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H A. POWERFUL LETTER. ? , ? Yiews or Rev. Dr. E. T. Winkl er* ?v ?- - j We find in last Thursday's issue of the New , York Exaininer and Chronicle the following strong letter from the Rev. Dr. E. T. Winkler, of Charleston.: ?> ? To ike Editor of Examiner and C?rwrfefe .? ^Mt Dear Brother?The admission of the Hre^rters, the lawyers, the judges, the whole community, that in the Ku Xlux cases, now ..on trial in South Carolina, the lowest class of '^uT^pulation furnishes the informers, ought, to ?waee?. grave.4oub.ts in regard to the truth of the charges now urged against the most re- j ~?Mctitb!e, wealthy aid influential citizens of j -the State, "The people who have made these -astounding revelatiors in regard to the social - state of the op-country, are familiarly known 1 as "Crackers," "Ciaf-eaters" and natives of) , *'Dark Corners." Idost of them can neither read nor write. Mi.nyof them are the off ' spring of illicit conxections. Some of them affirm that they have been led to expect better remuneration in theii.* present line of business ' than they ever had before?comfortable lodg? ings in the jail, and three'dollars a day during ? the time of their incarceration. Now, just suppose that such iin inducement had been /offered to the citizen' of Five Points, to testify against the most respectable citizens of New f York; suppose that the informers had been .backed by the ward politicians, and the wealth and power of the Niitional Government, and ^then judge for yourcc If what, after all, may be the real condition of South Carolina! CRETE ANP CORRUPTION'. . I am not in sympathy with the Ku Klux Klan. I do not know any of its members; there are none in the section of the State where I reside. Yet I most confess that I have long felt the need of some sort of legislation, and seme justice, such as we have not had in our j IState for many years. Just look at "the situa >tion." The best citLiens of the State are con -stantly despoiled. Their cotton is plundered at night, and sold in the seed to "corner shops." Their stock is butchered in the woods. Their property is assessed above its mirket value, and is sometimes taxed beyond what it produ? ces, or would sell for. Many persons have evaded taxation by offering their plantations to the tax-gatherer! This has been frequently done in Barnwell (Jounty. And crime goes unpunished. It is not easy to arrest a crimi? nal; it is harder to keep him in jail; harder still to secure his conviction, and impossible to keep the Governor from pardoning him. A voter is rarely allowed to serve out his time in the penitentiary. It matters not what he has done?whether .he hns broken into a house or, burnt it down?whether he has committed rape or a murder?i i any event his right to vote at the next election must be secured by the exercise of Executive clemency. Nay more?as all Wall street knows by this time? our State is largely tinder the control of crimi? nals. Many of our highest offices are filled by ?men once of broken fortunes and broken char? acters, but now invested with authority, cloth? ed in purple and fine linen, and faring aump -fuously every day. Our Governor is a seedy doctor from Ohio?now become a millionaire. Our leading.lobbyist is a.jockey-rider from Jerome Park. The leader of the Senate is a convicted bribe-taker. The leader of the House is a pardoned bigamist On my way to the late St. Louis Convention I, with other dele? gates, saw a Judge of the State embracing a prostitute in the public cars, and near him was a legislator engaged in like obscene and shameless dalliance. We were all thankful when these wretched creatures left the cars, arith, their women, at Granitevilie, During the last year our coirupt State Government has robbed an impoverished people of more than $22,000 per day; and the estimate must be too low. for it is foundel on Gov. Scott's message to the Legislature. HEAR BOTH SIDES. You will, I hope, pardon me for suggesting that such'a state of society requires some relief j quite different from, that, afforded by the penal: laws of Congress. When a vigilance commit? tee.' -Has inflicted summary justice, the Court | oughi, to consider the whole case. It should number not only the scars, but the crimes of j the victim. - It should be invested with a cer-' tain supreme power. It should be armed with statesmanship. In a state of society where, there is no law, and where men must form tem? porary organizations for the redress of intole? rable grievances, and the maintenance of social order, justice itself is perverted by an attack upon these organizations. Here, for example, is "John Doe, wbose daughter has been ruin? ed by "Richard Roe;" whose crop has been stolen or purchased in the seed by "Richard Roe;" whose ginhonse has been burned down with the whole crop of the year by "Richard Roe;" whose life has been ambuscaded by "Richard Roebut who has at last turned upon his enemy, as even a worm will turn qgfti"*fc a crushing foot, and who has scourged his oppressor with forty lashes save one. Docs it become a great government, in such an in? stance, to chastise "John Doe," who looked to it in vain for protection, and to let "Richard Roe" go free ? Yet this is precisely what the United States Government are now doing in South Carolina! The national officials are hunting down and imprisoning the best citi? zens of the northern counties at the instance of malefactors and "sand-hillerft," whose lives de 2the law, and who would not be believed, on eir oaths, in any other cose. "?? We. who have had no connection with Ku Kluxiiim, look with wonder 'and consternation gfttS a sharp dragonnade, such as once deci? mated France for the enrichment of South Carolina, and is now wastsng South Carolina for the enrichment of neighboring and even foreign States. We encounter among the Uni? ted States soldiers scarred, triumphant vete? rans of war, who feel as keenly as we do that they have now been assigned to service pain? ful and degrading?now, when the clash of arms has ceased, and they feel their hearts melting with fraternity. They are required to deal with an association of neighbors who are pledged to mutual protection against the burn? ers of their bouses and the plunderers of their crops, OA If these were an armed and foreign foe. These soldiers, under whatever pretext, sent do actually drive from fields ripe for the harvest young and old, planter and laborer; do suspend the industries of whole counties ; and do immure the proprietors of the soil and the taxpayers of the country in crowded and filthy jails. In a time of profound peace, they arc called upon to deprive free citizens of the im? munities of the common law; and in regions all astir with barbarous ferocity and licentious? ness, they are compelled to tear away from helpless wives and virgins their natural protec? tors. WHO ARE THE VICTOR A few days ago, I bad an interview with one of the most eminent citizens of Spartanburg. He told me that his sons had fled the county because an order for their apprehension had been issued. Just before, they went, he asked them "whether they indeed belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, or any other secret organiza tionT" They replied that they had been in? formed, some time before, that the negroes of the county intended to rise against the whites [The apprehension, I may remark, was excited in the up-country by the fact that the Governor had been organizing and arming the negroes, while he refused to arm any companies com? posed of white men.] The youths further said that they had then joined an association of mutual defence. Among other applicants, they had received into their membership many "poor whites,' who had now, by some means, been led to denounce them. And so, although they themselves bad done nothing against the peace of the country, or the laws of the State, they were compelled to flee, in order to escape incarceration. In short, these worthy young men were driven out of the State, just because they had pledged themselves to fight, if the negroes Should undertake to burn the houses, kill the men and ravish the women of Spartan - burg. Rev. Dr. William Curtis informs me that this unhappy county has l>een decimated. In Bichlana, Mr. John Scott guards his mules and hogs within a stockade fence at least fifteen feet high, and overlooked by a window where two double-barrelled guns are always leaning. He told me that he was the only planter on the fork (a settlement of wealthy and cultivated persons, below Colum? bia.) who had been able to preserve his stock, and this he had done by the aid of his pali? sades and by the maintenance of ceaseless vig? ilance. For weeks he and his sou-in - law had been obliged to keep alternate watch every night. HOW IT IS ES" CHARLESTON. Let such facts illustrate the chaotic state of society, out of which Ka Kluxism springs. I might add corroberative notes from a city pas? tors experiences. I have buried a peaceable young man who had been beaten to death by a mob organized for the purpose of "clearing the whites out of the streets of Charleston." I have seen our citizen;;, black and white, going armed to the polls, that they might not be prevented from casting their ballots for munic? ipal officers; and the bayonets of the United States army invoked and arrayed to guard the sacred right of suffrage. I have seen a tremen? dous rabble traversing our streets, with flaring torches and barbarous yells and execrations, and as they went breaking windows, plunder? ing shops and stoning by-standers, along their line of march. I hive seen an official of the State discharge six or seven shots at a press re? porter; and although the crime was committed j?st by the Guard House, the criminal wait not arrested until his revolver was empty, nor has be up to this mmoent been dismissed from the office of trying offenders against the laws of the State. But let me add, that I have never seen the white people interfere with a negro at the ballot-box, or endeavor to forbid or trammel, j in any way, his lawful right to vote. On the contrary, it is a well -established fact, univer? sally conceded, that the negroes have inter? fered with such of their own race as were not in favor of our oppressors. Some they kept away by menaces, and some they drove away I by violence from the polls. Never, until our late city election, were the blacks of Charles- j ton at liberty to vote as they pleased?a privi- j lege then, for the first time, secured to them by the presence of United States soldiers, who had been summoned there at the request of the white citizens. THE ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT. I give you these particulars for what they arc worth. I do not pretend to say that there may not have been outrages on the other side, which have not come to my knowledge; for when men's blood is up, they are prone to exceed the bounds of wisdom and justice. But it does I seem to me that a great government, possessed of unresisted and unquestioned power, ought not to take one side?and that the part of the aggressor?in a case like this. Nay, more, I cannot but express my amazement that the use of the United States forces, marshals and courts, by the notoriously corrupt official* of the State Government; that the extension of the rigors of martial law solely to the counties opposed to their administration; that midnight intrusions into chambers inhabited by trembling women, and Sabbath investments of churches?a com-1 mon custom in Spartan burg; that captures of] youths scarce in their teens, and of old men far advanced into decrepitude, as midnight marau ders; that the despair of whole counties who ] see their lawyers, doctors, ministers?their best I and purst men, swept into jails upon the most I preposterous charge*, and these urged by the j most venal and depraved of the people?I am amazed, I say, that all this should not awaken the grief and indignation of every generous heart of the North. Oh, ye tbat dwell in ceiled houses, is it nothing to you that our homes are desolate; that criminals make laws for your brethren here; that character, culture and piety are suffering here; that one of the old immor? tal "Thirteen," emblazoned upon your starry flag, is sucked to death by vam pyres 1 Surely this ought not to be, in a land of liberty and justice, under the aejis of that great Republic j with whose fortunes the Providence of God has linked us heretofore, and henceforth and forever 1 If it be urged that many of these prisoners sympathized with the Klan, and some of them coniessedly belonged to it, I reply, that such a specification ought only to increase the doubts and misgivings of all thoughtful men. For they know very well that character and proper? ty are conservative ; no Blight cause would lead these vested interests to favor any movement inclining to anarchy. VIGILANCE COMMITTEES. The persons who are now in bonds are not conspirators against the National Government; on tnc contrary, they have always, heretofore, welcomed the United States soldier as the con? servator of the publie order. Nor are they or? ganized to prevent the colored citizen from ex? ercising his political franchise; on the contra? ry, his political equality is conceded, and they have even offered to divide with him the offices of the State. But they contend that, under the {?resent system of misrule and lawlessness, "life, iberty and the pursuit of happiness" were left in certain parts of the country without any protection ; and that the communities thus im? perilled were thrown back upou the inalienable right of self-protection. The facts, which they appeal to, arc notori? ous. Nobody can deny that their cattle and hogs were shot dowu in the fields; that their opening cotton bolls were picked by nightly depredators; that their gin-houses were burn? ed; that the "corner shops," where cotton hi the seed (stolen cotton) was bought, grew rich, while the heavily taxed and plundered planter scarcely knew where to get his bread; (I know one of this class who expended ten thousand dollars on his plantation, and at the end of the season harvested iust three bales of cotton, and just corn enough to feed his horses for half a year;) that laborers were inflamed by incendi ry speeches, and were also encouraged to break their coutracts; that colored men were armed by the Governor in larger and larger numbers, until at length they undertook to raid certain parts of the State ; that the public debt was in I creasing, until at length it has been increased I by $8,500,000 in a single year; that there has been no money to repair the roads, or even to pay the meritorious teachers of the Subiic schools, although enormous taxes had een collected, and the public officials revelling in illgotten riches; in snort, that the good peo? ple of this State had found themselves well nigh engulfed in a whirling, bottomless vortex of ruin. The sufferers insist that, under these circumstances, a vigilance committee?and such the Ku Klux professed to be?had been the usual American resort, and that sympathy with it was not wholly unnatural. the elan not justified. Notwithstanding these powerful pleas, I must confess that, for my part, I am opposed to the Ku Klux organization, and that for va? rious reasons. In the firstplace, I do not be? lieve that a secret, oath-bound society of any sort corresponds to the spirit of our American institutions. We have freedom of speech and ? freedom of the press. In this country a just cause can appear without disguise, and can make its direct appeal to public opinion. In the long run, that is enough. In particular, I do not believe in vigilance committees of any sort. They may, at times, do good by the in? fliction of summary justice. But they do even more evil. For they encourage the redress of wrongs by violence, and not by law; they give scope to reckless men, who are ant to pervert them to their own partisan ana revengeful uses; and they tend to depress the moral tone of the community in which their stern work is done. But when I strive to apply my princi? ples to the case before me, I am at a loss what to conclude. The Ku Klux of the northern counties punished crimes which were subver? sive to society, and which, but for their under? taking the office, would have remained unpun? ished?would have passed, so to speak, Scott free. Their victims ought to have been pun? ished?but, I think, in some other way. And now the case stands thus. Their prosecutor is Governor Scott?a man notorious for his infidel? ity to his word, to his official oaths, and to the financial and other public trusts committed to his charge?a man now threatened with im Eeachment on these accounts by a Republican egislature?a man who may not unjustly be called the first criminal in South Carolina.? The informers against them are the very dregs of the communities in which they live, and have been already rewarded for their testimony by release from imprisonment?as the Presi? dent naively admits in his message. The cap? tives are, many of them, incapable of commit? ting the crimes laid to their charge 1 Some of them are boys; some decrepit old men; and not a few are among the most virtuous, law abiding and God-fearing citizens we have in the whole country. Some of them have been arrested without any charge, some while minis? tering to poverty and sickness, many while worshiping God in the sanctuary on the Sab? bath-day. The circumstances are unutterably distressing and humiliating. The case is with? out a precedent I am confounded when I see Vice grasping the fasces, and Virtue -wearing the chain. I do not see how any Christian, who knows the facts, can be true to his people, or his country, or his God, when he encourages these so-called Ku Klux prosecutions. E. T. W. Hard Times and What Causes Them.? We are fast becoming a nation of schemers to live without genuine work. Our boys are not learning trades; our farmer's sons are crowd? ing into cities, looking for clerkships and Post Offices; hardly one American girl in each hun? dred will do housework for wages, however ur? gent her need; so we are sending to Europe far workmen and buying of her artisans millions worth of products that we ought to make for ourselves. Though our crop of rascals is heavy we do not grow our own hemp.; though we are overrun with lads who deserve flagellation, we import our willows. Our women (unless de? ceived) shine in European fabricks; our men dress in foreign clothes; the toys which amuse our younger children have generally reached us over the sea. We are like the farmer who hires his neighbor's ison to chop his wood, feed his stock, and run his errands, while his own boys lounge at the grog-shops, playing billiards, and then wonders why, in spite of the best ef? forts, he sinks annually deeper and deeper into debt, till the Sheriff cleans him out, and he starts West to begin again. We must turn a new leaf. Cur boys and girls must be taught to love labor by qualify? ing themselves, to do it efficiently. We must tarn out fewer professionals and more skilled artisans, as well as food-growers. We must grow and fabricate two hundred millions worth per annum, that we now import, and so reduce the foreign debt that we have so long and so successfully augmented year by year. We must qualify our clever boys to erect and run factories, furnaces, rolling-mills, tanneries, ma? chine shops, etc; to open and work mines, im? prove and fashion implements, and double the present product of their father's farm. So shall we stem the tide of debt that sets steadi? ly against our shores, and cease to be visited and annoyed by hara times.?Kxc.1va.nge. The Serfs.?The Russian government has recently published interesting statistics in ref? erence to the emancipation of the serfs. The emancipation ukase was issued on February 19, 1861, and at that tiime in Russia and Europe there were 108,158 land-owners, who employed 9,797,163 serfs as agricultural laborers on their estates, besides 900,971 household servants held in the same condition of bondage. Including women, the total number of serfs was upwards of 22,000,000. The 103,158 land-owners pos? sessed about 60,000,000 acres of land, of which about 20,000,000 were occupied by the serfs for their cottages and gardens. By the emancipa? tion ukase the land thus occupied by the serfs was to become their property after payment of its value by installments. In ten years after the promulgation of the decree of emancipa? tion, 6,474,613 serfs have become absolute pro? prietors bf 12,881,113 acres of land. Another period of ten years, it is calculated, must elapse before all these serfs arc emancipated. The popular notion that emancipation has ruined the nobles and enriched the serfs, it is argued, ia entirely fallacious. The nobles still possess the greater portion of the land, each one still retaining on an average acres, while the peasant owns only two acre I<i the less pop? ulous parts of Russia the la 1 lies uncultiva? ted in consequence of the want of laborers; but this stitc of affairs, it is contended, is to bo attributed to the conduct of tho nobles, who, before tho emancipation, were in the habit of sending the most intelligent serfs to the towns to learn trades, and then claim a large sharo of their considerable earnings. In this way the number of hands on the estate was reduc? ed._ ? Patrick saw a bull pawing in the field, and thought what fun it would be to jump over, catch him by the horns, and rub his nose in tho dirt. The idea was so funny that he laid down and laughed to think of it. Tho more he thought of it the fonder it seemed, and he de? termined to do it. Bovus quickly tossed him over the fence again. Somewhat bruised, Fat rick leisurely picked himself up, with the con? solatory reflection, "Well, it's a mighty fine thing I had my laugh foorst." Another Mammoth Care. A week seldom passes by without some new and wonderful discovery being made in the great expanse of country known as the South? west. Of late most of these discoveries have been made in the southwestern portion of Mis? souri and the Indian Territory, which has been for many years only partially explored by the white man. Daring the latter part of the war, a cave was discovered near Pineville, McDon? ald county, Missouri, but the tunes were so un? settled that beyond a careless superficial exam? ination of the more accessibl: portion of it no general explorations have as yet been made. , Mr. C. C. Carpenter, a gentleman residing in Pineville, in company with one or two of his friends, gives the following as the result of an expedition made last week in search of the wonderful. The location of this new subterranean won? der is sixteen miles southeast of Pineville, Mc? Donald county ; the entrance is on Sugar creek, in a ravine bearing the suggestive title of "Bar Hollar." You make your entrance into the bowels of the earth through a volcanic fissure seven feet wide by twenty feet in length; yon soon lose sight of day-light and fina yonrself in a long entrance hall fully one hundred yards in length, which terminates in the bat room, so named by the explorers from the thousands of bats that swarmed within its dark and hidden recesses; they flew about in swarms, making a terrible noise in the arched roof above. This room has three sides, each with an aperture opening into smaller caverns or side rooms. The dimensions of the room were taken by Mr. Carpenter, and found to be 50 by 130 feet, the i ceiling about twenty feet from the floor. Pas? sing from this room, a walk of about four hun? dred yards, through a spacious hall and we find ourselves in Barnnm's Museum, so called from the number of strangelv-shaped stalactites found there. This room is in the shape of a horse-shoe. Nature most certainly intended this room for a church, since the roof is arched in purely Gothic style, with dome and columns, ana, to finish off and make it complete^ a pul? pit near^he center. The walls of this mag? nificent cavern are 100 feet high, bat one of the most remarkable features about it is a foun? tain of pure water four feet in diameter. Turn? ing northward we find a room sixty feet wide, and filled almost full of a glistening formation of stalactites, which hung in curiously formed pendants from the roof. To the south of this is a room which should be named the bottom? less pit, since it apparently has neither bottom, sides, nor roof. The darkness within this place is appalli g. Turning to the east the party walked a distance of about a quarter of a mile, when they came to a flight of natural steps, forty or fifty in number, terminating in a wide platform which formed the entrance to a Mam? moth Hall, supported by Corinthian pillars of various thickness, and endless in number, all white as snow, and glistening as though studded with millions of diamonds. This hall is prob? ably two hundred feet in width, and communi? cates with a number of passages leading off in various directions, none of which have as yet been explored. Proceeding on their way, the explorers found a river of running water, com? ing, no one knows from whence, and go? ing, no one knows where. It is about fifty feet wide and three feet deep. The party followed its course down stream to the falls, where the water goes roaring over a precipice into the darkness below. The party retraced their way to the Mammoth Hall, crossed the river and proceeded on their way. They passed room af? ter room, of endless shapes and full of natural curiosities. Miles of caverns were passed through, each having outlets in others, and all dark, but all full of beauty when lighted up with torches or lamps. A lake of pure water was soon reach? ed, which was at first supposed to be a river. Here a rude boat or dug-out had been brought by a fugitive during the late war. He had ex? plored the lake during the war, and went north? ward until he thought he was coming to a wa? terfall, when he returned. Further explorations of the lake developed the fact that the noise was made by a huge waterfall, where the water came pouring in from above. The water falls a distance of fifty feet. The lake is circular in shape, and has no visible outlet for water. It is about one hun? dred acres in extent. There were eight or ten dark passages found upon the banks of the lake, leading in all directions, but the guide accom? panying the exploring party lost his courage and re fused to go further. The party were then about eight or ten miles from their starting point They were'in the cave forty-three hours. Mr. Carpenter says that there is another en? trance to the cave thirty miles distant which old trappers and hunters say leads to the lake. Mr. C. C. Carpenter lives at Pineville, McDon? ald county, and will take pleasure in making further explorations with any party who may call upon and accompany him.?Kansas City Times, A Hundred Years" Ago.?One hundred and ten years ago there was not a single white man in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Then, what is the most flourishing part of America, was aa little known as the country around the mysterious mountains of the moon. It was not until 1767 that Boone left his home in N. C. to become the first settler in Kentucky. The first pioneers of Ohio d\l not settle until twenty years after this time. A hundred years ago Canada belonged to France, and the popu? lation did not exceed a million and a half of people. A hundred y?prs ago the great Fred crick of Prussia was performing those grand exploits which have made him immortal in military annals, and with his little monarchy was sustaining a single-handed contest with Russia, Austria and France, the three great powers of Europe combined. Washington was a modest Virginia colonel, and the great events in history of two worlds in which these great but dissimilar men took leading parts were then scarcely foreshadowed. A hundred years ago tho United States were the most loyal part of the British Empire, and on the political hori? zon no speck indicated the struggle which with? in a score of years thereafter established the great republic of the world. A hundred years ago there were but four newspapers in America. Steam engines had not been imagined, and rail? roads and telegraphs had not entered into the remotest conception of men. When we come to look at it through the vista of history, we find that to the century just past has been al? lotted more important events, in their bearing upon tho happiness of the world, than almost any other which has elapsed since the creation. ? A young lady having called out an ugly gentleman to dance with Tier, he was astonish? ed at the condescension, and believing that she was in love with him desired to know why she had selected him from the rest of the compa? ny. "Because, sir," replied the lady, "my hus? band commanded nie to select such a part? ner as would not give him cause for jealou? sy." ? It is useless to try to please every body, so if you please yourself and believe you arc right, you will be happy, and make others believe in you. Brate Language. Brutes are not the dull, plodding creatures that many credit them with being. It seems clear that they have a language by which they hold intercourse with each other, and there is no doubt but that they reason to a greater or I less degree. It is not all blind instinct with them. Almost any one of us can recall more than one incident in proof of this. In his ar? ticle on "The Language of Brutes," in Old and Neva, Mr. Leonard A. Jones record.-) a number of amusing and striking incidents, snowing that a high order of intelligence guides the animal world. Towards the close of the arti? cle, his philosophy, or, rather, speculation, runs in this vein: "Whether brutes succeed any better in understanding what we say to them than they do in communicating their de? sires and sentiments to us, it would be difficult to determine. For the most part they address us, and reply to what we may say to them, by their actions only. But we are able ib make ont something or their meaning when they ad? dress us with their voices; and so also some of the higher animals quite readily understand what we say to them when we speak of matters which they feel particularly interested in. It is not worth while for us to talk of political questions to our dog, or to say anything to him of a transcendental nature; for, although he is a very clever fellow, he would pay very little attention to what we might say, and, in fact, would not understand a word of it ail. But we speak to him about his dinner, or about go? ing to the woods with us to hunt squirrels, and he very emphatically signifies to us that he understands quite well what we are saying. He has a practical turn of mind, and will have nothing to do with any of the sciences ; and of all the arts, he cares only for that of living well and enjoying himself." Mr. Jones might have pointed to a stronger illustration. The well trained setter or pointer plainly demon? strates that he understands the language of his master. He obeys his voice, doing things that he could not possibly do were he ignorant of the meaning of the words. You also can ar? range a set of signals by which to control him, and the language of signals we regard full as difficult as the language of sounds. Again we quote: "It is quite likely that the dog catches toe meaning of what is said to him somewhat from the expression of the speaker's face, or from the tone in which the words are spoken. When we speak to our dog we often see him watch our countenance with the utmost ear? nestness, apparently for the purpose of discov? ering our meaning; and, without speaking to him at all, we see that he comprehends very often the meaning of the very slightest ana simplest modifications of the human face. There is every reason to apprehend that the dog, as well as most animals of the higher or? ders, instinctively understands something of the meaning of all the natural signs we em? ploy?our motions, gestures and looks?just as they understand them when they are employed by their own species. Still it is evideut enough that they come to attach some definite meaning to particular words. The horse and the ox un? derstand what the driver says to them; the shepherd makes himself understood by his sheep; and Bougeant declares that the cows understand all the milkmaid says when she talks to them." Bougeant speaks extravagant? ly, but it must be admitted that the horse, the cow and the dog each understands the talk of one who is with them much. They may not be able to distinguish between pure English and bad English, but certainly the words strike a sympathetic chord and call up a flash of in? telligence. The brute language is largely a language of signs, therefore they learn quickly to read the expressions of the human face. But we also reach their understanding through the ear. The blind horse owned by Dan Bice, and who did many difficult things at the sim? ple bidding of his master's voice, was a re? markable living example of the truth of this principle.?Turf, Field and Farm. Longevity of the Human Bace.?Mr. E. B Laokester, of Oxford, argues in the Herald of Health that the longevity of the human race has been gradually increasing for centuries, and that it will probably continue to increase for centuries to come. He, however, makes a dis? tinction between that and "potential longevi? ty," or the expectation of life in the highest ages, which he says is not increasing, or, at least, is not shown to be increasing by any re? liable statistics yet taken. He mentions it us a singular fact that there are absolutely no sta? tistics that throw light on -the fluctuations in longevity in past ages, so that nearly all that is written upon that fruitful theme is mere spec? ulation and must continue so till enough facts have been accumulated to warrant deduction. The race is now in a sort of transition state, which is really causing a "survival of the fit? test," as Herbert Spencer calls it, operating through the emulation of individuals and com? munities, and by means of this struggle greater mental power is being added to contestants. Hasty writers have concluded that this in? creased mental expedition must tell against longevity, even allowing all other conditions to remain the same; yet there is every reason to believe that the structural capacity k(^ps pace with the demands made upon it, and that the brain work of the present age is not more ex? haustive to the men who have become enured, to it than that of the Dark Ages was to the less' capable men of that time. Were it otherwise the race would inevitably become extinct through the increased difficulties of existence which accompany increase of population. On the contrary, as we approach that perfect state of civilization, man will become adjusted to his conditions, life will have fewer needless drafts upon it, and healthy, energe'tic centena? rians may be the rule and not the exception. A curious branch of Mr. Lankerstcr's specu? lations is the idea that, "if exempt for a great length of time from a disease, a species may be? come no longer subject to it. In other words, suppose that by vaccination and other sanitary measures the small-pox were kept off for several generations in succession, might not the very seeds of the disease be eliminated from the hu? man constitution so that small-pox would be unknown ? The sheep and ox are said to be descended from a not remote common ancestor, yet they are not now subject to the same dis? ease ; or, to come near the case in hand, the small-pox is terribly fatal among Africans, while the Mariors have an almost perfect im? munity from it. If this theory be correct then man can presumably go on eliminating one dis? ease after another until they are all banished, and death itself becomes a matter of consider? able difficulty. ? Do not be above your business, no matter what that calling may be, but strive to be the best in that line. He who turns up his nose at his work, quarrels with his bread and butter. He is a poor smith who quarrels with his own sparks; there is no shame about any honest calling; don't be afraid of soiling your hands; there is plenty of soap to be had. All trades are good to traders. Above all things avoid la? ziness. There is plenty to do in this, world for every pair of hands placed upon it, and we must go to work that the world will, be richer because of our having lived in it. The Fence Lair. A correspondent of the Columbia Union, I over the signature of "Tenant," writing from Hopkin's Turn Out, in Bichland county, says: I Everr friend of agricultural progress will be gratified to see that the subject of fences has at last been mooted in the Legislature. Improved stock, improved implements and improved culture may receive a full share of our attention, but with all this, we will advance but slowly as long as the "Fence Law," as it now stands, remains a stumbling block in our path. The great revolution in our agricultural sys? tem necessitates a change also in this respect, and it is demanded by that great principle on which all good laws are based?the greatest good to the greatest number. Let us take for instance a plantation of eight hundred acres cleared land. The true maxim of a "few acres well cultivated" requires about half of this tract to be abandoned. The owner and tenants, or parties renting the same, select the most fertile spots, but in order to protect the crops the whole body must be fenced or each tenant must enclose his own field. Would it not be more rational to enclose a pasture of thirty or forty acres for the benefit of all par? ties on the plantation. Indeed it would, but here is the difficulty?there is no guarantee that the occupants of the neigboring planta? tion will act so wisely, and the whole eight hundred acres must be enclosed to guard against a few scrub cattle which probably are not worth one-fourth the cost of the fence. Again, how many plantations in this State are destitute of "rail timber." It is a fact fa? miliar to all axemen, that every tree is not suitable for rails. Many forests which still have an abundance of timber, have been work? ed over asd over again with the maul and wedge. A law requiring every man to enclose his own stock will benefit the land owner, because it will spare his limited supply of wood land. It will benefit the tenant, because it will re? quire less labor to enclose his few head of stock than to keep a "lawful fence" around his crop, and he will not, as is now often the case, be called from his plow to replace the fence which some careless "possum hunter" has burned. His stock being under his eye always, will be safe, and receive a greater share of at? tention. And lastly, it will benefit all parties, in the fact that it will abolish the most fruitful cause of quarrel and contention that ever cursed an agricultural community. "Every man shall live by the sweat of his brow, but his cattle shall live by the sweat of his neighbor's brow." Thus virtually stands the law of South Caro? lina ! Shall we change it ? Shall we adopt what other communities have proved to be a wise, just, and good law ? Or shall we continue in force one which is every year becoming more oppressive, more unjust, and rendering our beautiful land more unsightly. We are told that we cannot get rid of the fence, be? cause the "bottom rail is on top," but, Mr. Edi? tor, that rail ought to be the first one to move. The Old-Fashioxed Mother.?Thank God! some of us have an old-fashioned mother. Not a woman of the period, enameled and pain? ted, with her great chignon, her curls and bus? tle, whose white jeweled bands, have never felt the clasp of baby fingers, but a dear old-fash? ioned, sweet-voiced mother, with eyes in whose depths the love light shone, and brown hairr threaded with silver, lying smooth upon her faded cheek. Those dear hands, worn with toil, guided our tottering steps in childhood and smoothed our pillow in sickness, even reaching out to us in yearning tenderness when her sweet spirit was baptized in the pearly spray of the river. Blessed is the memory of an old-fashioned mother. It floats to us now, like the beautiful perfume of some wonderful blossoms. The mu? sic of other voices may be lost, but the entran? cing memory of hers will echo in our souls for? ever. Other faces will fade away and be for gotten, but hers will shine on until the light from Heaven's portals shall glorify our own When in the fitful pauses of busy life, our feet wander back to the old homestead, and crossing the well-worn thresh hold, stand once more in the low, quaint room, so hallowed by her presence, how the feeling of childfeh in? nocence and dependence comes over us, and we kneel down in the mellow sunshine, streaming through the western window?just where long years ago we knelt by our mother's knee, lisp ine "Our Father." How many times, when the tempter lores us on, has the memory of thore sacred hours, that mother's words, her faith and prayers, saved us from plunging into the abyss of sin 1 Years have filled great rifts between her and us, but they have not hidden from our sight the bright glory of her pure and unselfish love. Babies Legs.?Bow-legs and knock-knees are among the common deformities of humani? ty ; and wise mothers assert that the crooked? ness in either case arises from the afflicted one having been put upon his or her feet too early in babyhood. But a Manchester physician, Dr.. Crompton, who has watched for the true cause, thinks differently. He attributes the first men? tioned distortion to a habit some youngsters de? light in, of rubbiug the sole of one foot against that of the other; some will go to sleep with the soles pressed together. They appear to en? joy the contact only when the feet are naked I they don't pretend" to make it when they are socked or slippered. So the remedy is obvious ? keep the baby's soles covered. Knock-knees the Doctor ascribes to a differ? ent childish habit?that of sleeping on the one side, With one knee tucked into the hollow be? hind the other. He has found that where one leg has been bowed inward more than another, the patient has always slept on one side, and the uppermost member has been that most de? formed. Here the preventive is to pad the in? side* of the knees, so as to keep them apart? and let the limbs grow freely their own way. All of which is commended to mothers who de? sire the physical uprightness of their progeny. ?Home and Health. To Farmers.?Of all the dreary places, de? liver us from the dreary farm houses, which so many people call homo. Bars for a front gate; chickens wallowing before the door; pig-pens elbowing the house in the rear; scraggy trees never cared for, or no trees at all; no cheery shrubs; no neatness; no trimuess. And yet, a lawn, and trees, and a neat walk, and a pleas? ant fence around it, don't cost a great deal.? They can be secured little by little, at odd times, and the expense hardly felt. And if the time comes when it is best to sell the farm, fif? ty dollars so invested, will often bring back' five hundred. For a man is a brute, who will not insensibly yield to a higher price for such a farm, when he thinks of the pleasant surround? ings it offers to his wife and children. Farmers, beautify and adorn your farms; set out or? chards, shrubbery, shade trees; lay off lawns; build good fences; put up good gates, and paint or whitewash your outhouses and fences. ? A great man is always .villing to be lit? tle.