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COLUMBIA. I Saturday Morning, Jan. 20, 1866. Cotton. Experiments and estimates made some years ago, of the expenses of * cultivating cotton under the old slave system arc given in DeBow's Review, for January, I860. One of the oscu? lations was for a plantation of 4,200 acres of land, (2,000 acres in cultiva? tion,) worked by 254 slaves, old and young, which produced 331,000 pounds of cotton, at an expense of four cents seven mills per pound. Another statement is given of the expenses on an estate of 1,100 acres of land, worked by 120 slaves, which produced a crop of 128,000 pounds of, cotton, at an expense of about six cents per pound. It is probable that the present cost, after allowance is made for liberal wages to the freed? men, would not greatly exceed the above statement; it would, we sup? pose, not be more than doubled. Yet cottpn is now selling for from forty five to fifty-five cents per pound in Northern cities, and will probably command a very high price for several years. The extraord; nary profits thus promised ore producing, as a natural result, the industrial condi? tion described below, in a Richmond . paper, which learns the facts from private sources. In the Mississippi bottom, mules are worth from two hundred dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars each, and farm hands are paid twelve dol? lars per month, besides their rations of four pounds of meat and a peck oi meal per week. All the expenses ol farming are vastly increased, but cot? ton is selling in Yazoo City at fifty two cents per pound. Northern capitalists, with theil usual keen appreciation of pecuniary profit, have not been slow to seiz< upon the opportunities offered then for making money in the rich botton lands of Mississippi, and have rentec plantations at apparently unreasona ble prices. Three plantations on tin river, adjoining those of ex-Presiden Davis and his brother, Joseph Davis Esq., bring an aggregate rental fo the present year of thirty-six thou sand dollars; and a plantation of eigh hundred acres of cleared land, oi Deer Creek, rents for ten dollars pe acje-, the lessee contracting to repai - ^u\c negro quarters and rebuild all th mated that bottom lands will gene rally sell for about twenty dollars pe acre, and they will rent for about one half the selling price. The people of Mississippi now in tend to devote all their energy t making good crops of cotton. Th standard of value is changed, and ai heiress, instead of being worth s> many negroes, is now reputed to hav on hand so many bales of cotton There is every probability that th negroes will work tolerably well, wit] proper supervision and care; and if mun has not ready money, he ca: rent his plantation for this year, am be able with the proceeds to make good start for himself in 1867. On year or five would be buta short tim in which to recover from the effect of this tremendous ordeal throug which we have passed, and if in 187 the Mississippi planters can equi their production of cotton in 186( they and the nation will be moi than satisfied. A VOICE FOR MERCY.-The Ne^ York Commercial Advertiser, a R< publican paper, criticises quite s< verely the concluding portion of tb reply of Mr. Attorney-General Spee to the Senate resolution in regard t the trial of Mr. Davis. We quote ? ^ . follows: f ^^^^Thank God ! the men who ha> ^B^H^f^t ?j/^i i- lives in this war ai tired or carnage, and want no moi butchery. Granland Sherman, wit their pleas for mercy, are worth whole regiment of stay-at-home do trinaires. It is rather late in the di for the punishment of men who su vt ndercd months p.go, and every su eessive day reduces the number i the blood-thirsty, while it adds the blind ferocity of the few implac ble that remain." METHODIST BOOK CONCERN.-Tl "Book Concern," as it is called, the Methodists, was originated 1780, by a.preacher in Pliiladelphi on borrowed capital of $600. Aft a time it was removed to New Yor and in 1833 took its present locatio Its capital now is $337,000. Its tot profits from 1836 to 1860 were & 171.581.60, and these all go for tl nomiiiational purposes. j ? im m????jS???????iS??? Colombia and H a tu lr arg Ra ll rond. The Angosta (lonsi?uiionaii'it j that efforts ore being made to finish ] this important railroad, but some t difficulty is experienced in the lack j of stock subscriptions from parties \ who are able to subscribe, and whose , property must be considerably im? proved by a completion of the road. ] We are sorry to hear t hat the good , people of Edgefield are quite remiss. , The land-holders of the line, for ten miles on each side, have more in- 1 terest in the road than any one in Augusta, Columbia or Charlotte, where the stock is principally owned. This appenrs to us an unconsionable lack of public spirit. If each land? holder living within ten miles, on each side of the line, would take one dollar per acre of stock for each acre of land, the road would go forward rapidly towards completion, and in twelve months at farthest, the engine whistle would wake the pine woods from their lethargy. To many of these acres the road will add from five to ten dollars in value, and we think that the planters circumjacent should, if possible, come forward and help this enterprise, which may otherwise languish, though sure of final consummation. Col. Wm. John? son, the active and energetic Presi? dent, does not intend to let the matter ' fail; failure is an obsoTjete word in his lexicon, but he prefers to have the ownership of the road right here at home, rather than seek foreign aid and capital. Many a man is investing in candy and other gim-craeks large sums of money, which had better go for public works than for pampering idle stomachs. By such railroads Augusta and Columbia are to prosper, and it behooves us all to aid in their erection. LETTER FROM JOHN MITCHELL. -The New York 2?r*ns, of Saturday, con? tains a letter, dated Paris, December 22, from John Mitchell. It is not such a one, in point of elegance, or wit, or interest, as we had expected, but very much like those penned by all foreign correspondents of the New York papers. He discusses Pre? sident Johnson's annual message, and tells how it was received by the Pa? risians-some regarding it as signifi? cant of indifference in regard to French intervention in Mexico ; others, as indicating a desire to extend the protection of the United States over still otli?rs, as leaving the question open. Mr. Mitchell says there is a powerful and growing Republican party in France, though the Emperor is rising in personal popularity; gives a history of the recent Governmental action with reference to some of the Parisian students; and winds up his letter with some characteristic re? marks upon the deceased King Leo? pold and Prince Albert. NEGRO RIGHTS IN THE NORTH.-In the Indiana State Constitution there is a clause prohibiting negroes from entering the State. The Indiana Senate has refused to ratify an amend? ment repealing that clause. This is j a nice commentary upon that party 1 in the North who are clamoring for the South conferring rights upon the negro which they are unwilling them? selves to grant. The South shall make every concession to the negro-the North none. The New York Time?, in noticing the manifesto of an officer of the Freedmen's Bureau in Virginia, threatening punishment of such Vir? ginia planters as do not support their former slaves who are aged and in? firm, says: "We had supposed that the utmost extent to which it was necessary for a bureau officer to go, was to protect the negro from actual wrong, and not to threaten those presumed to be his persecutors in this indiscriminate and general way. What punishment, moreover, is to fall upon a Virginia family which hos barely means of subsistence for its own members? Aro these members bound to bend before this sumptuary edict, whether their moans allow it or not? The ill advised friends of the negro may de^nd upon it that such philanthro? py Pleasures will produce a re-action, sooner or later, here in the North." THE " LEE ENDOWMENT."-The Staunton Spectator says: Rev. Mr. S. D. Stuart, of this place, has paid a visit to the city of Baltimore, for the purpose of solicit? ing subscriptions for an endowment to Washington College, known as the j "Lee Endowment." He has secured subscriptions to the amount of near ? $9,000, and expects to obtain about as much more in a second visit which j he proposes to make to that liberal ! city. a.??MW?amm |T it*m WOKT?T OF li??TAttO??:-? neAVSpt?-' j ! p?t corresponuent records an act ni | ' President Johnson, which presents a strange contrast to the conduct of ' those radicals who aro for crucifying 1 bhe Southern leaders for a mere differ- ? ance of political opinion. ^ According to thc statement of this ( letter writer, the President, in his < early political career, incurred the 1 displeasure and opposition of a dis Anguished and wealthy citizen of East Tennessee, who treated bini in a i haughty and indignant manner, which the President never forgot. The cor? respondent adds: ; "In all his successes ho remem- i bered the bitter opposition and hatred of other years, and when he became ; Military Governor of Tennessee, he improved the opportunity, and made this man feel his power and influence. The war had nearly ended, when this i haughty rebel (for such he proved) asked for pardon. Johnson protested, and President Lincoln refused. Too high-spirited to sue for the pardon, this rebel despaired, for his life-long opponent was in the ascendancy, and his property, and perhaps his person, was at his mercy. His only hope was the justice, or rather mercy, of Pre? sident Lincoln. But that hope was dispelled when his assassination ele? vated the vice-President. No further effort was made, for his cause seemed hopeless. The humble tailor of Green? ville was President of the United States ; the lordly gentleman was of high reputation in his profession, as a man, unblemished in character, of large estate, but with the crime of treason overhanging him. Not long since, there came to him in the hand? writing of Andrew Johnson, the man Le had always contemned, with the great seal of the United States, a full, free pardon for all 1 offences commit? ted in aid of the late rebellion !' | Thus did this mau from the people teach to his life-long opponent the great lesson-forgive and forget." THE SITO AB OF LOUISIANA.-A late letter from New Orleans thus shows the operation of the present labor system upon the best sugar lands in the country-not well suited for any- j thing else. The crop in the State, it j is shown, is about one-fiftieth of what it was before the war, say 8,000 hhds. We quote: "In the case of Mr. Burnside, whose crop before the war exceeded j 5,000 hhds., and is now reduced to 400 hhds. And this upon the same ' plantation, with two-thirds of the i same laborers. The crop of Mr. i Walker, another large planter, has j been reduced from OOO to 30 hhds., cultivated on the same plantation, and with the same proportion of la borers. This shows a decline of some ! inasmuch as the price has been en- I hanced some 400 per cent., the value of these products has not been re- ! duced in a similar proportion." PLANTING ON A LARGE SCALE. -The j Selma (Alabama) correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette writes : General McArthur, of Illinois, has leased five plantations in Central Alabama "for next year; Major Banks, of Joe Johnston's staff, has eight; Gens. Chase and William R. Woods, of Ohio, are getting some; so are Col. Gere, of Iowa, and a number of others. Their plan is to rent at three i to five dollars an acre, one-third down, and the remainder payable first January, 1867. Then they hire at liberal salaries, competent over? seers for each plantation. AN ITEM FOR FREEDMEN.-Mr. S. G. I Burton, of the Indiana Legislature, in a speech before that body, a few days since, said emphatically: ' 'If left to me, Mr. Speaker, I j would, by a system of 'unfriendly le- : gislation,' render the atmosphere of Indiana so extremely uncomfortable for negroes that it would be un? healthy for them to remain in our midst, and much to their interest and advantage to emigrate-especially would I make it so for the 'unconsti? tutional niggers,' or such as are here in violation of our State Constitution, ; and without authority of btw. If j they should refuse to emigrate in spite of this legislation, they should be known and recognized in society : only as 'hewers of wood and drawers of water.' " RATHER SEVERE ON THE ELECT. The Philadelphia Mercury thus pays its respects to Thad. Stevens and Carl Schurz: "And who is Mr Ste? vens ? Not a Pennsylvanian, thank God, but a Yankee intruder into this State, whose reputed wife is a negro, and whose children are mulat? toes. And who is Carl Schurz ? A wretched adventurer, who, a traitor to his native land, fled hither for re? fuge, kept a lager-beer saloon in this city, and, failing in that, has lived ever since on the Government that has rescued him from the penalty of treason and the obscurity of a scul? lion-." By the loss of the house of General Coffee, near Florence, Aha., ??530,000 worth of property was destroyed. Among the interesting historical relics destroyed in the conflagration, was a magnificent sword, presented to Gene? ral Jackson by the citizens of New Orleans, and bequeathed by him to Colonel Andrew J. Coffee. 5oii?fctUing that C?itCerns B^ferjrbod? *CMtag83 "P?9f *i i? roStmge im ws. Ott Friday last? in the United States Senate, Mr. Dixon introduced \ bill to amend the postal laws, which provides : 1. That after January, 1867, all newspapers and periodicals, including those mailed from the office of publi? cation, shall be pre-paid, and none shall be carried without pre-poyment, except those coming from foreign countries. 2. That the Postmaster-General may sell stamps and envelopes at the value of the stamps impressed upon them. 3. After the first of April next, letters from one post office to another, at request of person addressed, shall be sent without additional postage, and dead letters shall be returned free. 4. Letters endorsed tobe returned to the writers (Act of March 3, 1863,) shall be returned free. 5. Authorizes the sending of mails by sailing vessels, between any port of the United States and any foreigu port, at a cost not exceeding the sen postage. 6. The provisions for publishing lists of non-delivered letters in news? papers of the largest circulation is repealed; advertising left discretion? ary with postmaster. 7. That the balance of the appro? priation of ' 8100,000, under thir? teenth section of Act of May 17,1864, may be used, as fur as necessary, to supply deficiencies in the proceeds of the money-order system for tho cur? rent year. 8. That any siam not exceeding $50 may be sent bv money-order, and the fee for $30 to $40 shall be twenty j cents, and for $40 to $50, thirty cents. 9. That a money-order shall be good for twelve months, and, if lost, a duplicate shall be issued free. 10. That all railroads carrying the mails shall carry, without extra charge, all printed matter directed by the Postmaster-General to be sent thereon. 11. That persons maliciously inter? fering with letter-boxes shall be fined from $100 to $1,000, and imprisoned not less than one nor more than three years. 12. That the President may divert appropriations from one branch of postal service to another, when neces? sary. Tho sixth provision will attract at? tention, and needs no explanation. MEXICO AND HEP. AFFA?B?.-Ths New York Herald says that, to settle the Monroe doctrine, it is only neces? sary "for France to be very firmly informed that we earnestly desire to avoid war; but that, war or peace, all our principles and policy imperatively require that she shall leave Mexico." Suppose that our Government should adopt this policy, and it should turn out that France would not ac down, what then ? Is the assertion of the Monroe doctrine at this time of such vital importance as to justify us in embarking in a war v, ith a first class power for its vindication ? Have we such a direct interest in the affairs of Mexico that we are bound by con? siderations of honor and interest to undertake her quarrel, and thus put our own interests and prosperity in jeopardy ? We think not. War is a serious thing, and it is certain that, if Napoleon should be disposed to ac? cept hostilities rather than submit to the humiliation of being expelled from Mexico, he would most assuredly conduct the war upon a scale which would be apt to make it exceedingly interesting to us. It is very easy to ' say that we will not tolerate the pre? sence of French troops and influence in Mexico, and we could, no doubt, drive omt both ; but the question is, whether it will pay us to make tho effort, and whether the advantages to result would be an equivalent for the expenditure of blood and money which would necessarily be involved It seems to us that we have had war enough to last us for several years, and that a season of rest is absolutely necessary, to enable us to patch up our shattered finances and to recupe? rate our exhausted energies. Tho building up and strengthening of our own country is a matter of more im? portance to us than the poor and bar? ren privilege of regulating the poli? tics of our neighbors. The day may come, after we have recovered from our late gigantic efforts and harmo? nized our people, when it will only be necessary for us to say that the continent must be cleared of all fo? reign influences, and they will go. Bnt the time has not yet arrived. {Louisville Journal. IN HIS ELEMENT-Av AUCTION. The great apostle bf abolitionism, Beecher, was in his glory lost night, when the annual auction of pews in Plymouth Church took place. His place of worship has actually turned into a temple of money-changers, and .he bidding was as exciting as at any ?egular auction sale down Broadway. Che first choice of the box pew was mocked down at a premium of $400 jo H. B. Clufiin, of the great dry roods house of Claflin, Mellen & Co. Hr. Joseph P. Howard, father of the proclamation forger, paid $300 for the second choice. Moses S. Beach, edi? tor of the Sun, paid $305 for the tliird choice, and so on. The pro? ceeds of the entire sale, including annual rental, will amount tlii3 year to about $40,000, all for the great pleasure of witnessing the weekly performances by brother Beecher. THE TicsT OATH.-Mr: Lincoln's j AtibrneV-General, Honorable Edward i Bates, o? Missouri, published a letter in the Missouri Republican, in which he gives his opinion of the Con? gressional test oath. Ho says: Test oaths, odious, oppressive and cowardly always, are always thc re? sort of desperate parties who (ats violent as timidity eau make them) seize upon method to weaken their adversaries, whom they are afraid to meet in fair and open controversy. It was of frequent occurrence during the French revolution, and ono re? markable instance has been preserved for our instruction by the great his? torian of that epoch. The two legis? lative councils-the Ancients and the Five Hundred-imputing to their adversaries the crime of royalism, hoped by an adroit trick to get rid of their presence in the councils, and their influence with the people. And so, in the forged name of Republi? canism, they decreed that all the members of the councils should, ou a certain day, tako an oath of hatred to royalty. The opposition (quite as good Republicans, in fact, as their hypocritical oppressors) resisted, as best they could, complained and pro? tested-but they took the oath -for they had no notion of deserting their place in the Government, ?tod thus leaving their unprincipled adversa? ries, unresisted, to work out their wicked will in thc mis-government of the country. And the philosophic historian dismisses the subject with this brief remark: "This formality of an oath, so frequently employed by parties, never could be considered as a guaranty; it has never been any? thing but an annoyance of the con? querors, who have taken delight in forcing the conquered to perjure themselves." Justice-that was the crafty policy of the French Revolutionary radi? cals-and our revolutionary radicals do but follow their example. And we may indulge the hope that the reign of our radicals will be made as brief as that of their great examples, and by the samo cause-their follies and their crimes. Your friend, EDWARD BATES. ALABAMA NEWS.-A gentleman by the name of F. W. Ralph, from Tuscaloosa, was found dead in his room, at the Exchange Hotel in Mont? gomery, on Sunday morning last. He retired Saturday night apparently in good health, but had been dis? sipating freely for several days past. From the Montgomery Advertiser, of the 9th, we extract the following: A gentleman from New York, who came down tho road yesterday, re? ports that at Opelika a negro girl some sixteen or seventeen years old, came in, with her ears cut off close to her head, and alleged that it was done b}r a man in United States uni? form, because she would not let him do violence to her person. No notice liam uccii uuvu _._0.. n.^ military authorities. Such inhumani? ties should be ferreted out and the guilty parties punished severely, who? ever they may be. Where the civil authority hus not power to act, the military certainly has, and we trust between the two, no acts of the kind will be allowed to disgrace the com? munity. Mrs. Susanna C. Clay, wife of Gov. C. C. Clay, sr., died in Huntsville, on the 2d inst., at an advanced age. The negroes of Huntsville had a large parade on the 1st inst., in com? memoration of the anniversary of their emancipation. The State Legislature reassem? bled in Montgomery on Monday, 15th inst. The Montgomery Mid states that there are a large number of negro soldiers loafing about the streets of that city. They belonged to the 136th negro regiment, recently mustered out of service at Augusta. TENNESSEE COTTON. - We judge from what we have heard that one of the largest cotton-producing States in the Union this year will be Ten? nessee. In the first place, the native industry of the State, white and colored, is in better condition than that of most other States for the re? sumption of activity. In the next place, there has already been a larger Northern emigration to Tennessee than to any other Southern State, and the prospects are that it will be greatly increased within the next three months, consisting both of workers and capitalists. Both the old residents and new coiners gene? rally declare it their purpose to de? vote themselves to the cultivation of cotton; and preparations have already been made to introduce the raising of cotton upon a large scale in districts which have heretofore been devoted to the growth of wheat and cattle. There are large regions in thc central and western part of the State where cotton can be raised to great advan? tage, and we see no reason why Ten? nessee should not furnish half a million bales.-Nert York Times. FURNISHING HOTELS.-A correspon? dent at Fortress Monroe writes that large quantities of the bedding of the Hampton General Hospital have been bought to furnish hotels in Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia. Fifty cords of iron bedsteads, 4,000 mat? tresses. 10,000 blankets, and 6,000 linen sheets, almost a's good ?us new, a few still stained by the blood of wounded Northern "soldiers, thou? sands of whom, both white and co? lored, died upon them, go North to furnish houses of summer resort. Iiocal Items. Advertisements, tu insure insertion, should be handed in by 4 o'clock p. m. CASH.-Our terms for subscription, ad? vertising and job wurk arc cash. Wo hi ipr all parties will bear thia in mind. "THE CODE."-The Acts passed by the Legislature relative to thc freedmen. C?? sale at thi? office. Price 3? cents: by mail 25 cents. AGENTS ron THE PIUENIX.-Thomas P. Slider, Esq., of Charleston, and H. L. Darr, Esq., of Sumter, aro th- authorized agents of tho Pheenie, in those sections of the j State. u_ Tut B?BNINO or COLUMBIA.-Au inter ' esting account ot the "Sack and Destruc? tion of the City of Columbia. S. C.," has nat been issued, in pamphlet form, from tho Phamix steam power press. Orders j can be tilled to any extent. We made a slight mistake, in our notice, yesterday morning, with reference to the Greenville Railroad. About tho first of next month, the officers expect to carry passengers through in one day -that is, they will run hacks between Alston and the head of the road. Rut this will niako little difference, as a rftlo of a few miles in a back will help digestion. We b arn that the store of Mr. E. Pol? lard, on Main street, was entered, on Thursday night, and saveral thousand dol? lars' worth of goods stolen. Marks on the back door show that au attempt was made to enter tho atora from the rear; but tho entrance was effected through thc front door. It behooves our citizens to be ou the alert, and give these gentry a reception not to be easily forgot ton. Through the kindness and liberality of j Superintendent Peake, of the South Caro? lina Railroad, Mr. Colton will erect his press and warehouses on the grounds con? nected with the South Carolina Railroad. In a short t ime, the press will bc erected and in operation. The Roule Agent of the National Express and Transportation Company, Mr. O. E. I Webster, paid us a visit yesterday; he j informs us that ho has opened an office ? temporarily, in Mr. Kraft's shop, on Wash? ington street, near Main. The company arc now running mcssongers over tho South Carolina Railroad daily, and will receive and transport freight at reasonable rates. Arrangements are being rapidly completed for thc transportation of freight to any point in the United States. Au ad ' vertisement containing full particulars will I bc published in a day or two. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. -Attention is call? ed to thc following advertisements, which are published this morning for thu first time: T. J. Gibson -Rutter. Feogers A Diereks Com. Merchants. City Fire Department. Levin A Piexotto-Varietv Sale. -Rice. i Royal Ar eh Chapter--Ebenezer Thayer, i Lost Receipts-Joseph Austell. ?rlor .>n ni? omeo -Law Librarvfor salo. Huger A Hasell -Cominis. Merchants. Frank Ashe-Baggies, etc. j THE NEGRO.-This interesting I personage gives trouble even in Massachusetts, where compuratively they have but few of them. Tims we learn that Frederick Douglas in? dignantly left a hotel in Portland, Massachusetts, the other day, because he was not allowed to take his meals with the other guests of the evening. In the course of his lecture in the evening, he said it was the only in? dignity he had ever received in Mas? sachusetts, and proceeded to give the Boniface a terrible cutting ap. The proper remedy is to refuse Sumner und Wilson seats in Congress, and to disfranchise Massachusetts until she does justice to the negro. A district school at Attica, very full, and very prosperous, under the superintendence of a lady teacher of superior qualifications and of high reputation as a successful tutor, re? ceived an addition in the shape of a little negro boy. The little chap had been presented to the M. C., for the district, and him to the village, and by the village to the school. The trustees did not want him. They were loyal, but they sent him away. An appeal was immediately made to the County Commissioner, and also to State Superintendent Rice; both of these dignitaries, as a matter of course, and as everybody might know, decided that the' boy must go to school ! The consequence is, the white children are gradually falling off, and in all probability will ulti? mately evacuate the school. [Alha/ti/ Arg as. We have received a circular, from which we mako the following extract: "lu pursuance of the original agree? ment made between the Adams Ex? press Company and the Southern Express Company, five years since, by which the former transferred, by sale, all their property in the South? ern States and their right in the express business in said States to the latter, the Adams Express Company will withdraw on December 25, 1865, from such railroads and express routes as they operated during and since the late war, and will transfer their business to the Southern Com? pany." GENERA?. LANE. This gentleman, so well and favorably known .ttl a large number of our readers, arrived in this city on yesterday morning. He is looking very well and cheerful, and was cordially received by hin nu? merous friends in this city. He left on yesterday's afternoon train for Richmond. - - Wilmington Dispatqi.