Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-05-20
THE NORTH CAROLINA STANDARD: WEDNESDAY, 90

| The RECENT SroRM-GREAT DESTRUCTION OF FRO
pERrY IN MIssIssRPL-From the Sea Coast Demo
crat of Wednesday last published in Mississippi Qlty,
extract the following account of the disastrous
| effects of the recent heavy rains:
On Thursday and Friday this region OF country
visited by the greatest rains ever known to have
fallen here. The rain commenced at half past two
P. NJ on Thursday, and continued till Saturday
morning without hardly, any intermssion 1t poured
down in such torrents that Friday morning, after
but one nights rain, the whole back country, far
as could be seen, was one expanse of water. The
| thunder which accompanied the rains seemed to
threaten terrible calamity, awful were its peals;
the lightning very vivid and flashed necessarily.
| For about two hours on Thursday night the wind
| howled with some fury, but not violent enough to
be called storm this moderated to an ordinary S.
E. wind, which continued the two following days.
On Friday evening the work of destruction had COM
mitted terrible disasters to property on bayous which
connect with she Gulf The waters Of Chatacabuffa,
Biloxi and Bernard bayous had swollen to an i'm
mense flood, which swept away everything it encoun-
tered in its impetuous course Upwards OF 2O,OOO
logs that lay along the bayous carried out to
sea- as were also several hundred thousand feet of
lumber that had been piled up at the various steam
saw mills situated on the banks of these water
courses. All the bridges, so far as heard FROM have
been destroyed.
Warehouses, some of them fifty yards distant
from the cmbankments, have been flooded to heights
varying from four to seven feet and everything in
| them either greatly damaged completely ruined.
Dwelling houses likewise flooded, injuring fur
niture considerably. 1t was with difficulty many of
| the inmates escaped drowning.-Some cut doorways
through the roof and were rescued in skis others
chung to the rafters till the food abated.
The extent Of property destroyed can hardly be
estmated-the loss is certainly not less than $780,
OO0 The largest losers, whose name we have heard,
are: Hon. R. G. Safold $40, 900; Messrs Mclean
& Henry, $4,000; Messrs. Taylor & Myers, So 900;
Mr. Fowler, $4,000; Mr.. Burr 50, 200; Col. Hum
| phrevS, 81 800 Some mills lost as much as 2OO,-
OcO feet of lumber each Every man engaged in the
log and lumber business in this district has lost all
he had invested in timber. And it being the chief
industrial pursuit of the people, trade is completely
| paralvZed tor the present-NOne Of the mills
be started to work very soon because of the damage
sustained by their machinery and Of the vast amount
of drift accumulated about the buildings; and even
when the machinery can be rghted again, they will
have to wait some time before supply of logs can
| be had.
Our coast has not suffered in any wise from
the flood, except that some garden beds have beeh
we'll beaten with the rain. Every tide since Satur-
day morning last has been freighted with the lost
lumber and logs, an immense quantity of which is
now strewn along the beach from one end of this
coast to the other.
GOVERNOR WALkER-On reaching New York, on
Monday evening last, Governor r. j. Walker
entertained at the Astor House by party of his
personal friends and what they said after the cloth
removed of course found its way into the papers
of the succeeding morning. Gov. Walker, on the
occasion in question, laid down his platform" of a
policy in Kansas which we republish, because, in
the present condition of affairs there he do
thing or hold no position with reference 10 the po-
litics Of the Territory that not of great import
ance to the public at large. His remarks will be
read with interest, therefore, in all quarters Of the
country We quote them. as follows:
"He believed that neither Massachusetts,, Connec.
ticut nor Missouri had any more right to say what
the institutions of Kansas should be, than the peo-
pie of Kansas had to say what the institutions of
Massachusetts,, Connecticut and Missouri should be.
1t is entirely wrong and unconstitutional for the peo-
pie of any State to interfere with the affairs in
situations of any other Each sovereign and in
dependent and entitled to the full and fair
ercise of that sovereignty and independence. He
prepared and determined to apply these princi-
pies to the administration of affairs in Kansas.
"The people of that Territory had a clear and
unquestionable RIG ht to decide for themselves npon
the adoption of State constitution.-and any at
tempt on the part of any Convention, any other
body of men, no sever respectable and influential
they might be, to impose upon the Territory
stituton not sanctioned by the popular vote, would
be usurpation and wrong which could not be
tolerated for moment. So far as the utmost exer.
else of his official powers and personal influence
would go that result, Governor Walk, said
he was determined the people of Kansas sould hav
of their will upon the adoption of any constitution
that might be framed-after fair and satisfactory
census of all the bona fide inhabitants who might
he in the Territory at the time He considered
this due to them.
"It was part of their inherent and inalienable SOW
ereignty. And he should consider it, not only q
point of law and of official duty officer of the
Territory. but "a point Of honor a and a
gentleman" to do everything in his power secure
to them the full fair and undspu exercise of this
fundamental right. This he believed to be the grea,
point essential to the peace and welfare of Kansas
IF the people could have such VOTE all dissensons
would be settled And he regarded all the past diff
ferences-the contests about the Legislature, about
Topeka Constitution about the census and register
of voters-as preliminary questions; important, un
doubtediy, but deriving most of their consequence
from their relation to this great and parament ques
tion-the right of the people of Kansas to decide
for themselves upon the Constitution which NAV be
Altered Cor their adoption. If this could he properly
and satisfactorily adjusted all the dficultie,
which now embarass the settlement of the Territory
would disappear"
CHERAw AND Coal FIELDS RAnRoAD.-A frienG
at Carthage writes that or the 9th inst, " Mr.
McDuffie, Engineer, with his company, commenced
the survey of the Chcraw and Coal Fields Railroad
at Carthage. He is now laying off the route from
this point to Deep River Next week he expects t.
commence laying out the line from Carthage to Che
raw This is to be an air line survey from the Goa
Fields on Deep River, via Carthage, to Cheraw."
Fayetteville Obs