Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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"COLUMBIA. Saturday Morning, Mareil IO, 1866. The Test Oath. This abominable excrescence of radical root is keeping the whole country back in its natural progress to restoration and prosperity. "We have read the oath, and have filled some of the forms np for appointed officers, but, in these instances, the objectionable paragraph or sentence, 4 ' never sympathized with the rebel? lion," was stricken out or modified. The test oath probably might have been necessary durin0 the war, to prevent "traitors," so-called, from getting into office, but it is clear, and it is in the language of the act itself, that the so-called test oath was only intended for officers of the Govern? ment, and not for members of Con? gress. No oath but that prescribed by the Constitution of the United States, can be rightfully administered or ap? plied "to the Senators or Representa? tives from the States of the Union, and the radicals show their folly in persisting on an oath that has already obstructed the operations of the Go? vernment in two of its most impor? tant departments-the post office and revenue. Oaths of allegiance, abju? ration and supremacy were prevalent in Great Britain during the last cen? tury. It was eminently politic to curse the Pretender, deny the Pope, and submit to reign? ing power. Many took these oaths who were well affected, and there? fore the oath was superfluous: the diaffected took them as mere lip service, excusing themselves, as Naa man did for bowing down in the house of Rimmon. The only oath of office that should be required of officers-Federal 01 State-is that which requires alle? giance to the Government and thc support of the Constitution of the United States. This constitutes th? whole duty of a true American citizen. DIFFICULTY IN EDGEFIELD.-Tb? Augusta Constitutionalist says that twe citizens, Edward Coleman and Hum phrey Bauleware, both of whom wen intoxicated, had a difficulty at Edge field C. H., a few days since. I appears that a soldier, who was als< intoxicated, interfered, and com menced fighting with Coleman, whon he shot in the back of the neck whereupon Coleman drew a pistol anc shot and killed the soldier. Colemai is seriously but not dangerously wounded. Maj. Gen. Howard has issued a cir cnlar letter to the Assistant Commis sioners of the Freedmen's Bureau giving instructions for dealing witl the question of matrimony arnon) the freed people. They are to con suit the State laws with regard to th marriage and divorce of white vs white persons, and embody them fo the benefit of the freedmen, as far a can be done, in a circular, and di siring them to frame such a system c marriage rules as would be approve by the State authorities, with th formal approval of the Governor o the subject appended. Reports from various quarters rej resent the Fenian excitement moi than ordinarily intense. They hel a meeting in New York on the 4tl which is represented as one of tl] largest ever held on this continent. REFORM IN ENGLAND.-Of the prc posed enlargement of the electn franchise in England, the Londc Times speaks a? follows : As the time draws near for revea ing the plans of the Ministry, it a] pears to become more certain that tl Reform Bill of 1866 will consist sin ply of clauses lowering the franchii in boroughs to ?6 rating, and tl counties to ?15 occupation. It won] seem, unless he has been sadly belie? that Lord Russell lias acted upon tl advice of Mr. Bright, and lias, great' daring, resolved to stake the existent of his administration on the succe: of a bill which shall give us ?6 f( ?10 householders, and a ?15 for ?i county tenants. We cannot suppo; that tho Government believes tin such a bill as is now predicted will I accepted as a settlement of the r form question. It is crude, violent and offensif it expresses no policy, it corresponc to no aims. The conduct of the Mil istry of Reform seems to show th: they are themselves conscious th; they arc settling down. They ya from side to side, and roll and plunf with every fresh gust and every pas ing wave, but such things are pr monitory of disaster, and we can on hope that, if there is to be a shi wreck, something valuable may 1 left by way of salvation. Judge Aldrich's Charge to the Grand Jury. m GENTTXEKEN OF THE GRAND JUBY: I have lately beeu in the performance of my official duties in the city of Charleston. When I looked over the old town, and realized the ravages .?hat fire and war had made in the last five years, I could not but feel and express profound sorrow. When I come here and see how much you have suffered, I have no words with which to frame my sympathy. The day before the army of Gen. Sherman entered, I was in Columbia, and left on the morning of its capitulation. That night I witnessed its burning from Winnsboro, but I had no conception of the great devasta? tion until my return a few days after. When I left, this was the most beautiful city in the South. When I returned, it was charred and ruined. When I left, its trees were green; its hospitable mansions, the seat of cultivated taste and high social refinement, were opened; its gardens were trimmed and inviting; all was beautiful. When I returned, two-thirds of your lovely city was in ashes, its temples to the living God were burned, its school-houses and seminaries had been given to the de? vouring flames; even the convent, the home of helpless nuns, who could not bear arms, and who devoted them? selves to the training of the female mind, even this home of the religious, j had not been spared; and your people, who had lived in affluenoe, were drawing a scanty subsistence from the public stores. As I entered the town and witnessed all this, my heart sunk within me, and I have nc words to express my sense of the de? solation which surrounded me. The predominant idea in my mind was, can this be war? Can it be that, ir the nineteenth century, a Christiar foe will give to the flames a city, turr out in the cold its inhabitants of ole men, women and children, burr their homesteads and leave them tc starve, when not a gun was fired tc prevent their ci trance? Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, anc Columbia is a melancholy instance It is not for me, but for the historian j to chronicle the events of that sor ! rowful day and night. Truthful his tory will record the particulars of th? surrender, and the very words of thi conversation which were used be tween the mayor and the commard ing officer to whom the city capitulated. But I do not refer to this thing i. the spirit of complaint or unman! despondency; we staked all upon th issue, we lost all; let us manful!; accept the condition, and bravely an< truthfully work out our deliverance Let us endure witji dignity; we hav yet left our manhood and our honoi this is enough to stimulate any people and with this we can retrieve our foi tunes, if we are let alone. If we ar allowed to manage our own affairs with a view to the comfort and har. piness of ?ur own people, white an black, there is prosperity yet in stor for us, there is recuperation froi this wide-spread calamity. I say t you, as I said to the grand jury i Charleston, rebuild your city, and, i so doing, have an eye to beauty taste, comfort, health, and all th appliances of the most advance civilization. If you cannot rebuil on correct principles, wait; or if yo must have a place in which to liv and do business, build the first stor permanently, with a view to futur improvement as your fortunes ma advance, and if your hopes be nc realized, the value of your propert will be enhanced. Let Columbi arise from its ashes more beautifi and inviting than it was before ii fall. You have the element of gre? wealth and prosperity here ; a wate power that can work up all thecottc that may be grown in the State, genial and healthful climate, wit fertile lands surrounding. I trn some man or men of large views, ar of large sympathy, will devote the capital, their talents, and their ei terprise to this great purpose, hope, when uext it is my tm to hold your court, to inhale tl smoke of the factory chimney; 1 hear the busy whirl of machiner to see the cheerful and the healthf laborer; to walk along the row of tl neat and tasteful cottages of the wor! ing men; to rejoice in the men laugh of childhood, and to believ and feel, aud kuow, that Columbia redeemed. I know that this can 1 clone-I feel assured that it will 1 done. I know one man of large vie-* and of earnest purpose, who has tl will, the energy, the capital and tl intelligence to largely contribute the accomplishment of this thin In the very sight of his ruined fact ry, he will rear up and run a machin ry that will soon retrieve his Josse give employment to hundreds, bril comfortable support and educatic within their reach, and build up tl population and the prosperity of tl city. It will come. Your city w: rise ngain; your elegant mansioi will be rebuilt; your gardens w flourish in all their ancient beaut your fountains will play as bright as in days of yore; your schools ai seminaries will be re-opened; ai your University will turn out mon character, learning, ability and virtu to guide the State in its new care of prosperity and power. Tho san blood that produced Rutledge, ar * Laurens, and Lowndes, and Cheves, and Hayne, and McDuffic, and Cal? houn, is yet warm in the veins of their descendants, and they will again make themselves heard in the coun? cils of the nation, and their grand ex? ample will stimulate others, and make your dear old State honored, ad? mired and respected as in the olden time. Let us be true to ourselves, let us endure with that "chivalry" (I use the word advisedly) which has been illustrated on so many battle fields, that it will never again be cast up against us in reproach, and the ancient fame and character of our be? loved South Carolina will be as bril? liant in the future as it has been bright in the past. Let outsiders sneer at your "chivalry," but do you remember that you have au honored ancestry, and teach your children to remember that they have aa inheri? tance of honor and character to pre? serve. And so we will live, and so we will gvow, and so we -will come" again to maintain the high and dig? nified position which we have always held in the American Union. We are entering a new career. We thought that State sovereignty and State right* were facts in politics. We were mistaken. God in his Pro? vidence has permitted this question to be decided against ii?, and like wise men and true men, we must ac? cept the results of the war, accommo? date ourselves to the condition of things, and work out our future with that faith and confidence which be I longs to a true and earnest people. Slavery is gone. The problem how j to work the freedmen and to culti? vate our staples to tho best advan j tage, is the one which demands our most serious and earnest attention. So elastic is the human mind, that many of our Southern planters, not? withstanding the great loss of capital occasioned by the sudden emancipa? tion of the slaves, which deprived us of just so much property, think that we are in a better condition now than we were before the act of emancipa? tion. The caring for the old and the infirm, the nnrsing and medical at? tendance of the sick, the rearing of the young, the support, clothing and taxes of all, are put in opposition to the capital invested and lost. I do I not believe in the correctness of this calculation, because the old and in? firm have still to be cared for, the sick have still to be attended to and nursed, the young have still to be reared, and all have still to be sup? ported and clothed. It is true this will not now, as heretofore, be a par? ticular charge upon the individua! owners, but it will be a general charge upon the whole tax-paying comma nity, and thus abstract so much fron the general wealth. It seems to b< forgotten, too, that while the plantel has been deprived of this much pro perty, his debts still remain, with nc other security for the payment there of but his lands. In the past, the ne gro has worked because we could con trol his labor, and with the produc of that labor debts were paid, aud 01 the faith of that labor debts were in curred; but the slave is gone, and tin negro and the debts remain. This i our serious difficulty ; it presses homi upon every mind. In the future, w< have to solve the problem, if this la bor of the negro, no longer a slave can be controlled without coercion I do not think it can be. The expe rienee of the world is against us. Th example of Jamaica is very disc our aging. There, emancipation was ei fected under very favorable circum stances; it was preceded by a perioi of preparation, it was effected with out a desolating, dev?- tating and es hausting war, the owners of the slave received a compensaci?n, which en.i bled them to have in hand a eapiti for the payment of debts aud wages and yet, what is the result ? In 180? the island exported over ?3,000,00 sterling; in 1854, it exported less tha ?1,000,000. Man and Governnier. cannot work against nature. The nc gro is an inferior type of humanity not capable, in general, of high eu tivation-without ambition, and sin ply satisfied to live. I am free to ac mit that, among the negroes, as arnon the Indians, here and there isolate cases of intellectual power and cultui may be found, but these are individui cases, and cannot be taken as a proc of the capability of the whole raci As I have said, however, they ai among us, and we have the problei to deal with. They are a tractah people, and much may be done wit them by kindness and humanity. Th is my counsel. Thus to treat them our pleasure, our policy and our duty In most cases, they were our hereel tary possession, they have grown wit us and our children, they cling to i and we cling to them, and no peop' have sc great a sympathy and so kine ly a feeling for them, as we who ha> inherited them from our fathers; n people can or will care for them as v have done in the past, and as we wi do in the future. I will venture i say that, now, poor as we are, there scarcely the head of a family in Soul Carolina, who owned slaves, who hi not some black pensioners on h lands, too old to work, and too fait] ful to be turned adrift. But the pra ti cal question constantly recurs, ho are we and they to live ? How a: we to pay our debts that were coi tracted on the faith of this propert; and retain all that is left to us, ot land ? I believe our only resource i to fill up the country with indnstrioi and intelligent white labor, to ho out inducements for that kind of 1 bor to come to us, and, by their pr sence and their numbers, control th mass of muscle to the high duties i - ? christian civilization. The competi? tion thus created -will prove to the negro that he must work to Uve; this competition will take the place of that coercion which compelled the la? bor in every well-regulated plantation in the South, which compels the child to obedience in the family, which compels the boy to study at school, and which compels the soldier and the sailor to obey the regulations and the discipline of the army and the navy. TheD will our thousands of acres of uncultivated swamp lands be drained and brought into successful cultiva? tion, miasma dispelled, rivers and streams confined to their banks, and the water thus controlled made to run machinery, and factories of every de? scription rise up all over the State. Our swamp timber, too, so much of which is so valuable and beautiful, will be worked up into furniture and other useful and ornamental articles. All this can and will be accom? plished, but I verily believe it will be at the expense of the poor negro. He will go down before the white man in the South, as he has gone down before the white man in the North. Let it be our privilege and your high duty to contribute all in our power to his comfort and advance? ment. I do not pretend to the gift of prophecy, but'I feel certain that, in less than twenty years, the only friends which the negro will have in this country will be his former ma .ters and their children. They alone us a class will feel for and sympathize with him; but they will be too few to help him. We will have to get rid of a great many old notions-we must learn to be industrious and economi? cal, encourage the mechanic arts and stimulate our young men of family and culture to make labor dig? nified and honorable. We must ex? hibit that heroic endurance, constancy and courage which overcomes diffi? culties and conquers misfortune. So you see there is no reason to despair; tue increase of population il ad? vance the value of our lands, ind, if time be allowed us, this advance in value will enable us to manage our debts. Your public buildings have been destroyed, and with themy our public records. The former can be restored -the loss of the latter is irreparable. I trust the Legislature will frame such laws as will in some measure repair the loss and cure the inconvenience. In rebuilding your public edifices, I hope your Commissioners of Public Buildings will regard the ornamental as well as the useful. It improves the taste and elevates the sentiments and feelings of a people to see that theil public buildings are specimens ol architectural taste, as well as substan? tial and enduring. All the modert improvements for comfort, conve? nience, ventilation, heating and light ing the buildings should be intro duced. The offices should be commo dious and comfortable, well carpeted with substantial and ornamental case! and furniture. The officers spend th* greater part of the day in these rooms they have to receive the citizens o the whole District, ladies and gentle men, and their comfort and conve nience should be consulted. Busines is more promptly done and mucl better done, when the officer is mad* comfortable and has all the appliance necessary; and the people feel mor respect for their officer and for them selves, when they come into a well furnished room and are received a: persons of consideration. So shouh it be with the court room. The hal of justice is a sacred place, and m amount of care and attention to it appointments is ill applied. I ~kno\ that this will take money, but it wil be economy in the end; for when room or a house is handsomely fur nished, it is generally better carei for and not so apt to be abused-th most rude man will feel restrainer from soiling or abusing that whicl gratifies his senses; and even if i should cost more, these are the pee pies' houses, and no money can b better expended than that which i laid out for tho elevation of thei feelings and the cultivation of thei tastes. The Commissioners of Publi Buildings have the power to tax th District for these improvements. I your present depressed condition, would not advise a heavy tax; but do suggest and submit to your care ful consideration, if it will not b proper for that board to begin at one to accumulate a fund for the purpos of restoring your public buildings, b levying from year to year a mod?r?t tax, which can be judiciously in veste until they have raised a sufficiei: amount to commence and carry on th work to its completion. There is not the slightest excus for your public roads being in ba condition. The Commissioners < the Roads can command the labe and money of the people until ever avenue leading to the capital is i perfect order; and if they be negl gent in this matter, it is not onl your duty but your interest to pr< sent them, and to see that they ai prosecuted and punished for th neglect. The loss of time and tb wear and tear to vehicles and anima from bad roads will more than con pensate for all the labor and mone expended in keeping the highways i good condition. Since the State hf been traversed by railroads, it : shameful to see how the public roat have been neglected; all this com? from the practice of presentmer which has heretofore obtained, grund jury will present a road, tl presiding judge orders a rule to issr against the commissioner; the ne: court the commissioner returns thi the road has been put in order, aud so ends the case. Now, in order to remedy this, each successive grand jury should call for the presentments of the preceding grand jury, and where a board has been presented for neglect at the previous term of the court, and is still in default, it should be brought to the notice of tho pre? siding judge. There is a necessity .for this, because the same jud^e does not bold the court consecutively, and the judge who will follow me does not and cannot know what order? I have made. But if the grand jury will bring the matter to his attentiou, and show that the commissioners have been in default at the previous term, I am quite sure that all such neglect of duty will be quickly reme? died. The Commissioners of the Poor have also the taxing power. This board is likewise under your supervi? sion, and should receive your careful attention. My experience is that the public charity is too frequently dis? pensed carelessly and to impropei recipients. Pauperism is not to be encouraged, and it is only the virtu? ous poor that the State proposes tc relieve. The common practice oi having pensioners on the public bounty scattered all over the Districi is not a good one. There may be occasional exceptions, but, as a gene? ral rule, it ought not to be permitted. Under such an arrangement, it is im? possible for the commissioners tc know if the poor tax is properly ex pended. There should be a pooj house to each District;-not little shanties, but a good commodious edi fice, well arranged into wards anc apartments for male and female, witt sufficient ground around it, where the paupers should be kept, and those able to work regularly employed foj the support of the institution. If ? man is so unfortunate as to be a pan per, his place is the poor house, anc he should not be permitted to strol about the country, eating the breac of idleuess and setting a bad example to others. No pauper should be al lowed to leave the grounds, except bj the permission of the keepers of th( poor house, and these permission: should be granted with judgment. I this rule was rigidly enforced, the lis of paupers would greatly decrease Some people think that the anioun of money expeuded is the test anc the proof of charity. This is no true; it is the amount of good effect ed. Pauperism is a great evil to i State, and in a country like this where land is cheap and labor in de mand, only the diseased and thi maimed and infirm should be paupers The Commissioners of Free School receive their money from the Stat Treasury, and make their returns t< the Legislature; but this will not pre vent you from examining into thei actings and doings, and suggesting such improvements as yon may thin' proper, and correcting such irregulai ities as may come under your obsei vation, or be brought to your notice The number of ignorant people wh undertake the honorable and usefr occupation of teaching is very re markable. I am not prepared to sa that they do not effect good, for if child is taught to read and write, it i a great thing to him; but I have a.'. ways been of the opinion that moue which the State has been in the hab: of spending for the support of he free schools, could, under a prope system, be made to do a vast de; more good. All these boards will be made ? work well, if the best men in th community are appointed on then and will faithfully undertake the worl but heretofore it has been too mae the habit for such men to decline tl; performance of that duty, because i interferes with their.convenience c their business. It is the duty of a the good citizens to remedy this thin) the country is poor aud in distres and it becomes every man to do h duty cheerfully and faithfully in tin station in which it shall please tl public authorities to place him. Li all of your District offices, from tl constable up to the high sheriff, I filled by good and true men-men < education, of property, of family an of standing; this will make the place honorable, and will insure a faithfi discharge of all the public dutie The State is prostrate, she needs a the holp of all her children, and r one should stand back now. It is your duty to examine the ai counts and transactions of all the: boards. aiake your time, and, if n cessary, send for the members, tl books and the papers, and make sue presentments as will best advance tl public good. Remember that th grand inquest is one of the highe powers in the land; it is a body t great dignity, trust and confidene Call to mind that solemn and compr hensive oath which has just been a? ministered to you, "you shall dil gently inquire and true presentmei make of all such matt ?rs and thin) as shall be given you in charge; tl State's counsel, your fellows', ar your own, you shall well and tru keep secret. You shall present i one for envy, hatred or malice ; ni shall you leave any one unprestute for fear, favor, affection, reward < hope of reward, but you shall pr sent all things truly as they come your knowledge, according to the be of vour understanding." Keep th oath, and your District will be ben fitted. You have, also, thesupervisic of the District offices and officers, ar any irregularities that you may o serve, or neglect of duty that ye may discover, or oppression in oifi that you may learn, upon beii _j I brought to the uitice of the Court, ; will receive its prompt attention. I Gentlemen, I had intended to bring j to your notice a conflict of authority between the State and the United j States military authorities, in regard : to some sentences lately passed by me in Charleston, but. as ?have reported the matter to his Excellency the Go? vernor, who is now in correspondence on the subject with the Major-Gene? ral commanding the Department, I will withold any remarks I may have intended to make, and suspend my judgement as to the course proper for me to pursue as a Judge, whose sen? tences have been prevented, until the Governor has received official infor? mation on the subject. Mr. Solicitor, have you anything for the Grand Jury ? XJIOO?I Itoni?. CASH.-Our terms for subscription, ad? vertising and job work are cash. We hope all parties will bear this in mind. THE BURNING or COLUMBIA.-An inter? esting account ot the "Sack and Destruc? tion of the City of Columbia, S. C.," ha? just been issued, in pamphlet form, from the Fhonix steam power press. Orders can be fdled to any extent. THE WEEKLY GLEANER.-Tho regular publication of this paper will be postponed & fow weeks. Priions desirous of sub? scribing, will please forward the money at once. Terms t? a year. "Energy" and "Faith" are tho watch? words of Messrs. Fisher & Heinitsh, of the old established drug house, on Main street. By reference to our advertising column?, it wili be seen that they arc illustrating their motto, and are disposed to furnish our citizens with fresh articles in their line. That they may continue in their prosperous career, we believe is the sin? cere wish of one and all. The Chicago liepublican has a telegram from Cincinnati, stating that a private de? spatch, which is entirely reliable, from Washington, had been received there, stating that Mr. Stanton would soon resign. Gen. Steadman had accepted the position. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.-Attention is call? ed to the following advertisements, which are published this morning for the first time: J. Bahlmann tc Co.-Lager Beer. Board and Lodging for Gentlemen. P. Lyons tc Co.-Chango Bills. J. W. Smith-Cooking Stoves. The Weekly Newberry Herald. Apply at this Office-Change of Business. J. H. Jennings-Farm for Sale. Fisher tc Heinitsh-Drug Bulletin. Richard Caldwell-Strips, Preserves. E. & G. D. Hope-Died Fruit. &c. A Reminiscence of the Keanagc and Alabama Fight. A writer in the Cornhill Magazine, ?who has had opportunities of conver? sation with some of Semines' old crew, gives the following interesting reminiscence of the fight between the Alabama and the Kearsage: "I thqught you had been in the Confederate navy?" "I was," said Aleck; "I was with Semmes every? where he went. I was in the naval brigade and the blockade running, and on the Alabama all the while he commanded her." "But not when she sank, I suppose?" I rejoined. "Well, I was, and was picked up with him by the Deerhound." "It was a pretty sharp fight, wasn't it?" I sug gestingly asked. "It was that," re? plied Aleck; but he didn't care about enlarging. "I suppose it was the eleven-inch shells that did her busi? ness?" "Oh, no," saki lie, coming to a kind of confessional, "we never had any chance; we had no gunners to compare with the Kearsage's. Our gunners fired by routine, and when they had the gun loaded, fired it off blind. Tliey never changed the ele? vation of their guns all the fight, and the Kearsage was working up to us all the while, taking advantage of every I i aie she was hid by smoke to work .. little nearer, and then her gunner took aim for every shot." "Then it isn't true that the Alabama tried to board the Kearsrge?" "No, sir; she did her best to get away from her from the time the fight com? menced. We knew well that if we got in range of her Dahlgren howit? zers, she would sink us in ten mi? nutes." "But," I asked, "don't you believe that Semmes supposed he would whip the Kearsage when he went fco fight her?" "No; he was bullied into it, and took good care to leave all his valuables on shore, and had a life ! preserver on through the fight. I ; saw him put it on, and I thought if j it was wise in him, it wouldn't be j foolish in me, and I put one on, too. ; When Semmes sar that the ship was ! going down, he told us all to swim who could, and was one of the first to jump into the water, and we all made for the Deerhound. I was a loDg way ahead of Semmes, and when I came up to the Deerhound's boat, they asked me if I was Semmes before they would take mo in. I said I wasn't, and then they asked me what j I was on the Alabama. Said I, "No i matter what ; was on the Alabama, I j shall be a dead man soon if you don't take me in." They asked me again if I was an officer or a seaman, and wouldn't take me in until I told them I was an officer." "But," said I. I "did they actually refuse to pick up i common seamen, 'and leave them to ! drown?" "They did that," replied ! he wrathfully, and probably not very i correctly; "and as soon as they had Semmes on board, they made tracks as fast as they knew how, and left everybody else to drown or be picked up by the Kearsage."