New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-19
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GENERAL CAUCUS or THE RECONSTRUCTION COMMIT
TEE-THE FORT GOODWIN MASSACRE CONSIDERED
HIGHLY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FOR THE
TRIAL OF JEFF. nAvIs--pARDoN oRANTED-BUsT'
MISS OF THE PATENT OFFICE.
WASHINGTON, May I2.-There has been general
conference of the Reconstruction Committee, Tela-
tive to the course to be pursued in the constitu'
uonal amendment which comes up IN the Senate
on Monday. The result seems to be that deter,
mined effort will be made to strike out the third
section which DISTINGUISHES all rebels from voting
for the next President and in place of it it is pro-
posed to insert clause deprlvng oil otlcers oil the
rebel officers from ever holding any office under
this governments In this shape it will necessarily
20 Ia the House for concurrence, and it is now be-
iieyed it will command a two-thirds vote in that
body, There has been svast amount of caucus
ing to-day on the above subject.
Gov. Goodwin, the delegate in Congress for Ari-
gona does not take the doubtful view of the mas
sacre story attributed to it by Ross Browne. Gov.
Goodwin says that it is no extra matter for the
Indians to gather 1000 men for a treacherous ex-
petition like the one represented at Fort Goodwin,
and massacreing the inhabitants. The fort in
question is named after the delegate in Congress.
The war department have reason to fear that it
is true.
Judge Underwood, of the United States district
court for the eastern district Of Virginia, arrived
here to-day with copy Of the indictment found
against JEFF. Davis for treason at Norfolk, on
Thursday. The Indictment is just about the same
as the one previously found in that court. Judge
assistant attorney general oday relative to Davss
trial at Richmond in June. Every preparation is
being made for the event at that time. 1t IS now
understood that Chief Justice Chase viii preside,
and Attorney General Speed will prosecute, as
sisted by Judge Clifford, Of Massachusetts,, and
VIM r. Evarts, of New York. as counsel on the
part of the prosecution. The court Will convene
in the early part of June.
The president has pardoned the rebel General
Brady T. johnson, under the 18th exception Of
the amnesty proclamation.
The business of the patent office continues in a
very flourishing condition. The return of the
country to peace seems to have given remark
able impetus to the inventive faculties of our cit
zens in making improvements in art, science and
mechanics The commissioner of patents had re-
ceived several hundred applications for patents
during the week. and for the week ending May
Ia there will be issued one hundred and ninety-si1
new patents.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU FRAUDS.
WASHINGTON, May 1S.-Gens. Steedmen and
Fullerton the commissioners appointed to inYesti-
gate the workings OF the freedmen bureau through
the Southern States, have made a report of their
observations in Virginia and North Carolina. They
sustain the charges which have been frequently
made against the agents. of being interested in
speculations, ETC., and recommending the removal
Of the present officers of the bureau from those
States and the transfer of the duties to the officers
commanding the troops; that as the agents have
but little to do, all cases for trial adjustment
have been turned over to the civil courts.
THE NEW YORK COLLECTOR or CUSTOMS PREPARING
TO ENTER UPON THE DUTIES OF HIS oFFIoE-TN.
CORPORATION OF A NATIONAL THEOLOGICAL m
sTIFUTE.
toms for New York is here to day to file his bonds
and to make other preparations for entering upon
the duties of his office on Monday next.
The President has approved the bill to incor-
porate the National Theological Institute, in the
District Of Columbia, for the education of persons
for the Christian ministry. There is to be no ex-
clusion from the institute on account of theoogi-
cal belief. The bill is silent as to or color.
SPEECH OF Ex-GoY. Il. A. WISE, AT ALExANDRIA-HE
CLAIMS THAT HE is NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS
PAST AGTs-THE INDICTMENT AGAINST. JEFF. DA :
vIs-PosTMAsTERs TO BE REMOVED.
WASHINGTON, May l3.-Ex-G Gen. and ex-GOver-
nor Henry a. Wise leotured in Alexandra last
night, and in the course of his remarks made the
following observations: You might call him the
father of rebels, If you pleased, but he (the
speaker) was alive to defend the dead against the
charge of either treason OF rebellion: A little
further he remarked that there was no power on
earth which could make him move one step from
old Virginia He had made no confessions and
taken no test oath, and there was no power which
could make him take one. He was no traitor :;
that he could swear before high heaven. If he
were one he should deserve to be shot. He had
taken no oath of allegiance, for he was no fore
igner to be naturalized. For two centuries his
forefathers had lived in the old commonwealth of
Virginia, and their bones rested in her soil. He
then asked how many of the foreigners who were
present at the surrender Of the Confederate army
at AppomattoX courthouse could say that What
he said only proved the truth of the three lines of
political wisdom written by William Penn accord
ing to whom the form of government was but an
interior consideration; the worst form in good
hands being almost as good as the best, and the
best form IN bad hands being almost as bad as the
worst He claimed to have always had the highest
regard for the Constitution of the United States,
and said that when the government of the United
States called upon him to suppress instruction,
and, on the other hand his State called upon him
to repe invasion. it was simply conflict of SOW
eteignfy, and he was not responsible for his acts
individually, in obeying the voice of his State.
The indictment presented by the grand jury of
the United States district court OF Virginia
against jeff Davis for treason, received at the
ot1ee OF the attorney general yesterday, being de-
liyered by Judge Underwood in person. Ii was
decided not to give it to the public at present.
The Indictment contains features of special in
terest, being much the same in form as the pre-
vious indictment made at Norfolk.
There are some twenty thousand p0stmasters in
the United States, of whom but eight hundred or
nine hundred require confirmation by the Senate
There are to be vigorous removals among therest,
who are deuouncing the administration. Their dis
mlssals are being made out at the postoffice de-
partment.
THE RECONSTRUCTION PRoPosITIoN-THE CHICAGO
Observation-Disclosures CENT COINS.
WAsHINcToH, May l2,The indications are I'M
stitutional amendments, which passed the House
on Thursday, will be modified in the Senate BY
striking out the third section entirely or substi-
tuting Tor it provision declaring certain classes
OF prominent rebels forever ineligible to office I'M
der the national government.
The President has appointed Judge Walter B,
Seates collector of customs for Chicago.
To get up the new-fYe cent piece which is soon
to be issued it will cost about 5000 600 There
will be, when the coinage is complete SO 500 900 in
this money in circulation, that being the amount
Of postal currency of three and Ave cents that the
com is intended to supersede.
CORRESPONDENCE ON THE MEXICAN QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, May l3.-The last instalment Of
documents relative to Mexico makes between 500
and $50 pages. 1t appears from this mass of cor
respondence that, on the 9TH of January, Mr. Ro-
nero sent documents to Mr.. Seward showing, in
the first place. that the assassination of Gen Oxe-
gon was an accomplished fact, notwithstanding
the endeavors of the French to conceal it, and
moreover, that il was premeditated and executed
by orders from Mexico, or, by the eommand7 of
the French genera[in-chief of the invading army
or BY the French agent in that city on whom they
try TO lay the responsibility of their conduct. he
adds that the assassins have not the manliness to
assume the responsibility of their crime, but have
tried to conceal it, or impose the guilt of it upon
an unhappy traitor officer who has Joined the CON
quors Of his country.
In subsequent Communication, dated Feb 90
transmitting to Mr.. Seward additional documents
u order TO keep the United States government in
loIneg q the conduct Of invaders of Mexico he
says. now call your attention to the inconsis-
tShey on treating the Mexeans as beliperents
ailer having once denied them that right The
HlSuoh agent Macmillan, after having denied all