Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-03-31

From Washington.

WASHINGTON, March 16.--ln the Senate,
Mr. Stewart offered, resolutions, declaring in
favor of universal suffrage in return for univer-
sal amnesty, believing as negro suffrage seems
to be the main impeachment to Southern resto-
ration, its adoption would insure the admission
OF the Southern representatives
The House was engaged in the consideration
of the Loan Bill, which gives the Secretary of
the Treasury new powers in the management
of the country's finances
The Captain eneral OF Cuba, in an official
communication, denounces as untrue the state
ment made by Senator Sumner, that freed
persons from the South have been taken to
Cuba and sold into slavery.
The Supreme Court has before it cases in
volving- the constitutionality Of Missouri's test
oath.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-The House of
Repre- last night, defeated the Loan
bill, 81 to 70, thus condemning the Secretary
of the Treasury's financial policy. The bill
would give him very large powers. 1t is sup
posed that it will be revised and passed. The
defeat occasioned great excitement.
The Secretary Of the Treasury, on yester-
day, sent a message to the House, showing an
available balance iii the Treasury Of over S123,-
100000.
w ASnINtI'pN, VldFCu lJ.--ln the SENATE
to-day Mr.. Fessendcn reviewed Gov. Graham's
letter published in the " National Intellgcn-
Ger, which he said was written to show that
the investigation Of the Reconstruction Com
mttee were not impartial. Mr.. Fcssenden
said that he did not regard the lately rcbellious
States in the light Of criminals on trial, nor
was he acting in the capacity of prosecutor
If Governor Graham desired to introduce fur
fh0rk S,,{l y ~
he could do So
The House to-day reconsdercd the vote by
Which the Loan Bill was, rejected and recon-
mltted 1t to the Committee Of Ways and
Means.
WASHINGTON, March 2O.->Tho House has
passed Bill to protect from legal prosecution
Union officers for acts committed during the
war by order Of superior officers
--> ---.----- ''
Gen. Sherman on the Burning Of Columbia,
South Carolias
The following is the letter of Mujor-G en-.
Sherman OF the burning of Columbia, S. G.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DlyIs1oN)
OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
ST. LOUIS, Mo, March 8, 1866
Bcnyumin Raw%, CotunIst, s.. G.:
i|S"i NJ nave JOut ictlHF' cnCIOSlnG
q petition to the Congress- Of the (}nted States,
asking to be indcmniicd for the loss by fire of
your house and contents, AZ the time of our
occupation in February, 1865. / assure you
that feel deeply for you and all, others who
lost their property in that fire; but if the
United States were to assume The liability, it
would be an admission that we had done wrong.
This is not true The rightrul authority of
the National Government had been resisted in
the State of South Carolina for years, and we
were compelled, at great cost of life and mon
ey, TO conduct thither vast army, and our
progress was resisted by all the force the State
could obtain. Your own citizens resisted cur
approach, not only with arms, but by burning
the bridges over the Edsto, Congareo, Salutia,
and Broad rivers. They burned the depot in
Columbia before we entered the city, because
1t contained corn and stores they supposed we
needed, and set fire to thousands of bales of.
cotton rolled out into the streets, and which
were burning before we entered Columbia I
myself was in the city as early as noon and
saw those fires, and know that efforts were
made to eytinguish them; but. a high and
strong wind kept them alive. I gave no or
ders forth burning of your city, but, on the
contrary, the reverse, and believe the confla-
grafton resulted from the great imprudence of
cutting the cotton bales, whereby the contents
were spread by the wind, 50 that il became an
impossbility to arrest the fire.
~ saw in your Columbia newspapers the