The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-19

A'i- A<Hhk nAHSOh LIN kao.o. - \ III,
cable has intimated that the Emperor
Napoleon is i'll. That is fact which
has been known for some time past,
though for obvious sreasonsthe French
Journals have had but little TO say
about 1T. The court gossps are less
retlcent. The press may be pad
locked, but it is n harder matter to
keep peoples tongues still His
Majesty's ailment is understood to be
dlabetes-and as the doctors say that
is a complaint from which the patient
rarely recovers. it is not surprising
that people are beginning to specu-
late upon what is going TO happen.
The Emperor, undoubtedly aware of
the fact that he must die some time,
settled the succession" long while
aa9o-but. in country like france, it
is much easier to make settlement
on paper than settlement in fact.
Dynastic settlements are never GER
tam there. The people are fond Of
change, and as they have not had one
now for good many years, the
temptation to indulge ina new deal
of the cards, should tho Emperor
drop Off, might lie too powerful for a
Regency, or an Empress as popular
even as Eugenie, to control.
1t Is Idle to calculate on the future,
however, III II case like this. No
thing Is certain, but uncertainty.
And that is one of the Weaknesses of
what is called strong Government.
with all power vested in one man
When the one man dies, there is no.
thing left behind--to fall back upon.
everything is at the mercy Of chance.
Not so III free Governments. The
Queen of England might die to-day.
ana the machine would goon Just as
before, without apprehension OF revo-
luton, anarchy, or anything Of the
sort. The President of the United
States, also, might die, but The Go
vernment would be in no danger of
dying with him. Free Governments.
i'll point of fact, are always the
strongest. Those which rest npon
the lone man power are ever in
peru OF crumbling to pieces, when
the man himself IS no more.
Ncr York Er3,rrS<.
VALIDITY OF DEEDS rouLANp SOLD
FOR CONFEDERATE MONEY -I,IpoR-
TANT DECISION. Warrenton .Ne4
A"el contains the following report of
an interesting and important case:
Stewart and Palmer rs. Hanback,.
An action OF unlawful detaincr.
This Is an action instituted by the
plaintiffs to recover the possession of
tract Of land called Waverlv. q mile
and-a-half from this place. The trial
of the case has engaged the attention
of the Court for the last three days,
and the main point in the case was.
as to the validity Of n deed executed
by Il. NJ. Smith to the plaintiffs. in
June. 1863, the consideration Of
which was Confederate money.
Hanback, entered upon the posses
sio;l ci the land in 1862, and held it
rs the tenant of Smith Smith sold
and conveyed to the plaintiffs, by the
deed Of June. 1863 The question
upon the deed was raised by the de-
PENDANTS counsel by motion to cx-
clude it as evidence from the Jury,
and was elaborately argucdby Messrs.
Helm and Hunton, for the defendant,
and by Messrs. Tucker and Shack ell
iOA'i, iOi tIS CON- Hl)lil!HaNtS. 4tlc court
overrnled the motion to exclude, and
allowed the deed to go to the jury.
The result Of this ruling settles the
law, so far as this Court is concerned,
III favor Of the validity OF deeds for
land sold during the war for Confede-
rate money.
The jury rendered verdict TO-, the
plaintiffs. We understand the case
will be carried mp to the Court of
Appeals.
GENERAL GRANr.-Thc Richmond
Times says: The fidelity of General
Grant to his Commandcrin-C Chief is
something for which he deserves in
finitely more credit than for his much
landed victories over half starved
army of brave Confederate soldiers.
The indignant and earnest manner in
which, at the theatre in Cincinnati,
he rebuked the men who would have
honored him at the expense of his
Chief, marks him as gentleman and
a man of sterling worth.
Whether he sustains the Presidents 3