, their influence
must be felt, and in process of time will j
pffect a salutary change in such unwise and unjust 1
legislation. We may recur to this subject. * r
MERE-MENTION.
Wc are indebted to some kind friend at Due *
West for a copy of the Annual Catalogue of that s
Institution. The College is in a flourishing condition.
The whole number of Students is put 11
down at-130. It is proposed to erect a monument
to Capt. John Smith, of Jamestown, Va. 1
ff nil the Johns will contribute, the thing can be T
done without calling on outsiders. The Fay- 0
etteville Observer in speaking of the election for f
Governor in North Carolina, says that "returns 1
from 70 counties show a majority of 15,439 for e
Ellis, and a gain of 2965. The few remaining
jounties gave Governor Bragg a majorty of 120.
They cannot now make any material alteration
jitherway." The Hon. JohnSlidell, is nominated
for the Presidency, by the New Orleans
Delta. The following is said to be an excel- t
ent remedy against bleeding: Take linen or cot- a
ton rags, burn them to charcoal. Put the char- b
:oal on the wound, and no more bleeding will en- s
sue. The Washington Star pronounces Geu- n
8ral Cass as entirely recovered from his indisposi- p
lion. me "iveiit uuurus ia iiie iiume ui a. i
Rifle Company recently formed at George's Sta- t
tion, and so called in honor of Col. Keitt. a
In Lafayette, Indiana, they have a gigantic Indian a
on exhibition. He is 19 years of age, stands sev- t
en feet seven inches in his moccasins, and weighs i
four hundred and eighty-six pounds! Two j t
boys in Nashville, Tenn., recently jumped from | s
the pier of a bridge, in that place, a distance of !
ninety feet, into the river. They were not hurt r
in the least. c
Newspapers iu St. Louis are in name and nature 1
somewhat mixed. The Republican is democratic \
and the Democrat is republican. At one of e
the public gardens in Cincinnati, where Germans t
most do congregate, six thousand glasses of lager ]
beer were sold on a recent Sunday. A party f
of Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin, recently treat- ?
ed a man who had been guilty of abusing bis i
wife, to a ride on a rail, and then divested him <
of his hair and whiskers. A New Orleans ed j
itor wishes to have the word "holler" adopted in- i ;
to the family of English words. Mr. Field, j1
has determined to resign the active management j i
of the Atlantic cable, owing toimpared health and ! <
pressure of private business. An old bach- <
elor of Oxford, Miss., worth one hundred and fifty i
thousand dollars, recently found a new boru fe- j
male babe hanging at his gate. He ha9 adopted i
it, and given it the name of "Eureka Gate." j
The health Commissioners of New York, have de- i
clared Charleston an infected port. The
Loudon Times has an article favoring the annexa- :
tion of Mexico to the United States. Out i
doOr sports?being chased by atiiad oA or collecting
Mile for printers. At Birmingham, England,
eight tons of wire per week"are made Into
hooks and eyes.*-v Cincinnati, containing.over
two hundred thousand inhabitants .and doing a
larger business than any other Western city, has
only fifty thousand dollars of banking capital. The
bonking business is done by private bankers
It is stated that a disease similar to the cholera in
hogs, has broken out amoDg the poultry In India
na and Illinois. On the marriage of a Miss
Wheat, it was hoped that her path might be flowery
and that she might never be thrashed.
Hon. John M. Botts, of Virginia, says, he found,
during his travels in Europe, that "tho Germans
were the best ordered and most intellectually
peaceable people of modern Europe."
I cannot bear to see a bear, bear down npon a
bare, when bare of boir be strips the bare, for1
bare I cry 'for bear.' William Means, a slave,
recently bought himself at auction, in Memphis,
Tennessee. A man named Carnum, was lately
pardoned out of the Connecticut State Prison
after a confinement of twenty six years. The
wonderful changes and inventions of the twentyfive
years, are, he says, all new to him, and are
looked upon by him with about the same degree
of wonder as if he had just arisen from the dead
after a sleep of a quarter of a century. He never
until Saturday last, saw a printing press, ft railroad
or a train of cars. He was taken to the depot
at New Haven, to see the express train come
in and was much astonished tit the sight.
It is stated that the people of the city of London
sent by post 82,000,000 more letters during the
last ten yearMhan all the people of the United
States, although the population of that country is
ten times greater. Of the 95,000,000 letters posted
in London, more than 400,000,000 were for
jirculation within the limits of that city.
BETH-SHILOAH AND BEERSHEBA.
The demands recently made on our columns, alone
prevented a notice heretofore of the demonstration
made by Beth-Shiloah Division, 8. of T., on tho
7th inst. With becoming zeal and industry the
Sons brought fogether quite a goodly number of
speakers and of people. The exercises commenced
?1 ? MnaamM Ui VTMI U Moon*
omijr. lllllT gvuviviuvu;
Esq., Wm. D. Warbkv, and Mr. Ben.tamir C.
Presslt, and in the order given, in carefully prepared
addresses, well delivered, filled with good
matter, direct, pointed, and effective, occupied
the morning exercises. If the aged - of our district
had heard these young?yes, very young
men?had listened to their remarks pleading for
the cause of order, sobriety, virtue and Heaven,
uhetber a blnsh would, have been seen on the
cheeks of some, is perhaps a speculation ont of
?ur province. It is sufficient here to say, the assemblage
was quite delighted with the performances
of the young gentlemen, awl awarded their
?ffort8 with.approving smiles and rapturous applause.
We are persuaded the female hetrers,
indmore particularly the mothers,who were present,
will.not soon forget the day, or those young
men. It !b further evident that in less than ten
fears from the present moment York will not,
ack foy Temperance orators. .
After an interval, and partaking of a bountiful
ind ueat repast, the evening wa9 filled up whh ad
iresees by the Rev. Mr. Darby, Rev. Mr. Borer., i
ind Col. Beattt.
Wo have also to record, that, on Saturday las^
t like demonstration occurred with Beersheba Division.
The day was pleasant, the assemblage
espectable in number, and the whole scene furlished
quite the usual enjoyment. The Rev.
Landy Wood was the principal orator on the ocjasion.
Requested arid urged to take the time,
le in a considerable degree complied, and the
inited verdict was, that ho made a telling and
nost searching address. We are disposed to think
lis remarks were so treasured up by the hearers,
md hence likely to be repeated, that some, who
ire noi by any means devoted to the cause of
Temperance, mnyhave them to reach their brains,
ind, if prudent, they will keep a silent tongue;
f otherwise, otherwise. The day's exercises were
dosed by a few remarks from some others and a
Benediction pronounced by Rev. Mr. Davis, the
?astor of the Church. After partaking of the
jood things of life prepared by the Indies, the
Division went to work, and we went home. *
- [advertisement.]
TO THE PUBLIC.
Mr. Editor:?In your paper of the 22nd of July
nst, I see a communication from Fort Mill, signed
'Eastern York," nominating me for the office of
)rdinary in our District. In your issue of the
2th inst., I find another signed "Many Voters of
Western York and again on the 10th instant,
mother signed "Twenty Voters on Turkey Creek,"
loncurring in the nomination of "Eastern York."
Now, allow me through your columns, to exiress
my most sincere thanks to those friends who
mve thus publicly manifested such confidence in
ae, by their nominations for so important an office;
lorcan I be unmindful of the many friends, whose
irlvate solicitations hsye been equally as expreslve.
I feol it a duty I owe to myself, as well as to
ny friends, to accept the nomination ; and at the
ame time desire to express my gratitude for the
micfa V.orotnfnr? ennfiHerl to me. Should the
oters of York District promote me to the office
f Ordinary. I hope I shall do nothing in the disharge
of the duties incumbent thereon, that will,'
a any way, be calculated to lessen me in their
steem. JOHN G. ENLOE.
Yorkville, Aug. 25, 1858.
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE FREE SCHOOL. SYSTEM.
Inasmuch as various plans have been suggested
o amend our present mode of common schools,
nd as I have given the matter some attention, I
ave concluded to give the public my views on the
ubject, which if improved upon and carried out,
tight be far preferable, iu my opinion, to the
resent system, at least for York District.
In examining the map of our District, I find
hat it measures in breadth, from East to West,
bout thirty miles ; in length, from North to South,
bout twenty. In order then to lay off our Disrict
into School Districts, we would have (allowng
five miles square to each) about 24 School Disricts.
Now suppose this to be done, and a good
chool house erected ou each.
The difficulty that would arise according to the !
ecent plan suggested by our Legislature, or some
tf the members thereof, would be that within the
jouuds of several of the School Districts, there
vould not be a sufficient amount of taxable proptrty
to support a school, allowing the State to conribute
only a sura equal to each School District.
Por in some of the School Districts, it would be
ouud that the tax payers have only (or to a con
tiderable degree) real estate, and inmost instances
:hose Districts have very poor land, and consequently
the taxes therein would be very small.
As an illustration, within the bounds of each
School District, there would be about 16,0001
|
teres of land, and the land rated say one half as
second quality, and the other third. The 2nd
quality, say 8,000 acres, at its present advalorem
value, according to the State assessment, would
amouut to $48; the 8rd quality, 8,000 acres more,
to $19 20 ; making the State tax on the land iu j
the School District $67.20. Now according to the
recommendation of the Legislature, the Commissioners
are authorized to assess 25 per cent, on
this amount as a school fund, which would make
$10.80. Add to this an equal sum of $10.80, the
appropriation by the State, and we would have
$33.60 appropriated to educate the children of at
least some few of the School Districts for one year.
It will be apparent from this calculation, that some
! School Districts will not be able to support a
school more than too months in the year, while
' many others would have a sufficiency, and a few
more wealthy an abundance. ?
Agreeable to the'pieseut law of our State, every
District or Parish is entitled to $600 as a school
ftind for each member or representative, she is en- j
titled tosend to the Legislature, and consequently, 1
York District is entitled to $2,400. Now suppose j
the Legislature wouliLepact, tli^t each.School Dis- j
trict should recoivc an equal destributive share j
of these funds and an assessment on each tax paycr
of 25 per cent on his State tax be made, the
result would be, th&t the poorest School District
in York would have at least $115 or $120, o?d
school fund, thereby enabling' them to hnve- a
school some six months in the year, which would
| be as long as they would, desire, owing to the
! necessity of requiring the labor of their children a !
portion of the year at home; whilst many other j
Districts would be enabled to employ a teacher
the whole year on a very competent salary.
B. J. W.
[arvketisbnekt.] v
TO THE CITIZENS OF YORK DISTRICT.
Again the unpleasant task is imposed on me, of
appearing before you in the public press. I am
called upon by "More than one Constituent," to
publish ray views at length, on the subject of the
action of the last Legislature io reference to the
Banks; and to make any reply I may deem proper,
/? nnKliatiod artielft nf Cnl. MoCaw on this snb- I
IV j, ........... ? ject.
Whilst I dp not feel at libert j to disregard such
a public requisition, I must be permitted to reiterate
my utter repugnance to keeping alive this
controtersy over a past issue. Cut to my Follow
Citizens I am responsible for my past conduct in a
representative capacity, and to their enquiries
touching matters of a public or political nature, I
hold myself in readiness at all times to answer;
otherwise I should be unworthy of their confidence.
Before proceeding to give my opinions relative
td the suspension of the second section of the
Bank Act of 1840, I will consider very briefly and
fairly, some of the positions taken by Col. McCaw,
in the article alluded to. In the outset of bis
communication, we might infer, from the language
employed, that his object was to charge the blame
of the late financial revnlsion upon the Legislature,
rather than to the derelictions of the Banks;
at least the expressions used, are scarcely pusceptihle
of a different interpretation. When adverting
to the "recent crisis," he uses the folIoVing
words: "It will be sufficient to refer to the cause
contributing directly to this result, to wit: the
large increase and expansion of banking capital
for a series of years, beyond the point of redemption
in gold and silver, not only in South Carolina,
but throughout the United States, and then a
too sudden contraction of issues." Now it is generally
known, I suppose, that Bank capital is created
only by the Legislature, and the amount of
the capital of every Bank is fixed by the charter,
or a limit of the extent to which it may be increased
by the Bank itself, as in the case of the Newberry
and. Fairfield Banks. For the expansion
therefore, or rather intreasr. of the Bank capital,
the Banks are not responsible. It would seem,
| however, that this construction is negatived by
; the latter clause of the sentence, "beyond the
! point of redemption in gold" &c., and that Bank
issues were meant instead of capital; for to say
that the canital of a Bank (i. e. gold and silver,)
is so expanded as to be irredeemable with gold And
silver, presents n palpable solicism. Suppose,
however, the former construction the true one, I
must be permitted to remind the author, as well as
others, that the Legislature, with the exception of
hnvingcharteredthesmallBankofGeorgetownwith
a capital of $200,000, has neither increased nor ex
ponded the Bank capital in this State since 1852;
and if the late monetary revulsion is attributed
to the action of the Legislature so far back, in my
judgment, something more than mere assertion is
required to bolster the proposition. I know that the
opinion prevails that the chartering of the eight
new Banks in 1852, has contributed mainly to the
late financial troubles. It may be true to a great
extent; but I regard the great mischief as arising,
not so much from the number of Banks chartered,
as from the corrupt system of Banking heretofore
permitted ; and had -they been properly restricted
by the terms of their charters, and confined to the
legitimate business of Banking, they wonld never
have been instrumental in bringing about the late
panic; whilst two or three Banks, permitted to
revel in the luxury of issuing ad libitum, any num
ber of bills, without being required to keep a sufficiency
of coin in their vaults to redeem them,
would oertainly bring down, sooner or later, financial
disasters upon the oountry. The error of the
Legislature was, and always has been, in omitting
to provide a more stringent discipline for the rcgmen
and regulation of these unscrupulous institutions.
I presume that it will hardly be questioned,
that the late severe panic experienced in South
Carolina, if it was not solely and directly produced,
was certainly aggravated by the extravagant
inflation and sndden contraction or tne currency,
and by the abominable practice pursued by the
Banks of shaving, kiting and broking, modeetly
ycleped "dealing in Domestic Exchange."
A somewhat lengthy transcript of a Bill, looking
to a thorough reform in our Banking system,
introduced at the last session by Mr. Memminger,
is inserted in the article before us, with some comments
upon its provisions, and objections to the
policy and propriety of its early adoption by the
Legislature. Not perceiving the necessary bearing
of this Bill upon the question in controversy, to
wit: the suspension of the 2nd section of the
Bank Act of 1840,.I will not endeavor to discuss
its merits; besides I have no inclination to enter
the lists with the able progenitor of this measure,
for I do not know that I would be likely to bear
off any laurels from a mental grapple with Mr.
Memminger or even Sir Robert Peel of England,
on this subject. If Mr. Mcmminger's Bill and
the suspension of the act of 1840 were the only
alternatives, then I admit that a propriety manifestly
arises for the consideration of the Bill.?
This was not the case. The issue before the Legislature
was not the adoption of this Bill or the
suspension of the law of 1840, and if neither was
agreeable to my convictions of policy, I should
have voted against both schemes, for it were far
better to have done nothing than to have legislofort
>inund>1v Tf tintt, nrnieo.ts in the main.
had been acceptable to my views, I should have
advocated both, with the necessary modification
of the one, so as to render its machinery compatible
with the operation of the other.
"It will not do to argue," says Col. McCaw,
"that money has not been more plenty and cotton
advanced in price Bince the passage of the Act in
December last." Well, I agree that it is entirely
useless to argue a proposition, the converse of
which is demonstrated by a simple reference to
figures. In November last, the total circulation
of all the Banks according to the sworn return of
their officers, was $6,297,876,00. By the same
returns the total circulation on the 1st January
last, was reduced to $6,185,840,00, showing an
actual decrease of $112,036,00 in one month after
the adoption of the great remedial scheme, which
K is gravely alleged made money more plentiful,
and did in fact give substantial relief to the country
from the severe pecuniary pressure. This is
a uuiversnl clamor with the Bank party, but they
will find the problem hard to solve to the public
satisfaction, that there is more money in a roll of
one hundred dollars after fifty had been abstract
cd from it, than before. To pursue bis argutneut j
further, for I must be brief, he says that "thp I
specie Banks could not discount" &c./'"and those ^
thit had suspended - could not hare continued to
diseonnt and pay a tax of 5.per cent, for tbe pri- |
vilege, when they only received 6 per cent, for tbe
use of their money." It is evident that if the
Banks only realized 6 per cent; on their capital, :
and had to pay back 5 per cent, of the same, that ,
thqy could not afford to do business awl loan their !
bills on those terms. But this is not the fact, as i
is well known, and I regard it ns a very disingen- ;
uous abatement of the case, and intended to create
the impressfion that if the Banks were compelled
to pay the penalty of -5 per cent, they could only
make one per cent, on their capital. .Gentlemen
are certainly aware, that such would pot be the ,
true result, for the Banks in thia State lwivo dedared
dividends ranging from 8 to 20 percent.
often having on hand reserved profits, showing <
clear gains of 20 or 80 per cent., and according r
to the estimate of the Comptroller General, as '
high as dO per cent. Take the suspended Bank of
Newberry for instance, with a circulation very ;
little larger than the amount of her capital. She I
baa made in the first four months after the pas- j
sage of the Act of 1857 over 20 per cent. Deduct |
5 per cent, from the circulation, and it will appear !
that after pnying the 5 per cent., this Bank will i
have realized about 15 per cent., and it is stated |
on good authority, that the Hamburg Bank since j
the last 8ession of the Legislature has made, np !
to June, profits, which, after deducting 5 per cent. I
on the circnlation, would eqoai 17 per cent, on J
her capital. With these facts and flgnres before j
ns, we readily perceive how much truth there is
in the clamor raised by the Bank party, that
the collection of the 5 percent, from the suspended
Banks would compel them to stop iheir operations,
and in fact, would be tantamount to a forfeiture
of their charters. But it has been said
that the Banks would" hare been compelled in selfdefence
to contract their circulation, and that they
could not continue to loan their bills wi^h this
burthen upon their operations. I am inclined to
think that this is an error, tfor a circulation, I
take it, is indispensably necessary to preserve the
other parts of the Bank machinery in harmonious
action. The kiting and shaving wheels need tlus
propelling power to keep them in motion. It is
apparent, therefore, that it was very impolitic and .
unwise in the Legislature to have relieved the j.
Banks from the payment of the 5 per cent, imposed
by the Act of Assembly of 1840.
In the article under review I find these words: "It
Is true that the bills of the suspended Banks were
at a depreciation of from 1 to 2 per cent'., bnt for
the payment of debts they answered the farmers
jnst as well as the virgin gold. The merchant
who wanted exchange would lose the amount of
the depreciation," kc. With regard ta the depreciation
of the suspended Bunk bills, this is far
short of the mark. After the suspension of the
Act of 1840, these bills fell 6 per cent, below par,
and this amount Was lost on a large number of
those bills in the purchase of exchange, and I
venture to assert that it is a most egregious mistake
to suppose that the merchants would patiently
pocket the loss rather than exact it back from
their customers, by legitimately increasing the
priee of their goods and groceries. It is the habit
of that shrewd ami useful class of men to count
the cost of their merchandize first, and then set
remunerating prices upon it. The truth is, the
planters, principally, will eventually sustain the
loss of every dollar of this depreciation of currency,
and 26 per cent, superadded, to the merKonno
tlioSA Rliqnpndcd Bftflk bills WOUld
be very far from "answering the purposes of the
oommunity as well as virgin gold."
Again, on the supposition that the contractions
by the Banks before their release from the payment
of five per cent, affected the price of cotton
two cents per pound, Col. McCaw calculates the
loss sustained by the planters in Sonth Carolina
as having been $1,200,000, and I believe his compution
is abont correct. To my mind at least, it
wears the seeming of sound reasoning and legitimate
deduction; but by what system of logic or
ratiocination the -conclusion could be deduced that
the contraction since the Act of 1857 would not
depress the price-of cotton equally as much as it
did before, I am utterly unable to conjecture.?
I- have shown that the contraction not only continued,
bat that it actually increased after the passage
of the Act; therefore, by his own process of
reasoning, it is certainly fair to infer that the loss
sustained by the planters thereby, would not only
to be as great since as before, but that it was considerably
augmented; and in all probability far
exceeded the sum he has designated. Indeed, I
have very little doubt of the fact that the loss oc- J
2 j Vit- thai rli relictions of the I
(jshiuucu luiuo |iii?uivio ut ?? ?
Banks both before and since the enactment of the
law of 1857, did not fall short of two millions of
dollars, and when we take into the account the
further loss, incurred by the community by the
depreciation of the value of the suspended Bank
bills?which was mainly owing to the suspension of
specie payment haying been legalized by the Act
of last winter, together with the loss of the 5 per
cent, justly due by the suspended Banks?the probability
is, that it has altogether reached, if it has ! i
not exceeded, that enormous sum.
It is denied by Col. McCaw that England has I
gold enough to buy our cotton, and ho says "this '
is a far-fetched idea, and not sustained by any ar- 1
gument of political eoonomy." Not being farail- '
iar with the state of British and French finances, '
I will not attempt to dilate on the question as to 1
their ability to purchase our cotton; hazarding 1
the assertion, that if the prices of cotton were 1
continued depressed below the proper rates for '
a great length of time by our Banks, (which now
monopolize the trade,) withholding the funds nec- '
essary for the purchase of the cotton, British 1
gold would certainly find its way to our markets j
for that purpose. It was asserted in the Legisla- j ?
turc last winter that the gold had then been de- ! i
posited in Charlesto to buy cotton, and it was not j 1
denied; and indeed, I have very little doubt that 1
British gold had something to do in enhancing the | 1
prices after the action of last winter, for it is ap- j I
parent that our Banks bad tery little agency in j <
tn that result. Without doing vio- i <
6 ?
lence to List, Ricardo or Adam Smith, I think I 1
may safely say that it is not impossible for EDg
land to purchase a portion of our eciton with [
gold, without thereby materially impairing or de-. '
ranging the commercial intercourse or prosperity i1
of the two nations. And I have no hesitancy in i
asserting that Political Economists will agree, that 1
often in the commercial trading between two 1
countries, a balance may be in favor of one for a j1
time, which balance, for the want of the exchange- i 1
able commodities in demand then, must be met by :
the other with the universal medium of values? 1
gold and silver. But it is objected that if we got i
the specie from England for our cotton, we would !
have to re-ship it to purchase our imports, "and I
this would have left us where we started." For ;1
what other purpose do we want the gold, but to j i
purohase our imports or anything else we needed ; >1
that is, if we should happen never afterwards to :
possess such commodities as we could give in ex- i1
change for those imports.' It might be then in the ;1
course of time, this gold might wend its way !1
back to England, and if we should be left where
wfl started, it would be precisely at the very
place from which we have never yet started.
Col. McCaw then proceeds to sum up his reasons i
for voting for the suspension of the Act of 1840. !'
"1st. To prevent further contractions by which
the crop would be delayed in going t? market," :
&c. "2nd. Because although the collection of I
the fi per cant, may haye enlarged th? public '
i
treasury directly, indirectly it would hare inflict- ' s
ed a severe blow upon the Agricultural Interest?f | <
the country."-. As to the first, I have shown b/ j t
the Bank- statement, that the contractions were j (
not prevented; and, therefore, the anticipated re- j
lief was not realized. As to the second^ reason, ! e
I have not seen it demonstrated, how the Agricul-'t
tural interest could suffer the slightest detriment, ,
by the Bank:/ boing required to disgorge an in- c
significant portion of their vast and nngodly gains I s
for the payment of their houest debt to the people, j t
On the contrary, with the facts and evidence be- | !j
fore us, we can scarcely avoid the conclusion that 11
me suapeusiuxi ui luy /\t;v ui low ims yrutvu *v j
be a blight upon the farming interest, rather than
a blessing. .
The impression attempted to be created by the ,
friends bf the Banks is, that it was necessary to
remote the restrictions front thecn in order to extend
relief to the country. That their object was
not to relieve the Banks, but to save the property
of all the debtors in the land from the sacrifice of
a SherifTs^pnle, and to enable "planters to realise
higher prices for cotton. Is it troe that the Aot
of 1857 was intended to.rclieve the people and
not the Bauks? A glance at the journal of the
debates on this subject in the Legislature, will
bring ns to question very seriously the verity of
this pretence. If I am not mistaken, the record
of the proceedings there, goes very far towards
showing that the suspension of the Act of 1840
was not primarily intended as a measure of relief
to tho people, but that it was emphatically a Bank
measure, mooted by a Bauk party, and carried
principally by the votes of Bank men. If the advocates
of this measure were actaated by a sole
purpose to save the country from a greater financial
distress, why did they reject the amendment
offered by the Bmk reform party, which provided
only, for the suspension of the collection of the
5 per cent, for twelve months ? This amendment
would have freed the Banks from the embarrassment
of having to pay the per cent, monthly, as
required by the law of 1840, which wa9 as much
too, as they should have asked ; and the LegisU
inpn wnnld still liAve held the reins over the Banks.
and could at the expiration of the year, have ex- t
acted the 5 per cent, in eaee they had failed to ?
carry out in good faith their promises to the coon- <
try. But the friends of the Banks did not scruple <
to say that they feared the next LegislaturtfVonld i
exact every dollar of the forfeiture from the Banks, i
and that they, while they had the power, wonld t
make a clean sweep of the penalty and turn them ]
loose, unbridled upon the country, free from the I
last restraint imposed by law. Does this look as (
though relief to.the country only was intended ? I
To an unbiased mind* the inference is irresistible <
that it was purely a Bank measure. The most 1
popular pretext -for the Act of last December is, <
that it was necessary to save the property, of those <
indebted to the Banks or others, flrora being sac* t
rifieed at nominal prices. The bngbear constant- 1
ly held up was?that, if the Banks were not propi- 1
dated by an entire release from their obligation
to pay the people the 5 per cent, on their suspen- i
ded bills?they wonld compel their debtors to pay i
np, and the/ in turn would force us, the people, I
to pay our honest debts! If the object then, of
the supporters of this pseudo-relief measure, was I
solely to preserve the property, of the citizens of |
the State from a ruinous sacrifice, why did they ]
not adopt the amendtnent, proposed by the oppo- j
site party, to prevent the Banlts foom oppressing '
their debtors by suits for collection so loog&s they <
continued in a State of suspension ? There was a I
semblance of fairness and Justice in the provisions i
of this amendment, inasmuch as the Banks had
suspended payment, that the people should have
been permitted to suspend payment to them ! This
would bare afforded substantial relief or security
to the people for a while at least, but it was too
much of a concession for the oppressed Banks to
make! In rejecting this amendment H Was tantamount
to saying that wc will relieve the people by
denying them relief. In View of this fact, bow ,
can it be said that the suspension of the Act of ,
1840 was anything less than, a scheme merely to j
favor the Banks, and the pretended concurrent re- i
lief to the country?mere charlatanism. Again, ;
the minority?the friends of the people?in making ,
one more effort in their behalf, attempted to in- (
corporate in the Act of 1857, a provision reqniring ,
the suspended Banks to abate from their rates of (
discount whatever per cent, their bills might fall 1
below par, and thus throw the loss which might f
be occasioned by their depreciation, on the Banks j
themselves, by whom of course, it should be borne, j
and not by the community as it has been. To |
this honest proposal the majority refused to ac- t
cede, and unceremoniously voted it down; in con; <
sequence of which the suspended Banks have been t
authorized hy law,'to recieve from the planter, 6 I
per cent, on every dollar of their paper !n circula- j
tion, when in fact, they only loaned him ninety- j
fire,cents. I can not imagine how hnman ioge- j
nnity conld pervert the meaning of this legislation t
into anything else than a plainly expressed purpose
to favor the Banks, without any regard to the e
interest of the people. I think I have shown <j
from the record, so to speak, that the suspension (
of the 2nd section of the Bank Act of 1840 was f
simply a Bank measure; that in adopting it, the q
interests of the community at large, were not re- a
garded ns of paramount consideration. Though j D
lV? ??-? Unnaat irnntlpmon who Voted for I a
IUCIO ncic UIOUJ uwuvuv ? 0
the Act?and who were actuated by a desire to s
lighten the monetary pressure upon the country? i
but in their anxiety and zeal to do something, they j,
sere carried away with the illusory idea that in p
the remotal of the forfeiture of 5 per cent, from s
the Banks, consisted the infallible panacea for all j
the ills attendant upon the reigning panic. t
I will now endeavor to show that the Act of last <3
December did not relax the pecuniary pressure, 11
nor effect an advancement of the price of cotton. ; s
[t would be a useless waste of words to attempt a j ti
demonstration of the fact that the tightness of, e
monetary affairs and the pressure of hard times, | a
bare not been removed by relieving the suspended 1 s
Banks of the five percent. Everyone knows ! 0
that the pressure prevails yet in the country to a (*
great extent. But how could this act favoring a
the suspended Banks, have operated as a deliver- a
nnee from the financial embarrassments? Un- p
questionably, by enabling and iaduolng the Banks ii
?both specie and suspended?to loan oat their u
bills freely, and thereby to increase the quantity v
of money in circulation, and by this alone ; for to t!
induce a suspended Bank to increase its circula- o
tion $500, and at the same time to compel a spe- S
cie Bank to decrease $1000, would only aggravate I
the financial oancer. This I contend, has been tbo ii
only effect of the Act. The specie Banks having v
to keep on hands coin necessary to redeem their e
bills when demanded, could not expand for the ac? , g
nf (ha unnnirv when thev were be- ; /i
UUiniUUUUUVU V* %MW VVTWM-m J 1 ? - ing
constantly drained of their specie by the sob- tl
penders, who in turn, refused to pay tliem back n
gold for their own bills, as they were authorised 1
to do by the Act of December last. Thus the s
specie Banks, from the subordinate position assign- s
ed them by the Legislature, were rendered entire- g
ly unable to famish a currency to the country, a
and forced to continue the contraction of their cir-!t
culation; and the favored Banks to which we had s
a right to look for the necessary expansion, have a
failed to perform their bounden duty to the peo- t
pie in this particular. Notwithstanding, they have t
been able to realize profits since November last, t
ranging from the rates of 8 per cent, to upwards e
of 20 per cent, on their capital, while the specie, t:
Banks, which have sustained the credit of the currency
of the State by refusing to suspend, have e
made only from 6 to about 14 percent The effect (
sem^ity of money in the country?to permit the
leiinqaent Bunks to make great speculations by
heir bod faith to the country, and that too at the
^xpenso of the more honest Banks, and to rob the
>eop!e of the fire per cent, which (hey had sol:mnly
promised to pay them in case they suspenicd
as they hive done.
la tue ipse piace, let as enquire u the price or
lotton advanced as a necessary consequence'of tbe
aspension of the Act of 1840. Wo hare seen that
he Banks contracted their eircolatioa more th&a
M 00,000 by the 1st of January last; Tbeconraction
which followed up to the first of Febraa y
was considerably iacreased. According to lay
ecolloction, it was more than three-fold greater
ban that of the preceding month. I regret I
tare not the Bank statement, for that month be'ore
me, so that I could give the figures. Upto Jrff
astit had'reached about $l;oG0,"(00: Now It
s true that cotton advanced about two cents per
>ouud in January^ and,not until January. _ If the
idvance is to be attributed?to the suspension of
he law of 18J0, why was not this reault effeoted
n December? By recurring back to the statenents
of "prices current, if I mistake pot, it will
je seen that the prices of cotton way at Its lpwest
ange on or about the first of January, and that it
idvonced about one cent by the middle of that
nonth. But on what principle can the inference
be drawn that the advance in the price was a con?6.quenoe
of relieving the suspended Banks??
Clearly on the supposition only, that the Banks
bad furnished the means of purchasing it; the
cant of which it Is alledged, and very properly
:oo, had depressed it solowjn November preceiing.
By the sworn statements of the Banks
hemselves, they show ns that they hare not contributed,
but actually lessened the means neces?ary
for the parehaee of cotton. The pretenoe,
therefore, that the Banks, by inoreased accommoUtions
hare been instrumental in enhancing the
price, is simply idle. It Is sometimes suggested
jy enthusiastic adroeatee of the measure, that
the moral effect and Influence of the Act was to
Tstore confidence to the commercial world, and
hereby tojraise the prices of produce. Suppose
hen it be not ascribed to any material aid affordsd
by the Banks, but to eome sort of conjuration
jr talis manic effisaey inherent In the suspension
>f the Act of 18-4Q per te. Then the hypothesis
ie negatived by the conseqaenoee which followed,
rot having been in consonance with tbe nature ?f
moli a cause; for assuming such a result to b#
possible, then the effects and influences on the cotan
market would have developed themselves immoliately
after the enactment of the law, which was
lot the case; as it will be remembered that cotton
sontinued to decline until the first of January aferwards,
when it attained its lowest price. In
ivent, therefore,, can the advancement of the price
if nnttnn hi> tnicKi. "dirccflv nr indireotlvto
he Act of last December relieving the suspeoded
Banks from the payment of the five per cent, on
heir circulation.
Xhrre are other important points of view in
which this Aot of the Legislature might be shown
?p &a highly objectionable and impolitic, b4t
'or the present I must forbear.
I have thus given in a plain manner, my opinions j
frankly on this vexed subject?free from extravagant
representations or hyperbolical diction. My
propositions have been based npon the most* reliable
statistics I conld on short notice procure, and
which I think are correct; and I hope I have succeeded
in discharging this duty without seemiag
to reflect or cost any imputation upon anyone, II
my pnrpoBe has been simply to Attain and exposft
the truth.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EDWARD -MOORE.
For the Yorkvllle Enquirer.
FATAL ERROR CORRECTED.
Mr. Editor: Permit me a few incidRital remarks
as preliminary. E. A. ChenshaW, "for,"
w he informs ns, "a good reason," brought into
the discussion bis "own proper name," his individual
acts, and even his motives of action. His
s the responsibility; and A Prubyterian cannot
easonably be held accountable far what, under
>ther circumstances, should be regarded personal
emarks. The reason of E. A. Cbexshaw for hi*
:onduct in this particular, which by the way lie
vas pleased not to give, was necessarily cither
food or bad. If good he has no eause of com*
>laint. If bad?if from vanity?from the sup>osed
influence of his name and adjuncts, or if
'rom a notion "of good policy and not for ooncienoc
sake," similar to his acts in joining those
'various" Temperance societies of whioh we
enow nothing, then and in such case, he is alone
esponsible for the imprudence. A Presbyterian
me no desire to obtrude his name or conduct,
food or bad, on the attention of the public. He
>refers to rely on the forte of truth for sortentaion
of bis principles and propositions.
That E. A. Cbesshaw should decry the influmce
of conscience?"the candle of the Lord," and
lisparage its diotates as an arbiter, bestowed by
lod on man, of the principles of right and wrong
or the regulation of his conduct in, to use Dr.
.'robnwell's words, "the countless contingenciee
ud diversified oocasions of life," is at the same
noment extraordinary and pitiable. That he
hould in the face of the world promulgate, in
ubstance, the doctrine, abrogating and denying
he eternal difference between right and wrong?of
idiness and sin; and make the distinction dependent
exclusively on a written command -on the
overcignty of God irrespective of his holiness,
ustice, goodness, and truth, is evidential, (to
mploy scriptural terms) either of a darkened anlerstanding,
of a strong delusion that he should
>elieve a lie, or of a reprobate mind. Bat that he
hould roundly and openly proclaim, after a week's
leliberation, by way of explanation and clear
lucidation, and in a distinct paragraph, numbered
,nd placed as the fixed conclusion of his Undertending
and conscience, that "The providence of
lod is a manifestation of his government of' (not,
j) "his creatures, and reveals no rule for right
ction to nan in moral matters, in any given ease,"
ssuredly out herods deistical philosophy, and, if
roved to be true, establishes at once the reign of
afidelity. This may be deemed by some, particlarly
by theoarelessand indifferent, strong and seere
language; but the ig^ctant enquiry is, Is
he language true? Do QOt providence, reason, ^
onscience, and the word of God revealed tons in the
Icriptures, all concur in pronouncing it the truth.
f then it be the truth,we have the right to use it;
f it be otherwise and God be no qoral governor,
re hope not to escape condemnation; and on being
nlighteued, we shall take.pleasure in asking foriveness
of our country, Such a. God and a Chris
Ian Church can require none; for in such case
here can be no Christian Church. "They are the
lost dangerous offenders," says Dr. Thornwbll,
who lumper nun mo principles vi icvwiuuc helf,
who seek to eseape the reproaches of concienceby
degrading the standard of moral obli.
ption; who pursue peace at the expense of truth,
nd extinguish the light that they may not behold
he calamity of their state." But if E. A. Cren.
haw be wrong, is not a retraction of his gross
nd miscbierous errors, as ample and public as
heir avowal, due to his God, to the Church, and
o his country; and if the retraotion be not mode,
he question, how far his offences require the exrcise
of Churchy Discipline, is not for the arblrement
of theppbllc.
Anattwt to prove to an intelligent Christian
ommanity the existence of a moral providence of
lod, may well be regarded an insult to tbelr
WWstanding and religious feelings. But the