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COLUMBIA. -.-^_ Tuesday Morning, Deo. 31.1867. r , - v. _ Thc Buroptan Situation. The Phoenix, ol the 27th, contain .ed a cable despatch to the effect that the Russian Government had ad? dressed a note to the Government of France, protesting against the shift? ing policy of the latter in regard to the affairs of the East. A special correspondent of the New York J?er odd writes from Constantinople a letter, in which, from the stand-point of au actual observer, the Eastern question is admirably discussed; and in which he very properly remarks that the interestwhioh naturally con? tres at the present moment in the Roman question, ha? mad? n? forget? ful of the troubles whioh are now agitating the East. The European situation, in truth, can only be fully understood by taking into account tho Roman and the Eastern ques? tions. On these two questions hang, if not the law and the prophets, at least the immediate future of Europe. It is a enri?os circumstance, and somewhat characteristic of the times, that the two questions whioh are now distracting the old world an d threaten? ing it with revolution, are thorough? ly and essentially religions. . The ?Sublime Forte and the Holy See are both felt by many of the European * Governments to be relics of a dead and buried past; but how to .get them ont of- tho way, the statesmen are at their wits'end to And out. The two questions have no necessary connection with each other; but it is difficult at the present moment to see bow the one is to bo settled, without seriously affecting , the other, or how either is to be settled, without con? vulsing and revolutionizing Etnope. Recent facts are entirely confirma? tory of these views. The French intervention in Rome has already begotten complications whioh it is now more than probable may lead to a Franco-Italian war. The latest cable telegrams bring a significant illustration of the actual drift of . events, in the statement by the Paris semi-offioial journal, La Patrie, that thc French Government has issued orders for the departure of 20,000 more troops for Ci vita Ve cob ia. lu a i war with Italy, France might reap - some successes; she might also have i the sympathy and encouragement of Austria and Spain; but she would most certainly alienate herself from the rest of Europe. This, howover, is not the worst. The interference of France in the affairs of Italy robs her of the right of objecting to the interference of Russia in the affairs . of ^Turkey. Whatever right France >Aas, or thinks she has, to interfere in tho interests of the Papacy, Russia can plead the same right to interfere in the interests of the Greek Chris? tiana It is manifest, from the tele . grams to which we have already alluded, that Russia understands the situation, and means to turn it to her own advantage. The Cretan difficulty is as far from being settled as ever. Greece, with the cousent and ap? proval of Russia, is giving the in? surgents every encouragement in her power. In the event of war breaking out between France and Italy,, the demand for annexation to Greece on the part of the Cretans will become louder and more imperious, and it ii not too much to say that if, in sue! circumstances, Russia puts forth he strength to have the desire of tin Cretans gratified, neither Englam nor any other of the great power will unsheathe the sword to proven it. The difficulty will be for Russi to limit her ambition to this point Ii she exceeds this and stirs up th Christian subjects of tho Porte t rise in general rebellion!, or attempt to move on Constantinople, a gent ral European war is not improbable If Napoleon means to exercise an influence on tho affairs of the Easl ho cannot get this Papal business to quickly off his hands. He cannot b ignorant that France's difficulty i Russia's opportunity. A proposition is reported to t bef?le (bo House Committee on Mil tiny A Sh irs lo reduce tho reguli army, Ibu first heavy reduction 1 ttike p aco when tho first Southe! tit ute ?J rclunuuJ to rcpresontatioi and l!io rei! ur'?ot. lo continue as tl military distincts are done ..way wit B?UVISH MisaioNAitrK? TO THH SOUTH.-Great Britain, ever gener? ous to all peoples except ber own, proposes to Bend missionaries to the Southern States. What <he dn?oti tunato Sohth needs most now is food and raiment-ships Ibaded with boer" and oom. There have been too many missionaries already sent from the. Northern States, political st ump speakers, aspirants for office, and New Eugland school teachers, male and female. They have brought irreparable mischief on the South. With a fresh flOod of these from the other side of the Atlantic, what is to become of the poor South? The news from Washington muk?s it plain enough, that the President means to be President. The signal rebuke which the people of tho North have ? ferywhere given at tho polls to the radical destructives, and the fail "ro of impeachment, have doubtless nerved ' Mr. Johnson to sharp and decisive action, in cases where the public good seemed to require it. WHAT THE PRESIDENT SHOD LD Do. The Metropolitan Record thinks Presi? dent Johnson hos- done a good thing in calling upon Congress to set the seal of its approval and commenda? tion on the wise and judicious course of General Hancock, since he took command in his new department. Let him now follow it up by an offi? cial statemont of the condition of the South, under the influence of radical policy, so that the people may know how that section is impoverished, how its industry is wrecked, and how hundreds of thousands are in a state of extreme poverty and destitu? tion. WHAT A PBACTICAIJ MAN SAYS.-. Senator Sprague, of Rhode Island, who is a large manufacturer as well as a large cotton planter, delivered a speech on Friday last, before the adjournment of Congress for the holidays, on the repeal of the cotton tax, in whioh he mado the startling statement that the British manufac? turers are now able, by their skilled labor and machinery, to produce from the short and dry staple of India cotton a produot equal to that from the American staple. He said that at this day Egyptian cotton was used in seven-eighths of the articles in which sea island cotton was for? merly employed, and that he be? lieved in two years this latter article would only be produced as a rare plant in some gentleman's garden. The plantations of tho South ho did not consider worth one-twentieth part of their value before the war. Mr. Sprague told the Senate that he not only apprehended we had lost the great cotton interest forever, but that he even feared the competition of India cotton in American markets. These are not the statements of a Congressional declaimer, but of a practical man, who rarely asks the attention of tho Senate. Truths like these ought to rouse the industrial dusses of the country, and bring them to tkcido whether this destruc? tion of cotton, commerce and manu? factures, on a legitimate basis, is not a higher price than they are able to pay for the perpetuation of radical power. ? ? ? ? A GREAT COSMOPOLITAN FESTIVAL. The New York World tells us that a grand and sumptuous festival is under way there, which is iutended to surpass that held three years ago in one ot j the free towns of Ger? many. It says: "Tho ocean mails and Atlantic cable have already boon employed to obtain the oo-operation o? German,. Frenoh, SW?BS nnd Austrian societies, with those of this and other Ameri? can cities, in securing the assemblage of at loast 100,000 gymnasts, sharp? shooters, musicians and vocalists in New York next Juno. Encouraging replies are received from Europe. The Gorman si en m ship companies intimate their willingness to aid the scheme by reduoing fares. A liberal cosmopolitan spirit is manifested by those in chargo ot" preliminary ar? rangements; and, if war is stayed ubroad, we shall have music and musketry in unprecedented volume and vo?oys hero at home. Paris during the Exposition, or Berlin on tho day of the retara of the Prussian army from tho last war, were quiet cities compared with what this me? tropolis ought to bo when the expect? ed excursion lands." The Tortola inhabitants, whom tho flood and earthquake spared, aro in a fair way to porinu Ivy starvation and plague. They are ulmost entirely without food, ?nd many of tho dead aro yet unburied. THE ST. THOMAS AS? ALASKA PUR? CHASES.-The Washington y corres? pondent of the New York Berald writes na follows, under dato of the 26tht ? ' ; "Frcjjm a trustworthy sonweljeajra that th?.disposition of tho House bf Representatives, previous to their ad jonrnment, was positively inimical to tho consummation of tho purohase of the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. The recent earthquakes have had the effect of shaking the enthu? siasm of many who favored the ac? quisition, and the retrenchment agi? tation has operated unfavorably in n peonniary point Of view: This, it is saith accounts for . the ' liesitatiou of' the Government in hastening the transfer until the overtowering ob? stacle-an appropriation of the ne? cessary money-be either removed or tho House take conclusivo action to the contrary. '.Respecting Alaska, no ? "prehen? sions are .entertained as to the co? operation of the House, though it is generally known many cold votes will be given in its favor. As the United States Government has already taken formal possession of that hyperbore? an region, it is argued that a negative of the money feature in the affair would place tho Govornment in a very awkward position. Upon this ground many will support the mea? sure, who under other circumstances would act adversely. Great efforts will be made by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to carry both pur? chases." A CLOCK--Mr. H. O. Morrill, of Baltimore, has made a wonderful clock. His extra time for the last fourteen years has been devoted to its perfection, and it is indeed the wonder of the age. The space ne? cessary to display its capacity and operation is nine feet by eighteen feet. It runs eight days and per? forms as follows : It wakes np a house? hold. Strikes the quarters by four automatons on four bells. Sounds the alarm to awaken the master of tho house. Lights a lamp and kin? dles a fire in the stove. A carriage is seen coming along a mountain road, calls at a place of business, and gets a clock left for repair. The bell is rung to awaken a servant, who rises in the presence of the audience nnd draws the curtain of her chamber to make her toilet. The carriage is again seen upon the road; when near a rocky covert a robber spring.') in front of the horses, and a fight en j sues. A farmer by the roadside, not ' seeing the robber, commences to be? labor the horses, when a hunter in the distance comprehends the situa? tion, fires his rifle at the robber, who escapes to tho mountaiu, and the car? riage with its inmates drives on to its destination. All this is done by the machinery of this unrivalled clock, which is said to be an admirable timer. A COMPLETS WARLIKE EXPEDITION. The English expedition to Abyssinia is regarded by some of the Loudon newspapers as a marvel in the way of exhibitiug the diversity of appliauccs whioh modern science has provided for the prosecution of a war among savage tribes. Bread-making ma? chines will be set up wherever possi? ble, tube wells and pocket filters will be iu use, ice will bo made by freez? ing machines iu sufficient quantity to serve surgical and medicinal purpos? es, and enough compressed vegetables will be carried for sanitary treatment. Evcu the proper purification of the air in tho hospitals has been scrupu? lously provided for. An archaeolo? gist, a mineralogist, a zoologist, a geographer, a topographical staff, and several photographers, are also preparing to accompany the expedi? tion. Railroads will be improvised, there will bo balloons for military surveys, together with signal appa? ratus, rockets, ?.fcc, all denoting an age of progress. If these things do not conquer King Theodore, perhaps the modern improvements in gunne? ry will. MIS-DIRECTED LETTERS.-According to the Postmaster-General's report, not Jess than a million letters were mailed last year without signatures, and mis-dirccted, or so badly direct? ed, that tho address was totally un? intelligible-these were destroyed. More than a million and a hulf others-1,611,680-were restored to their writers by the care of the dead letter office. Thus it seems that at least two and a half millions of mis? takes were made in an opera t iou whioh one would think likely to enlist tho sufficient core of the writer, the ad? dressing of a letter. The.se letters contained nearly $150,000 in money, bills of exchange, deeds, checks, &c, to the value of ovor $5,000.000, and over 49,000 contained photographs, jewelry, ?fcc. L?cnTNO TUTS NEOROKS - A gentle? man in this city bs? received A letter from a friend iu Liberty County, in which a pufc.sngo occurs informing the recipient that tho negro member of the Atlanta Convention, has sent word to tho negro laborers iu hi? district, to "hold their places until I tho first of January, when hu will ? give, them further orders." Any comment On BUT;1I an order is unnecessary. This course, followed to ?ny length pf time, must and will inevitably lead to a rupture. [Savunn'th News and Herald. THB REIGN OF TERROR IN THE SOOTH-THBEE MILLION WHITES AND BLACKS ON THE POINT OF STAUVATION. One of the traveling correspondents Of the Nev? York Her aid, who bus made an extensive tour of Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, North ?nd South Carolina, represente tho. condition of the freedmen as' heart? rending in the'.extrome. lu all tho cotton districts of those States, the great mass of the freedmen are not only on the point of starvation, but possess scarcely a sufficiency of cloth? ing to. cover their nakedness. At most of the railway stations, many colored children collect on- the ar? rival, of the trains, and enter into competition with tho famished swine and ?ofH for tho possession of the bones thrown by passengers from the trains, while scores of lazy negroes eoileet about the depots as specta? tors. In tho corn growing districts, the prospects of a famine are not so near, an/1 whites blacks ar? ?JU friendly terms. He declares that the negroes are much more destitute than under the old slave regime. In many counties of these States, tho forests are filled with armed negroes, who hnnt game in day time, and make raids upon planters' stock at night. The reign of terror is general iu upper Louisiana, lower Mississippi and the cotton districts of Georgia and the Carolinas. The destitution, however, is not confined to the blacks. Thousands of the white population have not a months' pro? visions ahead, and no money with which to lay in a supply. Many planters, who were far-seeing, pro? vided a year's supply for their fami? lies; but tho starving negroes have very generally pillaged their smoke? houses and granaries and stripped them clean. His estimate of the number of persons, (compiled from statistics oollected by the Executives of the States and others,) who will starve, unless Congress provides some relief, is three millions, two-thirds of whom aro negroes. This estimate em? braces Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala? bama, Georgia and the Carolinas. He has no estimate of the other un? reconstructed States. Unless prompt action is taken to provide for the starving freedmen and whites, the pillaging of tho whites will become general, the latter will resist, and a bloody co nil ic t will be the result. Planters are generally alarmed, and would leave the couutry could they raise the means to remove their families. Hundreds are offering their homes for a mere song, but can find no purchasers. Plantations that be? fore the war commanded as high as fifty dollars per acre, can be purchas? ed for five dollars per acre, so general is the terror that reigns and the de? sire of the owners to save their families from tho outrages that are threatened by the negroes, unless aid comes from the Government or the people of the North. IN THE WRONG Box.-Yesterday, a colored man applied at the box office of the National Theatre, for two tickets for reserved seats in the dress circle, nt the performance last even? ing, and it being customary for color? ed men to be sent for tickets, they were sold to him without hesitation. Last night, two colored mon, said to bo brothers, named Wallace, present? ed tickets to the door-keeper, which ho hurriedly took, without looking at them, and the men passed into the parquette circle and took seats. Very soon considerable excitement was manifested, and some cries were heard of "niggers in the pit-put 'em out." Officers of the house went to tho men and informed them that they were in tho wrong part of the theatre; that there were seats espe? cially for tho accommodation of co? lored people, in tho upper gullery. They said that they had paid for seats where they were, and refused to leave. Tho excitement continued until the close of the third act of tho play,(Forrest as Metamora,) when some threats were made, and the attaches of the theatre, fearing trou? ble, agaiu attempted to induce the men to leave. Finally they offered to go if their money was refunded to them. This was don?) at once, and they loft the theatre. I \Vas7ihigton Star. Au old lady iu Corydon, Indiana, has failing ?"yen, andv consequently an overgrown Suuduy-hynm book, something hms than Webs er's Una? bridged pictorial. Chi her way to church, the other Sunday, sho stop I ped in a moment to see a friend, aud I placed her hymn book Off tho centre table, while- shu aired, her gaiter? ot tl?o grato. When th? church bells rang, sho started rather suddenly, and, instead of h<*r Walu' illustrated hytnu book, picked up HU elegant little m HMO box. Tu? .x-huuge worked to a charin, and "all w**nt morry as a marriage bril." The minister opened bin hymn book ti? read bia "title cluur lo inansious in the skies," still thu old lady opened ber iipedo bun, wltiob happened to go nit' iu tho devotional strain ot '"Pop goes Ibo we.i-.el." Tho old lady popped up ?;? her seat, trhjd to elioko tho Munn dow?? and couldn't, but left tile home, without waiting to seo whether Misa Brown wore lier gored gingham il ress or spotted pop liu. _ _ In California, "L>. IV after a man'fi name, aiguilles" druuk and disorder ly." i.,. Jl' '1 I I M,!. L3 Xdooal J.tom?. POCKET DIARIES.-Messrs. Duffie & Chapman have on hand a variety of different sizes and styles of pocket diaries, (paged, aud dated,) for 1868. ROBBERY.- On Saturday night last, about half-past S o'clock, during the temporary absence of Mrs. McKen? zie from the store, a thief entered and carried off tho money drawer, containing over $50, besides a va? riety of papers. No trace of the robber has been discovered. Three young men in Berlin have died while attempting to pass seven days and seven nights without sleep. If these unfortunates worked for t "few years ou a daily paper, the\ would have learned lier tc ace ern plish the feat successfully. THE OUTRAGE ON THE SOUTH CARO LINA RAILROAD.-John Montgomery the ring-leader of the gang of ne groes who removed a rail which threv from the track a train ou the Soutl Carolina Railroad, at Hopkins' Turn out, in October last, has been trie( by military commission, and sen teuced to fifteen years' imprison ment. This sentence baa, however been mitigated by Gen. Canby ti three years' imprisonment, witl hard labor. TnE CONVENTION.-General Canb; has issued the following order, date? December 28, 1867: "At the election held in the Stat of South Carolina, on the 19th an< 20th days of November, 1867, pui suant to General Orders No. 99, fror ; these Headquarters, dated Ootobe 116, 1867, a majority of tho registere voters of the said State having vote' on the question of holding a Conven tion, and a majority of the votes eas being in favor of holding such Coe ven tion, the delegates elect eil then to, are hereby notified, in conformit with the provisions of the fourth se< tion of the Act of Congress of Maro 23, 1867, to assemble in Convention in the City of Charleston, Sont Carolina, at noon, on Tuesday, tl 14th day of January, 1868, for tl purpose of framing a Constitute and civil Government, according 1 the provisions of tho aforesaid Act i the 23d day of March, 1807, and < the Act of the 2d day of March, 186 to which it is supplementary." A list of the delegates elected appended. Why Charleston was s Icc ted instead of Columbia-the cai tal of the State-does not appei Tho supposition is that several G vernmeut officers-who are also mei hers of the aforesaid Convention prevailed on the District Command to order the meeting to be held the Queen City, for their special t commodatiou-so that they can ea ly "kill two birds with one stoue." To DRINKERS OF CHAMPAGNE.-"\ always knew that among tho produi of New York, "Champagne" wi was one. Tho recent seizure of soi of the establishments where it manufactured, has lcd to the pub disclosure of the method of its mi iug. Here is the description: "It has been known for some ti: that imitation brands of wine hi been put upon the market in lui quantities, and at great profit to 1 dealers. The bottles, corks and lab are mado to resemble the genu: article so closely, that only an exp could detect tho true character of 1 "trashy" wine. The cost of the i coction is sixty-fivo cents per qu bottle, and it sells at wholesale $7.50 per dozen, and at retail fr $4 to i5>8 per bottle. The process manufacturing is simple and ea To a certain quantity of cheap S terne wino is added drugs, essene &c, including rock candy for sweet ing and brandy flavoring, and ii few days' time the mixture is rei for the market." USEFUL INFORMATION.-Aa ex lent house-keeper was overlie lamenting that a crack ' hod b made iu hor cooking stove. For benefit of all suoh, we publish following ready mode of mend cracks iu stoves aud iron ovens practiced in Germany: "When a crack is discovered i stove, through which the lire Hiuoko p?n?tr?tes, the aperture i be completely closed io ti munn with ii composition consisting wood lishe* mid common salt, ni ap iu a pistti with a little water, plastered ov?>r the crae.;. Tho g i effect is equally certain whether stovu bo hot i?r cohl." FIVE CUNTS.-Tho price of sii copies of tho Phoenix M livo cents, purchasers uro requested to pay moro for them. We ave inion that sono of tho n .ws-boys CIK t'-u. This is nn imposition. THE WEATHER,-After a week of delightfully pleasant weather, there was a sudden change, Sunday night -^-Boreas going ori his peregrina? tions, with " an. evident intention of blowing things to pieces. Yesterday morning Opened dull and gloomy, and about 12 o'clock a chilly, pene? trating, settled rain, with an admix? ture of sleet, commenced falling, which had the effect of materially raising the price of fire-wood. THE HUGUENOTS.-A . valuable chapter in English histoiy has been prepared by Samuel Smiles, the well known author of Self-Help, nnd other readable works. Very much of Eng? land's character, as a manufacturing and commercial nation, she owes to tho immigrations of the ingenious aud iudustrious Huguenots, who were driven to her shores by the storms of relentless persecution. A history of their settlements, churches and industries in England aud Ire? land, by Mr. Smiles, has been pub? lished by the Messrs. Harper, to? gether with an appendix relating to the Huguenots in America, by the Hon. G. P. Di80sway, than whom there is no better authority ou Hu? guenot antiquities in America.- No labor or research seems to have been spared in gathering material, and the work will undoubtedly at once take its position among the standard his? tories of our race. Of the Huguenot church in the cathedral vaults at Canterbury, this work says: "It is a remarkable circumstance that the original French Calvinist Church still continues to exist in Can? terbury Cathedral. 300 years have passed since the first body of exiled Walloons met to worship there-800 years, daring which generations have come and gone, and revolutions have swept over Europe; and still that elo? quent memorial of the religious his? tory of the middle ages survives, bearing testimony alike to the rancor of the persecutions abroad, the heroic ' steadfastness of the foreign Protes? tants, the large and liberal spirit of the English Church, and'the glorious asylum which England has in all times given to foreigners flying for refuge against oppression and tyranny. "The visitor to the cathedral, in passing through the Under Croft, has usually pointed out to him the apart? ment still used as the 'French church!1 It is walled off from the crypt in the South side-aisle; and through the windows which overlook the interior, the arrangements of the place can easily be observed. It is plainly fitted up with pews, a pulpit and precentor's desk, like a dissent? ing place of worship-and, indeed, it is a dissenting place of worship, though forming part of the High Cathedral of Canterbury." We aro indebted to Mr. MeCarter for a copy of this book. CUBE FOB COLD FEET.-We are as? sured by ono who has given the ex? periment a fair trial, that cold feet, and especially those superlatively frigid feet that are kept chilled by perspiration, may be relieved by a simple expedient. This is to wear cotton socks next the skin and woolen stockings outside of them. In the instanco of our informant, the result was successful in keeping his feet warm and dry. Tho singular con? sequence also ensued, that at night he would find the cotton socks (next his skin) quite dry, while the outside woolen stockings would be perfectly damp. MAIL ARRANGEMENTS.-The post office open during the week from 8}? a. m. to 6 p. m. On Sundays, from V& to 2)? p. m. The Charleston and Western mails are open for delivery at 2 p. m., and closo at 9 a. m. Northern-Open for delivery at 10j? a. m., close." at 1 p. m. Greenville-Open for delivery at 3" p. m., closes at 8 p. m. NEW ArvKRTisEirENTfl.-Attenuon ir call? ed to the following advertisements, pub? lished this morning for tho tir^t time: F. H. rape-School Notice. Mooting Eutaw Encampment Meeting Colored Firemen. J. O. Gibbes-Payment of Insurance. DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.-On Mon? day evening last, little James Craig, about eight or nino years old, son of Capt. James C. Craig, rodo from his father'? residence to tho post office, for tho ?nail. On his return, his ?toreo took fright and run against a tie.', infliotipg a wound ou the little fellow's head, from tho effects of which he died in some two hours niter >\ fitf'ln. - Ghera wi A'lrerliser. W. ll. Buuiiul), auwiioiioor in Kow Or! ans. was seized with a congestivo chill, and sent for Ilia Ini?ru s i \\?ti; m r, Mr. Hailey. The lutrCT-fi lidiad of heart disease ns be asee nd val tho si cps of 33unuo)i's house, and half an I hour later the other expired.