Smyrna times., 1867-05-22

THE BRIDESMAID Next to being a bride
herself, every good-Iooking young lady likes to
be bridesmaid. WedlOck is thought by a
large proportion of the blooming sex to be con-
tagious and, much to the credit oftheir cour-
age, fair SplnsterS are not at all afraid otcatch-
ing it. Perhaps the theory that the affection
Is communicated by contact is correct. Ger
tainly We have known one marriage to lead to
another, and sometimes to such series Of hap
py events" as to favor the belief that matrimo-
ny runs like the cholera.
Is there any book entitled 'Rules for Brides
maid" in secret circulation among young la
dies? 1t seems as if there must be, for all the
pretty bridesmaids act precisely alike. So far
as official conduct is concerned when you have
seen one bridesmaid you have seen the whole
fascinating tribe. Their leading duty seems to
be to treat the bride as "a victim led with gar
lands to the sacrafce" They consider it
necessary to exhOrt her to cheer up" 1t is
assumed by poetic fiction that she goes in a
state Of trepidation to the altar, and, upon the
whole, would rather not Her fair assistants
provide themselves with pungent essences, lest
she should faint at the trying moment,
which, between you and us, she has no more
idea of doing than she has of dying. 1t is
true she sometimes tells them that she "feels
as if she should sink in the earth," and that
they respond, " Poor, dear soul," and apply
the smelling bottle but she goes through her
nuptial martyrdom with great fortitude, new
ertheless. In nine cases out of ten the bride
groom is more "Hustered' than the fragile
and lOvel y creature at his side; but nobody
thinks Of plying him, poor fellow All SYM
pathy, compassion, interest, is concentrated
upon the BRIDE and if one of the grOOnsmen
does recommend him to take u glass of wine
I | hlf,,ra hn n,.rn tA StnnIV bIS the
advice is given superciliousl ly-as who Shall
say What are you, old fellow"
Bridesmaids may be considered as brides IL
what lawyers call the "inchoate" or inciplen
state They are looking forward to that day
Of triumphant weakness when it shall be thel
turn to be poor, dear creatured, and volatI
esalted and otherwise sustained and supporte
Id, as the law of nuptial prctences Directs
Let US hope they may not De disappointed.
TIE SUPREME COURT AND TIE SOUTH
The Supreme Court adjourned Oh Thursda!
till Decmber, but before closing the session
settled finally, no doubt the attempt to prevcn
the enforcement of the Reconstruction law
The history Of the injunction bills Is one 0
weakness, legally and morally. When, owe
the veto of the President, Congress passed tn
supplementary Reconstruction bill, the SOutl
Welded at once Such a law had been know
to be inevitable more than this it was felt t.
be lust. There were few men III the Rebc
/ States who did not well know that over thei
) heads hung tha sword that the United State
had the right aud the power to impose all tn
penalties of treasOn and that cOnhScatlOn an
the division Of lands were punishment froI
which at least no legal appeal could be made
The extent OF the punishment was q questiO
of morals more than Oflaw, Of generosity NOR
than of Justice Davis Stephens, Lee, John
u ston, Hampton, were all men whose lives an
h property the Government held at its mercy
} 1t spared the men, it spared the property, an
5 the terms it finally required were felt not to b
G SO much Il punishment as a precautlOn. There
e fore, when the South was placed under tempo
: rary military rule, when the ballot was give
t to the Freedmen, and the method Of rcstor;
y ton was prescribed, the South was ready
, yield, and did yield quietly, though there wei
), men aud Journals who did their utmost to o.
Y ganize resistance. Lee, johnson, llamptO
t counselleJ submission; most of the SOuther
$ Governors advised the people of their STATE
y to take part in registration, and formal opp
e sitiOn began and ended with Gov. Sharkcy
! Mississippi, and Gov. Jenkins of Georgia.
If More dangers opposition it is true, is embodie
!, in the brutal murders of negroes We have fro
Y week to week reported, and i'll such blood
il riots as that at Mobile last Tuesday, but tn;
!. may safely be left to the law itself to subdu
Ii v. T. Tribune.