Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-08-24

1arrlSOnDurS. martyr 70 MS country cause.
But Gen. Ashby wore the grief for his broth.
er's death near his heart; there was no symbol
of mourning for the world, and except that the
face, always serious, assumed more penslve
cast, the voice always kind and rich aud musl
cal, almost tenderness of manner with the
soldiers of his command, there was 20 visible
change in the hero. His deeds were charac-
terized by the same celebrity and galantry, and
his vigilance, just as when he set forth on that
reconnaissance which evcntuated in his brothers
death. His was the patriotism Of BayarI, that
administered rcbuke to the constable BJur
bon, with dying words; his the self sacrifice OF
Sidney, who, wounded to death, passed from
his own lips cup OF cold water to comrade in
arms His death. too, was not unlike theirs,
for they all offered up their lives in vindicarion
Of their country honor OIL Commonwealth.
AN UNOsTESTATIor-s EMPEROR. In very
readable letter from Ems Kate Field gives an
interesting account OF the demeanor and habits
of the Emperor William, of Germany who was
recently spending soue time at that famous
watering place. The manners OF the old Ger
man Emperor are SO different from what one
would expect from royal parsonage OF such
distinction, that an agreeable surprise seIzes Us
as we read the account.
Erect and soldcrly in his carriage, portly but
not obese in figure, the Emperor resembles an
old English gentleman. He is nearly seventy
five years old, but he is as active and strong as
many men are at fifty. He waited sixty years
before he was made king, and he was sixty
nine before he became an Emperor.
At Ems, where noted personages from all
parts of Europe are assembled, this old llohcn-
zoon conducts himself in the most quiet and
transformations manner. Dressed in plain
suit of pepper aud salt, y he appears among
the people, accompanied by only u single mem-
Der Of his Court He drinks his water at the
spring like everybody else, shakes hands with
his friends, bows to everybody, and dlscour-
ages ceremony of all kinds. In taking leave
of some gentlemen, who had been obscqulousIy
dctercntial, he in polite way informed them
that it was bore to him to return salutatons,
and that on the grounds he had rather not be
recognized. Such is the simplicity and unre-
servedness of the man.
While no one pronounces the Emperor to be
man of great ability, yet his mind is eminent,
ly practical HIS discovery of the genius of
ist into his confidence and service, are probably
the greatest achievements of his life.
There is one thing about the old man which
is not praseworthy. He has kind Of mania
for whining over his imagined poverty and con-
demning the extravaganza of those around
him, when in reality 40 one would call it cx-
travagance, as compared with the glitter and
costliness of other European royal households.
-ItusJurg Progress.
Ex-Governor SMITH. THE old man. clio
quent" on Monday again lifted the banner of
Constitutional liberty before the people. His
indictment of Grant was scathiug as the volcan-
ic flow. 1t told Of the sacrifice of Alabama
and Georgia. to the tune of $3O.O0O,00O each;
how they were cheated of their political fran
chises, and made victims to the pageant of
Grant; how South Carolina poor, wan and la
cerated, once SO proud, lofty and courtly, has
been inundated by the tyrant, and the land
which once reSounded with the elOquence Of
Haynes and Calhoun and Preston, is now fill
ed with the gathering of negroes such as run
naked in Dahomey, and eat many better
white man than the radical who now leads
them to the polls. The argument wa: over
whelming, but the pcrora Ion was subhmcy
beautiful, aud when it closed with an luvoca-
ton to the people of the Tenth Legion, con-
Meeting it with "reminiscences OF the past, when
under the rule of the Democratic party the nag
OF our country was symbol OF constitutional
freedom the heart Of every auditor responded
in sympathy with the glowing sentiment, and
amid the memories OF ancient glory, forgot Tor
the time, the deep gloom which enshrouds our
beautiful South. How true Gov. Smith is TO
duty his two exhaustive efforts on Saturday
and Monday tell. Not an appointed eIector,
he has come to his old friends in Rockingham
as a matter of love. and unfolded the deep I'M
uuitcs of Grants administration, and the ne
cessity of attempting salvation through the
election of Horace Greeley. Oil Comolon-
1ccuM.
ELECTRICAL WONDERS BY the mirror gal
of Sir William Thomson, which was
Of the utmost importance in securing the sue
cess Of the Atlantic Cable, ray Of light is re-
accted from minute mirror that is attached TO
4 magnetic needle When the electric current
passes the magnet is detected and the move
mcnt of the reflected spot Of light over scale
indicates the resistance to the passage OF the
current. The united weight of mirror aud mag
net is three quarters of a grain.
During the experiments with the Atlantic
Telegraph both cables were connected at the
American end giving circuit of more than four
thousand miles yet current passed through the
Whole distance 10 less time than person could
BASS across the small room lnwhlch the expert
nent was made-and, most wonderful OF all, the
,atterry that accomplished this result was con-
aimed in lady's silver thimb.e -.Scrt6ner's
or September
SHENANDOAH VALLEY RAlLRoAD.-Chlcf !
engineer Barrett, having secured the requisite
number Of hands, lett here on last Monday for
Milford. From that point he proposes to com
,Iete the line of the road to this place, and we
understand that the line will be put under con
ract at once This looks like business. We
lope very soon to hear demands for hands to
sc picks and shoves. The contractors on the
york sub-let last February are pushing their
ections forward with energy; and everything
pertaining to this ENTERPRISE Is reported 10 q