The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-11-24

| We make some interesting extracts from the
politial gossip contained in the Washington
| November 2O) correspondence OF the Balti-
more Gazette:
As had been anticipated, the trumped-uP
| charges of fresh outrages at the South and
| election frauds at the North were not made
without special motive. They were apparently
useless lin public estimation) after the close OF
the election, but the real: hidden oDlects OF
these attacks are rapidly becoming developed.
| have already adverted to the purpose OF Atrl-
canizine the border States, and of upsetting
the elections in New York and Philadelphia.
| It is now proposed to punish the people OF
Georgia an Louisiana for their votes against
the Radical party, and those OF Virginia, Mis-
sissippi and Texas for failing to put themselves
in a position to swel Grants majority. Let
us haye peace" in the Radical vocabulary,
means let us have abject submission every
where to the behests Of the Radicals, under
new and more stringent edicts prescribing new
and severer punishments Look at the pro-
gramme as cautiously disclosed by the chosen
Radical organ at this point:
every few members of Congress are IN the
city, but it is easy to gather from those
present, as well as from resident and visiting
Republicans, that there are two subjects upon
which there will be quick action and determln-
ed unity-the protection of life and property IN
the South, alike OF the Union people as OF the
Union traveller. and the punishment and pre-
vention of frauds upon the ballotcbox."
This plainly threatens new legislation. The
pretext is profoundly and palpably ridiculous.
The character of the legislation intended may
be gathered from the following. excerpt from
the same sheet; it is evidently additional pains
and Ienalties:
"Let Democratic violence in the South 60
unchecked and unpunished, and at the next
election the rebel uniforms Of New Orleans
t,o, do l,aIr n
contagious that not Union citizen eau live,
much less vote, in the South; and let Demo-
cratic fraud in the North go unchecked and
unpublished, and at the next election the re-
peaters and roughs Of New York City will not
only carry New York State by their frauds, but
will overflow, as before, into Connecticut, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, and submerge the le-
gal majorlties of all these States"
Such are the terms Of reconciliation to be Of
ferod by Congress, which the South, aud, in
deed, the whole country, are invited to accept
as a condition of "Lettiug US have Peace"
In the meantime thoughtful men are turning
their eyes toward every point to find means
Of extrlcatins the country from Impending
ruin. referred yesterday to the suggestion
of an eminent Radical, that National Con-
stitutional Convention offered the swiftest,
surest and only solution Cf our difficulties.
Unexpectedly, find him supported BY very
prominent gentleman on the other side. Hon.
s. S. Nicholson, OF Kentucky, has written and
published letter recommending such move
ment, and suggesting an abridged enumera-
ton of the numerous important questions
which have arisen, or which, &C, jrdlng to the
test of the practical working of the great gov
ernment machine since it left the hands OF its
makers, will arise hereafter to mar it's success
full action in accordance with it's inspired the
ory, and then submits the following PROPOSE
tion and comments among others
TOhn vi
renee OF either House, should recommend the
call of q coIvention for the accomplishment OF
such objects as these, the requisite Legisa-
lures would make the call, and the convention
could be held aud its action ratified before the
end of the first session OF the next Congress.
Then, and not till then, solid, permanent
peace and prosperity would be restored to the
nation, and the half of the army disbanded
with an annual saving 10 the nation OF from
forty to siYty millions of dollars. The evil eff
fects for the future OF the bad war precedents
would be materially if not entirely corrected
by this sort of legalizng saving against their
alleged invalidlty, without any extilclt coll
demnat,on. The constitution would be REIN
stated in its supremacy, with an Implicit conf
mand from the nation that hereafter it should
be obeyed; that all future action OF goyernm mt
functlonaries should be within and never out
side its limits"
AND CoaRUDTIoN-How MUCH MONEY IS SAID
TO HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AMONG MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS-.
When the Alaska purchase had been COM
pleted and the bill appropriatng 81, 200 600 had
passed Congress, there was much speculation
over the country al to what portion OF this
purchase money had been used in feeling men,
bers OF Congress and sobsldizing the press. In
the hustle Of politics and under pressure of
events these speculations ceased, and both
Alaska and the ''lobby" were soon forgotten.
A few weeks ago the subject was again revived
by mysterious whispering around that GER
tain parties had, by some means, either fair or
foul, p assessed themselves OF an accurate and
detailed list Of the several sums OF money paid
out here to secure the passage of the Alaska
appropriation, and the names or the par-
ties receiving the same. The payments, 1t
was said, amounted to 81, 200 000 and that only
Eve millions OF dollars would be paid over to
the Russian Government. g. single member
OF Congress was reported to have received for
his share Of the booty quarter OF million,
while each Of the leading journals of New
York was put off With $4,000. This report
had It's day and was also soon forgotten, but
the cable dispatch stating that the Barlngs
had drawn draft in favor of Russia for f1,-
600 600 sterling in payment for Alaska, has re-
vived the story, and this draft being the exact
amount which it was alleged Russia would re-
that the otlier s2,2O0,0O0 was distributed on
this side OF the Atlantic. 1t may be that o
committee of Congress will be raised to inves-
tigate these charges, and determine how much
it cost the Russian Government to secure her
money for the sale of her North American pos
sessions.
TIE PRINTING BUREAU RUMoRED sURREP-
IITIoUS ISSUE OF BONDS.
As the Congressional Committee on Re-
trencbmeut nave at last worked their way into
the Printing Bureau Of the Treasury, it might
be we'll for them to examine into trausactlon
which, although never before made pubic, ex-
hibits the loose way in which matters have beon
conducted in the Treasury Department. About
year since, more or less, 1t was considered
necessary to have the plates from which the
$1,000 bonds were printed retouched by an en-
gravcr, and for this purpose these plates were
sent to Philadelphia, where th y remained
twelve lays, although it was supposed the
work Of repair would not occupy as many
hours. Where these plates were during their
twelve avs absence, or who had them III spc-
o,al keeping, is perhaps known III the treasury
building; but the belief of many is that during
| those twelve days eighty millions of bonds
were printed, many OF which have since
found their way back here, and some of them
have been redeemed, as is shown by the duph-
cate numbers.