The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, March 05, 1868, Image 2
Thursday Morning, March 5, 1868.
Tb? Californio. Roiolnttoaa.
The resolutions of uie California
Legislature, reported yesterday, in?
dicate tho possibility of serious oppo?
sition to the radical conspiracy from
an unexpected quarter. The Pacific
States constitute a power not to be
despised. Long before the late war,
they manifested a leaning towards
the idea of setting up for themselves.
A "Pacifio Republic" was talked
about aa a possible fact some time
before -tho idea of a Southern Con?
federacy had assumed a definite
Shape. The disaffection of the Cali?
fornians was allayed hy judicious
concessions at Washington, and the
scheme ox Pacific secession (if any
auch had been seriously entertained)
was abandoned. When the war
broke out between the Northern and
?Southern States, but little was said
about California and Oregon. Per?
haps their importance was under?
valued; perhaps the proper steps
were not taken by the South to avail
itself of the remains that might exist
of former disaffection among the
Californians. However this may be,
it soon became evident that no help
was td be expected from that quar?
ter. The truth is, the Mobile Times
thinks, that the same hindrance ope?
rated in this case which cut off the
South from European support-the
Confederacy had to carry not only
its own weight, but the burden of
the "peculiar institution," con?
demned and repudiated by the world.
Nevertheless, the Pacific States were
practically but little more than neu?
tral duriag the war. They furnished,
it is true, a few regiments to the
Federal army, but their remote po?
sition and their divided sympathies
hindered them from taking any
general or very active part iu the
contest.
Since the close of the war, too,
their practical independence has been
strengthened rather than diminish?
ed. One illustration of this may be
found in the fact that gold and silver
are still tho ordinary currency of tho
country. The legislation of Congress
has never been able to make green?
backs anything moro than an excep?
tional medium. Matters of bargain
and sale are conducted on n specie
basis; it is understood, ns a matter of
course, that the price of an article is
to be paid in specie; and when the
Government currency is intended, it
is so expressly specified.
The growth of populatiou and ex?
tension of territory on the Western
coast; the increasing trade of that coast
with Japan und China; the interven?
tion of the Rocky Mountains, of huge
deserts, and of the Mormons, be?
tween the Valley of the Mississippi
and the people of the Pacific-all
these ure causes that tend to the
maintenance and growth of a spirit
of isolation and independence among
these people. The feeling is one not
to be despised, and we doubt wbo
ther Congress can afford to flout it.
We are glad, therefore, that the
California Legislature has expressed
itself so promptly and taken so high
a stand in support of the President,
and in denunciation of the radical
majority. We do not hope to see a
* 'rebellion," but we hope to seo the
Constitution maintained, (if it is yet
possible,) by moral power. Yet it is
a good thing for moral, to have phy?
sical foroe to back it.
Money is at two per cent, per
annum in England, and not much
higher on the European continent;
300,000,000 of gold aro piled up iu
the banks of England and France;
and yet, groat mercan tilo houses fail;
all enterprise is stoppod; everybody
wants to sell, and nobody will buy,
and credit-thoro is no credit; poo
ple will not lend.
. . . *. V' . * 'lt- IA*. '.. .
Th? Greenville ?nd Co Iambi m R?1K>
EDITO*; I WM n^achVgratifled
ab your remark? contained in the
Phoenix, of Saturday, tho 20th alt,
touching and relative to the abovo
railroad. It must, indeed, bo grati?
fying to tho numorous stockholders,
to learn that snob arkcd prosperity
and enterprise is characterizing its,
{iresent administration; and doubt
ess all you say is justly due to. the
very respectable gentlemen who n?w
control or hate the management of
its affairs. But "render unto Cses?r
the things that are Cresar's," is a
good old Biblical rule, that ought not
to be thrown away in this age of
sycophancy. I thought, with all
respect to the writer, of that edito?
rial, as well as President Hammett,
who is a most worthy and estimable
gentleman, aa we all know, that
nearly all the repairs, except the
Broad River Bridge, (and it was far
more than half done,) were complet?
ed by and under the administration
of his not less estimable, worthy and
talented predecessor, Colonel Perrin;
and as to its present worthy Superin?
tendent, Meredith, we thought he
had filled another sphere of duty
entirely until within the last six or
eight weeks. . We would detract no?
thing from these gentlemen, but we
behove "fair playa jewel." It is a
Sity, too, that whilst reviving the
rooping hopes of this company's
stockholders, that the road and all its
appurtenances are not likely to be
sold out for a "mere Bong"-a nomi?
nal sum, to a few of its first class
bond-holders--that $3,800,000 worth
of stock-capital stock and outfit-is
not now likely to be sacrificed, to
enable a few of these bond-holders to
levy on the whole of the road and its
Sroperty, for perhaps os many hun
red thousand, or even less, as some
of us have feared would inevitably
prove to be tho case; that BO me at?
tention, also, has not been paid to
tho tariff of freights, which abso?
lutely and positively amounts to pro?
hibiting merchants, builders and
others from shipping certain classes
of articles over it. And would you
believe it, Mr. Editor, that this same
road or company, which you laud so
highly for the transporting our cot?
ton over it, (which it is simply its
duty to do, and for which it is paid
an enormous freight,) is likewise
charging, or claiming the right to
charge, every shipper on its entire
line, ten cents for weighing each bale
of cotton thai is shipped over it? As
well might the merchant allow his
clerks to charge his customer for
weighing each barrel of sugar, bag ol
coffee, sack of flour, or anything
else, as to grant the right to this rail?
road company to charge for weighing
articles of shipment over it. Cer?
tainly, they have just as much right
to charge the merchants for weighing
boxes, barrels and packages of goods
from Charleston, Baltimore and New
York, us to charge the planter and
cotton buyer for weighing his cotton.
They have to weigh it anyhow, and
to tho obtuse and beclouded intellect ol
tho writer of this, he was and alway!
had been tinder the impression that thc
company had gone to the expense ol
buying and putting in each depot r
pair of railroad scales, for tho mutua
benefit of the company and of thc ship
per, and not to swell tho expense ol
shipments-already extravagantly
high in all things-and actually pro
hibitory in some, that the said charge
of ten cents may benefit the company
exclusively, or go into the pockets o
some of its employees, we know no
which. Can you not, sir, induce th?
President to inform or explain iti
origin, history and purpose to yoi
and the stockholders, as well as tin
public at large, particularly cottoi
producers and shippers, what dis
position is made of this ten cents pe:
Lalo for weighing, which, according
to the statement in your editoria
above alluded to, now amounts ti
8300 per week, if the statement "o
3,000 bales per week bas boen re
ceirod for months past in Columbia,'
by this road, be true. It is a prett;
heavy sum of money to extract fron
our poor, poverty-stricken planters
and I am sure is unknown to th
other stockholders, as it was, unti
very recently, to your correspond
eut, who is an
OLD STOCKHOLDER.
Tho article in Saturday's Phoni.
was only intended to show the pre
sent prosperous condition of th
Greenville and Columbia Railroad
and was not, as "Old Stockholder'
timates, laudatory of either ono o
the other officers, but of tho em
ployees as a body. The freight busi
ness of tl o road-which, we believe
at present, ia as groat aa in the palmy
an ti-war days-is being carried with
greatly reduced facilities, in the way
of rolling stock, aud ? oomparatively
small force of operatives; and, under
the circumstances, we) maintain that
the officers and employees generally
are justly entitled to the commenda?
tion which we bestowed on*them.
As. for the other portions pf his
communication, we presume satisfac?
tory nos we rs can be given.
The National Intelligencer protests
against making slaves of the descen?
dants of Washington, Jefferson, Ma?
dison, Monroe, Jackson, Harrison,
Taylor and Polk. The Lynchburg
Virginian shares the virtuous indig?
nation of our esteemed contemporary,
but thinks that the descendants of at
least four of the illustrious men
above named, are secure against such
outrage. They left no posterity of
their own; a fact upon which they
might felicitate themselves if they
were now living. The prospect for
our posterity is anything bat cheer?
ing. _ _
Conservative associations have been
organized and officers elected in
Greenwood, Abbeville District, in
Spartanburg aud Anderson villages.
\ A REMARK AMJE DEATH.-A few
days since, a couple of youths were
out in the neighborhood of the oity,
practicing with a bow and arrow.
One of tho boys discovered a snake,
and killed it, shooting the reptile
through and through with his arrow.
Soon afterward one of the boys
placed himself behind a tree, and ex?
posing one of his hands, challenged
the other to "shoot at the target."
The banter was accepted, and, with
the same arrow which he pierced the
snake, fired at the exposed hand, and
struck it nearly in the centre, inflict?
ing a slight wound. In a few hours
the hand and arm of the lad began
to swell, showing that poison from
the snake hod boen communicated
by means of the arrow. The youth
suffered intense agony, and after
lingering in this horrible condition
for three days, expired.
The boy who lost his lifo in this
playful and remarkable manner was
named Bailey, and bis inuocent com?
panion was named-Carroll.
[Montgomery Mail.
A Washington correspondent says:
"One of the younger members of the
French Legation has become noted
for his gallant speeches and his ex?
quisite compliments. A few even?
ings since, at a 'German' at Gov.
Morgan's, ho was introduced to a
witty New York lady, who has an
unmistakably ugly flat nose. The
polite Frenchman discreetly compli?
mented her on her dancing, to which
she archly replied: 'Ah! I have heard
you are a flatterer; but you caunot
find it in your heart to compliment
mo on my personal beauty, so you
praise my dancing.' 'Madame,'was
the reply, with n Parisian bow, 'you
are an angel fallen from Heaven, but
you fell on your nose.' The lady
narrated this compliment with great
complacency, until it was naughtily
insinuated that she was 'a fallen
angel,' since when she is silent on
the subject."
INCREASED FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL.
It affords us great pleasure to state
that the South Carolina Railroad
Company, in connection with other
corporations of a kindred character,
is about to adopt a schedule of fares
by which merchants traveling to and
from this city, will be furnished with
tickets at the rate of two and a half
cents per mile for 3,000 miles, and
two cents per milo for any dishince
beyond, u?idein ul tickets having the
privilege of stopping at intermediate
distances of twenty miles. This ac?
tion will contribute to no measured
extent in increasing travel and busi?
ness to our city.-Charleston Courier.
CORONER'S INQUEST. -Coroner Whit?
ing held an inquest yesterday nt No.
33 King stroet, on the body of Joseph
Higgins, a colored man, about twenty
years of ago. The evidence showed
that Higgins attended a ball at tho
placo where he died on Monday night,
and that whilo dancing vigorously,
ho was taken with a cough and threw
np a great quantity of blood, and
soon after expired. The jury render?
ed a vordict of death from hemorr?
hage of tho lungs.
I Charleston Mercury.
" " n>>imi-inn i ? H i i
_THK NrrBo-GntatfififH AIT AIR.
ine sensational report in relation to
4he sale, on a forged order, of 166
pounds of nitro-glycerine, which was
Smade in Congress, yesterday, sur
rieed no otto more than suporinten
ent Kennedy, who appears to haye
received credit for making the report
public.
The following are the circum?
stance.? connected with the affair, as
given by the polioe authorities of this
city:
On the 11th. of February, two
strangers called on Colonel ShafTuer,
one of the officers of .the United
States Blasting Oil Company, and
said they wanted to purchase 300
pounds of nitro-glycerine. Colonel
Shaffner asked them for reference,
and also the purpose for which they
required the oil. The men said their
money was their recommendation,
and refused to make any explanation.
Their application was refused. The
next day another man oalled, and
said he wanted to buy 300 pounds of
glycerine. He was also asked for re?
ferences, and what ha wanted it for.
He said it was intended for testing
cannon, but would not give refer?
ences. His application was likewise
refused.
Gol. Shaffner supposed that these
men were in the interest of the Fe?
nians, and that they wished to repeat
the Cietken well prison outrage. On
the 13th instant, the company re
? ceived what purported to be an order
I from a regular und responsible cus?
tomer for 166 pounds of the oil, and
on the 14th instant, the order was
filled. On the 18th, the fact was dis?
covered that the order was a forgery.
The officers of the company spent
four or five days in trying to find the
parties.
Colonel Shaffner then called on
superintendent Kennedy to secure
the aid of the police iu tracing the
property after it had been sold by
the company. Colonel Shaffner told
Mr. Kennedy that he supposed the
oil had been secured for the Fenians,
when the superintendent suggested
that it might be intended to use it
nearer home. Acting upon the sup?
position, and in order to use all pos?
sible means to recover the property,
Mr. Kennedy sent letters to Secre?
tary Stautun and.the superintendent
of police nt Washington, explaining
the circumstances, so that precautions
might be taken to prevent the use of
the oil in that city, in case it had
been sent there.
Mr. Kennedy did not suppose the
contents of his letters would be made
public, as this course is not usually
pursued in police matters/
Thus far the police have not fouud
the car-man who carried the nitro?
glycerine, and it is impossible to
form any opinion as to the direction
in which it was sent.
\New York Evening Post, Feb. 28.
DEATH BRINGS OUT THE TROTH.
A clergyman of tho Church of Eng?
land was left, by the death of his
relatives, tho last of bia family; and,
resolving to emigrate to America,
took ship, with his worldly effects, to
end his days with preaching the Gos?
pel boro. A convict leaving his
country for his country's good, in
the samo ship, concealing his true
character, became intimate with the
clergyman. On the passage, how?
ever, tho"latter took sick; was nursed
assiduously by tho other, and dying,
left all his effects, including his ser?
mons, letters and testimonials, to the
unknown nurse. Upon arriving safe
iu this country the convict assumed
the name of tho deceased, and, pre?
senting the letters and credentials of
the departed to the Bishop, was
invited to preach, whioh he did,
using one of the sermons he had
inherited, and was called to a church,
where he officiated acceptably for
several years. Tho truth would not
have been discovered, had not the
wretched imposter divulged it ou his
death-bed_
ESCAPED.-James Flynn, charged
with the murder of the late O. D.
Wallace, says the Cheiaw Advertiser,
and who fled from justice before his
arrest, was recently captured aud
brought to this place, where he was
committed to jail to await his trial.
His captors, with the commitment,
shirted with him to tho jail of Marl?
boro District, and we regret to learn
that on tho way he mado his escape
again. The Executive of the State
offered a reward of $250 for Ms arrest
and lodgment in jail. We trust ho
will yet bo brought to justice.
A new village has been erected just
outside the limits of Greenville, own?
ed entirely by industrious freedmen
of that town.
OKRA Sotrp.~-Mr. .Pollock will
serve up choice okra soup, to-day,
betweeu the hours of V and 1. Hun?
gry ones, attend.
Mr. Bailey ?nd hts amateur s give a
dramatic exhibition this evening, in
Calisthenic Hall. The cost of admis?
sion is only 25 cents, unless you de?
sire a reserved seat, when it will
become necessary to disburse half a
dollar.
SARGENT, THE ILLUSIONIST.--An
advertisement in another column
notifies the public that this magician
will give two of his very popular and
wonderful prestidigntaturean enter?
tainments, in this city, on Friday and
Saturday evenings. A pleasing fea?
ture of the exhibition is a most excel?
lent orchestra, under the direction of
the Miraglia Brothers.
PERSONAL.-We had the pleasure,
last night, of a visit from A. Breasted,
Esq., of the New York and Charles?
ton Steamship Line; B. M. Rhodes,
Esq., of super-phosphate notoriety;
and the inimitable J. M. Rhodes,
(piloted by the irrepressible Jas. G.
Gibbes-ex-Mftyor and general fac?
totum.) These gentlemen are on a
tour of observation-with an eye to
business perhaps-throughout the
South. As the old Scotch woman
said, "Gio them a heezie," if you
have an opportunity.
FATAL ACCIDENT.-On Thursday
morning, at an early hour, the, body
of a colored mau, named "Jacob
Hook, was found lying across the
track of the South Carolina Railroad,
about ten miles below Columbia.
The unfortunate man was terribly
crushed. Coroner Walker was noti?
fied, and held an inquest over the re?
mains, the jury returning a verdict,
that the deceased came to bis death
by being accidentally mn over by a
train.'
COURT.-The only case of any in?
terest yesterday, was that of Robert
Williams, (freedman,) charged - with
the murder of a fellow-servant. Our
young fellow-oi?zen, W.1 S. Mon?
teith, Esq., delivered his maiden
speech in defence of the prisoner.
The Judge charged the jury and a
verdict of manslaughter, with a re?
commendation to mercy, was returned.
The particulars of the case were pub?
lished in the Phoenix at the time;
death being caused by the wad from
a gun playfully discharged by Wil?
liams.
The almanacs before us concur in
fixing the commencement of the sea?
sons as follows: Spring begins March
20; Summer, June 20; Autumn,
September 22; and Winter, Decem?
ber 21.
MAIL ARRANGEMENTS.-The post
office open during the week from
a. m. to 6 p. m. On Sundays, from
1)4 to 2\,< p. m.
The Charleston and Western mails
are open for delivery at 2 p. m., and
close at 9 a. m.
Northern-Open for delivery at
IO.1 .j a. m., closes at 1 p. m.
Greenville-Opes for. delivery 5y,
p. m., closes at 8 p. m.
NEW AnvKimsEJtENTB.-Attention in call?
ed to the following advertisement)*, pub?
lished this morning for Oin first time:
Retnrn of Sargent.
Wanted-Address A. B. I
8. E. Capers-Gard to the Firemen.
D. B. Miller-In the Common Fleas.
II. Weir-To Rent.
Mules For Sale at Logan's lot.
D. C. Poixotto A Bon-Auction Salo.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH.-We learn that
Mr. Charles S tro u ss, of this District,
was accidentally killed last week,
near what is known as Little Savan
nob, about eight miles this side of
Columbia. It appears that Jho was,
with a party of friend?, camping at
the place mentioned, tho whole of
whom were engaged in cutting a tree
for lightwood, and the troo falling
struok Strouss, from which he died in
about fifteen minutes.
{Newberry Herald. 'f\