Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-05-13
Tho PardonIng Power.
AN IMPORTANT SUPREME COURT DECISION.

| SooiV VI thc united States has decided in the
case of the United States against Edward
P"ddleford, appealed. FROM tho Court of
Claims under the Captured and Abandoned
Property act Of hiarch II, 1868, for half the
proceeds, paid into the treasury, of twelve
hundred and ninety, three bales of cotton cap.
turcd aS'Savannah, turned over to treasury
agent, and sold under that act. The court
says, IN conclusion "It follows that at the
time of the seizure Of the petitioners property
nc was purgcd of whatever offence against the
laws OF the United States he had committed,
oy tho acts mentioned in tho finding, and
reheved from any penalty which he might
nave incurred; it follows further, that if the
property had been seized before tho oath was
taken, the faith Of the government was pledg-
co to Its restoration upon tho taking of the
oath In good fhith. We cannot doubt that
the petitioners right to the property in qucs-
tlon at the time of tho seizure was perfect.
except as against the acts of the military CON-
monders, and that it is made absou ely per.
tect by pardon, notwithstanding tho seizure;
but 1t has been suggested that the property
was captured in fact, if not lawfully, and that
the proceeds having been paid into the treas
ury OF the United States, the petitioner is
without remedy in the Court of Claims, un-
less proof is made that he gavc no aid or com.
fort to the rebellion. The sufficient answer
is, that after tho pardon no offence connected
with the rebellion can be imputed to him.
II IN other respects the petitioner made tho
proof, which under tho acts entitled him to a
dccrco for the proceeds of his property, tho
law makes tho proof of pardon complete
substitute for proof that he gavo no aid or
comfort to the rebellion. A different con-
struetiop would, as it seems to us, defeat tho
hanl1estihtentlonc ct tne prociainutrou, an. ".
tho act of Congress which authorizedi it, I'm.
der tho proclamation and the act the govern
ment became trustee, holding tho proceeds
of the petitioners property for his benefit,
and having been fully reimbursed for all cx-
penses incurred in that character, loses moth
ing by the judgment which simply awards to
tho petitioner what is his own. These views
require the aflirmance of the judgment of tho
court of claims, and it is accordingly affirm
Cd"
Tho case Of Knox vs. Lee will come up for
rc-argument at the October term of the Su-
promo Court 1t is question Of scqucstra-
ton under the Confederate law. Judge Da-
Wis, of Texas, in his decision, charged the
jury that payment. could be made in United
States legal tender notes. Tho difficulty
arose upon this instruction, and tho argument
has been ordered, because it opens up the
whole question Of the constitutionality of the
Legal Tender Act.
The NILE PRoDLEM.~-~In long and
elaboratcly argued statement on this point,
which appears in tho AMcnaun,, Mr. Bckc
comes to the conclusion that the Kassavi or
kasai is tho head stream and upper course
of the nile Of Egypt; that its principal sources
are in the primcval forests of Ole. Vihenda
and Djikoo or Kibokoc on the N1ossamha
Mountains, which arc now shown to be the
great hya'ophylaciuns Of the continent Of
Africa, tho central point of division between
the waters flowing to the Mediterranean, to
the Atlantic, and to The Indian Ocean, as also
to Ngami or some other inland lake; that tht
approximate position of this, tho true Capu
N2i, is between II deg so min. and 12 deg
south latitude, and in about Is deg. or 10
deg. cast longitude nearly due east of the
port Of St. Phillip Of Benguela on tho west
coast of Africa, and within 300 geographical
miles Of tho Atlantic Ocean; and that this
marvellous river, tho largest in the world, is
thus found to stretch across forty. three de-
grees of latitude, or, if measured diagonaly
over nc.eighth part of tho entire ciroum fer
encs of the globe.
ET- AT trial in an Alabama town not
long since, one of tho witnesses, an old lady
of some eighty years, was closely questioned
by the opposing counsel relative to tho clear
ness Of her eyesight. Is.
"Can you SEQ mo2" said ho. eyes" wa,
answered. elbow wcll can you sec me p
persisted the, lawyer "Well enough" res
ponded the lady, "to SEQ that you arc neithe,
q negro, an Indian; nor gentlemen.'' The
|; answer brought down the house and silencet
III the counsel. ,4 ~
ED- Brick Pomcroy says: s'The State o
!, Tennessee takes its name. from tho Tennessee
! river, the course Of which is somewhat in th,
q .sx..