The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-02-15

generally imported into Eng land at one
to three over proof, but the strength
is lessened by age, so that when taken
from bond for sale it seldom exceeds
three or four under proof. The quail
ity Of the brandy depends not, -as may
be generally supposed, on the quantity
OF alcohol it contains so much as on
the minor constituents, notably the
enanthic ether, from which 1t derives
its distinguished smell and flavor.
This fact becomes apparent when 1t is
reflected that while brandy, as is well
known. improves with age, it loses
thereby part Of its alcoholic strength.
The very finest brandIes, in fact, aver
age from five to ten under proof, and
never rise above two under proof.
A New York letter of Monday says:
The event that has excited most at
tention to-day in business circles is the
announcement in Washington that the
President is IN favor of returning to
specie payments by the first of March.
TIE money kings on Wall street have
grave doubts of its practicsbIlity, but
at the Gold Exchange they seem to
have different conviction, as the pre-
MUM there has dropped to a lower
point than it has yet reached, with a
very pronounced anxiety on the part
of those who are long of the market
TO get out. Whatever may be the re-
suit of the Presidents suggestions on
the finances, it is certain he has done
the country good turn, il only in Civ
ing people pew topic TO discuss, and
to divert their minds from what many
are beginning to call the greatly over
done question of the. disputed presi-
dency. Among the merchants the
feeling seems TO be that prices of pref
ty much every description of merchan-
disc are now 80 near if not beyond
"hard -pan," that the bringing of the
government credit to an equality with
gold, if the thing be possible, would
have very little disturbing effect. Tue
markets, therefore, exhibit no uneasi-
ness, and the change IN values since
Saturday are well nigh imLerceptjble.
At the Produce Exchange there are two
parties-ons insisting that the presi-
Dental proposition is attainable; the
other that it is at least two years ahead
| of time"
There seems good ground for believ-
ing that the principa. leaders of the
Mollie Naguires will soon suffer the
full penalty of their crimes, and that
the State of Pennsylvania will before
long be free from the attacks of what
was undoubtedly one of the strongest
and most fendish combinations that
| 1ia-raaa1 lah Ar 10 Of
country. There are now twelve men
awaiting execution in the jails OF
Schuylkill and Carbon counties, all I'm.
der death sentence, the names of the
men in Mauch Chunk jill being Mi.
chael ]. Doyle, Edward Kelly, Alexan
der Campbell, John Donahoe and
Thomas Fisher, and In Pottsville pris.
on Hugh Mcclellan, James Roarty,
james Carroll, Thomas Boyle, Thomas
Mimloe, Jack Kehoe and Thomas Duffy
AS the Supreme Court has been moveC
in their behalf, the date of execution
is at present uncertain, although iboth
the doomed men and their friend!
seem to be respondent and to look up
on the result as inevitable. John Don
ahoe, or 'Yellow Jack, will be hanged
on the eighth of March, being too poor
to take his case to the Supreme Court,
and having been deserted by his
friends. The legal expenses of con
Quoting the other cases are very heavy
and the several branches of the'ordel
throughout the country aro contribut
ing freely towards this object. Arch
bishop Wood, of Philadelphia, was, i
appears, the first man who assisted
Franklin B. Gowan, president of the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. il
planning the war of determination
and engaging one of Plnkerton's de
tectives 10 ferret out the criminals
For this praiseworthy action and hi
repeated public denunciation of the or
der a very bitter state of feeling hA
been aroused against him by the mem
bers and their friends.