Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-01

ment OF Tennessee 'rebels. He speaks In
high terms of the loyalty Of the people Of
Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, and con-
tends that lenient policy on the part of the
dominant party is all that is required to bring
about full returns 70 peace and prosperity. -
He predicts that Gen. Grants administration
will be liberal and conservative. We sincerely
hope the prediction may be fulfilled to the let
ter. But We wait to see.
The Washington Star says that it is rumored
'that this Government does not accept the
protocol for the settlement Of the Claims, for
warded by Mr. johnson, and that amendments
to it we're forwarded yesterday by the cable.
And, it is further stated that Mr.. Sumner,
chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations, says if the terms of the proposed
treaty are anything like those reported 10 the
newspapers, they would be rejected by the
Senate, even if consented to by the admins
tration.
The Attorney Generals opinion upon the
eight hour law, heretofore referred to, has been
presented to the President, and will soon be
published. The conclusion to which the At
torney General comes IS that the recent act
does not require that the wages of the short
ened day of government labor should be reduc
ed in the proportion Of the hours OF labor,
and that act as little requires that the wages Of
this shortened day should be as large as the
wages of the longer day of private employ
ment.
In the U. s. Circuit Court, in Richmond,
yesterday, Mr.. Ould, counsel for Mr.. Jeffer
son Davis, made motion to quash the indict-
ment against Mr.. Davis, on the ground that
the fourteenth amendment prescribes no other
punishment for participation in the rebellion"
than that OF disiranchisement. The pro.
scouting attorney moved to postpone the mo-
ton till the latter part of the term. Chief
Justice Chase decided to hear argument on the
motion next Thursday
Yesterday, in the Circuit Court, 10 Wash
ington, Judge CARTIER the case of John
Naglee, jr., against E. NJ. Stanton, late Secre
tary of War, was, on motion Of f. l.. Stanton,
discontinued, the plaintiff to pay costs. Mr.. Nag
lee owned farm in Prince William county, Vir-
ginia. which was occupied for time in 1865
by u. s. troops, alleged to be under orders of
the defendant as Secretary of War, and he
claimed damages for the driving away of cattle
and injury to the crops.
Gen. Meade, in his report of affairs in his
military department. says that he has steadily
refused to make changes in the civil offices
there, except where there was found to be neg
lect of duty, malIeasance in Office, open refusal
to obey the Reconstruction laws or attempts
to obstruct their execution. He further says
that if it be deemed proper for the military
to intervene in civil affairs, more power should
be given the Department Commanders than
the present laws confer.
Mr.. John S. Garlic, formerly Senator
from West Virginia, writes a letter to Mr.. For
ney, 10 favor of an amendment to the Consti-
tuition, declaring that all male citizens twenty
one years of age and upward, shall be entitled
to vote at all elections, State and federal that
no test oaths, political or religious. shall be re-
CURED and no person excluded except for
crime after conviction, or for mental ineapac-
ity, ascertained by competent judicial au-
thority"
We are, at length, in "cahoot" with the
Baltimore American in one opinion it express
es; and that is, that the time has fully como
Nh ~ tbo roooes;t1 rs oo0nop,v aD1 rotronob
ment in public expenditures should force Con-
gerss to make further provision for return to
specie payments, aud the maintenance OF the
public credit. Reform and Retrenchment
The National Intelhgencer thinks it hardly
credible that Mr.. Stanton will be appointed
Secretary of War; under the new administra-
ton. We don't know. Strange things have
happened-and may happen again. People
have arrived at that condition, that, with regard
to public affairs, they are not astonished much
at anything.
Scotch costumes have been brilliant feature
Of the promenade 10 New York for the past two
months. 1t is the first time for many years
that the tartan has acquired q real vogue,
and it undoubtedly owes its success to the new
styles which have impaired to walking costumes
picturesque and graceful character.
Thanksgiving Day was thus observed, 10
Fredericksburg, according to the Ledgerof that
place: Last Thursday was Thanksgiving
day. All the stores were kept open and all the
churches closed The truth is, Christmas in
the South, is the dag, for the people.
The Richmond Dispatch has an article upon |
a subject of great Importance to the farmers of
Virginia "the HORSE" 1t says that the breed |
is degenerating most wofully in this State, and
that we must return to the original fountain of
purity, and obtain blooded stock.