University of South Carolina Libraries
A RING ON HIS HAND. REV. DR. TALMAGE ON THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL. New Lights on a Familiar Story--The Richest Ring Ever Fiashed on the Vision Is That Which Our Father Puts on a For given Soul. WASHSGTON, Jan. 5.-In his ser mon today Rev. Dr. Talmage took for his subject the return of the prodigal son. The text chosen was Luke xv, 22, "Put a ring on his hand." I will not rehearse the familiar story of the fast young man of the parable. You know what a splendid home he left. You know what a hard time he had. And vou remember how after that season of vagabondage and prod igality he resolved to go and weep out his sorrows on the bosom of parental forgiveness. Well, there is great ex citement one day in front of the door of the old farmhouse. The servants come rushing up and say: "What's the matter? What is the matterf" But before they quite arrive the old man cries out, "Put a ring on his hand.' What a seeming absurdity: What can such a wretched mendicant as this fellow that is tramping on to ward the house want with a rig Oh, he is the prodigal son. No more tend ing of the swine trough: No more longing for the pods of the carob tree: No more blistered feet: Off with the rags! On with the robe: Out with the ring! Even so does God receive every one of us when we come back. There are gold rings, and pearl rings, and emeraYd rings, and diamond rings, but the richest ring that ever flashed on the vision is that whic.h our Father puts upon a forgiven soul. I know that the impression is abroad among some people that religion be means and belittles aman: that it takes all the sparkle out of his soul: that he has to exchange a roistering indepen dence for an ecclesiastical straitjaeket. Not so. When a man becomes a Christian he does not go down; he starts upward. Religion multiplies 1 by 10,000. Nay, the multiplier is in infinity. It is not a blotting out: it is a polishing, it is an aborescence; it is an effiorescence, it is an irradiation. When a man comes into the kingdom of God, he is not sent into a menial service, but the Lord God Almighty from the palaces of heaven call upon the messenger angels that wait upon the throne to flv and, put a ring on his hand." In Christ are the largest liberty, and brightest joy, and highest adornment. "Put a ring on his hand." I remark, in the first place; that when Christ receives a soul into his lovehe puts uponhim the ring of adop tion. While in my church in Phila delphia there came the representative of the Howard mission of New York. He brought with him eight or ten children of the street that he had picked up, and he was trying to find for them Christian homes, and as the little ones stood on the pulpit and sang our hearts.melted within us. At the close of the services a great hearted wealthy man came up and said, "I'll take this little bright eyed girl, and I'll adopt her as one of my own chil dren." And he took her by the hand, lifted her into his carriage and went aThe next day while we were in the church gathermng up garments for the rof New York this little child came bak with abundle under her arm, and she said: "'lhere's my old dress. Per haps some of the poor children would like to have it," while she herself was in brightandbeautiful array and those who more immediately examined her said she bad a ring on her hand. It was a ring of adoption. --T reare a great many persons who pride themselves on their ancestry. and they glory over the royal blood that tours through their arteries. In theirline there was a lord, or a duke, o a prime minister, or a king. But when the Lord, our Father, puts upon us the ring of his ado ption we become the children of the Ruler of all nations. "Behold what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God." It matters not how poor our garments may be in this world, or how scant our bread, or how mean the hut we live in, if we have that ring of Christ's adoption upon our hand, we are as sured of eternal defenses. Ado pted! Why, then, we are broth ers and sisters to all the good of earth and heaven! We have the family name, the family dress, the family keys, the family wardrobe. The Fa ther looks after us, robe us, defends us, blesses us. We have royal blood in our veins, and there are crowas in our line. If we are his children, then princes and .princesses. It is only a question of time when we get our cor onet. Adopted! Then we have the family secrets. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him." Adopted: Then we have the family inheritance, and in the day when our Father shall divide the riches of heaven we shall take our share Ofthe mansions and palaces and temples. Henceforth let us boast no more of an earthly ances try. The insignia of eternal gory is our coat of arms. This ring of adop tipon puts upon us all honor and all rivilege. Now we can take the words of Charles Wesley, that prince of hymnmakers, and sing: Comne, let us join onr frIends above Who have obtained the prize, And on the eagle wings of love To joy celestial rise. Let all the saints terrestrial siog With those to glory gone,. For all the servants of our King In heavan and eatth are one. I have been told that when any of the members of any of the great se cret societies of this country are in a distant city and are in any kind of trouble and are set upon by enemies they have only to give a certain sig nal, and the members of that orgami zation will flock around for defense. And when any man belongs to this reat Christian brotherhood, if he gets in trouble, in trial, in persecution, in temptation, he has only to show this ring of Christ's adoption, and all the armed cohorts of heaven will come to his rescue. Still further, when Christ takes a soul into his love, he puts upon it a marriage ring. N ow, that is not a whim of mine-Hosea ii, 19, "I will betroth thee unto me forever-yea, I will betroth thee unto me in right eousness, and in judgment, and in loy ing kindness, and in mercies." At the wedding altar the bridegroom puts a rigupon the hand of the bride signify ing love and faithfulness. Trouble may come upon the household, and the carpets may go, the pictures may go, the piano may go-everything elhe may go. The last thing that goes is that marriage ring, for it is considered sacred. In the burial hour it is with drawn from the hand and kept in a vasket, and sometimes the box is op ened on an anniversary day, and as you look at that ring you see under its arch a long processiou of precious memories. Within the golden circle of that ring there is room for a thous and sweet recollections to revolve, and you think of the great contrast be tween the hour when, at the close of the "Wedding March," under the flashing lights and amid the aroma of oange blossoms, you set that ring on he roud finger of the plump hand. and that hour when, at the close of the exhaustive watchingi, when vou know that the soul ha.d iled, you took from the hand. which gave back no re sponsive clasp, from that emaciated tinger. the ring that she had worn so long and worn so well. On some anniversary day you take up that ring, and you repolish it until all the old luster comes back. and you can see in it the 11ash of eyes that long ago ceased to weep. Oh. it is not an uimeaning thing when I tel you that when Christ receives a soul into his keeping he puts on it a marriage ring: He endows you froni that moment with all his wealth. You are one Christ and the soul -one in sympathy, one in affection, one in hope. . There is no power on earth or hell to effect a divorcement after Christ and the soul are united. other kings have turned ot't their companious when they got weary of them and sent them adrift from the palace gate. Ahasuerus banished Vashti. Napoleon forsook Josephine. but Christ is the husband that is true forever: Having loved you once, he loves you to the end. Did they not try to divorce Mar garet, the Scotch girl, from Jesus? They said, 'You must give up your religion.' She said, "I can't give up my religion." And so they took her down to the beach of the sea, and they drove in a stake at low water mark, and they fastened her to it, expecting that as the tide came ur her faith would fail. The tide began to rise and came up higher and higher, and to the girdle, and.to the lip, and in the last moment, just as the wave was wash ing her souli into glory, she shouted the praises of Jesus. Oh, no, you cannot separate a soul from Christ: It is an everlasting mar riage. Z Battle and storm and dark ness cannot do it. Is it too much ex ultation for a man, who is but dust and ashes like mvself, to cry out this moment, "I am persuaded that neither height nor depth nor principalities nor ,powers nor things present, nor things to come, nor any other creature shall separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord?" Glorv be to God that when Christ and the' soul are married they are bound by a chain, a golden chain, if I might say so-a chain with one link, and that one link the golden ring of God's everlasting love. 1 go a step further and tell you that when Christ receives a soul into his love he puts on him the ring of festivi ty. You know that it has been the custom in all ages to bestow rings on very happy occasions. There is noth ing more appropriate for a birthday gift than a ring. You delight to be stow such a gift upon your children at such a time. It means joy, hilarity, festivity. Well, when this ol" man of the text wanted to teil how glad he was that his boy had got back, he ex pressed it in this way. Actually, be fore he ordered sandals to be put on his bare feet, before he ordered the fatted calf to be killed to appease the boy's hunger, he commanded, 'Put a ring on his hand." - Oh, it:is a merry time when Christ and the soul are united: Joy of for giveness: What a splendid thing it is to feel that all is right between my God and myself. What a glorious thing it is to have God just take up all the sins of my life and put them in one bundle, and then fling them into the depths of the sea, never to rise again. Pollution all gone; darkness all illu mined; God reconciled; the prodigal home:! "Put a ring on his hand !' Every day I find happy Christian people. I find some of them with no second coat, some of them in huts and tenement houses, but one earthly com fort afforded them, and yet they are as hapyy as happy can be. They sing "Rock of Ages" as no other people in the world sing it. They never wore any jewelry in their life but one gold rin"' and that was the ring of God's unlying affection. Oh. how happy religion makes us: Did it make you gloomy and sad? Did y ou go with your head cast down? I do not think you got religion, my brother. That is not the effect of religion. True relioion is a joy. "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Why, religion lightens all our bur dens; it smooths all our way ; it inter prets all our sorrows; it changes the jar of earthly discord for the peal of festal bells. In front of the flaming furnace of trial it sets the forge on which scepters are hammered out. Would you not like this hour to come up from the swine feeding and try this religion. All the joys of heaven would come out and meet you, and God would cry from the throne, "Put a ring on his hand !" You are not happy. I see it. There is no peace, and sometimes you laugh when you feel a great deal mcre like crying. The world is a cheat. It first wears you down with its follies; then it kicks you out into darkness. It comes back fromn the massacre of 1, 000,000 souls to attempt the destruc tion of your soul today. No peace out of God, but here is the foun tain that can slake the thirst. Here is the harbor where you can drop safe anchoraae. Would 3 on not like, I ask you-not perfunctorily, but as one brother might talk to another-would you not like to have a pillow of rest to put your head on? And would you not like, when you retire at night. to feel that all is well, whether you wake up tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock or sleep, the sleep that knows no waking ? Would you not like to exchange this awful uncertainty about the future for a glorious assurance of heaven? Accept of the Lord Jesus today and all is well. If on your way home some peril should cross the street and dash your life out, it would not hurt yoa. You would rise up immediately. You would stand in the celestial streets. You would be amid the great throng that forever worship and are forever happy. If this night some 'sudden disease should come upon you it would not frighten you. If you knew you were going, you could give a calm farewell to your beautiful home on earth and k'now that you are going right into the companionship of those who have already got beyond the toil ing and the weeping. You feel on Saturday night ditferent from the way you feel any other night of the week. You come home from the bank, or the store, or the oI!ice and you say, "Well, now my week's work is done, and tomorrow is Sun day." It is a pleasant thought. There are refreshments and reconstrumction in the very idea. Oh, how pleasant it will be if, when we get through the day of our life, and we go and lie down in our bed of dust, we can re-al ize, "Well, now the work is all done, and tomorrow is Sunday- an everlast ing Sunday.' Oh, when, thou city of my God, Shall I tay courts ascend, Where con gregations ne'r break up Arnd Sabbaths h.'.e no end'? There are people in this house today who are very- near the eternal worhi. f you are Christians, I bid you be of good cheer. Bear with you our con gratulations io the brig~ht city.. Aged men, who will soon be gone. take with vou our love for our kindred iu the better land: when y ou see them tell them that we are soon comning. Uniy a few more sermons to preach and hear :only a fewx more heartaches :on ly a few more toils; only a few more tears. And then -what an entr-an ing spectacle wih open before us' Beautiful heaven, where all is light; Beautiful angels, clothed in whi'e; Beautiful strains that ntver tire. Beautiful harps through all the choir; There shall I join the chorous sweet, Worshiping at the saviour's feet. And so I apuroach you now with a general invitation, not picking out here and there a man, or here and there a woman, or here and there a child, but giving you an unlimited in vitation, saying. "Cone, for all things are now ready." We invite you to the warm heart of Chaist and the in closure of the Christian church. I know a great many think that the church does not amount to much; that it is obsolete: that it did its work and is gone now, so far as all usefulness is concerned. It is the happiest place I have ever been in, except my own home. I know there are some people who say they are Christians who seem to get along without any help from others, and who culture solitary piety. They do not want any ordinances. I do not belong to that class. I cannot get along without them. There are so many things in this world that take my attention from God and Christ and heaven that I want all the helps of all the symbols and of all the Christian associations, and I want around about me a solid phalanx of men who love God and keep his commandments. Are there any here who would like to enter into that association? Then by a simple, childlike faith, apply for ad mission into the visible church, and you will be received. No questions asked abcut your past history or pres ent surroundings. Only one test do you Jove Jesus. Baptism does not amount to any thing, say a great many people, but the Lo-rd Jesus declared, "He that be lieveth and is baptized shall be saved" putting baptism and faith side by side. And an apostle declares, "Repent and be baptized every one of you." I do not stickle for any particular mode of baptism, but I put great emphasis on the fact that you ought to be baptized, yet no more emphasis than the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Head of the church, puts upon it. Some of you have been thinking on this subject year after year. You have found out that this world is a poor D-rtion. You want to be christians. You have come almost into the king dom of God, but there you stop, for getful of the fact that to be almost saved is not to be saved at all. Oh, my brother, after having come so near to the door of mercy, if you turn back, you will never come at all. After all you have heard of the goodness of God, if you turn away and die, it will not be because you did not have a good offer. God's spirit will not always strive With hardened, self destroying man. Ye who persist his love to grieve May rever hear his voice again. May God Almighty this hour move upon your soul and bring you back from the husks of the wilderness to the Father's house, and set you at the banquet, and "put a ring on your hand." Protectirg Our Seacoast. WASINGTON, Jan. 9.-The house bond bill, with the free coinage substi tute for it reported from the commit tee on finance, was to have engaged the attention of the senate today, but a half hour's speech by Mr. Baker (Rep.) of Kansas in favor of an ex treme application of the Monroe doc trine, and an hour and three-quarters speech by Mr. Stewart on the financi al question prevented the taking up of the band bill until so late an hour that Mr. Jones (Dem.) of Arkansas preferr ed to withhold his opening speech up on it until tomorrow. Mr. Baker's speech-his first in the senate chamber-had for its text and groundwork, a joint resolution intro duced by him declaring that the ex tension by any Euroen power of its territorial limits on the western hem isphere, whether by war, treaty, pur chase or otherwise, without the con sent of the United States, will be re garded as an unfriendly act; and in his speech, he declared that the posi tion would be maintained by war if necessary. The joint resolution was referred to the committee on foreign relations. In presenting some petitionsfavoring coast defences, Mr. Daniels (Dem.) of Virginia expressed the opinion that the public apprehensions as to the danger of the bombardment of Ameri can seaports were overstrained; but he also expressed the hope that the coun try would prepare itself for whatever emergencies might happen. He fa vored the passage of Mr. bquire's bill. As a Popular Loan. W\ASmsNeToN, Jan. 9.-Secretary Carlislee expressed the opinion today that the new bond issue will be a success.- He did not intimate whence the gold would come, but he spoke with a full knowledge of the number of inquiries made for blank forms for bids, and the informal already made. The mails today brought in quite a number of inquiries forms on which to make bids and income cases, persons desirous of subscribing stated the amount they wanted and the price they would offer. These figures of course are withheld from publication. The bids are regarded as informal and when possible those making them will be communicated with and blank forms will be sent them so that they may comply with all the requirements and make their bid in regular shape. A circular letter of instructions to pros pective bidders was issued today. It says: "The subscribers should state plain ly the .amount of bonds desired-the price which he proposes to .pay, and the place where the bonds should be delivered, which may be the subscri bers home or any other more conven ient place. "He should at the same time state whether he desires to deposit the amount of his subscription at the treas ury department in the city of Wash ington. or at one of the following sub treasuires, viz: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans or San Francisco. Deposits at San Fran cisco must be with exchange on New York. The bonds will be issued in follo'ving denominations, viz: Cou pon bonds $50. $100, $500, and $1,000; registered bonds, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 $5,0' 0 and $10,000. IHeld up on the Beach. Los ANGELS, Cal., Jan. 7.-A. H. Brownley, of London, Canada, was held up on the beach at Santa Monica and at the point of a pistol forced to sign ten Anierican Express Company checks of $50 each. Brownley made the acquaintance of the man by whom he was robbed, while traveling, and the t so were walking on the beach when the stranger drew a pistol and demanded Brownley's money. Brown iey had nothing but the express checks which he was compelled to sign. TrzE new ecnstitution having gone into el fect there are now no longer any trial justices in this State; they are magistrate-s. The new constitution also increases their jurisdiction in both civ-il and criminat cases. There is provision in the new constitution which gives the magistrates power to sentence to the c-ounty chaingangs. The constitution tixes the limit of the jurisdiction of the magistrates and leaves everything else tc the general CONFEDERATE RECORDS. INTERESTING REPORT BY HISTORIAN H. L. FARLEY. What Has Been Done. is Being Done and Necessary to be Done--A Volume When Completed. of Great Historical Value. The following interesting report has been made by General Farley, the his torian of Confederate Records, for the information of the General Assembly: Columbia, S. C., Jan., 18%. To His Excellency John Gary Evans, Governor of South Carolin. Sir: I beg leave to submit to your Excellency the following report, as "Historian of the Confederate Rec ords," for the information of yourself and the Honorable members of the General Assembly. It was deemed necessary in order to show what has been done, what is being done, and what is necessary to be done, to put the Records in proper shape for final publication and preservation, as is contemplated by the Acts of the Gen eral Assembly. Accompanying this report, I also submit a "memorial of the South Car olina Division of United Confederate Veterans," signed by their Command er, Gen. C. I. Walker, also Gen. Ed ward McCrady, Judge J. H. Hudson and myself, a committee appointed by the Confederate Veterans to prepare this memorial and present it to your Excellency and the members of the General Assembly. This memorial is the result of the following correspondence between Commander Walker and myself, and the discussion following my remarks before the Association: South Carolina Division. United Confederate Veterans, Charleston, S. C.,October 19,1895. General Hugh L. Farley, Spartan burg, S. C. Dear Sir; I think it would be well for you to attend the convention of the United Confcderate Veterans at Columbia,S. C., November 12 and 1-6. You may gain assistance in carrying oat your duties as State Historian. The Tenth and Twelfth Regiment sketch, which you ask me to prepare is done. If you care to go t the convention as a representative of the Camp in Spartanburg all right; if not, I should be happy, as the commandex of the division, to extend an invitation to you to be present for your personal recor. during the war, and because you are the State Historian. Very truly, C. I. WALKER. In obedience to this very kind invi tation, and as a Confederate survivor, I attended the meetings of the Associ ation, and at their request addressed them fully on the subject of the Con federate Record much to the same ef fect as appears in the memorial and in this report, feeling and appreciat ing the fact that they were more deep ly interested than even the public at large in this work, and were entitled to all the information I possessed in regard to it. I explained to them the condition of the Records, and what efforts had been mhade during the administration of Governor Tillman and yourself to complete them and put them, proper ly edited, before the public, and as sured them that every effort in that direction had not only met the cordial cooperation of both administrations, but assured them also that your Exeel lency stood ready to unite with them and with the Legislature in securing a proper completion and publication of the records in the best shap pssible. Later, I received the following kind and flattering communication on the subject: South Carolina Division, United Confederate Veterans, Charleston, S. C.. November 25, 1895. General Hugh L. Farley,Spartanburg, S. C. Dear General: I will be much ob liged if you will consent to serve as Historian, South Carolina Division United Confederate Veterans, under the resolution of the late convention. As you are authorized to appoint as sistants to each Brigade Umited Con federate Veterans Division, and in each Confederate Regiment Battalion, and independent command, you will have many to help you in the work, and not throw too much~ on your shoulders. I think the Division will feel great confidence in you and your work, and will unanimously second me in my selection of one so worthy and able to fill the place. Yours very truly, C. I. WALKER. Highly appreciating the compliment and the spirit in which the offer was made, I indicated my willingness to accept so high an honor, in proper terms; and later received the follow ing communication. South Carolina Division, United Confederate Veterans, Charleston, S. C., Dec. 2, 1895. Gen. H. L. Farley, Spartanburg, S. C. Dear Comrade: The Major General commanding, under resolution below, unanimously adopted by the conven tion of this Division, November 13, 1895, hereby appoint you Historian of the South Carolina Division United Confederate Veterans, having full con fidence, not only in your ability and fitness, but in your honesty, imparti ality, and loyalty to the memories of our dead comrades, and to the needy who survive. 'Resolved, That the General com manding the South Carolina Division United Confederate Veterans do ap point a Historian of this Division~who shall in turn appoint Brigade Histori ans, to be aided by relected Regimen tal and Battallion Historians, whose dut it shall be to collect all the facts and incidents connected with the South Carolina troops in the army of the Confederacy, to be preserved for the use of this Division by the Divis ion Historian. That at each meeting all comrades be invited to read such recollections as they may prepare." It affords the endersigned, who has served in war and worked in peace with you, much pleasure to extend this order. Yours fraternally, JAM[Es G. HOIN1Es, Adjutant General and Chief of Staff. I have submitted the foregoing as information to which your Excellency and the members of the General As sembly are entitled, showing that your appointment has received the endorsement of the survivors, which I know will be almost as gratifying to your Excellency as it has been to me; and although it will entail some ad ditional work upon the Historian, shall receive my best and closest at tention. Your Excellency will discover from the memorial of the U. C. V., and from this report, that the work of col lecting the records has been going on for many years and has been gradual ly nearing completion. I may say that the rolls are as nearly complete now (only a small number being still out) as they are likely to be until the survivors realize that the publication is actually taking place, when those who have been so hard to arouse will rush forward to see that their com mands are properly included. A de tailed account of the command whose rolls are unfinished will be published agaid soon, as it has been from time These have been looked after, as fre quent and persistent visits have been made from time to time, but they can be secured during the progress of pub lication. In the examination of the actual condition of the rolls, I have found that many of them are made out with great care and accuracy, but there are a great many that are but imperfectly finished. Your Excellency will see from our memorial that it is the opin ion of the United Confederate Veter ans that an experimental copy of these rolls should be made and placed in the bands of the survivors for correction and revision before they can be con sidered as ready or in proper shape for final publication. This, at my suggestion, was recommended by his Excellency Governor Tillman severa years ago, and would have been done but for the stringency of the money market and the great expense devolv ing upon the State in the building of educational and other public works demanded by the exigencies of the times. Now it can be done without serious inconvenience, and I am satis fied that as the sum necessary will hardly be felt by the State the Legis. lature will readily respond to any call from your Excellency in this direc tion. Until this is done, as is evident to your Excellency, no final or complete publication of the work can be made. with the addition of the valuable his toric manuscript which has been and is now being collected to go with the publication of the rolls when they are completed. Under the plan of this work as sub mitted to your Excellency, to Govern or Tiliman, and tothe variousofficers commanding or representing brigades from this State, it will be an interest ing volume, showing: First. The record made by our State as a State in the war, the sacrifices made by our people in general, and the heroic record made by our men and women in the war, bringing out the more prominent events and salient points of our history as a State and people. Second. As the history of our troops runs so largely by brigades each of which has a separate, distinct and in teresting histor y of its own, and which at one time or another, comprised ev ery regiment in service with but one or two exceptions, (to which must be added our separate batteries of artille ry), the record of the most of our troops can be written by brigades-the Bri gade Historian doing full justice to regiment and battalion, and thus sav ing unneceesary multiplication of his tory, the artillery and separate inde pendent commands being provided for by separate sketches. In this way we can do full justice to all of our troops and people in a work within the reach of our legisla tive appropriations, and which, not being too cumbersome, will be eager ly read and fondly treasured by our people because it will go with the rolls containing the names and records of each soldier. This work is already being pushed towards completion, first by the State Historian and by selected representa tives from each brigade or separate command, and will be ready for the printer by the time the rolls are in shape for publication after the experi mental copies are sent out for revision and correction. Some of the sketches are already complete. In the meantime your Historian, un der the appointments conferred upon him by the survivors, as well as that by yourself, will be engaged in col lecting the missing rolls and the vari ous regimental and battalion sketches called for by the resolution of the U. C. V., and if practicable or possible at the time of publication might be included, though it will be more difficult to secure good sketches of each regiment and battalion in time for publication. At any rate this work can be pushed forward, and will at least raake a most valuable collection of historical data which can be pre served and published in the future, even if we cannot include it in the publication of the rolls, which shobuld be finished as soon as possile, in order to make them perfectly safe. My own historical work under your Excellency's appointment, though it involved more extensive reading and thorough research than I had antici pated at first, is satisfactorily under way, and will be submitted for revi sion and publication in due time. Parts of it showing the recapitulation of the numbers of our troops engaged in the war, the deaths, losses, etc., can not be filled out until our rolls are all in with all the data they contain to cor respond with my general statement. Besides my own manuscript, I have on hand a valuable collection of manu script by Professor Rivers, which, though not complete and ready for publication, are invaluable to those engaged in writing sketches of the early organization of our troops and their subsequent history. These have been placed in proper hands for refer ence, and will be preserved for future use, the State owing Professor Rivers a debt of gratitude (for preserving these records), and also General Mani gault, who inaug~urated the work of preserving the rolls. I have also on hand at the office of the ad jutant and inspect or general valuable "Roll of Honor," or alpha betical list of the dead, which, though not complete, contains some ten thou sand names, as estimated and prepared by the Survivors' Association. This, too, should be published so as to enable our people to add names not included and to make the list complete. It has been suggrested by General C. I. Walker, and I' would respectfully join in the request, that some better means for the preservation of the Con federate Records of all kinds be made, which, with the co-operation of your Excellency, I think can be arranged with the ad jutant and inspector gen eral, or if the room there is not suf Ii cient, elsewhiere in the State House. In conclusion, I beg to say that upon com~mencing my work I addressed a circular letter to the various surviving brigade comimanders in the State, or those whom I considered proper repre sentatives, asking their co-operation and assistance in the work before me. It gives me great pleasure to say that I met with a warm and cordial re sponse in every instance, and the list below of those who are engaged in or supervising the sketches of our bri gades gives assurance that when their work is completed it will not only give satisfaction, but shed honor and glory upon the troops which they represent. This work is being done by or under the supervision of the following gen tlemen, who can call to their assist ance whatever help they may need from their various subordinate com manders and comrades, and some of this work is already finished: For Jenkins's (Bratton's) Brigade General S. McGowan. For Bonham's (Kershaw's) Brigade, General John D. Kennedy. For Jenkin's (Bratton's) Brigade, General John Bratton. For Hagood's Brigade. General Johnson Hlagood. For Evans and Elliot's (Wallace') Brigade. General Wmn. H. Wallace. For Gist's (Caper's) lIrigade, General Ellison Capers. For Manigault's Brigade, General C. I Walker. For Hampton's (Butler's' Brigade. Major Theo. G. Barker. Fo Gary's Brge General Thos. M. Logan. For Brigade Regulars and what was known as Elliott's Brigade at the close of the war, Colonels Butler. Huzuenin, Lucas and others repre senting the several commands. For Third South Carolina Cavalry. Major John M. Jenkins. South Carolina had a magnificent artillery force, probably larger than that of any other State South, com posed (besides the three regiments of artille!y on the coast) of some four battalions and twenty odd batteries. It will be my endeavor to secure a separate short sketch of each, as they sei-ved all over the Confederacy; and also to secure a general sketch of "South C irolina Artillery in the War." from the pen of General Stephen ). Lee, who started his splendid career in that branca of the service in the Hampton Legion, and did much of his work therein. As your Excellency will readily see, all of this work when properly re vised, condensed and finished, with the complete rolls of our troops and a general sketch of the State in con nection with the war (which I hope will prove satisfactory), we will have a volume devoted exclusively to our Confederates-dead and living-which will be some tribute to their acknowl edged heroism, self-sacrifice and de votion to their State and cotbtry, and which our peaple can fondly keep and treasure for all time to come. . ' With many thanks for the kindness and consideration which your Excel lency has always shown for our cause and for n.yself personally, I am most sincerely your obedient servant, H. L. FARLEY, Historian Confederate Records. A Tarheel Terror. RALEIGH, N. C., Jan. 8.-A remark able case was tried in the superior court here today. Mrs. Pattie D. B. Arlington last year, form some weeks, published a weekly paper called "The Criminal Dccket" in which she at tacked lawyers and judges and claim ing that she had been cheated out of thousands of dollars worth of property. She parti cularly attacked ex-Judge Spier Whit taker, a leadlng lawyer and a promin ent citizen, saying: "You robbed, yes, you stole thirteen hundred dol lars." The grand jury at the last term of court returned a true bill for libel against her and also against Barnes Bros., who published her pa per. Mrs. Arlirton managed her own case today. It was the first time a woman was ever known to do this in North Carolina. She was on the wit ness stand, and so was Whittaker and her cross examination was very warm. She spoke half an hour. The evi dence was that Whittaker had paid out money upon a regular decree of court and that she haa signed the pa pers, and the judge so stated. The solicitor said Judge Whittaker's character had been fully vindicated and that the publication was a foul slander. Mrs. Arlington attacked the lawyers and solicitor and renewed all her statements about Whittaker. The court room was packed. The jury was out only 15 minutes and returned a verdict of guilty. Whittaker and the solicitor asked that judgment be sus pended, but Mrs. Arlington became wild with anger, and daclared she would again publish her paper and renew the charges. Solicitor Thomp son's request for suspension of judg ment was withdrawn and she will be sentenced tomorrow unless she apolo. gizes. There is another true bill against her for libelling the memory of the late Chief Justice Smith. * Cleained Out a Bank. FAYETTE, 0., Jan. 8.-One of the boldest as well as one of the most suc cessful robberies that has ever occurred in Fulton county took place some time last night, when the Bank of Fayette, a private financial institu tion of which Mr. Barber, president of the Ketcham National Bank of Toledo is a stockholder, and Charles L. Al len, cashzier, entered, and every cent of the cash in the safe and valuable papers were stolen. The robbery was not discovered until the time came for the bank to open this morning. By that hour of course these was no clue whatever to the thieves, who left not a single trace of their identity. The value of the money and paper taken is not de dnitely known, the otli cials of the bank observing the great est reticence. It is believed, however, that at least $8,000 and probably as high $15,000 was obtained. The rob bers, of whom it is thought there were at least two, pried open a window and easily gained entrance to the bank. Then they blew off the safe door with some powerful explosive. The rest was easy. The Way to Stop it. Commenting on the suggestion made at a meeting of colored men in Boston that "it might be necessary to resort to the Ilaming brand or the sword" to stop the lynching of assail ants of Southern women, the New York Evening Post makes an obser vation of a practical character to fur ther the end the Boston patriots have in view. "The most effective way to stop the lynching of negroes for attro cious crimes," says our contemporary, "is for negroes to stop committing such crimes." The Baltimore Sun thinks that would be a good beginn ing. The right of assaulting women is not so valuable that it should be re tain& .t all hazzards. The persons whose acts provoke the lynchings are the men to be first argued with. " The next step," as the Post well says, "is to arouse the whites of the South to the dangers to society involved in a growing readiness to relapse to the barbarous practices of executiton by a mcb." There are signs of increased interest in this view of the matter. Twelv'e Lady Canadidates. J:ACKSoN, MISS,, Jan. .-The joint caucus tonight for the nomination of a State librarian, an oflice Mississ ippi always-gives to a woman, was the livliest ever witnessed here. The sen atorial question simply paled into sig nificance, a resolution to take that up first being overwelmingly voted down. There were 12 candidates in nomination, widows and young ladies, each being extolled to the skies in five-minute speeches and seconds. Flower gardens, stars and perfumes were everywhere in evidence, but at 10 :30 o'clock a ballot was reached, re sulting in no nomination. Miss Tuck er, the present incumbent, received the highest vote-30, and 85 being neces sary to a choice. Hon. Judd Russell of Meridian was chairman of the cau cus and ordered an adjournmnent at 11 o'clock. The 1Iear Uives Chzase. NEw BORN, January 7.-Great ex - citement prevails in this section due to the fact that a large bear was seen in a swamp near here. Mr.- Robert Childs was hunting and had started home, having used up his ammunition. lie noticed something stirring in the bushes and found on examination that it was a large black bear. He had one shot left in his gun and fired at the bear, wounding it. The bear mad dened by the pain gave chase and forced Mr. Childs so) closely that he took refuge in a cabin near by. The bear finially leaving him master of the situation, lie came hurriedly here to organize a hunting party to kill the A SERIOUS CHARGE. DIRECTOR WILLOUGHBY WAN rs AN INVESTIGATION. lie Charges Extravagance on the P:trt o the Superintendent---SayS He Can't Get the Light He Wants---The Majority In dorse Col. Neal. COLUMBIA, S. C., January 10.-In connection with the report of the 3uperintendent of the Penitentiary, which was published in The Register yesterday. somewhat of' a sensation vill be created by a minority report of Mr. T. C. Willoughby, a member of the board of directors, who charges that the institution has not been con ducted r.ccording to sound business princioles, and that he has been un able to get all the light ne wanted in reference to the transactions of the Penitentiary. The majority report on the other hand commends the "wise and suc cessful- management of Colonel Neal, and expresses the belief that the Penitentiary has a bright financial fu ture. Mr. Willoughby says in is re port to tae Governor: As a -member of the Penitentiary Board of Directors, I beg leave to make the following report. I concur with the majority as to the condition of the property under our charge, but in so doing I do not sanction the man agement, which I am inclined to think, from personal observation and the information attainable, is not of that kind which commends itself to sound business principles. The want of economic ideas and the glaring ex travagance is such as should call for legislative investigation and remedy. The system of bookkeeping and monthly statemenis in vogue in the institution is not such as throws light upon the fiscal transactions of the in stitution, to those who like this Board, have only a limited time to examine and investigate. And my experience in seeking information from the ac countants of the Penitentiary leads me to infer that light is the last thing de sirable, not that I charge anything dis honest; Ionly narrate my experience. The supply of the vast amount of supplies of all kinds needed for the Penitentiary, its farms and camps, it seems to me, should be let to compe tion and awarded to the lowest re sponsible bidder, and not left as at present in the entire control of the superintendent. The lax manner of examining and passing accounts by the board needs legislative attention, since the board stself has failed to see the necessity of reform on that line. The system of contracts and hiring is to my mind in many instances in violation of the Statute, and there are irregularities and violations of law within my own observation which are perversive of that good order and manigement which the public have a right to expect of us. Respectfully submitted, T. C. WiLLouGBP, Member Board Penitentiary Directors. Florence, S. C., January 4th, 1896. MA.JORITY REPORT. .The majority is as follows: Dear Sir: We beg respectfully to submit the following report as the Board of Directors of the South Caro lina Penitentiary for fourteen months beginning the 1st of November, 1894, and ending the 31st of December, 1895, the new Constitution having changed the fiscal year to January 1st, 1896, making it necessary that our report cover fourteen months. Owing to the death of one of oui esteemed members on November 22d, 1895, Mr. J. M. Sprott, our Board consists now of any four memhbers, T. J. Cunningham, J. W. Lyles, S. P. J. Garris and T. C. Willoughby. The aggregate receipts for the four teen months were $147,060.60: esti mated value of crops on hand, *15,000, 00; amount due from convict hire and other sources, $3,242.54: making a total of iSt 63,305. 14. The disbursements were 8144,921. SS: liabilities, not including Reid farm, $4,687.39; making a total of $149,619.27. and leaving an estimated balance of $15,6S5.27. We are pleased to say that the prison is in first class condition in every respect. The prisoners are be ing well cered for and every depart' ment shows a creditable management. We do not deem it necessary to go in to details, as you will fina, annexed to this report a full and complete statement from each oflicer in charge of the various departments. The DeSaussure farm has been paid for in full. The Board thought it wise to purchase the "Reid farm." adjoin ing the "DeSaussure farm," and did so, at a cost of SS,450. These twvo places make a very desirable farm aggregating 4,712 acres, and both places have beeen thorughly 'equipped with machinery, wagons, mules etc., at a coast of about $8,500. The bottom lands have been thoroughly dyked, and we believe capable of resistmng freshets. These farms have been worked this year by the Penitentiary for the first time. The institution owns seventy nine head of musics and horses, sixty-eight of which were p~u chased this year. The only outetanding indebtedness against the Penitentiary now is the purchase price of the "Reid farm ", We take great pleasure in saying that the condition of the Penitentiary in general, nnder the wise and success ful management of its superinten dent. Col. WV. A. Neal, is all that could be expected, and we desire to express our -high regards for him, both as a business man and a super intendent of the Penitentiary. In conclusion, allow us to express the belief that the Penitentiary will begin the new year with a bright financial future, as it seems to us all necessary improvements. for some time come, have been sup~plied. Our business relations with the vaious aflicers and guards have been agreeable and pleasant, and we desire to express to each of them our appre cations of the manner ini which they haqe discharged their respective du ties. Respectfully, T. J. CcxNINaHAM, Chairmnan. J. W. LYLES, S. P. J. GARIs. __ Good Advice. THE Anderson Journal of last week says '"there is a probability that the price ot cotton will go up again soon and thtus better prices will prevail for several nmonthis. his should not in duce the Southern farmers to plant a large cotton crop the present year'. They have already had sad experience in mi'rketing a large crop and have been forced by circumstances to turn their attention to food products, and as a consequence they are now in better condition generally than they have been in the past thirty years. They know now that it is cheaper and more satis actory to make their own corn and meat than to buy it, and if they will pnrsue this policy a few more years they will to a great extent be able to control the rrice of cotton for the simple reason that they will not be comelled to sell it unless tue price suits them. The progr-ess of cotton manufacturing in ti e South indicates that in a few years the price of cotton will be fixed ini Anerica and not in England.' There -.s good advice in the above to the farmers, and we hope they will act upon it. They have the matter in their own hands, and they should not allow themselves to be foled into plantingr too much cotnn FU0A NAKII4 POWDER Absolutely Pure. A cream of tartat baking powder Highest of all in leavening strength-La test United States Government Food Re port. Royal Baking Powder Company, 106 t St,. N. Y. The Court All Right. CoLUmBa, January 3.-The Su preme Court, as at present organized, has decided that it is not a corpse. The Court was unanimously of the opin ion that the point that it was without jurisdiction was without force. A brief statement of the position of the Court was filed in order that the bus iness of the Court might proceed, but the reason for the view taken by the Court will be fiiled later. As it was merely a technical point and has beeu settled, every thing went along smooth ly and everyone is satisfied. It involv ed only a few hours' delay, and this mornine as soon as the statement of the Court was read by Chief Justice MeIver. the work of the term went regularly along. Here is what the Court said on the two cases that were used to bring up the point: In the first case, Middleton and Rav enel, plaintiffs, respondents, vs Albert R. Taber and others, defendants, ap pellants, the Court said: At the hearing of this case a ques tion of jurisdiction was raised, wnich it is necessary to dispose of before pro ceeding further with the case. That question is based upon the ground that by the term of the Constitution of this State, which took effect "from and af ter the 31st day of December in the year 1S95," this Court as at present organized cannot take jurisdiction of this case. After a careful consideration of this question this Court has unanimously reached the conclusion that the juris dictional objection cannot be sustain ed, and hence the Court will proceed with the hearing of this case on the merits. The reasons for this conclusion will be set forth in an opinion hereafter to be filed. Henry McIver, Chief Justice. In the criminal case the opinion was announced as follows: The State, respondent, vs D. C. Mur phy, defendant, appellant. The de fendant in this case having interposed a plea to the jurisdiction of this Court that question meets us at the thresi old of the case and must be first dis posed of. This plea is based upon the ground that this Court, as at present organiz ed, cannot, since the present Constitu tion has gone into effect, take juris diction of this case, because as it is claimed, it is not the Supreme Court established by the present Constitu tion. This Court, af ter a carefual consider ation of this question, having unani. mously reached the conclusion that the plea to the jurisdiction cannot be sustained, it is ordered that the plea be overruled. The reasons for this conclusion will be set forthr in an opinion hereafter to be filed. Henry Mclver, Chief Justice. It is understood tha~t for good rea sons the Murphy case has been post poned for argument until the April term of the Court, when there will be four members of the Court. Gonfederate Relics. IN behalf of the Memorial Museum, now established for the preservation of Southern memorials and relics, in tbe mansion occupied by Hon. Jefferson Davis while President of the Confed eracy this a:.seal is made, to which ev ery citizen of iScr'h Carolina is earnest ly asked t" gve sympathy and support. This historick btdiding was given by the city of Richmond to the Confeder ate Memorial Literary Society, an as sociation whose object was to teach future generations the true history of the war. Every State is to have a distinct representation on the board of managers by a lady regent from that State, and also a separate room in which to deposit.its sacred relics of the glorious past. South Carolina is rep resented on the board of Managers by Miss Daisy Hampton. It should be the pride and glory of the South to fui-nish and maintain this Memorial Museum in the former capital of the Confederacy, for no city in the land is so associated with the uuparalleled heroism of the Scuthern people as P.ichmonal, whose hills overlook those battletields. immior-talized by the chiv alry of soldier-s fromi every State. And surely within the wails of the mxanision where so often gathered the valiaut men and true, these lasting memori als of the nobler sons and daughters of all the South should be sacredly guarded that the past may ever be held in honored rememberance. In furtherance of this design the associa tion asks for contributions of original documents, pictures, and articles of any kind that tend to shoa' the habits and manner of liviug oft th~ pe >ple, or of the soldiers of the Southern States. from 1S80 t to 18'0. The soc-iety suggests that these contribuitions be given as a memorial of somie soldier sailor or patriot: or of somec battle, siege or ma rch, the miemoryv of w hichi the donor desires to preserve. To each artie!e should be attached a rec ord of the person, cuistow, or event it comnmemlorates. The museum is thor ouhhly fire-proof and guarded so that the relies p:aced there will be in no danger of destruction. Thell South Carolina room should be tilled wijth relics from this State. It is desired that all contributions from South Car olina should be sent to Mrs. Joseph Byan, Richmond. Va., or' Miss Daisy Hampton, Columbia. S. C. It would be best, perhaps, to send them direct to Mrs. Bryan, at R~iicond, Va. G. WALT Whitman, Reform leader and anti higher institution statesman of Union county, is the first man on the ground with a detinite announce ment for the race for Governor of South Carolina nlext year. lHe tells the Greenville News that hie is for R. B. Watson, of Edg1etield, for (Govern or. If Mr. Wats~on refuses to run Mr. Whitmian say h\~le w ill make the race himseif. In Mexico and also in Siam, judge& jury and lawyers all smioke in court, if they' wish to, while a case is being tried. E-ven the pr-isouei is not de prived of his cigar or cigarette. Tlomato plants have been grafted on pot-ato plants in England, giving a eroy of tomatoes above groun 'd and of potatoes belew. Potatoes grafted on tomacoes have pr1oduced tlowers and a