Staunton Spectator

In the platform of asserted principles, published some time since by Hon. John M. Botts with an air of undoubting confidence, he maintained that the pardons granted by President Johnson were null and void, so he had no right to pardon in advance of trial and conviction.-The Supreme Court of the United States have recently decided the contrary. That august Judicial tribunal have decided that the power of the President "extends to every offence known to the law, and maybe exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment."

It seems from the reports of the Commissioners of the Revenue that there has been an astonishing diminution in the negro population, including free and slave, within the present limits of Virginia, was 531,000. Comparing this with the amount of the same population of this State since the year 1860. In reference to these reports of the Commissioners of the Revenue, the Richmond Dispatch says that, "in 1860, the whole negro population in February, we discover that there has been a loss in the members of blacks in Virginia of upwards of 190,000! If their diminution has continued in the same ratio since the 1st of February as from 1860 to that time, the number of negroes now in Virginia cannot be much over 300,000. This is a terrible result of emancipation to these people."

It would seem that the ultimate fate of the African race in this country is foreshadowed by that of the Indian. The bell which announce the emancipation of the negroes tolled the knell of their hopes of peace, plenty and contentment in future

We have repeatedly said that those who make loudest professions of friendship for the negroes are, practically, their worst enemies. We cannot impress it too often upon the minds of this class that the best friends, and, in fact, the only true friends they have, are the people of the Southern States.

When the negroes ask for bread, the Radicals give them a stone, and when they ask for fish, they give them a serpent. The negroes want employment, bread, clothing, fuel and shelter.-They don't desire the right of suffrage; but few would exercise it if granted.

In the language of the Richmond Whig, "it is due to the negroes of the South to say that if left to themselves they would not concern with politics. They are thinking more about bread and meat than voting. The resolutions and addresses which we so often see in the newspapers demanding suffrage and equality, and which purport to emanate from them, are not theirs. They are the productions of the white agitators and incendiaries who go about drumming them up to attend the meetings they call and when they succeed in getting a handful together they read the resolutions and addresses they have prepared, and give them to the world as the productions of the negroes. The negroes know and care no more about what they contain than they do about the problem in Euclid.

Mr. P. H. Trout requests us to correct an account which appeared in this paper some weeks ago giving a detailed statement of a supposed attempt to rob him. He states that he is now convinced that the man who was here the night before he left, and was thought to have followed him to Philadelphia was not M. W. Price (formerly of Harper's Ferry) nor did he see him (the said M. W. Price) arrested after they met in Philadelphia.

We have published on several occasions, notices of "Aunt Millie," a colored woman, formerly the property of Capt. Jas. M. Harris, of Nelson county. She died on the 7th inst., in the one hundred and thirty-six year of her age. She was born in 1731, and was, consequently 45 years of age at the declaration of Independence, and 52 when the independence of the colonies was recognised by the mother country. She was 56 years older than the Constitution of the United States which was adopted in 1787.

Caroline James, a colored woman, aged one hundred and thirty years, died in Richmond a few days since. She was only once married and was the mother of thirty-five children.

Silvia Leach, another colored woman, died near Ford's Depot, in Dinwiddie, recently, aged one hundred and ten years.

A debating club, entitled the "Philomathesian Society," composed of the young men of this place, was organized on last Saturday night, by the election of the following officers: Herber Ker, President; S. N. Giles, Vice President; C. C. Wheat, Treasurer, and Carrie Taylor, Secretary. We are pleased to see our young men organized into a society of this character, as it is calculated to develop and burnish the oratorical jewel of the mind, which is, when polished, the most enviable talent with which man can be gifted. Who knows by that our "city of the hills" may produce a second Patrick Henry or a Webster.?

They will meet every Saturday night, in the Temperance hall. The subject for discussion on the next Saturday night is, "Which is the greater incentive to exertion, the fear of punishment or the hope of reward?"

The question discussed in the Staunton Lyceum on last Friday night was the following:

"Is the mind of woman naturally equal to that of man."

Powell Harrison, Esq. had been appointed to open the debate in the affirmative and J. M. Hanger, Esq., in the negative.

As Mr. Harrison was not present, the debate was opened by J. M. Hanger, Esq., in the negative, in a speech which was facetious, humorous and witty.

The affirmative was advocated by Messrs. Y. Howe Peyton, Prof. Pike Powers, Dr. C. R. Harris and Col. Jas. M. Skinner, and the negative by Messrs. J. M. Hanger, Prof. J. H. Hewitt, and Jas. Bumgardner, Jr.

Upon being submitted to the vote, it was decided in the affirmative by 14 to 8.

On next Friday night, Rev. S. D. Stuart will deliver a lecture before the Lyceum. His subject will be his recent visit to England. We hope he will be honored with a large audience.

It is with feelings of sorrow, I communicate the death of LILBURN R. STOUT, eldest son of James M. Stout Esq., of New Hope.

The circumstances connected with this sad event were peculiarly painful and distressing. On Friday morning last, he left his father's house for the farm, on Middle River, where he resided; and, on his way, was thrown from his horse, not far from the residence of Mr. Albert Armentrout. He was found shortly after the accident, by his relative. Dr. Gillespie, (who had but a short time before parted with him,) in a state of insensibility, and who promptly administered to his relief. He was taken to Mr. Armentrout, where he received the kindest attention of his hospitable family. He lingered until Tuesday night when death released him from his sufferings. His remains were taken to Augusta Church on Thursday morning, where they were interred, and a sermon, appropriate to the occasion as preached by the Rev. Mr. Bowman.

Thus, almost in a moment, have a kind and affectionate father and mother, sisters and brothers been called upon to weep and to mourn the loss of one thus suddenly and unexpectedly cut down, and a gloom been cast over the community where the deceased was so generally known.

Mr. Stout possessed many amiable traits of character-kind, and generous and noble-hearted. I believe he had not an enemy. It was during his service in the Confederate army, that he and a younger brother were taken prisoners and sent to Elmira, New York, where they remained for nearly a year. By taking the oath of allegiance to the Northern Government, he could, at any time, have obtained his release; but true to his principles, he choose rather to suffer and endure all the hardships and privations of a prison than prove a traitor to his country.

But he is gone! and how impressively are we all reminded, and with what deep and solemn emphasis does this sad and mysterious dispensation speak to his surviving companions and associates, "in the midst of life we are in death." W. A. J.

January 12, 1867.

The Supreme Court of the United States has rendered a decision declaring the test oath unconstitutional, and rescinding the rule of the Court requiring Attorneys to take the oath:--The National Intelligencer says:

"By the solemn award of the Supreme Court test oaths are pronounced contrary to the Constitution, and inconsistent not only with its spirit, but its letter."

The opinion was first delivered, by Justice Fields, in the case of Rev. John A. Coummins of Missouri, a Roman Catholic Priest, indicted for preaching and teaching without taking the oath prescribed by the constitution of that State, being plaintive in error. The court decides the test oath in this case unconstitutional, being in the nature of punishment without trial and in its character ex post facto, and as a bill of attainder. The judgment of the court below is reversed.

In the ex parte cases of Garland & Marr, attorneys, who having participated in the "rebellion," ask to be admitted to practice, the majority opinion of the court is that the test oath law is in the nature of an ex post facto law; that attorneys are not officers of the United States, they are officers of the court, and hold their offices during good behavior. The court is not the register of the edicts of any other power. The applicants obtained a pardon from the President, which relieves from the consequences of offence, and makes the citizen in the eye of the law what he was before it was committed. Congress cannot limit, the prerogative of mercy cannot be fettered by legislative restriction, and therefore the rule which requires attorneys to take the test oath must be rescinded, and the order is made accordingly.

The dissenting opinion was read by Associate Justice Miller, for himself, Chief Justice Chase, and Associates Swayne and Davis.