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? ... ?- - ^^^^ I ' i^^^^j^l ^* BY E. B. MURRAY & CO. ANDERSON, S. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1878. VOL. XIII-NO. 26. rates' op szrBSCRiPnox:-bvK liou^ and Tnrrr Cksts per woum, in advance. Two . BoLLAxa -at end -of yesr. Oms Dollajs for six - months. Subscriptions are not taken for a leas period than six months. rates op advertising.?One Dollar per . square at one inch for the first Insertion,and Fifty Cents per square for subsequent insertions less than three months. No advertisements eounteless than a square. Liberal contracts will be made with those wishing ' te> advertise for three, six or twelve months. ' ad-' rertfalnr by eon tract, must be cenflned to the im V mediatebusiness of the firm or individual contrae olitirary Notices exceeding five lines, Tributes of Bespect, and all personal communications or matters ofindivldual Interest, will be charged for at,advertising rates. Announcements of marriages and deaths, and notices of a religious character, are r.^ " ,w?peetfnUT ,solicited; and wfll be Inserted gratis A PLEA FOR OUE COUNTRY. Mb. Edftob: The heading of this article woold seem to indicate that oar li country, our State, must be involved in . some great physical calamity, involving a great deal of personal suffering, such such as war, famine, pestilence. Do not be too hasty, kind reader. Thank God cone of these terrible scourges afflict any portion of our common country; and the little Palmetto State is peculiarly favored in all these respects. And yet the head? ing of this article is peculiarly appropri? ate in the present financial condition of our State. Debt, like a dark and lower? ing cloud, hangs over our people, ready to burst at auy moment in all its fearful consequences of bankruptcy and ruin. I That homestead and bankrupt laws may iu a thousand cases come in to the relief of the debtor class doesn't really mitigate the fearful train of moral consequences invariably resulting from a resort to these doubtful expedients. Under the old re? gime it was the proud boast of our little | State, and of bur people as a community, I that we jjromptly paid our financial ob-1 Mga?ons to the last farthing. And we I rarere always able to do this because it -was a cardinal principle never.to contract { a dabt-without a reasonable- prospect of prompt payment Our rates of interest-1 were uniformally low, and our taxes! light Our government and laws were wholesome and invigorating to the entire body politic. Our labor was tie most j stable and reliable the' world ever saw. As - a consequence of the war all these necessary ingredients for a prosperous I State were completely overturned, and our people left to the mercies of the phi less storm, 'without rudder or compass to I --.gnide them. With, a bad government, j hig^taxes, _high rates of interest and a . totally^depsoralized labor, no wonder that to-day the farmers, thousands of them, I . laborers and employees, find themselves engulfed in the maelstrom of debt una- I ble to meet their obligations. These, in their train, have involved hundreds oft our most liberal and patriotic merchants j - an the same unfortunate predicament -with themselves, and unless we are wise j betimes utter financial ruin must over? whelm us as a people. , * j ^ We wish calmly to discuss the debt] question, without turning aside for a . .. moment to indulge iu crimination or re? crimination. Indeed, we have no censure for-any' class of 'our people" in this unfor- j tunate condition of affairs. None what- ] -; ever. While there/may. be an isolated few in every community who care fori nobody but themselves, and care not who J sink so they swim, yet the great body of x our people, and especially all the leading business classes sincerely desire the entire prosperity of our State, andere willing to make great sacrifices to attain- this | end. Creditor and debtor alike will j strive thereto. .The Legislature has t * done all that it can do, by giving us a - wholesome usnry law, such an one as stood oh our statute' books during all the years of our former* prosperity. Our-J representatives have-shown, also, a de? termination to cut down expanses to'the lowest possible minimum iu amount so j as to lighten the burden of taxation as much as possible. By carrying out this, j programme even to the verge of stingi? ness is what they ought to do, and is what the people expect them to do. But still there is a field of operations, the I ".most rmporfant of all, which the legisia tor dare not enter, sacred only to the cultivation of. creditor and debtor..- If there ever was a time when compromise and forbearance between these parties was necessary to enable our State safely to pass the breakers ahead, that time is the present With the enlivening pros? pect of a good government with our ! labor , system gradually becoming more and more .systematized and' productive,-1 it does seem that we have.arrived at an era in'our financial history when it would be'well to take soundings and as? certain our exact condition financially, j In other words, let past indebtedness be so adjusted between creditor and debtor I that'each may take courage, reasonably, assured on the one hand- that past in debtedness will be gradually but certain? ly liquidated, and on the other that the debtor will not be driven to the wall in this bis hour of extremity. Such a coarse generally adopted, will ensure the old ship of State a safe passage through the perils of the storm. This done, and a very few years will tell the old, old Bible truth, that the road to prosperity, for States as well, as individuals, lies through much tribulation. As an illus? tration of the practical meaning of this article, . permit us to recite the terms of a settlement agreed upon at Anderson recently iu a case of debt involving] thousands of dollars?probably a hun dred thousand on the creditor side, and but two solvent debtors.cn the other.} These gentl emen proposed through their attorney to pay twenty five cents, on the dollar, of past indebtedness, and with a representation of $38,000 on die creditor aide, all present promptly decided to] accept the offer. One of these creditor gentlemen, a farmer, told me that when the proposition was made he reasoned ] thus with himself: Give these debtors a living chance; bear ye one another's burthens, and so fulfil the law of Christ Take another. An old and highly re- ] spectable merchant of this County?long since dead?in his earlier commercial history, fell in possession of tract after tract of land from his neighbors, who thoughtlessly involved themselves so as ] to force them to give up even their homesteads.and migrate to frontier re? gions. After an experience of nearly four score years, this gentleman declared that it would have been better for him to have compromised with them and permitted- them to remain in possession of their homesteads, to still further con? tribute tojhia success as a merchant, and to building up the country. Of course, every case of indebtedness has its peculiar phase which must enter into the consideration of a compromise ; hence, no ona but debtor and creditor can adjust it Let our merchants always, by interest and inclination the fast, but sometimes mistaken, friend of the farmer, set the ball in motion. It scarcely can be denied by any observing man that the direct cause of the financial distress that bas overtaken us is the high rates of in? terest demanded first from the merchant himself and next from the fanner. And as these high rates of interest led to an enormous disproportion between credit and cash prices, even a hundred percent, in some cases, thus more and more crip? pling the laboring classes, and increasing at every step the hazards of the trade, thus necessitating at every step an in? creased per cent to cover the risk i that such a policy would seriously result, as it has done, is not to be wondered at Indeed, it is the legitimate result of a suicidal policy. Better at one single blow utterly destroy the entire credit system of our country, than to dream Of any substantial prosperity for our State, under such a ruinous policy. So far as agricultural advances are concerned, the laws amply protect the creditor, so that with low rates of interest the merchant can afford to sell his merchandise at a living rate to the consumer. Not buy a pound of bacon at eight and nine cents, and sell it on a credit for only a few months at one hundred per cent The farmer, too, taking the cue from the mer? chant, at.once advances the price of his corn from 75 cents per bushel, cash, in the spring, to $1.40 in.the fall. Thus, turning upon his own class, and extort? ing ruinous rates of interest from, his brother farmers, in the enhanced price, simply because 'it is common. And so on ad uifinitum. Where the laborer pros? pers, tho landlord will alike prosper, and where the laborer aivd landlord both prosper, the merchant sees his richest and best trade. ' ? T. H. B. ? WO MAS IN MASON BY. s An Address Dettremd Before BIcMnnil' Lodge, No. 30, Ancient Free said Accep - ted Mfwons, at their Pnbllc Installation in the City of Co ram d la, 8. C, Decembtt 27, 1877, by Hon. T. J. Maekey. WoBsmmrL Master asd Bbeth ren of the Mystic Tis : We have as? sembled to commemorate in due form the installation of St. Johfl the Evangelist; into the office of Grand Master of An? cient free and Accepted Masons. Onj this armiver?arv, our brethren,-wherever they, may dwell/ whether amid the.hum | and stir of populous cities, or the quiet; of remote villages, gather around the altar^of oar order to rekindle their Ma? sonic zeal at its holy and undying flame, whilegratefully recalling the Treloved: name and eminent services of our most! illustrious patron. From the frozen belt of the North, where nature glitters in her robe of icy splendor, to the Indian isles! of balm, where the- palortree wavesits! feathery leaves above streams that flash1 in the sunlight of everlasting summer, the prayers and praises of Masons are ascending this day to the Supreme Arch? itect of the Universe, without whose aid the wisest designs of man are but as bub? bles apon a troubled ocean. ' The mystic cord of Masonry weds the islands and the continents to-day 1 Men of all races and tongues are communing in its nniversa! language," "And round the world the thought of all Is as the thought of one." Before proceeding with the special sub-, ject of this address,. I desire, as in har? mony with its purpose, to review briefly the character and career of him whose festival we here celebrate. The pages of sacred history, the traditions of Masonry and of the Christian Church famish the, sources pf our information upon this in? teresting theme. St Jo hn the Evangelist was the son of Zebedec and Salome, and was born about the yea:: of our Lord four or five; He was the youngest of .the disciples. There isa tradition- in the church that he was the bridegroom of the marrriage at Can a, in Galilee, the occasion of the first mira? cle performed by Christ, where "The conscious water saw its God and blush ed." He was by occupation a fisherman. We learn but-little of him until near the close of the Saviour's ministry and life, when he had'conferred upon him the most lofty and benign distinction of being "that disciple whom Jesus loved." At the last sapper he was the disciple who was "leaning on Jesus' bosom"?a posture in the ancient mode of reclining at table that was considered as a*mark of the highest respect and confidence. It was to nim that Jesus in confiding friend? ship pointed, out by a. sign the disciple who should betray, him. Hi* specially confidential relation- to his Divine Master was evinced by the fact that when Christ had said to his disciples, "One of you shall betray me," "Simon Peter beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake." He was the only disciple who with the courage of faithful love dared to attend his beloved Master to. the cross, and'he it was to whom Jesus referred when in his final agony he ad? dressed' to his mother, the words "Wo? man, behold thy Son I" And lastly, he was the first disciple to reach the sepul? chre after Mary; Magdalen bad - an? nounced that "they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they nave laid him.". The blended qualities of gentleness and cour? age exhibited in the. character of this apostle fnjs|ph a striking illustration of a fact often observed in the battle field of life?that "The bravest are the tend eres t,: The loving are the daring." St John the Evangelist must have been as pre-eminent among his compeers for his eloquence as he was for the gen? tler virtues, since we are informed by the apostle Mark that he, and bis broth? er, James, the Great, were entitled by their master, Boanerges, or "the Sons of Thunder," to indicate their power as orators. In the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, about the year 92 of the Christian era, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, where he remained for seven years, and wrote that awfully sub? lime and mysterious work, the Apoc? alypse or Book of Revelations. From the building of the first temple of Jerusalem, one thousand years before Christ, down to the Babylonish captivity, Free Masons' lodges were dedicated to King Solomon; from thence to the com? ing of the Messiah, they were dedicated ! to Zerubbabel, the builder of the second temple; and from that time to the final destruction of the temple by the Roman j General Titus, at the fall of Jerusalem, j in the year 73: they were dedicated to j St John the Baptist Owing to the, many massacres and disorders which fol? lowed that appalling and memorable event. Free Masonry sunk very much into decay. Many lodges were entirely broken up, and but few could meet in sufficient numbers as required by the an? cient constitution of the order. At a general meeting of the craft, held at the city of Benjamin, it was concluded that the chief cause of the decline of Masonry was the want of a Grand Master to pre? side over the order. They therefore de? puted seven of their members to wait upon St. John the Evangelist who was then Bishop of Ephesus, and request him to accept the office of Grand Master. He returned for answer, that although well stricken in years, being upwards of ninety, yet having been initiated into Masonry in early life, and being deeply concerned, for the welfare of the order, he would take upon himself that respon? sible office. He thus completed by his learning and noble example what the other St. John had effected by his zeal, and thereby drew what Free Masons term a "line parallel." Since (fat period all Masonic lodges throughout Christen? dom are dedicated to St. John the Bap? tist and St. John the Evangelist, by the title of the "Holy Saints John." According to Cbrysostom, (the golden mouthed,) who wrote in the latter part of the 4th century, St. John the Evangelist died in the city of Ephesus, in the year of our Lord 126, at tue age of 120 years, having survived all the other apostles nearly fifty years, and performed his apostolic duties for almost a century from the time that he became a disciplo at the age of 26. To this seemingly un? cultured fisherman the world is indebted for the most simple, sublime and perfect definition of Got! ever penned by mortal band. For thousands of years the attri? butes of Deity had been the subject of the prophet's deepest meditation and the poet's grandest song. . In the beautiful Theogomy of Hesiod, in the starry splen? dor of Homer's immortal pages; in the teachings of the divine Plato, the lessons taught by the God-like Socrates, or the treatises of the profound Aristotle, we seek vainly for a definition of God which at once satisfies the judgment and the heart of humanity. It remained for this Galilean fisherman to syllable the unut? terable longing of the human soul by proclaiming that "God is-love!" - There are moments in the life of every man when he feels himself nearer the Great Spirit of the Universe, and in such a moment must' the Evangelist have caught these words from voices of the unseen!land, that came to him iu. the still watches of the night, in the hushed calm that brooded over bis lonely boat as it rose and fell on the blue waters' of Galilee, while the starlight of Judea gleamed bright: on the hills of her beauty. It may _well be asked, "why is it that an order which boasts such an exemplar of its principles as St. John the Evangel? ist should rigidly exclude woman from its folds, and while inscribing the golden words, faith, hope and charity, on the walls of its lodges, still denies all ap? proach to its' altars to the sex which in the walks of daily life practically illus? trates those words in their highest sense ? The reason for this exclusion cannot be found in any supposed intellectual infe? riority which unfits woman to rightly understand the symbolic science of Ma? sonry, or in any known incapacity on her part to practice its 'tenets... AU history and: individual experience1 would alike rebuke'such an erroneous assumption. From the days of Semiramis,. the re? nowned, queen of Assyria, whose genius made' Babylon the glory oi the East -and. adorned it with structures of such sto> peudous magnificence' as to*be* classed; among the wonders of the world, woman ; has attested her capacity to sway "the' rod of empire," and to administer suc? cessfully the governments of mighty na? tions. The historic student will recall the triumphant reign of Isabella of Cas? tile, the friend and liberal patroness of Christopher Columbus; the reign of Queen Elizabeth, justly termed the gol? den age of. England; the reigns' of the two Catharines of Russia, and. of Queen Anne,- while the English-speaking race1 are proudly beholding'at this, day the happy reign of the -Empress-Queen, the good Victoria. In the realms of thought, the broad field of letters and of art, wo-: man has gemmed her coronal with the most, brilliant achievements. Indeed,; the cultured/.' Greeks symbolized their highest "conception of'mental power in the form of a Woman, and Minerva was at once the Goddess of Wisdom, of Sei-, entific War and of the Liberal Arts. But it may be suggested that the ex? clusion of woman tram the Masonic lodge is due to the supirased inability of her sex to keep a secret. This supposi? tion is grossly erroneous, and unjustly impeaches both the sagacity of Masons: and the honor of woman. In all ages woman has been peculiarly distinguished for her unswerving fidelity to every hon? orable trust, and. the annals of mankind attest that no good cause ever met its betrayer in a woman. "Not she with tralt'rous kiss her Saviour stung: Not she denied him with unholy tongue; She, wbila apostles shrank, could danger brave; Last at his cross, and earliest at his grave." Women, indeed, are the secret-keepers of the world. Every woman's ear is a confessional, differing, however, from the confessional ? of the Roman Catholic Church, in this, that while in the latter, the penitent confesses his sins, in the former man usually proclaims his virtues, real or affected, But woman has already been tested, and has proved herself a safe custodian of Masonic secrets. Two women have been initiated into the mysteries of ancient craft Masonry, and by their characters and conduct re? flected honor upon the order, whose most sacred laws exclude them from its mem? bership. These two cases, however, stand alone, and furnish to Masons a startling episode in the history of their order, whose inexorable salic law was thus violated. The circumstances under which those initiations took place, are stated by the highest Masonic authori? ties to have been as follows: In the year 1735, the Hon. Elizabeth St. Leger, the daughter of Viscount I Doneraile, received the first and second degrees of Masonry in Lodge No. 44, at j Doneraile, in Ireland. The Lodge in which she was initiated was composed chiefly of the nobility and most respec? table inhabitants of the country around Doneraile. Its communications were usually held in the town, but during the Mastership of Lord Doneraile, under whom his sister was initiated, it met at his Lordship's residence. During one of the meetings of the Lodge at Doneraile House, Miss St. Leger, then 22 years of age, stationed herself iu a room adjacent to the Lodge, and after removing a por? tion of a brick from the partition wall, with a pair of scissors, she placed herself so as to command a full view of all that transpired in the Lodge, and actually saw and heard all that was done or said in the conferring of the first and second degrees in Masonry, which was the ex? tent of the ? proceedings on that night. Becoming aware from what Bhe heard that the brethren were about to separate, she for the first time felt tremblingly alive to the awkwardness and danger of her situation, and began, to consider how she could retire without observation. She became nervous and agitated, and nearly fainted, but so far recovered her? self as to be aware of the necessity of withdrawing as quickly as possible. In the act of doing so, being in the dark, she stumbled against and overthrew a piece of furniture-; the crash was loud, and the Tiler who stood on the lobby or landing, guarding the entrance to the Lodge, at once gave the alarm, burst open the door of the room in which Miss St. Leger was concealed, and with a light in one hand and bis drawn sword in the other, confronted the now terrified and fainting Lady. He was soon joined by other members of the Lodge, and, it is asserted, that but for the prompt appear? ance of her brother. Lord Doneraile. and other prudent members, she would nave paid with her life the penalty of what was then esteemed her great crime; The first care of the. brethren present was to resuscitate the unfortunate lady without alarming the household, aud en? deavor to procure from her an explana? tion of what had. occurred. Having done so, they placed her under guard of the Tiler and another member in the room where she was discovered. The mem? bers re-assembled iu the Lodge and de? liberated as to what, under the circum? stances, was to be done, and for two long hours she could hear the angry discus? sion upon a motion deliberately made and seconded that she should be put to death. At length the good sense of the majority succeeded in calming the angry and irri? tated feelings of the. members, when, after much had been said and many things proposed, it was resolved to give her the option of submitting to the Ma? sonic ordeal to the extent she had wit? nessed, and if she refused the brethren were again to conault. Being waited on to decide, Miss St. Leger unhesitatingly accepted the offer, and she was accord? ingly initiated, and the degrees of En? tered Apprentice and Fellow Craft were conferred upon her. She subsequently married Richard A Id worth, Esq., of New Market, and was .known and designated among Masons as "Sister Aid worth.". In a memoir of this lady, published at Cork, in the year 1807; it is stated that, "placed as she was by her marriage with Mr.-Aid worth at tbeheadofa very large for? tune, the poor in general, and the Ma? sonic poor in particular, bad good reason to record her numerous and bountiful acts of kindness. Nor was her charity accompanied with ostentation?far from it; it has been remarked of her that her custom was to seek out bashful .misery and retiring poverty, and with a well di? rected liberality to soothe many a bleed? ing heart." . The only other instance of the initia? tion of a woman into Free Masonry is recorded by that distinguished Masonic writer, Clavel, in his admirable work, the History of French Masonry. In the year 1796, in the city of Paris, a Masonic Lodge, presided over by Brother Cuvelkr de Trie as Master, having opened in the first degree, among the visitors who waited in the. ante-chamber aud desired admission was a youthful officer in the uniform, of a captain of cavalry. His MasoBic diploma or certificate was re? quested of him by the member deputed to examine visitors for the purpose of having it inspected by the Lodge. After some .little hesitation; the military stranger banded the member a folded paper, which was immediately carried to the Orator of the Lodge, who, on open-1 ing it, discovered that it was the com-] mission of an aid-de-camp, which bad been issued by the French Directory to the wife of General de Xantrallies, a lady of the highest culture aud refine ment, who, like many of her sex in that; revolutionary period, had donned the; masculine attire ana had won military: preferment at the point of the sword on' the field of battle. When, the nature of j the supposed Masonic diploma was made] known to the Lodge, great, indeed, was, the-surprise expressed.' But the mem-j hers were Frenchmen?they were exci-1 table and they were galbnt, and, conse? quently, in a sudden and exalted fit of enthusiasm, which, as Masons, we can? not excuse, they unanimously deter-! mined to confer, the first degree of Ma? sonry on the brave woman who had so often exhibited every manly virtue and I to whom her country, on more than one important occasion, had committed trusts requiring the greatest discretion and the loftiest courage. Madame de Xantrailles! was at once made acquainted with the resolution of the Lodge, and she replied, j "I have been a man for my country, and will again-be a man for-my brethren." She was forthwith introduced and initia? ted as an Entered Apprentice, and re-; peatedly afterwards assisted the Lodge inj its labors in the first degree. '? ? i The reason, then, for the exclusion of! woman from the Masonic Lodge can no t be found in any supposed want of in? tellectual fitness or inability to preserve! inviolate secrecy on her part. It must] be sought for where alone it can be found, in the origin and primitive char? acter and design of Masonry itself, and justice to our order demands that it should be fully, though regretfully.; made known. Women are excluded from the precincts of our lodges, not be-; cause we would, but because we must. As masons we recognize the nobility of her nature, and honor her* lofty virtues, not only while we are assembled in the seclusion of the lodge, behind the mystic veil which conceals from the eyes of the profane that "Hieroglyphic bright which none but craftsmen ever saw," but in the world's great arena, "Where manhood struggles for the sake Of mother, sister, daughter, wife, The graces and loves w^ich make The music of the march of life; And woman, in her daily round Of duty, walks on holy ground." Our ancient landmarks, however, in? exorably deny us the privilege of being associated with her iu the labors of the lodge. These landmarks are the un? written or common law of Masonry, de? rived from the ancient customs of Ma? sons and the decisions of the highest Ma? sonic tribunals, which, like "the laws of the Medes and Persians, change not." It is declared in one of our most vener? able landmarks, which lorms a part of the irrepealable organic law of Masonry, that "the persoos admitted members of a lodge must be good and true men, of mature age, free born, no bondmen, no woman, and under the tongue of good report." This exclusion of woman sprang naturally from the fact that Ma? sonic lodges were at their origin com? posed exclusively of operative masons, practical mechanics. We are informed by the most reliable writers on the history and traditions of the order that it originated at the build? ing of King Solomon's temple, where 183,000 workmen were employed for seven years in the construction of that magnificent edifice, dedicated to the wor? ship of Jehova. These workmen were drawn from many nations, and were thus separated from each other by their varied customs and languages. They were all under the supervision and direction of Hyram of Tyre, the widow's son, a great and good man, illustrious alike for bis virtues and wisdom, who, we are told in Holy Writ, was "The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a Tyrian, who knoweth how to work in gold and in silver, in brass and in iron, and in marble, and in timber, in purple also, and violet, and silk and scarlet, and who knoweth to grave all sorts of grav? ing" A large proportion of the skilled work? men were also Tyrians. Tyre was then in the meridian of her imperial splendor, when "her merchants were princes" and her daughters the queens of the earth. She was at that time , the chief seat of the ' Dyonysian mysteries, whose leading fea j tares were the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Bacchus.? Those mysteries were chiefly celebrated by an organization known then, and even down to the sixth century of the Chris? tian era, as "The Society of Dyonisian Architects." That society was doubtless the prototype of the order of Free Ma? sons: To blend in one harmonious whole the varied and diverse elements that com? posed the vast multitude engaged in building the temple, and thus more effi? ciently to direct their labors to the same common end, as well as for purposes of moral government and mntnal instruc? tion, and to perpetuate in after years social ties , that had their birth among men long associated in the construction o4fhe grandest monument of human skill the world had ever known, Hiram insti? tuted Masonry and the Masonic lodge, and was its first Grand Master. Upon the tragic death of the Master, soon after the completion of the temple and before its dedication, King Solomon was elected Grand Master, and he invested the work? ing implements of the operative mason with their present character as moral -symbols. These implements, for pur? poses of symbolic instruction, were termed jewels. The order, however, re? tained its operative character, and- as' there were no women among the ancient architects, and as the gentler sex were unfitted by the delicacy of their structure from performing the severe labors of the operative mason, woman was necessarily excluded from the original organization. The rale which required that exclusion then operates with undiminished force now, as it is- irrepealable, and Masonry, as a symbolic institution, most continue to obey the law of its being derived from the operative art. Masons, however, are taught to cherish profound respect/and tender regard for woman in all the rela? tions of life, and the mother, wife, sister and daughter of the Mason are' the sub? jects of their special care and most kind? ly guardianship. We esteem- it as a pri? vation that our lodges are not brightened by the halo of woman's nameless graces, and that her presence, which would add new lustre to our jewels, is not permitted to cheer our weary workmen in their labors or to give exquisite zest to their hours of refreshment. I have said, Worshipful Master, that woman, in the walks of daily fife, sym? bolizes the divine idea of charity, that holiest principle of hnman action, by which all considerations of self are sub? ordinated to the benign purpose of aiding the poor and needy, and relieving, the sorrows of the suffering. No more beau? tiful exemplification of this noble princi? ple has been furnished in our time than is illustrated by the beneficent institution in whose behalf Bichland Lodge, No. 39, invokes the aid of the charitable, ana liberally gives its own through this pub? lic i natal lation of its officers. The Palmetto Orphan Home is "hot a Masonic institution, but it nobly illus? trates that charity which is the keystone of the -Masonic arch. Founded a - few j years ago, by a few ladies of exalted j worth in the city of Columbia, it has been sustained through their unceasing : efforts by private contributions, sought and obtained by them in the midst of: public calamity from oar citizens. It sprang from ad: re necessity which de? manded that instant relief which private! charity then alone remained to give. In i the streets of the capital and' in oar vil? lages were seen wandering the unhoused children of the dead Confederate soldier, the sky of heaven only above their un? covered heads, and the public highway alone beneath their travel-worn feet. "Homeless near a thousand homes they stood, ! And near a thousand tables pined fori food." Their fathers went forth in obedience to the precepts of the State, and died in defense of its honor. They fell on fields! shot-sown, and bladed thick with steel. They planted the palmetto flag of South Carolina on many a hostile .battery's! smoking guns, and have left nothing be? hind them but honorable memories, and! these tender 'plants that sprung up. near! the farrows made by the red ploughshare! of war. , The Palmetto Orphan Home furnishes! to-day the only sheltering roof for many} of these children of ourunforgotten dead, j It has clothed, fed and educated fifty-one; of these orphans during the past .five, years, consisting of thirty-seven girls and fourteen boys. There are. now tweuty three inmates of the Home. On arriving at a suitable age, the-boys are bound to trades, and proper homes and avocations are obtained for the girls. Many most deserving applications for admission to the Home are necessarily refused through sheer want of means to support any addi? tional number of inmates. The distin fuished superintendent of the Home, Dr. . W. Parker, the eminent physician, Dr. Talley, the worthy treasurer, Mr. B. L. Bryan, antfcthe noble matron, Mrs. Lynes, all serve without pecuniary compensa? tion. It is not a merely local institution, for Chester has furnished twelve of the inmates, Barn well six, Fairfield six, New berry five, Lancaster three, Lexington one. Union one, and Bichland seventeen, while the contribution for its support have been derived mainly from citizens of Columbia. In this, the hour of its greatest need, the friends of the Palmetto Orphan Home appeal to the State for aid to maintain its present inmates, and to enable it to extend its sheltering care over many other needy applicants of the same class, who require speedy succor. Shall they appeal in vain? Shall it be truly said that twelve years after the war. while Wade Hampton ruled in redeemed South Carolina?Hampton, the Sir Philip Sid? ney of America, the Marcellus of the State?the orphan children of the men who followed where the plume of Hamp? ton led in the path of honor, vainly ap? peal to the State to furnish them with one mansion, beneath whose roof they may be sheltered and trained during the tender years of their infancy ? Shall one home be denied to the orphans of those who suffered or who died to save the homes of all ? Pile, if you will, memorial granite and marble to do well deserved honor to the Confederate dead. Let your monumen? tal shafts sentinel the. white sands of our coast I Let them greet from afar the eye of the mariner in tue fading rays of the setting sun, and blush with the first kiss of morning, but while these celebrate be fittingly your gratitude to the dead, neglect not to give some worthy token of your charity for the living 1 If these orphans of our Confederate dead are to appeal in vain to the State for the aid they so greatly need, then may they well exclaim in the language of Scr.^.ure, while viewing the lofty columns that commemorate the cause in which their fathers struck and died, "We asked for bread, and ye gave us a stone." - But South Carolina is free" again, "Free as the winds that winnow Her shrubless hills of sand, . Free as the waves that batter Along her yielding land." And in the garments of her beauty there will surely be found some fold in which to shelter these helpless orphans of the State. SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1877. .Notable Events in the State Daring the Past Year. ?From the Charleston News and Courier, January UL JANUARY. 2d. Governor Hampton issued his proc? lamation calling for a payment of ten per cent. #n the taxes. Sd. Unusually cold weather. Ther? mometer down to 22 degrees. 4th. The State Senate compromise committee met, and failed to agree on a Slan for the settlement of the political ifficulties.The third unsuccessful at | tempt made to burn the town of Darling? ton. 6tb.*The tax-payers of Col letpn inaugu? rate a series of mass meetings; subse? quently held in every county, pledging support and payment of taxes to the Hampton Government 8th. Emancipation celebration in Charleston......Mass meetings of tax? payers throughout the State pledge sup? port to Hampton. 9th. The collection of the 10 per cent tax assessment begun. 10th. Democratic ticket elected in Port Eoyal. - - 11.-Governor Hampton announces his , appointments of collectors of the 10 per cent, assessment. 12th. Riot in Marion, caused by an at? tack on a colored Democrat?several per? sons wounded; 13th. The Lowndesville murderers con? victed at Abbeville by a partially colored jury 25th. The motion made before the Su? Ipreme Court for au injunction restraining Cardozo and Dunn from paying out the 'State's money, which-was'subsequently granted. ? ? " ? ' 26th. The qvo warranto against the Hayes Electors for this State dismissed by the Supreme Court 29th. Judge R. B. Carpenter's famous decision declaring Chamberlain Governor & facto filed. 28th. Hollo way, a colored Radical trial justice, shot and killed at Timmonsville by unknown- parties. ' . V 30th. Governor Hampton issued a par? don, which was subsequently recognized by Judge Mackey, to a prisoner in Ches? ter jail......A prisoner released by the sheriff of Aiken.on Governor Hampton's pardon/ FEBRUARY. 2d.' Governor Hampton removed the Chamberlain county auditors and treasu? rers. . 6tb. Judge Carpenter grants injunction restraining Cardozo from paying out State funds. 7th. State Grange meets. 8th. Ex-Solicitor Runkle blows his brains out at Columbia. ? i 9th. Martin Farquhar Tupper lectures In Charleston. 10th. Governor Hampton gives $1,000 to relieve the colored Orphan Asylum. 11th. Longshoremen's riot in Charles? ton. Several persons injured.Gov. Hampton commissioned his first militia officer. 16th. Senator Cochran acquitted of the muider of young Dent at Columbia. 20th. Grant's order issued forbidding the. South Carolina militia to parade in honor.. of Washington's birthday, and Governor Hampton issues a proclama? tion relative there to. 21st Grant burned in effigy atSum merville. 22d.. Annual meeting of the Washing? ton Light Infantry, and reception of the visiting committee from the Clinch Rifles of Augusta..United States flags dis? played at half-mast and in mourning in Columbia.Chief Justice Moses strick? en with paralysis. 27th. Fifty thousand dollar fire in Camden.Associate Justice Wright signed order releasing Tilda Norris under Hampton's pardon. 28th. Riot by negroes on' Combahee. Rioters subsequently captured by militia. MARCH. 1st Wright attempts to recant his ac? tion in-the Tilda Norris case. 2d. Associate Justice Willard decides that Wright's recantation is illegal, and Tilda Norris is released. Wright myste? riously disappears. Judge Mackey form? ally recognizes Hampton as Governor. . 6th. Receipts of the Hampton govern? ment published, amounting to $120, 141.77. 7th. Judge Shaw officially recognizes Governor Hampton. 8th. One hundred and fifty thousand dollar fire at Newberry. 13th. Judge Reed orders the jailer of -Charleston County to receive a prisoner under the commitment of R. Chisolm, Jr., one of Governor Hampton's trial justices, the jailer having previously refused to do so. 14th. Thomas J. Counts, Democratic nominee for State Senator from Barn well County, elected.Associate Justice Wright reappears in Columbia. . / 16th. Adam Johnson, Nelson Brown, Lucius Thomas and John Henry Dennis,, the Huusmann- Port man murderers, hung at Aiken.Governor Hampton begins the organization of the State constabula? ry. 20th. Judge Reed decides that Hamp? ton is Governor, and the Chamberlain trial justices collapse. ... ... 25th. Two incendiary fires, destroying much valuable property in Greenville. Loss $40,000. 27th. Governor Hampton leaves Co? lumbia for Washington to confer with the President by his invitation, and is accompanied by the Charleston Commit? tee. Grand receptions are accorded him at Wilmington and Richmond. 29th. Gov. Hampton and the Charles? ton Committee arrive in Washington. 30th. The reinterment of the body of Gen. John A. Wagener takes place. APRIL. 2d. Order issued by the President re? moving the troops from the South Caro? lina State House. Gov. Hampton's tele? gram received iu Columbia saying: Everything is satisfactorily and hon? orably settled." 3d. The order for the removal of the troops is published to take effect on the 10th. 4th. The location of the Lutheran Col? lege is awarded to Newberry. 5th. Gov. Hampton arrives in Colum? bia, and is received with great demon? strations of rejoicings. 10th. The troops vacate the State House, and Chamberlain gives up the contest 11th. The formal transfer, of the State House to Gov. Hampton takes place.! 18th. Great storm of wind and rain, doing great damage to rice and other crops and injuring much property in this _ZS_-? city..Governor Hampton issues his proclamation convening the Legislature. 15th. Gov. Hampton visits Charleston, and is received with unprecedented, en? thusiasm ; a grand military parade and review-takes place, and the annual cele? bration of the Washington Light In fan try is held in the Academy of Music at night......The State officers' offices iu the. State House are sealed up by order of Governor Hampton pending the action of the courts. ? 19th. Gleaves gives up the contest for the Lieutenant-Governorship. * 20th. Steve Anderson, the last of the Hausmann-Portman murderers, is execu? ted at Aiken. v 23d. Dublin J. Walker Republican State Senator, is arrested at Chester charged with issuing false certificates. .Gibson and Byrd, colored Represen? tatives from Fairfield, resign. 24th. The extra session of the General Assembly begins.. The Democrats cap? ture the Senate, and Lieutenant Gover? nor Simpson takes the chair..A salute .is fired by the. Washington Artillery in honor of the redemption of Louisiana from bayonet rule. 26th. The Governor's first message sent in. The members of the defunct Mackey House are required by the House of Rep? resentatives to purge themselves of (heir contempt. It'; 28th. The Chamberlain State officials give up the contest. A motion is made to impeach Wright. MAY. ? 2d. The Senate investigating commit? tee is appointed. 3d. The formal transfer of the' State officials' offices and records is made........ The inauguration ball takes place in Co? lumbia. 4th. Wjghtman Allen, John Allen, and Jenkins Whitner, three of the negro Lowndesville murderers, ar%hung at Abbeville, the Governor having commu? ted the punishment of the others. ? ?'? \ \ 9th. Whittemore's . theft, of the fund for providing pictures of Lincoln and Sumner for the State is exposed by the. Neu? and Courier. 10 th. State Press Association meets: in Charlestoni Annual Regatta . begins. Memorial day in Charleston. 11th. The Episcopal Diocesan Conven? tion meets in Charleston.Mr. J. Evans' Edings, Jr., is murdered and robbed by negroes near Charleston. 13th. Bishop -Moore is consecrated Bishop of St. Augustine. 14th. Two Democratic Representatives are elected from Fairfield County. 15th. Justice Willard is nominated by the Democratic caucus for Chief Justice,' and subsequently' "elected...Chester elects a -Democratic State Senator....... The Ellenton -trials begin in the-United States Court at Charleston. 17th. ^ Western excursion of business men arrive here.......Whittemore's flight is announced..Judge Mdver unani? mously elected Associate Justice to fill the place of Justice Willard, promoted. 18th. Appropriation, bill, passea-aaftet long struggle......Jack Burgoyne, negro,' bung at Marion for the murder of Mr. Gregg. - 21st Information is filed at Orange* burg against Solicitor Buttz of this Cir? cuit. 24th. A day of thanksgiving and pray? er is celebrated throughout the State.m accordance with the. Governor's procla? mation..The first, revelation of, the contents of Woodruff's famous "little book" are made in the Newt and Courier. 25th. The "report of the committee'of Srivileges ana elections ousting -the lackey delegation is presented in the House and suosequently adopted. 28th. Whittemore's resignation as Sen? ator is presented. 30th. The Democratic no mi see for. Representative from Orangeburg is elec? ted.. JUNE. 3d. A $100,000 fire occurs in Union.' .The jury in the Ellenton cases fails to agree and is discharged. 5th. Wright/is impeached for drunk? enness, x 7th. Judge Kersbaw elected to fill R. B. Carpenters place. 8th. The General Assembly adjourns. 9th. E. J. Scott's bank in Colombia suspends. 19th. The Democrats elect their can? didate for probate j udge in Bichland. 20th. Gov. - Hampton arrives -at Au? burn, N. Y., and is enthusiastically re? ceived. - . 26th. The Democrats of Charleston and Darlington elect their Legislative tickets without opposition.........Louis O'Brien killed in Queen street by ne? groes. 27th. L. C. Carpenter arrested in Co? lumbia for forgery, and bailed. 28th. The Fort Moultrie Monument on the Battery unveiled. . > -?t JULY. \bi 4th. First mass meeting of the advo? cates of the Liberian Exodus. 7th. Destructive hailstorm in Marion County.Large reconciliation meeting of whites and blacks at Ellenton: 13th. Execution of David Pearce and. George Stevens,. Charleston County jail yard, for the murder of Mr. Edings. ' 16th. Inauguration of the fast through schedule by the South Carolina Railroad from Charleston to Greenville. 21st Arrest of Cardozo. 22nd. Promotion of Lieut. Col. Ru? dolph Siegling to the command of the! old Fourth Brigade of South Carolina Volunteers. ."?.*:, 23rd. Arrest of F. J. Moses, Jr., 24th. Arrest of A. O. Jones in Charles? ton, and Samuel J. Lee in Chester...'...: Flight of Joseph us Woodruff on the; steamer Virginia for Philadelphia......; Flight of Ex-Lieutenant Governor; Gleaves from Beaufort.Newberry^ County redeemed by the election of a full county ticket, and Hon. Y. J. Pope; to the House of Representatives....... Woodruff recaptured. AUGUST. 8th. Meeting of the State Grange and State Agricultural and Mechanical As? sociation at Anderson Court House.' 29th. Kershaw County redeemed. 30th. Woodruff. Jones, Owens. Patter? son, Scott, Lee & Co., indicted by the Bichland grand jury. SEPTEMBER. 1st Execution of Cush Harris at Edgefield, for the murder of Mr. Hollo way. < 3rd. Arrest of the Orangeburg County officials for fraud and breach of trust in office. 4th. Fairfield redeemed. 5th. Flight of Van Tassel 1 and Mays from Orangebarg. 9th. First bale of Carolina sea island cotton received. 22nd. Governor Hampton's return to Colombia after his Western tour with President Hayes. 25th. Appointment of Judge L. C. Northrop as U. S. District Attorney for South Carolina. '. 27th. The. terrible explosion at the Charleston Mining and Manufacturing Company's works. OCTOBER. 4th. The poisoning of the Graham family......Cardozo lodged in jail.. 6tb. Arrest of Senator Patterson in Execntora, Administrator? and other fiduciaries, and herewith append the rates for the erdina-y. notices, which' will only be Inserted "w?nWtfv money-comes with the order: ? ClUtions, two Insertlona, ? - - " -? $8,00 EsUte Notices, three Insertions, . . - 2.00 Final Settlements, five insertion* - > 3.09 TO CORRESPONDENTS.?In order to receiT? attention, communications mast be accompanied by the true name and address of the writer: Re? jected manasc-lpts will not to rotaniedvaiucs?t>?'r necessary stamps are furnished to repay the postage thereon. ? ; , . . \fTi ? ? ? 49* vre are not responsible for the views and opinions of oar correspondents. All communications should be addressed-to "Ed? itors Intelligencer," and sll checks, drafts, money orders, Ac, should be made payable to the order of: E. B. MURRAY St CO, ' Anderson,8. C. 'Washington, D. C, on a requisition from Governor Hampton. 16th. Nile? G. Parker's return to the ' home of his adoption. 80th. Pardoning of the Combahee rioters by Governor Hampton. NOVEMBER. 6th. Marlboro' redeemed by -the elec? tion of Col. CS. McOall, (Dem.) to the State Senat-e. 7th..Cardosoconvicted at Columbia. 11th. (Congressman Smalls convicted of bribery at Columbia, ' < ' ' 18th. L. Cass Carpenter convicted at - Columbia......Opening of the State.Fair; at Columbia. 14th. Vance and Hampton at Colum? . bia. - 15th. Military prize drill at Columbia. ?' The Governor's Guards' victorious. vl6tn.?The Hon. H. P. Kimball,Vthe - Winnebago orator, at Columbia. v 19th. Hon. J. B. Campbell elected State Senator from Charleston. '. . 23rd.- Fearful accident on the Char? lotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad near Rock Hill, S. C. 26th. Cardozo, Smalls and Carpenter sentenced by Judge' Townsend at Co- 1 lumbia. 27th. General Assembly met at Co? lumbia. 28th. Hampton's message to the Gen- - eral Assemblyv Election of Col. Farrow as clerk of the Senate. DECEMBER. 1st. Gen. M. 0.. But let sworn inaSv United States Senator. ^ '? 4th. Attorney-General James Conner's . letter of resignation submitted to" the General Assembly. ' 5tb. Election of Judge Wallace, Jus? tice. Haskell and Attorney.General L. F. Youmans. 8th. Mr. 'J. Cv Sheppard elected, Speaker.: 11th. Passage of; the. JJsnry .bilL v Water obtained at the new Artesian well. < l^th. Mayor .Sale and hishjboard of Aldermensworn in..WUu'amsburg re? deemed by the election- of Cel. Mc Cutcheo as State Senator. ' 20th. Educational amendment to. the .Constitution, ratified by the Geperal As-, sembly.1.....Adjournment of the Legisla- ; tare for the Christmas; holidays. The Hampton Administration, Some days ago- the Register drew a con - trast between the expenditures of the Hampton and Chamberlain administra? tions, and showed a difference in favor of the Democratic rule amounting in round numbers to. $450,000, which Was effected ? in the first year, under serious disadvan? tages. The comparison we instituted was based upon the reports of the State Treas? urers, and only included the actual out? lay of money collected during the respec* ; live years.. There was no account taken \ of the enormous deficiencies of the Cham? berlain administration, a portion of which .has been met by the Democrats during the present year. A gentleman who t9v thoroughly conversant with the financial v history of- South Carolina, occupying a place of great importance, has furnished us with his statement of the actual ire-' form accomplished by the Democrats, to which we invite attention. The aggregate figures are as follows: Tax levy.1875-6 .ander Gbam berlain, 11 mills, on basis of / $120,000,000 as the total tax? able property rf^heState.'..'4l,820,000 Deficiencies under Chamber Iain for 1876-76.....!....... 450,000. j Total amount expended under Chamberlain for 1876-'76.....$1,770,000 Tax levy 1877 under Hampton, 7 mills, on basis of $120,000, . 000....... $840,000 Amount in the'State Treasury at the end of firs? fiscal year: under Hampton remaining unexpended....... 115,000 Total amount expended by Hampton's government. $725,000 The difference between-the expendi? tures under Chamberlain and Hampton amounts to $1,045,000. ' . There were no deficiencies under the Hampton government but every dollar appropriated by the Legislature was paid. ?, The mass of floating indebtedness which now confronts the tax-payers was accu? mulated mainly in deficiencies, by ap? propriating more money than was levied and collected. This was a favorite de- . vice of the Radicals, and was practiced every year. Indeed, if the tax levies had always been equal to the appropnation?, the patience and endurance of the tax? payers would have been exhausted years Y ago, and- the movement which swept these plunderers from high positions would have been inaugurated earlier. But the pretended reform of Chamber? lain stifled the dem'ands of an oppressed people for a 'short time, and it was not . until the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of hi3 professions were exposed, that the op? portunity of creating deficiencies was for? ever annulled. The figures we have given are from careful estimates of an experienced legis? lator, in regard to the deficiencies. It may be interesting, however, to enter more into detail, ana show the different items of expenditure on which there has been snch an immense reduction within a single year of honest and c&pable gov eminent. A goodly portion of these: items are permanent reforms, accom? plished by the Legislature during its ses? sion last spring, and for which the mem- '. be re are entitled to the approval of their constituents. In some instances, perhaps ?notably the public schools?the ex? penditure for the coming year will be Seater, but the satisfaction is had that ere will be corresponding benefit de? rived from the increased appropriations. Among other reductions in expenses, the following are included in the statement already given - State University, $14,000; State Nor? mal Schools, $15,000; Qafiin University, $4,000; State Orphan Asylum, $8,000: Public Schools, $850,000; County Treas? urers and. Auditors, $120,000; Legisla? tive Expenses, $105,000;. Public Print? ing, $40,000; Penitentiary, $15,000; Lunatic Asylum, ..#6,000; School Com- . missioners, $28,000; Salaries, $10,000; ?Stationary, $18,000. These items aggregate the sum of $758,000, and sufficiently explain the character of the redaction made by the Democrats. Of coarse, a large amount belongs to the deficiencies, and in regard to the difference respecting the expendi? ture for public schools, the advantage belongs to the Democrats, for there was a large amount ostensibly given by the Radicals for the support of public schools which never benefitted teachers and pu? pils, but belongs to the inevitable defi? ciencies. The Democrats on the other hand, have paid oat every cent appropri? ated for this purpose. The exhibit ia truly gratifying and en? couraging to the tax-payer, and will prove an incentive of the strongest kind to maintain the supremacy gained through organized effort on the part of the Dem? ocrats. It was by united and harmonious counsels that we succeeded last year, and the preservation of that unity and har? mony will maintain the scale of economy and reform which lias been so happily inaugurated...