University of South Carolina Libraries
An Independent Family Journal-'-Devoted to Politics, literature and General Intelligence; VOL. 4. NO. 34. BY HOYT & WAITERS. TERMS: DOLLARS AND A HALT PEE ANNUM, IN. UNITED STATES CURRENCY. Ii ? 5 j ? 3 ?. 11 * t:; c ? RATES OF ADVERTISING. Advertisements inserted at the rates of One Dol? lar per square of twelve lines for the first insertion and Fifty Cents for each subsequent insertion. Liberal deductions made to those who advertise by the year. SSf For announcing a candidate, Five Dollars in advance. Great Cavalry, Fight of the War. ^^Bf JO Eft ES^EN COOKE. mi - .. At daylight-si long thunder camo up from the woods, pfvthe/ Bappabannock. The greatest cavalry combat of the war had begun.! At that sound Stuart leaped to the sad? dle and rode rapidly towards the front. Fifteen minutes afterwards his headquar? ters had vanished. On the green slope ?of. Fleetwood not a tent was visible; Is.the reader familiar with tho country along the Upper Rappahar nock ? If so, he will remember that the river is crossed - in Culpepper by numerous fords. The principal?beginning on the left, that is to say, up the river?arc Wolford's, the JRailroad bridge and Kelley's fords. Stuart's Kilt, under Win. H. F. Lee, was opposite Welford's, his centre under Jones opposite Beverly's; his right under Hamp -ton towards Kelley's, and a force under Robcrtsou was posted in the direction of Stevensburg, to guard the right flank. This force amounted to seven or eight thousand cavalry. The federal column which now advanc? ed to attack it, is said to embrace the cavalry of Gen. Hooker's arm}-, and must havo numbered more than twelve thous? and sabres. Stuart rode on rapidly down Fleetwood Hill, and. was soon opposite Beverly's Ford, where the enemy had crossed in * force. Gen, Jones was heavily engaged, nnd the Napoleons of the horse artillery were roaring steadily. Every moment the round shot crashed, or tho shell tore through the woods about three hundred: yard* in front of the pieces, where the dis? mounted cavalry of the enemy had affec? ted a lodgment. They kept up a hot fire at the cannoneers, and the steady rattle of carbines further up the river told that Lee was also engaged. - In face of the-bursting shell, the blue tiraillieurs could not advance, and Stuart sent an order to Hampton to move in and attack on the right. The troopers of the Gulf Slates advanc? ed at the word ; their dense columns were soon seen slowly moving, with drawn sabre, across the plain; the moment of decisive struggle seemed rappidly ap? proaching, ivhen suddenly a heavy blow was struck at Stuart's rear. I had been directed by him toascertaiu if "oveyrthing had been sent off from Fleetwood," and to see that no papers had been dropped there in the hurry of do parture. (Joing back at it gallop I soon reached the hill, and rode over the ground recently occupied by the headquarters. The spot seemed swept. Not a paper Was visible. All that 1 could see was a withered boquel, dropped by s?meyoiihir officer of the staff?a relic no doubt of the last night's ball at the village. I had already turned to ride hack to Stuart, when my attention was attracted by a column ufcavalry advancing straight on Brandy?that is, upon Stuart's rear. What force was that? Could it be the enemy ? It was coming from tho direction of Stevensburg; but how could it havo passed our force there ? "Look !" I said to an officer of the horse artillery, one battery of which was left in the reserve of the hill, "look what col? umn is that?" "Itlnust be "VFIekhain's," was his reply. '?I am sure they arc Yankees." '?Impossible!', ho exclaimed. But our doubts were soon terminated.. From tho rapidly advancing column two guns shot,out and unlimbcrcd. Then two white puffs of smoke spouted from their muzzles, and the enemy's shell burst directly in our faces. The horse artillery returned tho fire, and I hastened buck with the intelligence to Stuart. "It is only a squadron, Is oppose," he replied with great coolness. "Go back and get all the cavalry you can, and charge tho guns and bag them !" It is impossible to imagine anything calmer than thespeakcr's voice. I knew, however, that the attack was more criti? cal than he supposed. Hastening back, I came up with two regiments, and then ascended the hill at full gallop, leaping the ravines and darting towards the crest. Suddenly it blazed with staggering volleys. The Federal cavalry had rushed straight across the fields towards the hill ?ascended the eastern, and met us. Com? ing in squadron front they struck the Confederate advancing in columns of "fours, and in confusion from the rough ground. They recoiled?were thrown in disorder and with loud cheers tho onemy swarmed ail over Fleetw ood Hill. The battle .seemed lost. Stuart was cut off and hemmed in between two pow? erful bodies of Federal cavalry, supported by infantry and artillery. All that saved us at that moment was the "do or die" fighting of cavalry and horse artillery. On tho crest of Fleetwood took place a bitter and obstinate struggle. It was one of those fights of the giants, which once witnessed is never forgotton. The can? noneers of the horse artillery fought as savagely, hand to hand, as the regular cavalry; and the crest became the scene of a mad wrestle, rather of wild beasts llian men. AH at once the form of Davenant ap? peared amid the smoke, lie had come I'apidly from the front, and now threw liimself into the combat like the bloody iiound to which Stuart had compared him. His cheeks were hushed, his eyes fiery. Leaping from his horse, ho seized the sponge staff of a gun, from which all the cannoneers had been driven, and ramming homo a charge of can is tor, directed tho gun upon a column of the enemy. " Before he could fire, a Federal cavalry fnan rode at him, and cut furiously at his tare head with tho full weight of hisj sabre. Davenant did not try to draw his sword ?the attempt would have been useless. In bis hands he had a weapon, and with a swing of the rammer he swept the cav? alryman from the saddle. He fell head j long, covered with blood, and Davenant aimed and fired the load of canistor? leaped upon his horse, and drawing his word, plunged into tho melee, his head bare, his eyes flaming, his voico rising ! loud and inspiring above the combat. It was a stubborn, a superb struggle. Three times the enemy's guns were charged and captured; threo times the Confederates were furiously charged in turn, and the pieces recaptured by the, enemy. A final charge of the grey cav? alry carried all before it. The Federal artillery was seized upon, and their caval? ry driven back?but at that moment a heavier force still was seen advancing up? on Stuart from the direction of Kelly's Ford. It was a splendid spectacle. They came on in solid column, and rapidly formed a lino of battle on the slope of Fleetwood, with drawn sabres, and flags floating. As they moved, they seemed to shako the very ground. I had never seen so great a forco of cavaliy drawn up, and the critical moment of the battle had plainly come. At that instant, tho great field presen? ted a remarkable appearance. Cavaliy were charging in every direction, and it was hard to tell friend from foe. Stuart, was fighting, so to say, from the centre outwards. The enemy were in his front, in bis rear, and on both his flanks. If they closed in, apparently, he would bo crushed as in a vice. The iron hand would strangle him. ? That moment tested the nerves; Stuart's 'iieari of oak" bore the strain. Ho was aroused, stung, his cheeks burned, his eyes flamed?but the man was sufficient for the work. I looked closely at him. '-Do or die" was plain on his face. From that instant I never had any doubts about Stuart. He rushed two pieces of artillery to a knoll in front of the line of Federal horse? men. A moment afterwards two reports were heard, and two shells burst precisely in.the middle of the line, making a wide gap in it, and checking the charge which had begun. All at once I saw a column of cavalry coming up Ifroin? the river, turning to Stuart said : '?General, what cavaliy is that?" "Hampton's!" Stuart exclaimed,''Bring it up like lightning!" 1 set out at full gallop, and soon reached the column. At the head of it rode Young, the beau sabruer of Georgia, civet, gallant, with his brave cyo and smile. I pointed out the enemy, and gave the order. "All right!" exclaimed Young, and tur? ning to his men, he whirled tho sabre around his head and shouted, ?'Forward !'' The column thundered on, and as it passed, 1 recognized Moliun, his flashing eye and burnished sabre gleaming from the dust-cloud. "Charge !" rose from a hundred lips, Spurs were buried in the hot flanks; the mass was hurled at the enemy ; and clash? ing like thunder, sword against sword, swept everything before it. JNot a single shot was fired?'.ho sabre only was used. The enemy wcro broken to piece*j what I saw was a wild melee of whirlingswords, flying horses, men cloven to tho chin, while others were seen throwing them? selves from the saddle, and raising their hands to escapo the keen swordsmen slashing at them. The great force pf tho enemy sweeping down on Stuart's flank was thus routed. The spectacle which followed was ludi? crous as well as exciting. Tho enemy fled in disorder. Never beforo had I seen the nails in the hind shoes of hundreds of horses ; myriads of horses' tails, streaming like meteors as they ran ! The forco disappeared in tho woods, hotly pursued by their foes. The dust followed them in a great cloud ; from that cloud arose yells and cheers, cannon thundered, carbines rattled; but that sound receded more and more rapidly toward tho river. On our left, the bravo YVm. F. n. Lee had been successful. Ho had charged and repulsed tho enem}', falling wounded at the head of his men. They had not again advanced upon him. Near .he Barbour House he presented an unbroken front to ! thorn. Stuart held them with his cavalry, in? deed, tho whole Fleetwood range. The I long thunder of his artillery said to the enemy, "Come on !" They did not come. They went back. Thei r cavalry had crossed tho river to ascertain tho meaning of* the great re viow. They had discovered nothing, af-J tcr heavy loss. Tho ground was strewed witli their dead and dying. They* retired shattered and bleeding. Stuart's loss was also great. Even his staff was not spared. One of my brother stuff officers was killed, another wounded, a third captured. But Stuart had won the greatest cav? alry fight of the wuv.?From "Mohrn; $r, j The Last Days of Lee and His Cavaliers." - ?- A Minnesota steer recently had the misfortune to have a hay stack cave in over him. His owner discovered him two weeks afterwards, fat and hearty, having eaten his way thirty foot through the stack. ? The Siamese Twins are in Liverpool. They will make a tour of the United King? dom as a show beforo going to Paris to be cut apart. It will be a dear cut to them, we opine. They \?ill be parted below to meet above?in Kingdom come'. The Truth of History?Johnston's Surren? der to Sherman. The whirligig of time has brought about some remarkable revenges during the last seven years of our history. Many a mil? itary bubble has been pricked; many a name which early in the war tilled every car has been deservedly forgotten ; and, on the other hand, man}' a really great man has outlived slander and misconcep? tion, and is honored with all tho more heartiness now, because time was when we refused him the laurels he deserved. It is not so many years since Grant was set down as an obstinate blunderer, and at the turning-point of his career it was for a while in doubt whether he should be sent back in disgrace to private life or allowed to march forward in that glorious path which he discerned, but his superi? ors did not. A more remarkable exam? ple, however, of the triumph of truth and justice is afforded in the case of Sher? man. He perceived long before anybody clse the magnitude which the campaign in the Mississippi valley must assumo; and when he told the Government how large an army would be needed in that department men called him a lunatic. Costly experience convinced us that Sher? man was right, and we had to call upon him at last to do the work in which so many pet generals had failed. His ca? pacity as a commander has been fully vindicated; but there is another side to his character which has been suffered to remain in tho shade, and this, too, is now to be cleared. It has been the fashion to decry his political sagacity. Tho terms of surrender which he granted to John? ston excited a clamor throughout the Northern States. "If the agreement had been carried out," wrilesoncof the latest historians of the war, "it would in effect have instantly restored to all persons who had been engaged in the rebellion eveiy right and privilege, political and social, which ihcy had enjoyed before they re? belled, without any liability to punish? ment. It proposed practically an utter I forgetfulncss of tho events of the war, j and made it a hideous farce, with the fea? tures of a dreadful tragedy. * * * In his anxiety to end the war and rc | store the Union, Sherman, with the purest motives and most earnest desire to do right, made a grave mistake. It occur? red at a time when such a mistake could hardly be excused b}* the loyal people. * * * The 'Memorandum' was pub? lished, and created universal indignation and alarm. * * * General Grant was immediately sent to Raleigh to declare tho rejection of the -Memorandum;' to relieve General Sherman of command if he shoulrj think best to do so, and to di? rect an immediate and general resump? tion of hostilities." General Grant, of course, was too wise and magnanimous, and too sincere a friend, to deprive of his command a general whom he so highly esteemed, and whoso fault, at the very worst, was nothing but an error of judg ment. The agreement, however, was re? voked ; and live loyal people, then in the fever of their excitement over the assas? sination of Mr. Lincoln, were so incensed with Sherman that his past services were all but forgotten. It now falls to our lot to show that the responsible author of the Sherman John? ston agreement was not General Sher? man, but President Lincoln. The facts which w?i are about to relate were brought to our knowledge during this last sum? mer, and were committed to paper at the time. There were obvious reasons why thej- should be withheld until after the election ; but there is no objection now to their being laid beforo the public, and wo are especially glad to havo an oppor tunity of doing so, because this journal, among others, was unjust to Shormun at the time of the surrenden On tho 27th of March, 1865, two or three days before the final movement up on Richmond. General Sherman, fresh from his march to tho sea, arrived at City Point for the purpose of conferring with tho President and tho General-in Chief. Mr. Lincoln was then on board the gunboat Queen, and on that day an interview took place on tho boat between the President, General Grant, General Sherman, and Admiral David D. Porter. From ono of the parties of t his interview, a gentleman connected with the Spirit of the Times obtained a verbal narrative of what took placo. There was no pledge of secrecy, and we feel that we violate no obligation in making public the substance of it. "Mr. Lincoln," said the narrator, "had come down to City Point with the most liberal views towards the rebels, and was willing that they should capitu? late on almost any terms. Iiis heart was tenderness throughout, and so long as the enemy laid down their arms, ho did not care how it was done. After hearing from Sherman a description of his posi? tion, ho proposed that tho same terms should bo offered to Johnson that would have been given to Leo. To this General Sherman strenuously objected, declaring that he had Johnston cooped up where ho could not get away, and that he would bo compelled to surrender at all hazards, whatever terms wo proposed. 1 never saw him inoro encrgotic in my life than while ho was arguing this point; but Mr. Lincoln leaned towards milder measures, fearing that the Confederate General would escape South by tho railroads, and have to bo chased again. Sherman de? clared this to be impossible 'I have Johnston,' said he, -where he cannot move without breaking up his army, which once disbanded, can never bo got together again. Tho Southern railroads are all broken up. I havo destroyed them so that they cannot bo used for a long time.' "General Grant asked : 'What is to prevent their laying tho rails again V " 'Why,' ?nid Sherman, 'my bummers don't do things by halves. Every rail has been placed over a hot fire, and twist cd as crooked as a ram's horn. The)' never can be used agaii till they have been through a rolling mill?' "The President, however, was very do cided ubout the matter, and insisted that Johnston should be induced Immediately to surrender by granting him most libe? ral terms. Grant, too, was anxious that Johnston should not try to get into Rich? mond, where he might give us a great deal of trouble; and Sherman was com? pelled to yield, though ho did it very un? willing!)'. Tho terms of capitulation | which afterwards made such a disturbance were, in fact, substantially arranged by Mr. Lincoln himself, and if ho had lived he never would have allowed Sherman to bear the responsibility of them." This narrative is conclusive. Mr. Lin? coln, it is now clear, virtually dictated the terms to Johnston, just as he did the terms to Lee; and had it not been for his kindness of heart, we have no doubt that Grant would have exacted "unconditional surrender" in the one case, and Sherman have been equally peremptory in the oth-! er. Had the President not been assassi? nated before Johnston's capitulation, it is probable that the celebrated memorandum would have been acceptable to a majority j of the Northern people. It is certain, at all events, that Sherman would not have been to blame for it. The patience with which he has borne undeserved obloquy so long will be appreciated by his coun? trymen, and thc-y will not fail to honor tho elevated sentiment through whioh, when a single word would have vindica? ted him, he refrained from speaking it.? Wilkes' Spirit. A Brief sketch of Ex-Governor Pickens. Francis W. Pickens, ono of the earliest and most prominent actors of tho recent war, passed from earth on Monday last. On that day Francis W. Pickens, formerly member of Congress, Minister to Russia, and Governor of South Carolina,died at his residence in Edgcfield, after a lingering illness, aggravated, it is said by mental anxiety and the disappointments which attended his life. Tlie deceased was de? scended from one of the most conspicous men of Revolutionary renown, his grand? father being General Andrew Piekens, whose campaigns against the Indians and British, in what was then known as the "Warsaw Settlement," are familiar to ev? ery student of American history. The sub? ject of this sketch graduated at the South Carolina College in 1826, was soon after admitted to the bar, and in 1829 was elec? ted a member of the Stale Legislature. After serving several terms lie was, in 1835, elected a Representative to Con? gress from tho distriet once represented by Calhoun and McDuffie. His career as a member of tho House was sufficiently suc? cessful to "Insure his re-election to five successive Congresses. In 1845 ho de? clined further Congressional honors, and retired lo private life, remaining out of oftlce until 1858, when he was appointed Minister to Russia by President Buchan? an. In 186U he was "elected Governor of South Carolina, and was a member of the convention which took the State out of the Union. He was an ardent secession? ist, and did all that was in his power to make the cause of the South successful. After his gubernatorial term had expired. Mr. Pickens, as a private citizen, was conspicious in his efforts to support the Confederate authorities in a vigorous prosecution of the war. Large sums of money were taken from his private for? tune and spent to further the cause in which he had risked everything. After the Confederacy was overthrown he ac? cepted the situation in good faith. Elec? ted a member of tho convention which met under President Johnson's plan of restoration, he did not hesitate to intro? duce a resolution declaring slavery abol? ished, and to espouse and support 6uch other measures as he believed were nec essary to place South Carolina once more on a friendly footing wtli tho loyal Sates. That ho was disappointed and heart-sick at the failure of tho South to achieve independence ho ever freely ad? mitted. The almost total loss of his im? mense wealth, which included nearly six hundred slaves, he declared affected him less than the degradation to which South Carolina was reduced by tho reconstruc? tion laws of Congress, which ho ever op? posed. Whatever may have been thought of the opinions of Governor Pic kens none can gainsay his honesty and oarnc.Ntness in tho views ho held. His education, which made' those views a part of his nature, was neither more nor less than that of thousands in the South who were taught to, and even now believe that this is, or was. a confederation of sovcrign States and not a federal Union. The sur? render of Lee and Johnson was a blow from which ho never recovered, and it would net be amiss to plaeo his name in the list of prominent Southern men whose deaths since the war ended have been caused more from mental anguish at the overthrow of tho South than from bodily ailments. -JYcw York Herald. Ax American Lion.?A party of hun? ters had a fearful encounter with a full grown American lion, near t he Belt range of mountains in Montana Territory, one day last month. The animal received sev? enteen bullets before he succumbed. He measured eight feet from nose to tip of I tail, and was nearly four feet high. The contest was desperate and protracted, and several of the hunters received ugly wounds. ? A dandy, strutting about a tavern, took up a pair of green spectacles which lay on the table, put them on his nose, and, turning to the looking glass, said: "Landlord, how do these become me?? Don't you think they improve my looks?" "I think they do," replied the landlord, "they hide a part of your face." Laughable Experience; Among the many familiar chronicles of the War, none-excels in interest the "Dia? ry of a Southern Refugee during the War," (Hale & Son, New York, 1867.) It is understood to be from tho pen of a gifted lady of Virginia, wife of an Epis? copal clergyman, and member of a family connection widely known and esteemed; The humorous extract below strikes us as not unworthy of Dickens: We left Winchester in the stagecoach for Strasburg at 10 o'clock at night, on the 14th December, 1861. The weather was bitter cold, and we congratulated ourselves that the coach was notcrowded. Mr. McG. and the girls wcro on tho back scat, a Methodist clergyman, a soldier and myself. On the middle, and two sol? diers and our maid Betsey on the front seat. We went off by'starlight, with every prospect of a pleasant drive of eighteen miles. As we wero leaving the suburbs of the town, the driver drew up before a small house, from which issued two women with a baby, two baskets, several bundles and a box. The passengers began to shout out ' Go on driver; what do you mean? there's no room lor another?go on." The driver made no answer, but the two women came to tho coach door and began to put in the bundles. The gentlemen protested that the}' could not get in?thero was r.o room. Tho woman with the baby said she would get in; she1 was "agwino to Strasburg to spend Christmas with her relations, whar she was born and raised, and whar she had not been for ten years, and nobody had a better right to tho stage than she. had, and she was agwine, and Kilty .Grim was agwinc too?she's my sister-in-law; and so is baby, cause baby never did see her relations in Strasburg in her life. So, Uncle Ben !" sho exclaimed to the driver, ? take my bag, basket and box by you, and me and Kitt}' and baby, and the bun dies and the little basket will go inside." All this was said amidst violent protes? tations from tho men within. "You can't get in ; driver, go on." But, suiting the action to the word, she opened the door, calling, "Come, Kitty," got on the step and thrust her head in, saying: "If those gentlemen is gentlemen, and has got an}- politeness, they will get out and set with Uncle Ben, and let ladies come inside.'1 A pause ensued. At last a sub? dued tone from the soldier on the middle seat was heard to say, "Madam, if you will t(et oft' tho step, I will get out." "Very well, sir; and why didn't you do that at first? And now," said she, looking at a man on tho front scat; "there's another seat by Uncle J3cn; sposcu you git out and let Kitty Grim have your seat; she's bound to go." The poor man quietly got out, without saying a word, but the very expression of his back, as he got out of the coach, was sub? dued. "Now, Kilty, get in, and bring the little basket and them two bundles; they won't pester the lady much." Tho door was closed, and then, the scene being over, the passengers shouted with laughter. Our heroine remained perfectly pussive until we got to the picket post, a mile from town. The driver stopped ; a sol? dier came up for passports. She was thunderstruck. "Passes! passes for while folks! I never heard of such a thing. I ain't got no pass; nuther is Kitty Grim." I suggested to her to keep quiet, as the best policy. Just at that time a Tennes? see soldier had to confess that he had for? gotten to get a passport. '-You can't go on," said the official, and the -soldier got out. Presently tho woman's turn came. "Madam' your passport, if you please." "I ain't got none; nuther is Kitty Grim, that's my sister-in-law; wo ain't agwinc to get out nuther; 'cause we's gwine to Strasburg to spend Christmas with my relations, and I ain't, been there for ten years, and I never heard of white folks having passes." "But, madam," began the official. "You needn't 'but, madam' me, 'cause I ain't agwine to get out, and I'd like to sec tho man that would put mo out. This is a free country, and I'se agwinc to Strasburg to-night, so you might as well take your lantern out of my face." "But, madam, my orders,' begnn the pieket. "Don't tell me nothing 'bout orders ; I don't care nothing 'bout ordere"} and you needn't think 'cause the Tennessee man got out, that I'se gwine to getont?causo I ain't. Ain't I got three sons in the ar ' my, great sight larger than you is, and they fit at Manassas, and they ain't no cowards, nuther is their mother, and I ain't agwinc to get out of this slage this night, but I'm gwine to Strasburg, whar 1 was born and raised." The poor man looked non plussed, but yet another effort; ho bogan : "My dear madam?" '?I ain't nono of your dear madam ; I'se just a free white woman, and so is Kitty Grim, and we ain't no niggers to get passes, and I'se gwine nlong this pike to Strasburg. Now, I'se done talking." With this she settled herself on the seat and leant back with a most deter? mined air, and the discomfitled man shut the door amid peals of laughter from within and without. In a few moments wo wero quiet again, and all began to settle thomselves for sleep, when the si leneo was broken by our heroine : "Kitty, is you sick ?" "No,"" said Kitty. "Well, it is a wonder. Gentlemen, can't one of you take Kitty's seat, and give her yourn ? sho gets monstrous sick when sho is a riding with her back to the horscR." Thero was a death-like silence, and my curiosity was aroused to know how sho would manage that point. Alter, a: few moments sho began again : The Intelligencer Job Office. Having recently made considerable additions to this department, we are prepared to execute itftyB Wik ?IF :M? In the neatest style and on the most reasonable terms. Legal Blanks, Bill Heads, Posters, Cards, Handbills. Pamphlets, Labels, .and in fact every style of work usually done in a country Printing Office. ?f?T In all cases, the money will be required upon delivery of the work. Orders, accompanied with the cosh, will receive prompt attention. "Kitty, is you sick V "No," said-Kitty, "not yit." "Well, I do wish one of you gentlemen would give E?tty bis seat." Still no reply. All was becoming quiet again, when she raised her. voice: "Kilty Grim, is you sick?}i "Yes," said Kitty, "just a little:" "I knowed it; 1 knowed she was sick; and When Kitty Grim gits sick she most in general flings up." The effect was electric. .. "My dear madam," exclaimed bothgeni tlcmcn at once) "take my seat; by all means take'my scat." The Methodist clergyman being near* est, gave up his seat and took hers. The change was soon effected amidst the most uproarous luu^hlcr, all feeling that they were fairly otit-generaled the third time. -o The Duty of the South.?The New York Hcmld of last Saturday, in conclu? ding an editorial under the caption of "Tho Politicians Trying to Stir, up Trou? bles in tho South," says: ? . In some important particulars we be? lieve the South will be agreeably disap? pointed in Grant, and it should not inaug? urate his administration by kicking up a fuss in advance. Nor will Grant get iuto, an.unnecessary fight with Congress upon the question of Southern reconstruction. Unconditional negro suffrage is what the white population of the South nre appre? hending. General Grant may not bo called upon either to dpriCse or approve it. It may be taken out bf his hands al? together. There is ample reason to doubt whether the proposed amendment to the Constitution called the fifteenth article, providing for indiscriminate suffrage?' niggers, Chinese,-coolies, digger Indians and all the rest of the ballot-forsaken por? tion of creation-f-will be adopted by the required constitutional majority?three fourths of all the States. Tho Westdoes not seem disposed to bow down to-it.' Witness the fiasco of the Inauguration Ball, where, because.it was placarded by., Western men, "No niggers admitted,," some Eastern nigger worshippers split off and would have nothing to do with' the affair. The West has inneffaceable preju? dice against negro equality. United with the South and such of tho Northern States as are opposed to the negro eqoah'ty" the majority necessary to adopt the Fifteenth1 Amendment cannot be secured. ' And upon a question of negro equality placed distinctly before the w-hole people,' wo are firm in the conviction that the af? firmative would be voted down -by an overwhelming majority. The sentiment of our population is undoubtedly in favor of, still reserving to the several States those rights affecting social and domestic relations which but few despotic power* on earth have succeeded in usurping and controlling against the will of the people^; Therefoio let the South stick to its proper vocation at this time?work hard, raised good crops, bo economical, save money, maintain law and order, and let the mis-' chief-making politicians all go?where^ tlicy belong. - Strength of Metals.?In the course of' various mechanical and manu f?ct uriiig3 dperiitions, it has been found necessary to1 test the strength of various metals, and froth one of the statements of the trialsr made we compile the lollowing: A bar of cast lead, one inch square, breaks under a strain of 860 pounds; a bar of cast silver will not break until the strain reaches 45,500 pounds; a bar of cast iron will re? main in tact until tho strain exceeds 59,?. 000 pounds; the best wrought iron will bear a weight of 84,000 pounds to a bar an inch square; and a similar bar of steel has been made of such tenacity" as to lift a weight of 150,000 pounds before break-, ing. An alloy of two metals nearly fdV ways possesses greater tenacity than eithV", er one does separately. A strip of sound oak wood an inch square has been found, to lift and sustain 17,300 pounds before1 breaking; and a similar strip of locust,' 20,000 pounds. '': -? Jurisdiction cf Magistrates.-?-^ tbe; Court of General Sessions, the question as to the jurisdiction of Magistrates in ermi?; nal cases came up before Judge Carpen? ter, on the return, yesterday, to a rulo to show cause why certain persons were de? tained in custody. The Judge decided that no power vested in Magistrates to hear and determine charges against per? sons accused And to commit to jail upon such trial. That the authority vested tri ' them under the recent Acts of the Legis-* laturc, was confined to the hearing of the1 cause and the commitment of theaecuscd ' to jail upoTTsufiicient evidence, to stand trial at the approaching term of theCourt of General Sessions. Several prisoners, therefore, sentenced to jail by Magistrates, ? were ordered to bo released.?Charleston ? Courier. ? - ? A statement has been published of, the expense and profits of a first-class travelling circus and menagerie. The season with this entertainment lasts from the first of April tu the last of October. Nearly three thousand miles were travel? led over in that time, an average eighteen miles being made on every day the show moved at all. Ninety people, drew sala- ' ries from the proprietors in various ca? pacities. The expenses for hotel bills, - 207 days, were 822.448 for people, $27, 022 for stabling and feeding stock. -The animals required a hundred and fifty pounds of beef a da}'. The total expen-? 8es were about ?800 a day, and reached in the aggregate S141.600. The total, re-, ceipts. on 177 show days, exceeded this i amount by $53,100, but from this profit tho expense of wintering tho animals must bo deducted. ? It costs the United States $14,000 to educate every cadet that graduates at Wckt Point.