smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

The Printing Bureau of the Treasury Depart
ment is now actively engaged in printing the
tax-paid stamps for distilled spirits, in accord
aDce with the new revenue law. The stamps
are about five inches square, with handsome
vignette representing the reaping of grain, and
are made of ten different denominations, from
twenty to one hundred and thirty. Each
denomination of stamps has nine coupons
attached, so that these ten stamps will
answer for any number of gaugcd GAL
Ions between those numbers.T They are
bound in books, with stamps attached to
each stamp, like bankers checks, and being
charged for their full value to the collector he
gets credit for all unused coupons remaining In
the book on its return; and thus the system
operates as o check upon the collector, prevent
ing fraud either by collusion or otherwise. The
method by which reuse, or the use second
time, of the stamp is prevented is new aud
ingenious. The stamp is pierced with large
hole IN the centre, which is covered by
a thinner paper before printing. After
1t is printed and attached to the bar
rel it cannot be soaked off and reused,
as the beer stamps have been, because the
stamp will come off in two pieces which, from
their peculiar construction, cannot again be
united on another barrel. The stamp is perma-
nently defaced by any attempt to remove 1T,
One peculiarity of the stamp is that 1t cannot be
printed except by what is known as the dry
process, by hydrostatic power, so that the
stamps cannot in the present state of the art, be
printed anywhere but in the Treasury Depart
ment This efectualy prevents counterfeitng.
The stamps, as well as the paper upon which
they are printed, were invented by Mr.. ). NJ.
Clark, Chief of the Printing Bureau.
Year: 1868

A blue book, containing the annual report OF
the Committee OF Coancil on Education for the
year ending l867-6S has just been published for
the information Of Parliament. From this
document 1t appears that during the year to
which the report refers there had been an
increase on the return Of the year previously in
the number OF schools Or departments Of schools
Year: 1868

had no right 10 Judge Of the cOnsuonaty OF an act OF
Congress after It had become law that being judicial
question II this not So 1t would be the right and
therefore the duty OF every President 80 soon
"a he was inauguraed to take up the hundreds OF vol
umes containing all the acts Of Congress and inquire u
dcially which OF them constitutional and which
not and carry into execution those which he believed to
he constitutional and refuse to execute those which he
believed TO DO unconstitutional Isdy The President cotd
be- nsping the judicial function and 0rertrotoing The dis
f,eton cyraled ythe Constitution befreen He coordinate
deDarfgepfs Of he GorGTMent II he 10 attempt 10
ercise such poueraS that he has DISCRETION erotpt
10 erece The act; and hdtmpOrtan fact goes 10 the rey
gis, NJ he matter. When an application is made for a
mandamus TO compel the performance OF act. or an


Injunction TO restrain the execution Of Illegal act. it
depends upon whether the executive officers have dis
erection in either to Judge Of the law and right to
execute IL or not at their pleasure II they have dis
creton and the law positively commands the execution
OF a particular act the remedy IS by mandamus to act
armatyey II the law fOrbids peremptOrily the
ton OF an act them where it be made judicial ques
ton the appeal the judicial tribunals and especially
where the question ia constitutional one. In this case
Me President has discretion ercp 10 ereee the lac; the
subordinate officers who Obeying his commands have
no discretion except carry his orders into ehect ana


there is no discretion such case detreea an eIec"re
aud d ministerial duty.
Year: 1868




The remarkable debate on the Alabama
claims which took place in the British Parlia-
ment on Friday night, and of which the tele-
graph gives us a long abstract this morning,
ought to convince us that if there is any lnsu-
perable obstacle to q speedy settlement of our
dispute with England that obstacle must exist
with ourselves. All parties in Great Britain
are anxious that the matter should be set at
rest. There are very few who are not ready
to meet us halfway ; and many of the leading
statesmen are ready to admit nearly every
thing we claim, and to appoint mixed COM
mission Immediately to settle the amount of
damages. What then is the point of differ
ence between the two Governments Simply
this Mr.. Seward maintains that the British
Government acknowledged the Rebels as bel
ligerents sooner than it had any right to do so
that this acknowledgment was material aid
and comfort to them; and that an arbitrator
must take it into consideration before the
indemnity due us can be properly adjusted.
Lord Stanley will not admit this and so the
matter stands


Now whatever may be said of the justice of
our position land it is by no means certain that
| it is ust for the first person to recognize the
| Rebels as belligerents was not Queen Victoria
but President LincOln), it ought not to be for
gotten that what we really want is not de-
cision Of this question of belligerency, but the
payment of damages. Grant that Lord Stan
ley is right that the moment any large frag-
ment of a nation takes up arms to assert its
independence, all the rest Of the world has a
right to acknowledge it as a bellgerent; who
will profit by the admission of the doctrine so
much as we Ourselyes-we who have always
been prompt to recognize and encourage pop
ular instructions against despOtic powersf
Besides, Mr. Seward be it remembered, does
not ask that an umpire shall decide upon the
Justice of the recognition. He only wants the
arbter to turn the matter over in his mind F;
to see what bearing it may have upon the
question of responsibility, and perhaps the
amount of damages. But the responsibility is
not seriously denied in England. Many leading
statesmen are ready to admit it at the start,
| and TO agree to a mixed commission for
settling the claims without further prelim-
inaries. AT any rate we risk little or nothing
by waving Mr.. Stewards point, and leaving
history to pronounce upon the precise time
when the Southern COnfederates became bel
lieerents in the sense of international law.
That they acquired belligerent rights in the
course of the war nobody denies; that they
acquired them before the Alabama put to sea,
we think can hardly be disputed. Mr.. Stewards
difficulty therefore is mainly matter of senti-
ment, and cannot seriously affect the real
question at issue, which is the amount of com
pensation Great Britain ought to make us for
the depredatiOns of cruisers fitted out iii her
ports and with her connivance. She recognizes
the debt, and is willing to pay it. Let us not
higgle over the means of getting at the
amount, but meet her in frank and friendly
spirit, and a great trouble will he off OuI
nipds
Year: 1868

The Pennsylvania Democratic Convention
think it is unjust to the soldiers to allow black
men to vote in reconstTucting the South. Do
they mean that it is unjust to the 17S,OOO col
ored troops' Do they forget that the negroes
were represented in the army By hundred
volunteers where the COpperheads had one
Let the Democracy of Pennsylvania be "sby'
of calling on the soldiers to decide who shall
vote, lest instead of DISTINGUISHING the colored
troops they find black mark set on those who
perpetratcd the "fre in the rear during the
struggle of our soldiers &C the front
Year: 1868

The attempt 20 represent impeachment "a a
partisan maneuver because none but Union
men vote for it, and because all Union men
do sustain it, Is exactly on par with the at
tempts from the same sources to represent the
War for the Union, and Emancipation and Re-
construction on the basis of equality as partisan
maneuvers. Under free governments every
thing that is done of any political importance
must be done by a party and is very likely to
be opposed 10y the opposite party. The Rebel
lion was almost exclusively undertaken by tho
Democratic party. The War for the Union
was exclusively carried through by the friends
of tho Union. Reconstruction has been the
work of the Union party. Most of the laws of
Congress for the past six years have been passed
by the Union party. That party naturally rep
rcsents freedom, intelligence, law, and order.
The Democratic party as naturally represents
despotism, stupidity anarchy, disobedence of
law, and dsintegration. AZ all parties commit
some errors, the Republican party is not exempt.
In moment of generous over-confidence it al
lowed Andrew johnson to be foisted upon il as
a candidate for Office 1t elected him in spite
of tho protestltions OF The Ne'c- York World,
Herald, and Chicago Times that he was boorish
tailor and drunken and unprinciped dcmn-
gOguc. While ihe Union party was right
in its principles, ", are convinced that the Dem
ocracy in these criticisms of the man showed the
more thorough anG accurate knowledge of his
character They ought TO have known him bet
ter than we, since he had always dissipated in
their company. Tley knew he was not fit to
be President then, ald we know it now. Com
bining tho knowledge of both parties, it fol-
lows that the whole country knows it. And it
should be the special duty of the party that is
responsible for his election to remove him.
Year: 1868

President Johnson has been duly summoned
to respond on Friday next to the grave inn
peachment of his political conduct by the
House of Representatives, and will doubtless
do so at the time appointed. 1t seems to be
generally understood that he will not put in a
personal appearance before the Senate, but will
respond to the charges and contest their va
lidity by counsel and that several of the ablest
and most eminent lawyers IN the land have
been retained for this purpose. 1t is intimated
that he will challenge the array" or in some
shape demuT to the competency of the court OF
impeachment, either on the ground that the
States are not all represented or that the Senators
have prejudged him, or perhaps a little of both.
The maladrOit intimatiOn of the Hon. James
Brooks, when impeachment was last proposed
i'm the House, that the trial would be pro-
tracted TO the end of his term, probably af-
fords a clew to the tactics of the defense. The
lawyers will demur, and caviL and appeal and
raise points" and endeavor thus to tire out or
bewilder the Senate or the managers for the
House, until a popular clamOr shall be raised
for stopping the prosecution and allowing Con-
gress TO revert TO the consideration of measures
Of retrenchment, relief and reduction of the
public burdens.


In full view of this obvious purpose, we still
distrust the wisdom, and indeed the practica-
bility, of pressing the trial TO an early issue.
The proceeding is one of the utmost gravity,
and, in some respects, of decided novelty. 1t
is not to be dispatched like the conviction and
sentence of pichpocket caught in the act.
The days when prisoners hang that jurymen
"may dine are nearly over; and the court
can make no haste that is inconsistent with its
own dignity nor with judicial calmness and
impartiality We shall be disappointed if the
trial shall be ended within thirty days after it
shall have fairly begun.


Yet we hear with regret that the House is
urged to take a recess, on the plea that no leg
islatiye business can properly be transacted
while this trial is in progress. We respectfully
dissent from this assumption. However adyisa-
Year: 1868

The question of the abolition of the death
penalty, which has during the past few years
engaged the attention of nearly every Parlia-
ment in Europe, Will shortly come up in the
English House of Commons. Though none OF
the great political parties have officially de-
fined its relation to this question, in England,
as in Europe generally, the advocates OF an
abolishment of the death penalty are chiefly
found in the Progressive party. The COnserv-
atives are almost everywhere a unit against its
abolition.
Year: 1868

When Mr.. Winkle wanted the constables to
prevent his fighting duel, he begged his
friend Snodgrass not to give information to
the magistrates, aud Snodgrass much to his
disappointment, promised that he would not
The Nep- York Times, it seems to us, Is acting
very much as Winkle did, when it urges the
Southern freedmen not be riotous, and dis
orderly, and not 10 interfere in any way with
the controversy on impeachment. There
never has been any reason to suppose that they
would interfere. They have never shown a
disposition to do anything else than quietly
mind their business. earn honest liyings as
best they can, aud get an education. If any
disorder arise at the South, we may be sure
il will not arise from the freedmen.
Year: 1868

Democratic journals TEEN with predictions
that the Senate finds r Johnson guilty OF the acts for
which he has been mpeached by the House, and
him from his office. tho Republican party will be over
whelmlngly defeated at the Presidential election.


Then why do they oppose impeachment
Surely, if they can succeed to power after the
expulsion of Andrew Johnson, they ought. as
true partisans, to be very thankful to the Re-
publicans for thus committing suicide. IL this
impeachment is going to work SO disastrousiy
for our party, we shall expect to find every
Democratic Senator voting for conviction.
Year: 1868

81 stated that tue law was binding on me,
constitutional or not, until set aside by the
"proper tribunal" SO wrote Gen. Grant to
President Johnson in the correspondence about
Stanton's restoration TO the War Office That
doctrine will do to stand by. The President
has no more right to decide upon the constl-
tutiopality of law than we have. Such decis-
ion must be made by the Supreme Court in regu-
lar session. Even the Judges, as individuals, have
no right to refuse obedience to law because
they think and may hereafter decide it to be
against the Constitution.
Year: 1868

Persons who write to us that they cannot Oh
tain THE TRIBUNE OF newsmen Informed that II they
order II served either FROM the nearest news stand
through regular carriers, they will be regularly
aupplied
Year: 1868

lapse into plain private gentleman, incapable
of Office in all possible senses of the phrase
His fate is the legitimate conclusion from
axiomatic republican premises, and he has the
satisfaction of being ruined logically No
President, hereafter, will enter into war with
Congress without solid and excellent reasons
for hostility-reasOns commencing themselves
TO the common sense and approval of the peo-
pie and in future, it will be fully understood
that the Chief Executive Magistrate of this
Republic is just as much under the law as the
meanest and most obscure citizen. From the
evil of Mr.. Jollnson's eccentric criminalty
this good, at least, will be edueed.
Year: 1868

b@-In the midst of the dangers that environ us as a people, we can yet find something on which to lean and look for better times. It is true the South to-day is but a miserable impoverished appendage, yielding less support to the government, perhaps, than the single State of Ohio. Her impoverished con dition however, is the result of Radi- cal government. Her inability to aid in sustaining the government is the re- suit of Radical influence. The North feels keenly and painfully the loss of Southern aid, to build up her mercan- tile interests, and keep alive her man. moth manufacturies, and as much as the Northern people profess to abhor the South, they love Southern cotton, and southern patronage, and southern money.

 It is impossible that such a vast territory, rich in it's productions, and capable of supporting nation, should be cut off and reduced to powerless penury, without affecting the entire in- terests of the government. A prosper ous South win secure national prosper ity, while an impoverished South will bring financial bankruptcy upon the na- ton. This fact is pressing itself home to the Northern peoplc.--lt was North ern loss and not Southern suffering that has changed the votes of over half a million persons in the last two years. Interest is strong motive power with them, and we look to its promptings to save us from utter ruin.-t Jackson Whig.
Year: 1868

show A majority of s,l56 against the Constitution.

 The vote on prohibition, outside of Detroit. is about equal, and it is thought that the returns from the rural districts will overcome the majority given against the measure in Detroit.
Year: 1868

D@ On last Saturday night, gentle man and his wife were returning from church, in this city, to their home in the eastern suburbs. In passing near an old house in which family of ne- groes reside, they discovered negro woman standing in the door, intently peering out into the darkness, and in the direction in which the gentleman and his wife were passing along. When the latter had reached point where the light from the house fell full upon them, the excited watcher in the door suddenly threw up both hands and calculated in tones of evident fright "My God, Ku Klux!" Jumping back, she slammed the door, fully persuaded that she had seen one of the graveyard brigade.

 The air was chilly, and the gentle mans wife had tied white handker- chief over her ears-giving her spec tral appearance hence the poor darkie' s fright.-lJackson Whig.
Year: 1868

TuE DENIAL which the cable dispatch brings
US in regard to the existing difficulties In the
Spanish Junta, or what, in other terms, Is
known as the Provisional Government Of
Spain, must be taken with large margin for
unbslieE This Junta is evidently in a bad
way, as 1t has undertaken to expel one tyrant
to make room for another de'potio rule. II
Prlm and bis eOpfeiorates shall succeed, tho
Government which they shall establish will be
but slight remove from tho ds'pOtisn Of
Isabella The lovers Of liberty the world over
must look upon this Junta with distruSt, as it
msans mischief to liberty and good govern.
ment.
Year: 1868

It Is an old theme, we know, but it
cannot be too often reiterated, that there
Is no time spent so stupidity as that which
inconsiderate people pass in morning
between sleeping and waking. He who
is up may be at work, or amusing him
self; be who is asleep is receiving the
refTeshment necessary to ft him for
action bat the hours spent In DOING are
wasted without either pleasure or profit.
The sooner you leave your bsd the sell
domer you viii be confined to Il.
Year: 1868

The FIFTY Per CENT. LIMITATION CLAUSE or THE
BANKRUPT Acr-The impression seems to have got
abroad that persons whose estates will not pay fifty
per Of their debts take the benefits OF the
bankrupt act that the limitation went into force On
the I'd of March last Such however, is not the case,
seems letter appears in the Bankrupt Register,
in which the writer holds that the limitation expires
on the FIRST of June next and he is supported in this
view oy letter from Hon. T. A. Jenckes, who says
such understanding is in accordance with the opinion
Of every member Of the Committee Of both Houses Of
esnSrss, having charge Of the subject.
Year: 1868

Old Thad. said a few days ago that the military would
rule the South for twenty-five years yet. This would
not be half so hard the people q. large as on the
Office seekers, particularly the loyal Congressman.
Year: 1868

An old Norwegian fable tells how the
original bear lost his tail by getting it in
to hole. He met fox who had some
fish, and asked how he might catch some.
"Drop your tail into hole in the ice," re-
piled the fox; "let it be in the water
long time-never mind the pain, they are
bites-then pull it out suddenly and you
will have large haul of fish," Bruin did
SO, and the hole froze up; by and by he
gave leap, and instead of getting any
fish he lost his tail.
Year: 1868

The DRUNKARD'S CURE.-SOme months
ago gentleman took rooms al the United
States Hotel, and advertised that he had
discovered u sure specific for the cure of
drunkenness He would not divulge the
secret Of what compounds he used, but
furnished medicine at SO much per bottle.
lie did not have as many applications to
cure as he expected, considering the ex-
tent Of the disease. In fact the more
malignant cases did not seem anxious for
relief. They rather appeared to enjoy
their malady. A few, however, placed
themselves under treatment, and some
were cured-whether by taking the medi-
cine or by not taking any strong drinks,
we are not prepared to say. One of the
cured ones was in our Office yesterday, and
he informed US that he had faith in the
medicine, that he had rigidly carried out
the directions of the doctor, and now had
not the least taste for Intoxicating drinks;
whereas, one year ago he was an inebriate,
and could not get along with less than a
pint to quart of whiskey per day.


He informed us that he had, at some
trouble and expense, procured the recipe
for the preparation of the medicine, which
ne has authorized us to publish for the
benefit of suffering humanity. 1t is as fol-
lows: Sulphate of iron, five grains; pep
permint water, eleven drachms; spirit of
nutmeg, one drachm; twice day This
preparation acts as a tonic and stimulant,
and so partially supplies the place of the
accustomed liquor, and prevents that abb
surd physical and moral prostration that
follows sudden breaking off from the use
of stimulating drinks. 1t is to be taken
in quantities equal to an ordinary dram,
and as often as the desire for dram re-
turns. Any druggist can prepare the pre-
scription.-Louisuihs Courier.
Year: 1868

In town in Maine lived a man who,
though yet in middle age, had put on
mourning for three wives. In the course
of time fourth was brought home;
and in the course of her clearing up and
putting things to rights, she found in the
attic long piece of old board, aud was
about launching it out of the window,
when little Salle interposed and said:
'sOh, don't mamma That is the board
papa lays out his wives on, and he wants
to save it ~ Nevertheless, out it went.
Year: 1868

PARDoNs-A couple of negroes that
were sentenced to the Penitentiary, pass
ed through the city few days ago. They
requested the officer in charge Of them to
let them stop and see old Proc, and get
their pardons. The officer told them to
wait until they got to Nashville, so that he
could get his pay for the full trip--Press
and Herald.
Year: 1868

WRoNG.-The Nashville Gazette ap-
pears to take great delight in bringing up
the war record of any mon who may now
be cooperating with the Democratic party
and opposing radicalism, who during the
war were strong advocates of a vigorous
prosecution of the war. 1t seems to us
that the Gazette would do better to leave
this work to the radicals. If it looks for
consistency in either political party as at
present organized, it will look in vain, as the
present issues of the day are such as to
consolidate for the present all lovers of
liberty and republican government, against
the advocates of mob law and the tyran-
nical opponents Of surreptitiously obtain
ed majorities; and it does moi become any
man who processes to be an enemy of rad
icalism to denounco those who are now
working with him for its overthrow, be-
cause like the majority of the northern
people, they failed to see until the evil
was accomplished that in working for
vigorous prosecution of the war, they we're
giving bad men the power to overthrow
our liberties, by the use Of war measures
in time of peace.-Prsss and Herald.
Year: 1868

, CHEER Ur.-A great many of our
friends are complaining of hard times and
the scarcity of money. We know how
poor people feel, and while the winter
was upon us, it was nip and tuck to get
our rations of bread. But thanks to the
good Lord, sheep sorrel is putting up, and
those of us whose pockets and smoke
houses are empty can worry along on that
for few weeks longer. Then other fruits
will come, and with plenty of water, (wa-
ter is mighty comforting thing, and two
or three buckets will fill the stomach so
there is no room for other provisions) we
may rob the devil of his deserts for good


while yet. DON'T be discouraged. Keep
a stiff upper lip, and nip off the sorrel.
The prophet had no green's, and he lived


and did wello what the birds brought in.