REV. A. M. STEWART’S LETTER. Washington, D. C., Dep., 1865. By officious crowds of reporters and through the secular press, you have doubtless received all the particulars and 'formalities connected with the late reas aemblings at our National Capitol. Al ready have you learned about the open ing of a new Congress, not. in turmoil of motion and countermotion, with lengthy and stormy debate, but with unwonted facility and quietness. Heard, too, how, not by cunning, fraud, or bluster, the delegations from the rebel States got into Congress, but how they managed not to get in. Received, no doubt, and filed away, are Presidential message and Secretaries’ reports—verbose and of such enormous length that not one in a hun dred ever seriously meditates their peru sal. Of all these things you need none of my writing. RECONSTRUCTION has been, is now, and likely to be for some months to come, the great problem in this centre of American wisdom. The President insists that the rebel States were never out of the Union. To reach auch a conclusion, a large amount of metaphysical reasoning and profound thought was required. Newspaper re porters, with their accustomed inaccu racy, have given to the public that Pre sident Johnson was never at college— hardly at school—but picked up by odds and ends whate.ver of learning is in his possession This must be a great mis take. The depths of reasoning requisite to show the rebel States all in the Union these four and a half years past, bespeak the disciple of the most profound Ger man metaphysician. True, all the people of these States, men, women, and children, went fiercely •out of the Union—declared themselves to be . out, and actually staid out for four years and more. They organized another government, elected other officers, and took other oaths of fealty. All inter course between them and the Union was effectually broken off. A long, fierce and bloody war was waged to maintain theirfseveraDce. It cost the Union half a million of her choice young men, with an outlay of thirty-five hundred millions in money, to whip back the vagrant States, like truant school boys, to tbeir old places. Slender minorities from these revolted States have elected sham legislatures, who, though very reluc tantly, have resolved that secession, with all its attendant acts, was and is a nul lity. Such profundity of reasoning and de duction are worthy of that held in an ec clesiastical body once heard of. A defunct college was to be resuscitated. Neither professors, students, building, library, or money had belonged to it for years. A learned divine, however, insisted the jn stitntion was still in existence. In what manner ?it was inquired. “In its Chairs.” “ What chairs ?” “Why, its Chair of Rhetoric, its Chair of Philo sophy, its Chair of Metaphysics, &c. ■Chairs were Chairs,” he contended, *i whether any one sat upon them or not!” THE RECONSTRUCTION ill which we have at present the great est interest, certainly the most hopeful, and, when accomplished, will prove the most enduring, is the education and con sequent elevation of the Freedmen. At least twelve different denominations and benevolent associations from the North have sent their teachers and moral re presentatives into this District, and or ganized schools and Sabbath instruction for the colored population. Instead of looking upon this great diversity as a calamity, we rather consider it as beto kening increased good to those intended to be benefitted. All the various types of Christian faith, which in theif free exercise have made the North so great, may here blend in the elevation of this 'depressed race, and in the end lift it •above any and all of the originals. * TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION. As. a foreshadowing of this result, an association of superintendents and teach ers of color#d schools in the District has been formed for mutual co-operation, as sistance, and improvement. At a meet ing held a few days since, about eighty of these teachers s and superintendents were present and representing all those Northern interests. Harmony, interest, and intelligence characterized all the proceedings. At least one-fourth of the teachers present were colored. Nor did this cause any apparent detriment to .sympathy and mutual co-operation. Unity of action, discipline, instruction and books were subjects of discussion. Measures for mutual improvement were also adopted. This seemed the more necessary, seeing these representatives of Northern education and religion find no countenance, co-operation, or sympa thy from any former educational inter ests which are found here. From the old inhabitants generally, this educa tional crusade from the North receives the utmost contempt and loathing. Time, patience and perseverance, tyith the judicious interference of Congress, will overcome all these hindrances. Never was good seed sown with better prospect for an abundant harvest. A. M. Stewabt. 'Chicago. —Rev. E. A. Pierce has re signed the pastorate of the Westminster Church in Chicago, preparatory to as suming that of Calvary Church in the game city. jggy dur friend Samuel Loag, hasremoved his printing establishment to Sansom Street Hall THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4. 1866. fjta nf tjji P«i THE EXECUTIVE. Secretary Stanton has set apart the ground upon which the Port Pillow massacre occurred for a monument to those who fell. The Spanish admiral off the coast of Chili has grossly insulted Mr. Nelson, our Chilian Minister. The entire diplomatic corps take sides with Mr. Nelson. The rebel Captain Semmes is to be tried for having left the Ala bama after her surrender to the Kearsage, and for afterwards engaging in hostilities against the United States. The Provis ional Governors of the Southern States are paid by the Government at the rate of $3OOO a year.- The total amount of money dis bursed by the Paymaster’s Department from July Ist, 1861, to the present date, is $1,029,- 239,000. The total defalcations in the same Department for same period, supposing that nothing is made from sureties, (and it is be lieved that more than one half will be collect ed from these sources) is $541,000. A. D; Richardson, Julius H. Browne, and Wm. B. Davis, the correspondents who were prison ers in Salisbury so many months, are among the summoned witnesses for the Government in the case of Gee, the late rebel command ant of that prison, who is now being tried at Raleigh, N. C., by a military commission, on charges of cruelty to prisoners. -Commo doreWinslqw, formerly of the Kearsarge, has been ordered to command the Gulf Squadron. The squadfiSh consists of 20 vessels, carrying 138 guns. Instructions have been issued by the Freedmen’s Bureau throughout the South, prohibiting planters from turning off aged and infirm negroes, as contemplated, on New Year’s day. About 125,000 men are still in the service. Mr. Seward has taken a voyage South, some say to Vera Cruz. THE STATES. Pennsylvania.—There is a very destructive flood on the Susquehanna. Millions of feet of lumber float down the stream past Wil liamsport. New York, —The Stock Exchange, of New York City, did the handsome thing recently, in voting $5OOO, as a Christmas present, to General Grant. The money, is to be added to what is known as the Grant Testimonial Fund, which now. reaches $67,000. When $lOO,OOO is subscribed, it will be duly pre sented to the General with “ all the honors. ” Every inch of real estate south of the Park now is worth more than the gold you cap cover it with. The scheme of an un derground passenger railway beneath Broad way which was defeated last year by the Go vernor’s veto, is again being agitated in this city. In 1860 the population of New York State was 3,880,727. In 1865 itis 3,831,777. The decrease is 48,950. New England.—A Boston paper says, “ the dividends for the past six months already announced by manufacturing compa nies in the New England States denote a de gree of prosperity without a parallel. ” By a large fire at Groton, Conn., Dec. 28, the immense steamer Commonwealth and a large railroad depot were destroyed. The loss was $1,500,000. A Social Science Association has been inaugurated in Boston. Ohio. —The State debt is. $12,900,000, less by $600,000 than last year. Indiana. —The Indiana Legislature, before adjourning, passed resolutions in favor of hifnging Jeff Davis. Illinois has increased 500,000, or 33 per cent, in the past 5 years." Virginia.—Nearly one hundred thousand acres of abandoned lands in Virginia are being cultivated by tbe Fresdmen, under the auspices of the Freedmen’s Bureau. North Carolina. —The editor of the Char- lotte, N. C., limes has been arrested for printing seditious articles. Major Wick ersham, of the Freedmen’s Bureau, has or dered the chairman of the county court to revoke the sentence against McCoy and Walker, the negroes ordered to be sold into slavery for larceny, and says that, in default, all the members of the court shall be put under arrest, The people of North Caro- lina have declared null and void the ordinance of secession by a vote of 19,977 votes against 1940, and 18,527 votes were cast to ratity the ordinance prohibiting Slavery, 3696 to reject said ordinance. South Carolina. —Gov. Orr, in a recent document, declares his “ unalterable purpose to aid in upholding the supremacy of the laws of the United States.” Gen. Howard, in his recent report, says that accounts from the interior “are replete with instances of vio lence and cruelty toward the freedmen — murders, whipping, tying up by the thumbs, defrauding of wages, overworking, combining for purposes of extortion, &c. Already the antagonism between the white's and the blacks in this State is marked, and for the sake of peace and good order, it would be unwise at present to withdraw the military force.” Georgia. —Ex-Senator Iverson; of Geor gia, is an applicant for pardon. He was one of the first to leave his seat in the Senate in 1861. Alabama. —In passing the Constitutional Amendment, the Legislature voted that it be “with the understanding that it does not confer upon Congress the power to legislate upon the political status of freedmen in this State.” The spirit of the body is shown by the following incident: Gens. Wood, S wayne, and Thomas were in Montgomery during the session of the Legislature and received no sort of attention; the unpardoned rebel, Gen. Wade Hampton, no sooner made his appearance in the place, than a committee was raised to escort him into the Hall. The members rose to receive him; Speaker Cooper made a glorification speech of wel come; and Gen. Hampton responded, com plimenting Alabama’s exertions in, and devo tion to the cause, (the attempt to overthrow the Union and Government,) and the gallan try displayed by her sons. Then a recess took place that all the members, might be introduced to the General. Florida. —The following is part of the new constitution of the State “ All the inhabi tants of the State, without distinction of color, are free, and shall enjoy the rights of person and property without distinction of color. In all criminal proceedings founded upon injury to colored persons, no person shall be incompetent to testify on account of color.” Yet a person incompetent to take the test oath was elected Congressman. Kentucky.—The Farmers’ Bank of Ken tucky had $60,000 stolen from it by the Mor-1 gan raid. It recently sued a returned Ken tuckian, who was one of Morgan’s officers, attached his property, and recovered judg ment. Tennessee. —A copperhead judge at Dan drUe, East Tennessee, has arrested and im prisoned some Union soldiers who, under orders, had killed a guerrilla, lhe sheriff seized and imprisoned Gen. Thomas messen gers bearing orders for then- release, tren. Thomas has sent 200 soldiers to arrest judge, sheriff, and all concerned, and to free the , Union captives. Mississippi. —The President has ordered Gov. Shai-key to retire, and give place to the Governor elect, Gen. Humphreys. ~lh e Mississippi Senate has adopted a resolution for the erection of a monument at Jackson in memory of the rebel dead. -The Legisla -1 ture added the following proviso to its act ; adopting the Constitutional amendment:— “It shall not be construed into an approval or endorsement of the political principles or doctrines that the reserved rights of a State can, without the consent of such State, be usurped or abridged by the Federal Govern ment, through the instrumentality of a Con stitutional Amendment.” Also, that the amendment shall not be construed to allow Congress to abolish slavery “where it law fully exists in any State that may refuse to ratify the amendment.” i Texas. —Gen. Gregory, assistant commis sioner for the State of Texas, reports that in the course,of a journey of seven hundred miles in that State, he heard most favorable reports as to the crops. AH had been harvested, and there was plenty for all. California. —The Constitutional Amend ment was ratified December 18th.; Corne lius Cole has been elected Senator from Cali fornia, to succeed Senator McDougall. THE CITY. The Period of Sentences passed by Judge Allison, December 12, ambunted to thirty-one years and one month. IA burglar named Haggerty'monopolized ode-third jof the whole amount. In Boston a prisoner was sen tenced on the same day to twenjy-five years imprisonment, for highway robbery by gar roting. December 13; Judge Allison sen tenced one burglar to ten yean ’ imprison ment, and another to eight yeirs. The question whether the city can > bstruct the navigation of the Schuylkill bj building a permanent bridge at Chestnut street, is be fore the U. S. Supreme Court atWashington. ln Select Council, Decembei 10, the sum of $35,000 was appropriated for the erection of a new Court House on Ii dependence Squkre. The Union National Bank has declared a dividend of forty percent, clear of taxes, out of the contingent fujid— twenty per cent, being payable in cash, and twenty per cent, in stock of the bank at jiar.-t —The Mayor has signed the bill fixing the tax rate at $4.—I—Common 1 —Common Council, December 21, voted to approve the sureties of John Given, as City Commissioner.-—-The Acade my of Natural Sciences has inaugurated an effort to raise one hundred tho sand dollars for the erection of a fire-proof : uilding. The funded debt of the city is $33,722,000. Nine hundred thousand dollars .worth of in debtedness was cancelled during ie year. The Union League have spent ever one hun dred and seventy-six thousand dpllars on the property on Broad street. Thi League re cruited ten thousand men during the last two years of the war, at an expense df a hundred thousand dollars. Brig. GeJ. Owen was assaulted by ruffians in Continental Hotel, Dec. 28, for leaving the Democratic party. The assailants, including a notorious aider man, escaped. • MISCELLANEOUS. Ciwdit to the Freedmen. —In the inaugu ral address of Governor Jenkins, of Georgia, we find the following deserved tribute to the colored man: “Since the fiat of emancipa tion, although sometimes unsettled in his pur pose" and inconsistent in his service by con tract, (the natural result of a transition so thorough and so sudden,) I take you all to witness that, in the main, his conduct has been praiseworthy beyond all rational expec tation.” And he further said that, in his judgment, the “ fidelity of the negroes in the past, and their decorum under the depressing influence of the present, are without a parallel in history, and establish for them a strong claim upon our favoring patronage.” This is sensible and just. Gov. Hamilton, of Texas, in addressing the colored people of that State, also said : “ During that terrible struggle you remained quiet and peaceful spectators; although you knewAliatjmur.frefidom or continued slavery depended on the result." Yffu aisappolnted both friends- and enemies, by exercising a prudence and forbearance and Christian reli ance om the wisdom and justice of God’s providence, which has elevated you in the opinion of' good men in every part of the civ ilized world. ’ ’ The conduct of the lately emancipated slaves about Christmas, when guilty fears of an uprising were lively among their old op pressors, confirms this candid and honorable acknowledgment. Only the most trifling in stances of disorder are mentioned as having occurred. A savings bank for colored people, estab lished three months since at Louisville, now has $30,000 of deposits. The members of the Congressional Com mittee on Reconstruction intend to take tes- timony in the Southern States as to their condition. Senator Williams, of the Senate Committee, is now in Richmond, on a tour ot observation. Decease of Dr. Ducachet— The Rev. Henry W. Ducachet, D.D., died suddenly in this city some time during the night ot Wed nesday, December 13. On the preceding evening he appeared to be in his usual health, and at the usual bedtime of the- family, he was left in his study, reading, according to his custom ; but in the morning he was found by Mrs. Ducachet on the floor of his study, dead. Life appeared to have been extinct for several hours. Dr. Ducachet, although so closely identified with Philadelphia for a whole gen eration, was a native of Charleston, S. C., born in the year 1796- He was educated partly by private instructors and partly at a school well known to the Southern people m former years at Mount Airy, now in the Twenty-second ward of this city. Having turned his studies toward the ministry of the Episcopal Church, he was ordained in 1525, and after officiating in Salem, Mass., N orfolk, Va., and other places, he was called to this city, ' and was instituted Rector of St. Stephens'™ 1834, where he continued until his sudden and litnaented. decease* Dr. Duca ehet was a man of emineuce in his Church, an accomplished scholar, a thorough gentlemen, beloved by his congregation, not less for his kind and genial manners than for his piety. Public Ledger. Henry Winter Davis, the most distin guished of Maryland politicians of the pre sent day, died in Baltimore, December 30, of pneumonia, aged forty-eight. His death will be deeply regretted by every friend of human right'!-. His last speech was one at Chicago in defence of negro'suffrage. „ The argument on the constitutionality of the congressional test oath is now going on in the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Rev erdy Johnson argued against its constitution ality, Dec. 22. lIX A StUt. The internal revenue receipts of two days last week, were each $1,200,000. ihe receipts for the week ending Dee. 23, amount to $5,000,000. Total since the Ist of July, nearly $ 171,000,000. President s mes sage had a favorable effect m England. 5--U s rose about two per cent.— —The receipts from customs at the port of N ew x ork lor tne first five months of the present fiscal year ex ceeded by one million dollars the total re ceipts at that port during the years 1862 ana 1864 The receipts ffom this source for tne present month it is believed will amount to over ten millions. . FOREIGN. Great Britain— There have been further convictions of Fenians. It is said Stephens, the Fenian, having escaped to France, has been demanded by the B Government, on the charge of and that Napoleon has refused to d him, on the ground that he is a p offender. Spain. —A party has arisen in Spain in favor of-{uniting Spain to Portugal in one empire. It is asserted that the mediation of England in Chilian affairs has been accepted. Mexico.—French troops are still landing at Vera Cruz, and war materials are continu ally landed. The city is being fortified. Brazil.—The American emigrants, chiefly Southerners, represented by Col. Wood, have selected a site for a town near Raragnora. It lies between two small rivers, and can have railway connection with the Capital. A vast tract of eight millions of acres of unoccupied Government land has also been selected. Chili. —November 28th, the Chilian frigate Esmeralda captured at Papudo, a Spanish gunboat with 117 prisoners and the Spanish Admiral’s correspondence. A Spanish launch with one gun and fifty men had also been cap tured. Jamaica. —Governor Eyre, of Jamaica, has been suspended from duty. Sir Henry Stork has been appointed temporary Gover nor. * China. —Advices to the 20th of October say: —“The last stronghold of the rebellion in the province of Kangsi is reported to be evacuted. The insurgents, it is added, re treated to Fukeia, The Mahommedan rebels at Fung KaUn in Shensi, had surrendered, and were slaughtered to a man. ’ ’ ITEMS. The name of Fenian, some people say, has its origin in the title of the Phoenix newspaper, of which some eight years ago Col. O’Mahoney was editor.- Forty-one chronometers were recovered on the Shenan doah. The funeral of Thomas Corwin took place in Washington, December 20. The remains were taken to Ohio. John S. Rarey, the horse-tamer, has been struck with paralysis at his home, in Ohio. The foreign importations in Boston for the year, amounted to nearly sixty millions. The New Orleans papers published the President’s mes sage entire by,telegraph from Washington, said to have been the first time this feat was ever performed. Horace Maynard being asked what he thought of the prospects of the Tennessee delegation since the last action of the House, said he thought “Thad. Stevens had the whole Southern Confederacy in his breeches pocket, and meant to keep it there for a good while.” Gen. Baton, of the Freedmen’s Bureau, lately in charge of the negroes in the District and the adjacent counties of Virginia, has resigned for the purpose of establishing a newspaper at Mem phis, Tenn. It is said that two hundred thousand destitute freedmen will have to be supported by the Government during this winter. Some Americans have recently constructed a telegraph across the Andes to connect various cities of Columbia, South America. During 1860 the amount of cotton goods manufactured in the United States was equal to S 3 68 for each person. Thirty-six yards of*woollen goods per head were also manufactured. Gerritt Smith has begun a libel suit against the Chicago Tribune, laying the damage at But four Southern Congressmen elect, it is said, can take the test oath.—; —The rebel Gen. Early has gone to Mexico. Shad have appeared in Florida, and are sold in Savannah for $1 25 a piece. A citizen qf Atlanta, Georgia, has sent the editor _ ot the Wyandotte (Kansas) Gazette $50,000 in rebel money, and in returnyrishes the paper for a month. Gen. Lee has not asked for par don. Up Safe. Sfl 4v m \ /a $D tl)c Caries. XiOOS o’er the fashions which old pictures show, As the) prevailed some fifty years ago; At least that phase of fashion which conveys Hints of those instruments of torture —stays! And then compare the old, complex machine, With that which iu these modern days is seen: Ho more »/ steel and whalebone is the chest. Or side, o. liver, terribly compressed; Ho more are curving ribs, or waving spine, Twisted a*d tortured out of Beauty’s \jne For skill aid 'donee both unite to show How much c\\vy vxA'Cav© SW,v- OsCAXVVVYve, Covs«\s e,©.w\>© oVjYclvyvcA., vs ©YYvev S©\.es-WooYws, liovWv %Y\ev B\., e,ov. VvYbexY, WvW\e\\vW. 31 it jui 31 Wm. L. GARRETT, No. 31 South 2d St., above Chestnut. East Side, Has constantly on hand a large assortment of Men’s Boots and Shoes, Oity Made. _ Ladies’. Misses, and Children’s Balmorals, Ac. Be sides Bags, etc., in variety and at LOW PRICES. Mens Rubber- Q 1 sole Boots and the best quality of Gum Q 1 01 Shoes of all kinds. 1012-ly OX L. D. BASSETT, DEALER IN FINE CHEESE, GOSHEN It UTTER, CIDER VINEGAR, SWEET CIDER, CANNED TOMATOES and reaches, WRIGHT’S SUPERIOR MINCED MEAT, AC., AC. NEW I2TH ST. MARKET, N. E. cor. Of Twelfth an* 1 Market Sts. Dveins aud Scouring Establishment. Mrs. E. W. SMITH, No 28 N. Fifth St., below Arch, PhUada. fad'll Dresses, Cloaks, Shawls. Ribbons. Ac., dyed in any color, ao? ?5. is p^ ll t ® > Ob & HEEZ. No. 43 STRAWBERRY STREET, Second door above Chesnnt street, PHILADELPHIA. 49* Strawberry street is between Second and Bank streets. CARPETINGS, OIL CLOTHS, NEW STYLES, MODERATE PRICES. IVINS & DIETZ, 43 STRAWBERRY Street, Philada. Cheap Carpet Store. & BSP* EDWIN HALL & CO., NO. 26 SOUTH SECOND STREET, Importers, Jobbers, and Retailers in Silks, Dress Goods, Shawls, Cloths, Also, Dealers in STAPLE GOODS, MOURNING GOODS & WHITE GOODS. Our Goods always for sale at the lowest market Jjrfoiug ffatijiiwi Groyeß&Baxeb's HIGHEST PREMIUM ELASTIC STITCH LOCK STITCH SEWING MACHINES WITH LATEST IMPROVEMENTS. Ihe Grover & Baker S. M. Co. manufacture, in ad dition to their celebrated GROVER & BAKER STITCH Machines, the most perfect SHUTTLE or “LOCK STITCH” Machines in the market, and af ford purchasers the opportunity of selecting, after trial an-1 examination of both, the one best suited to their ■wants. 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