University of South Carolina Libraries
COLUMBIA. Friday Morning, March 30, 1866. Our Political Condition. The logical and political results of the war, which States and individuals are bound to observe in good faith, are : No State has a right to secede or withdraw from the Union without the consent of her co-States ; no State has a right to attempt to se* aside the authority of the Generai Government without being subject to coercion by tho power of that Government; and they establish further? that the citi? zen's primary allegiance is to the Federal Government, and not to the State of which he is a citizen. It is true that these conclusions upset the doctrines and theories en * tertained for years by the people and statesmen of the South. Her leading men had taught that the States were sovereign; that their people had a right to withdraw from the General Government, when they conceived any act of that Government sub? versive of their rights and interests; and that, holding to the doctrine of State sovereignty and State rights, the citizen's first allegiance and duty were to his State. All this has been swept away by the war, and the Union has been cemented firmer and stronger than it ever has been in the past. Every Southern State has accepted, by its action, this great and radical change in political theory. The peo? ple of these States, through Conven? tions whose members were chosen to decide upon their political condition, have acknowledged the power and authority of the United States. As in the past, when the doctrines they held were never concealed, so now, scorning any covert action, they freely, fnlly and honestly accept the position the war has placed them in? loyal citizens, owning sole allegiance to the Government of the United States. Such is the present condition of ? the Southern States of the Union. : Their people, faithful to the doctrines taught and-inculcated by their states n men, fought four long and weary By^y?arsin defence of these doctrines, and were conquered. The fact is established that "the Union will and must be preserved," and there are no people in any section of the country -why more cheerfully render their alle |W?puriA^ to V ^jfhioL. and its*Govern '-nv^Hfefcii^lie people oi ?he Southern StatSr The war has further proven that the States which took up arms \ against the Government were never vO"ut of the Union; the Prep ?dent g&fi* holds to the oame doctrine, and every %U Union man in the country adopts it; ?7 ye*? notwithstanding all this, the L radical majority in Congress refuses H to recognize these established facts, and says virtually to the people of the South, you are out of the Union, and we intend to keep you ont as long as we please. Let our people wait patiently for the end of all this radical folly and fanaticism. Even now the clouds in the political horizon are beginning to disperse, and the second veto of the President of another of the mis? chievous measures of the disorgan izers is a still further earnest of his determination that the Union shall be restored and the people of all sec? tions protected in their constitutional rights. Outrage*. We regret to learn from the Abbe? ville Banner that on last Friday one of the garrison at that place was shot and severely wounded, at Hodge's Depot, in that District, by some un? known person. The people all de? nounce the outrage, and a public meeting has been called for next sale day to express the sentiment of the people against these lawless deeds. This violence and crime should be promptly put down everywhere. It l is working evil to the Stat*?, and play? as ing into the hands of the radicals. '^flUjU. Sti?VE TRADE.-The New Vies has a letter from Havana giving an account of the capture of two slavers off the coast of Cuba, which had been trying to land their cargo in an obscure place, in which attempt one got aground, and eighty of the negroes on board perished of hunger and thirst. The remainder, amounting to 275, were brought to Havana by the Spanish ship Neptuno. The Government have the negroes in safe-keeping until it determines how to dispose of them. Several towns in Maine have lately . experieiflfed an earthquake. < J: I / Decline tn Gold and merchandize. The regular and steady decline in the rates of gold indicates that it will be permanent, and that it will not stop until a dollar in greenbacks will be worth enc dellar in gold. But, besides gold, all other articles have declined. Many theories have been advanced as to the cause of this sudden decline. The Richmond Tintes notes that the prices of goods com? menced falhng before gold did, and thinks it would be more rational, philosophical, and nearer the truth, that a fall in all other commodities brought down the price of gold. The Times remarks, that the era of high prices is generally regarded as the era of financial and commercial prosperity, and it is very plausibly argued, that if money w ? not abun? dant, and if people could not afford to pay high pricer, they would not prevail. Hence, whenever a great and sudden fall has taken place in the markets, it may be safely affirmed to be the consequence of some alarm in financial and commercial quarters, which fills the public mind with ap? prehension as to future prosperity. But the Times, we think, points out the true cause of the present decline and anticipated panic-if not crash in financial and commercial circles, and that is, the political condition of the country. Capital, as it says, is sensitive and cautious, is easily fright? ened, and it is no less alarmed at civil and political disturbances than the physical convulsions of national war? fare. It says that the operations of capital, the ' ' trade and commerce of the country, have been conducted and based upon a false idea-upon tiie hy? pothesis of Hie restoration of the Union. Capital has been an attentive observer of the legislation of Congress, and having discovered that the hypothesis of restoration is unreal-that the Union, the source of national and individual wealth and prosperity, is not to be restored for an indefinite period, great alarm in all thc chan? nels of trade and commerce is the con? sequence. Here, then, we have a solu? tion, plain, simple and direct, of the fall in prices, and it is portentous of financial disaster. The hope qf a re? stored Union was what sustained the prosperity of tho North all during the war, and that hope has continued un? til recently. Now, it is being weakened by the action of the radicals, and in preventing restoration they will inflict a wound upon the ? ' life of the na? tion " and its prosperity more griev? ous than wars and. " rebelliomY' have ? done. The truth of these observa? tions is realized in Wall street, and ere long will be felt in every man's pocket, whether it contains dollars or cents." The truth is, if the radicals would cease their insane efforts to keep the country disunited, business would soon be placed on a healthy basis. Northern capital would find its way South, to aid us in the work of recu? peration and the development of our resources. As it is, capital will not seek investment in States which, from present appearances, may not be ad? mitted into the Union ior some time, perhaps for years to come. NATIONAL RECEIPTS AND EXPENDI? TURES.-The receipts and expendi? tures of the Government for the year 1865 were as follows; Receipts, $475, 732,259.36; expenditures, $1,095,179, 287.87. Showing a deficiency for the year of 8619,447,028.51; which has been met by loans. TIIE BATTLE-GROUND OF FREDER ICKSBURG.-A part of the battle-field of Fredericksburg, which contains the bodies of hundreds of Union sol? diers, was used as a fair ground be? fore the rebellion, and has recently been turned over to the Agricultural Society again by the Mayor and Common Council of the city, and is likely to be ploughed, levelled and used as before. Efforts have been made recently by Gen. Burnside and others to raise money by subscrip? tion and erect a national monument in memory of those who fell there. Measures will probably be taken by the Government to prevent the dese? cration of the ashes of her heroes. [ Washington Cor. New York Herald. An advertisement in a New York paper, promising, on the receipt of twenty-five cents, to send a receipt to keep water in wells and cisterns from freezing, a man in a neighboring city forwarded the currency, and received by return mail the foUowing answer, which may prove of value to some of our readers, therefore we take the liberty of circulating it: "Take in your well and cistern on cold nights and keep them by the fire. " What was the first woman created, ! for? Adam's express company. I Sensible Speech from Beecher. Henry Ward Beecher lectured at Philadelphia, on Thursday evening, and contended that, in regard to the treatment of the Southern States, it was better to assume fundamental principles, and get by moral influence what Is desired, instead of attempting political coercion. In the course of his speech he said: "Dilatory legislation was not wise, and yet he was free to say we never sent so many good men to Congress as constituted the present Congress. [Loud and protracted applause, j But there never was a time when so many good and wise men made so poor a bungle. You should not have ap? plauded until I finished. [Applause. ] The kind and patient Mr. Lincoln was cudgeled and whacked by Con? gress, and he bore it with a patient spirit; reminding him of some horses who merely act when cudgeled, as though it was to brush flies off. When they commenced whacking Mr. Johnson, they found a pair of heels through the dash-board, and they left the wagon and took to trees and bushes, crying: " Beast, brute!" but since then had cudgeled more care? fully. He took both sides, and was for Mr. Johnson and Congress also, deeming the question to be how to do, and not what to do. Reconstruction was going on in the South, where it must, after all, be made; yet it was wise to have proper laws to fall back upon. Let Georgia and Alabama pass laws giving rights and privileges to colored men, and let South Carolina enact the slave code, and the consequence would be that all would leave the latter State to go to the former. The plantations must be worked by the colored men, and the people in South Carolina would quickly demand the repeal of the laws that drove them from their midst. The North had but little to arro? gate to herself a~. to the humanity to? wards the colored race, aud were more prejudiced against *hem than the Southern people. He would not be? lieve skulkers of the South, but if a man who had fought in the rebellion would tell him he had accepted the issue, he would take his word for it. He respected the South more now than he formerly did. for there was s? much brag and gasconade, he j thought there could not be much fight about them. No Northern man need be ashamed of their fighting qualities. The speaker said the North J seemed to stand back with frightened ; countenances at the idea of the South getting the sway of Government again. If the North, with its popu? lation comprising two-thirds of the ? whole country, its industry and in? genuity, let the shivering remnant take possession of the Government, they deserve to lose it. He warted to extend his hand to all as great na? tional freedmen, and extend the flag in whose folds shine stars-every one a star of Bethlehem-all over the country, because liberty and religion would be denoted wherever it should be unfolded. RESUMPTION or SPECIE PAYMENTS. The indications are that the plans of Mr. McCuUoch will not be adopted in toto by Congress, but some com? promise measure will be agreed upon, which, while he will not greatly ob? ject to it, will be inore satisfactory to the commercial classes of the coun? try. We find in the last New York Herald the following remarks on the subject: "We are in favor of specie pay? ment, but we desire to see it brought about by the natural laws of trade, ! and not by forced legislation. Specie payment will come along of itself, if Congress will only permit the country to be restored, and let the finances alone. It is less than one j year since the rebellion was put down, yet the price of gold has run down from 250 to 127. Surely, is not this rapid enough? Why should we disturb the natural laws which have brought about this result in so short a period? If we must have legisla? tion for a resumption of specie pay? ment, then let it be based on the law of trade, and so framed that all classes will know wha-" to expect. In this way, all branches of business can be easily adapted to it, all danger of a panic averted, and one class of secu? rities will not be benefited to the detriment of all others. Any other ?ystem will surely bring disaster, and strew its path with the wrecks of bu? siness and industrial pursuits. "The Secretary should not be vented with authority to f und any of the legal-tender r.on-interesL bearing notes. There is no reason why this class of Government debt, which is so popular with the people, the best currency we have ever had, should be withdrawn, and the public compelled to pay some $27,000,000 annually, in the shape of taxes, for the privilege of doing without tho green-backs. '[ A correspondent asks our opinion as to whether a contract which, by its express terms, promises payment in gold can be enforced? We have to reply, that nothing is less worth a business man's attention than the opinion of a layman on a point of law. But according to the recent decision of our Superior Court, as delivered by Judge Monell, stich a contract cannot be enforced; and that opinion mil stand as law, in that Court, until reversed. Discouraging from Florido. We are permitted to make the fol? lowing extract from a letter received by a gentleman in this District, who hos a large landed-intereot in Florida. It presents a gloomy aspect of affairs in that State: "I am glad to see that you are in such fine spirits, and pray God that your predictions may all bi verified. I see, however, no reason for any such calculations as yon rrmV?, Surely the same state of things do not exist in South Carolina that exist here. My large plantation, that used to oc? cupy about fifty hands, has ten negro croppers on it this year. General Owens' has none on it; and I don't know of a single plantation that has anything like the hands on them that they had formerly, except yours and John Hopkins'. I think Martin told me he had fifteen or sixteen hands; only two or three of them your former negroes. Colonel Tongue could not get any hands, and I was present, the other day, when his fine plantation was sold at 85 per acre; stock and everything sold. There are hundreds of plantations in Flo? rida, this year, that are lying idle for the want of hands to cultivate them. The free negro will never do regular plantation work if he can possibly avoid it, and, without it, nothing in the way of cropping can be done to any extent. And the foreigner is no more to be relied on than the free negro. Edward Lewis, Scott and Graddick, went to New York, and bronght on Irish, Germans, eec, and were for a time very much pleased with them; but they have all left; could not stand regular plantation work ?i the South. Like the negro, they must be in towns 01 villages, where they eau job it. We, in Flo? rida, don't know what have become of the negroes. Feaster has eight hands, Croxton noue, Adamson 4, and so in regard to hundreds of others. The negro women are lying about tne cabins idle. As for myself, I see nothing but ruin staring us all in the face. Certainly, nothing be? yond a bare support can be made, and that must be done by the labor of our own hands; for the free negro won't work, to do any good at it. They never have done it, and I have no idea they ever will." Letter from Columbia.. A Virginia gentleman traveling in this State, writing from Columbia to the Richmond Examiner, says: "I will endeavor to lay before the many readers of the Exam uer, very briefly, the picture which ;his dear old State presents on passing through it. "South Carolina! My dear sir, do you remember how once her 'cities sparkled as the diamond and. her fields blossomed as the rose?' All is deso? late and barren now. The rice fields, neglected, are growing up in weeds and briars; the once beautiful cotton fields and plantations turned out tc become pastures for the wild deer ol the wilderness. The decaying walls Df ruined Charleston, once so hospi? table and gay, and at last so chival? rous, now becoming the habitation ol the owl and bat, and the gcilant ole Sumter, the pride of the South, nov frowning upon its own dear Aime Mater. "And here, where once t.tood th? beautifnl city of Columbia, is a bar ren plain, studded here and then with burnt chimneys, and an occa iional, but often rude, tenement, wherein are crowded the home anc the homeless. A few enterprising men have congregated about Plait md Assembly streets, and are show ing some signs of life; but the effor is a feeble one, and everything add: 'io the conviction that this glorien State is rapidly falling back to th? primitive days of Yeaman and Stayle from which it will take many ? Greene, Marion and Calhoun to ex tr?cate her. "Wasted and ruined by ravaging war, South Carolina pines and pray for peace. With the least encourage ment from the General Government such men as Hampton and Orr migh soon revive the drooping spirits c this once proud and chivalrous pee pie. Indeed, with fair dealings fror that quarter, the entire South woul rise up again to the full strength c her manhood and give her aid in mal ing this a mighty empire. Wi thor such aid, God alone is to help us." MONSTROUS .-' 'It is monstrous tht 4,000,000 of people, who have bee free and independent, should be d< prived of the right to vote for n better reason than the color of the 3kin." So said Mr. Hart, of th State, in the debate in the House, la; Saturday, on the reconstruction que tion, and we concur entirely in tl sentiment, though we diner from M H. in the practical application of i lt is totally inapplicable to the n ?rroes of the South-who, by the wa; io not number 4,000,0<?0, nor an; thing like it-for thoy have nevi beretofore been " free and indepem snt," and, as they have never heret fore had the right to vote, it is n< sasy to comprehend how they can 1 " deprived " of such right, lut the: ire men at the South, more than 4 "100,000 of whites, "who h tve bet free and independent," and who a practically disfranchised by the acth jf Mr. Hart and his coadjutors, f no better reason that wc can seo th? the color of their skin. And it is u questionably "monstrous" that th should be so. Perhaps, after all, th is what Mr. Hart meant. [New York News. . Front Waahiugton. The Department of State has re? ceived authentic information that the three children of Rose Elyra, of New Orleans, who were taken to Havana without the consent of their parents, have been sent back to her by the United States Consul at the latter city. Gen. Canby gave the informa? tion concerning the abduction or re? moval of the children, when the De? partment of State instituted the measures which have led to their re-1 covery. Senator Howard having returned to Washington, it is expected that the report of the Committee on Recon? struction, embracing the testimony of General Lee, will bo made early this week. Last week, the Secretary of the ? Treasury made the following dis bnrsements on account of depart- 1 meats named : War, $7,789,702; : Navy, 84.0*3,720; Interior. Si,008, 813. Total, $13,732,264. The great double-turreted monitor ! Miantonoma is ordered North from j this station. She eames 15-inch guns, and is the best war vessel in our navy, or probably afloat. A despatch from Washington re- j ports that the Ways and Means Com mittee have agreed to continue the exemption of tax on income at $000, adding $50 to the exemption for every child in a family, np to fifteen in number. A very startling double-leaded edi torial appeared in the Reconstruction- \ ist, of this week, which is edited by j Mrs. Swisshelm, directly charging ; President Johnson with complicity in | the assassination of Mr. Lincoln. The ravings of this strong-minded disci? ple of radicalism will not hurt the President very much, it is thought. The President yesterday expressed j his disapproval of Mr. Stewart's pro position for a universal amnesty on j condition of the establishment of free suffrage. i Senator Dixon, of Connecticut U- ' still improving, but is not cc- sirtered : entirely out of danger yet. Senator \ Foot, of Vermont, is improving ra- j pidly. ? Lieut. Gen. Graut is shortly to sail for Europe, and thc Navy Depart- j ment are now looking up a vessel for j his accommodation. Capt. Ammen, j an old schoolmaster of the General's, and now of the iron-clad Miantonoma, j is to be transferred to the man-of-war j that conveys the military chieftain j across the ocean. FRANCE AND MEXICO.-The Paris correspondent of the y ut io iud Intelli- j qencer (March 9) says Louis Napoleon is in great trouble. Unless he assists Maximilian, directly or indirectly, to raise the needful supplies, he places in jeopardy all the holders of Mexican bonds in Paris and France, and there? by raises a discontent which he might not find it easy to appease. The masses of the French people went madly and eagerly into the Mexican loan, under a sort of persuasion that the bonds were guaranteed by the Government. There is scare working man in Paris who could scrape together 500 francs who did not invest in this loan. It really looks now as if Marshal Forey had been instructed to make the speech he lately did in the Senate, ind in which he said that both, more men and more money, would be need 2d in order to try the effect of such a leclaration upon the public mind, rad prepare the country for further iemands. Altogether, matters have assumed ra uncomfortable position, and are jreating considerable uneasiness. The Emperor Napoleon is evidently in a ix, from which he finds it extremely liflicult to release himself. He wants ?JO go, and he wants to stay; and ?ither dilemma presents difficulties rad dangers of an imposing charac? ter, both at home and abroad. He, in consequence, and in accordance with his natural disposition, procras? tinates, rather than hesitates, and waits to see whether circumstances, rad perhaps destiny, will come to his assistance. A RELIABLE INFANT.-The Adrian ( M ich. ) Expositor relates the following incident: A little girl about two years old, rad a diminutive little thing at that, while playing with her brother, by some unaccountable accident, fell into a well about thirty feet dee}). The boy gave the alarm, and the mother running out, discovered her ittle darling floating on the water. The bucket was down-it probably ?vent with thc child-and the mother, instead of wasting her energies in Fruitless st reams, caught the rope and swung back the bucket partially under the child. The little hands grasped the pail, and it was drawn to the top rad rescued by the terrified but cou? rageous mother. During its perilous journey ont, it looked up, and seve? ral times called out, "Mamma, mam? ma!" A more thrilling peril and .escue Heidorn occurs, and, indeed, ;he whole thing is miraculous; but ;he facts are beyond cavil. THE LAHOR QUESTION-ITS TKOU iLES.-A gentleman in King George md in his employ two Englishmen, iwo Germans, and two females. The English gardener cut stick first; he va.? followed by the two Germans, md, lastly, the remaining English - nau and tho two women left. Ihey di ran away at night, although they ind expressed themselves as fully itttisfied with their situations. They jad contracted to laboi from one to ive years.-Fredericknburq Herald. \ V . ( 4 '1 Mortgal??ud Conveyances of Heal F..<- ^ tate ? >r sale at this office. Wu are r?tb?tized to stattflthat Mr. J?;ui A. Elkins is Boin candidate for Aldernmn. CASK.-Om- terms for subscription, a.. vertising and j?fr%ork ?re cash. W?*1 n(" all parties willbearthis in muid. Dr. !;. w . Gibbes, sr.-,- :vTive<L^^rfp|j? city yesterday afternoon in^i jJM Philadelphia. We are. aideb?? late papers, ^fl - "**T''"^B THK WEEKLY r>i'>'Aa P^i publication of this V"Sa P ^?^^H a few weeks. PIT >^Hmcsirouf. of .tv .. scribing, will please twrward tile ninney at once. Terms $4 a year. GAS.-The Superintendent of tho Gas Company assures naftihat by Monday or Tuesday next he will J*? prepared to fur? nish gas for the use of-fhe city. So, good? bye to dips and other traitent illuminators. CHEAP LIGHT.-Our robers will have ob? served, that Mr. Cantwell adveftiees kero? sene oil at $1 per gallon. At this price, it is the cheapest light that dm Lo used. Mr. i Cantwell has everything else cheap in pi n- J portion. t Tun BURNING OF COLUMBLV.- -An inter/ esting account ot the "Sack and Dcstm/ tion of thc City of Columbia. S. C.," his just l eon issued, in pamphlet form, fr/m the Phoenix steam power press. Orders can 1 o fdled to any extent. ? ECLIPSE OK THE MOON. There will bc a total eclipse of the moon this evening- ^ begins at five minuten past nine ?'clock, is at it9 total at twelve minutes pa sgt ,-en, *n<^ begins to disappear at forty-iM^e minutes past eleven. It will lie visible? thronga*5T* the United States. M Du. C. IL MIOT.-This w?j^noro ?ra& "L'.'.,* - --mou-d ??.ii'luai^r^JP^^^I in rear of C. H. Baldwin's atore^ri Wash? ington street, where he has opened a large stock of goods in bia line. We visited his store yesterday and found every thing nu fait in his department of business. A man, giving his name as Wm. Hamil? ton, and who claims to have a brother in Charleston, was found in the tailor shop of Mr. Watson, about 12 o'clock on Wednes? day night. As he had a number of keys and picks in his pocket, and was unable to give a satisfactory account of himself, he was locked up. MORTALLY WOUNDED.-On Monday night last, as several freedwomen were on their way home from a frolic, they were hailed by a mau, who threatened to shoot them if they did not stop. The women ran off. but one of them named Matilda, employed by Mr. Watson, was caught and ?hot through the head. Who tho man was, or what the provocation, is not known. The unfortunate woman was still alive yester? day, but the physicians say ?ho cannot possibly recover, as^^^^j^j^^r^the^^ Mr. J. D. Bateman, of ice house notorie? ty, has "pitched his tent" near tho Green? ville and South Carolina Railroad depots, and is supplying the residents of that sec? tion of the city with groceries, provisions, hay, corn, &c. Mr. B., knowing the wants of the community in general, is making irrangements to rebuild and re-occupy his Did quarters, and TIJHI supply our citizens with icc during the coming summer. This will bo pleasing intelligence; for some folks we wot of have been in a great state 3f tribulation with reference to tho princi? pal ingredient for a mint julep during the heated term. Nr.w ADVERTISEMENTS. -Attention is call? ed to the followring advertisements, which xro published this morning for tho first time: Fisher .V Heinitsh-iiew Gooda. .' " --New Articles." .' -Soaps. Levin & Peixotto-Variety Sale. '. .. -Building to Lease. - Real Estate. " " -Dwelling for Rent. Leapharts-A Nunamaker-Ex'rs Notice. Prof. Hall-Rope-Walking. Mikell, Boyle & Co.-S. C. R. R. Stock. Edward Hope-Declination. Abeles, Myers ol Co.-Spring Goods. J. D. Bateman-Corn and Hay. C. F. Jackson-Spring Stock, hlrs. M. E. Brady-Spring Goods. Wm. Shiver-Fine M?re for Sale. Thomas B. Jeter-S. A U. Railroad. J. W. Parker-Attendants Wanted. CATCHING A TARTAR.-Neglect your teeth md you will soon catch a tartar there. Manipulate them daily with that rare vege? table compound. Sozodont, and neither iartar nor canker, or any dental disease, ;an ever infect or injure either them or the red cushions in which they are in? serted, t PAPER. -It is reported that Messrs. Harper ? Brothers have ordered a ?hole shipload of white paper from Belgium. Ticknor A- Fields, Boston, nave ordered 5,000 reams in London, lt has been estimated that at present prices good book and news paper can r>e delivered in New York, all duties md expenses included, at threo piarters thc price of American paper >f thc same grade. Another esti nate makes the difference in favor of "foreign paper ten per cent, instead j >f twenty-five per cent." Itiscer-I tainly demonstrated that paper eau I i)o imported at cheaper rates titan ow paper-makers are demanding. / A California paper says that the\ ail tare of raisins promises to becfiom^ m important feature in thc i?dwmH Future of California. Tho Union, speaking of sttniplMpfsg^^^ that office, says they ajA? M , ???j dinrine matter,jmc"j^fl SHU HBlffilSi