The New York Herald Newspaper, February 13, 1865, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. TERMS cash in advance, Money sent by mail will be at the risk of the sender, None but bank bills current in Now York taken. No. 43 VSEMENTS THIS EVENING, AM ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Irving place.—Itauian Orzra— NANT. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway.—Sxcazts Worta Kyowina. a elxeeo THEATRE, Broadway.—Tus Sraests or New BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Dsus Trot—Mipmest Warou—Srzerex Buiwecnoox. NIBLO’S GARDEN, Broadway.—ADRIENNE, BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tax Livs In- Diax—Paut Pry. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Hauust. NEW BOWERY T! Rongar Macarge—Siaw BARNUM’S MUSEUM. Broadway. ‘ommn—Livine SkeLutoN—Dwake—UGiaNt Jxssy Vuxu—Day and Evening. BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanics’ Hall, 472 Brond- H0PIAN Sonas, Dancxs, buruesquus, &0.—Live ‘TRE, Bowery.—Oxcan Gaixpen— NS. WOOD'S MINSTREL HALL, 514 Broadway.—Sruexts or New Yorx—Tux Pray Bus PLAN SONGS, DANCES, £0. SALLE DIABOLIQUE, 585 Broudway.—Ronxrt Heuien’s LANGE OF MODERN MiRAcLxs, VAN AMBURGH & CO.’S MAMMOTH MENAGERIE, 639and 644 Broadway.—Open from lv A. M. to 10 P, M. HIPPOTHEATRON, Grunascio aND Ackonati AMERICAN THEATRE, Pawrounrs, BoRLEsQu HOOLEY & CAMPS: Bowery.—Sonos, Danci: Fourteenth _ street.—Equrstrian, NIERTAINMENTS—MOTHEK GOOS! 444 Broadway.—Ratrers, i AND Beureann. 199 and 201 NEW YORK MUSEUM ATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Open from 10 A. M. ull 10 P, FNANNUCHD'S MUSEUM, 000 Broadway.—Movina Wax igus New Work, Monday, Mobraary 13, 1565. THE SibUATION. Rebel telegrams inform us of additional successes of General Sherman's army in South Carolina. Previous to | Thursday last the South Carolina Railroad hed been | struck and cut by itat different points between Branch- Ville and Augusta, thus severing commun‘cation by rail | betwoon the latter place and Charleston and Richmond, On Tuesday last a portion of Kilpatrick's cavalry drove tho rebols from Blackville, a station on this rond forty- seven miles cast of Augusta, twenty-eight miles west of NEW YORK’ HERALD; MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1865. tho negroes for service in the rebel armies, but in favor | the grandiloquent, Hardee the evasive, Smith of accepting them as volunteers and giving them their | the unready, amd other mythical and shadowy freedom, If they should be conscripted, he said, they | heroes, They bad also told us that Thomas would desert to the Yankees and fight against their for- | had not burt Hood at all, and that at the proper mer masters, Alexander H. Stephens, the rebel Vico | time the veteran rebel Army of the Tennessee President, did not attend the meeting, he having left | Would once more be a wild little lion in Sher- Richmond for Georgia ow the day previous, man’s path. But when all this power is wanted, ‘Tho crder relative to the assignment of General Lee to | to keep out of Sherman’s hands a really im- deb comment af ot: the eated ermnies hac boen eqned portant railroad centre, it is not there. When from tho office of the Adjutant General in Richmond. pelesg aap sivas say The Richmond Seutinel gives an extract from a letter mre Leng ails pac am Sherman once Grncnnciog: Op sete ot a Vas from te) an Vin meee yo seen oo of West, and immediate embarkation there for the South, | | pettch sen goaknasseakase ty phevsios) ‘on the 3d inst., of twenty thousand troops from the army power as well ag in the moral of the men, In Of General George H. Thomas. Hood’s fighting in Tennessee, it will be remem- a ba itanaaanad peters dis bered, the loss in general officer#was unprece- 6 constitutional amendment shing forever 1 dii 1 a Prohibiting slavery throughout the United States was rat- dentedly That, was by ifted by tho Legislatures of the States of Minnesota and eed aan Hs prenine wre. Fis Kansas. Wednesday, the 8th inst, making fifteen | Soldiers wi not go unless States ore already endorsed the measure, while but | generals went first. Now we see the same fact one (Delaware) has rejected it. The following is a state- | in Lee’s army. Two general officers are killed, ment of the action of the various Legislatures, arranged 1ACK BRIGADE |. in chronological order:— STATES WHICH HAVE RATIFIED. 1,—Ilinois, Feb. 1, 9.—Maino, Feb. 7. 2—Rhodo island, Feb, 2 10. —Missouri, Feb. 7. 3.—Michigan, Feb. 2. 11.—Ohio, Feb. 8. ew York, Feb. 3 12.—Minnesota, Feb. 8. nnsylvania, Feb, 3. Li pm, Feb. 6. 6.—Marylund, Feb. 3. 7 “Massachusetts, 8.—West Virginia,’ Feb. 3. 1.—Delaware, Fob. 8 ‘The following State Legislatures havo yet to vote upon the amendment:— Name of State. Arkansas, . 3.—! el 14—Ving Heb. 9, 16,—Ine ina? Feb, 10. on of Legislature, jow in session, 1865, opublican, ‘Republican. ~Kepubl-can, Ds y . Now in session, Jan, 7, 1866, Now in session, Now in session, June 7, 1869. Now in session. Now in séssion. ept. 10, 186d, ‘April 3, 1865. ‘Oct. 12, 1865. Now in session, 36 27 We had the rest snow storm in the city and vicin ty yesterday with which we have been visitcd this winter, ‘The snow commenced falling carly in the morn’ng, with the mercury at twelve dogrecs above zero, and continued till the middle of the afternoon. It was accompanied by a strong wind, which blew it in binding clouds through the air, leaving drifts in some places and the bare pavements in others, Walking in the streets was rendered very uncomfortable, and the chur.h consrega- tions wer con: unusuolly small, Much difficulty was experienced by the ci'y railroad cars in making their trps, and they found it necessary (¢ toams and bring into use their snow 9) day the mercury went up to eightoon degrees above zero, but in the evening went down to tea. ‘The nght was During the Branchville, and forty-nino miles southwest of Columbia, The Richmond papers of last Friday repeat the report that Charleston has been evacuated. We to-day give a very interesting and complete do- Scription of the late operations in the vicinity of Hatcher's run and the battle of Dabney’s mill, illustrated by a map | of the country in which they took place. The movement was at first supposed to be meroly a repetition of the usual reconnoissances in that viclnity; but ithas resulted | in @ pormanent extension of Grant's lines, making | Hatcher's ran the of defence for the | left flank. ‘The fighting was severe, on | the second day matters closed rather unfavorably, though | an offensive movement on the thirDuay demonstrated | tho fact that the enemy had no inclination to resume the Action, and all the lost advantages of the preceding day wore recovered by our forces. The conduct of officers and men throughout was excellent, and, despite the in- olomency of the weather during the greater portion of the time, their ardor never abated. During the second day’s fighting General Meade was present. On the 8th Anst. the’ troops commenced a scries of regular and per- manent fortifications, and were engaged in erecting com- fortable quarters. Up to Friday uight, the date of our latest despatches from Hatcher's run, there had been no fighting in that vicinity sinco Tuesday last, Our despatches from the Army of the James men- | tion renewed rumors of preparations by the rebels for | the evacuation of Richmond. Desorters and others who came into the national lines on last Friday night unani- mously concurred in the statement that the enemy’s artil- lery on tho north side of James river, in front of the Union | works, was being removed. They also said that orders | line and of any of his men caught at the distance of half a mile in tho rear of Lis lines, This would seem toconfirm the former réport, or at least to indicate that something more | than ordinary was in progress among the rebels in the | vicinity of Richmond. In view of the interest just now attached to the city of Mobile, which, if not already, probably soon will be, in point, Henry Jurgen was shot in the head and beaten by | had been given by General Lee for the court martialing ' Francis Hill in so severe a manner that it was thought he could not recover, Neged i or intimacy of Jurgen with the wife of Hill, | : Set eprops AR ee ae sac | of resources, and a considerable fieot of war cloudless and moonlight; but the air was intensely sharp and biting, ‘The snow storm exlonded to other por- tions of the country. We have accounts of ite prova- lence as far south as Baltimore and as far east as Bostoh. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher delivered a sorinon at Ply- mouth church, Brooklyn, last night on tho subject of the enfranchisement of -the negroes by the present war, in whi for their education were devolved upon tho white people of the country, and claimed that when they were found to bo sufficiently intelligmt they should be ac- corded all the rights of American ciizens, During his discourse Mr, Beocher read a report of an interviow which recently*took place between S eretury Stanton and | General Sherman and the colored preachers of Savannah, | A horrible afiair occurred about seven o'clock on Jast Saturday evening in a basement occ picd by @ man | named Roger Lamb and his wife, in Fisher's alley, rear of 240ak sircet, Lainb, becoming enraged at: his wite and another woman in the room, ramed Mary Riley, seized a stick of wood, and, as alleged, dealt a blow on the head of each. Immediately after, it is charged, he stabbed his wife in the side of the neck with a sinall 1+ ‘¢ on doublo | h he urged that grave respons-bilities | and a third officer, succeeding to his general’s duty, is mortally wounded in the fight at Hatcher's run. Here is the indication of the broken spirit of men who are fought out and who have become hopeless. In Lee’s opera- tions we see the physical failure of power. He stands still while Grant fastens himself in a po- sition four miles nearer the Southside Railroad, though he clearly sees that it is a grand stride towards the investment of Petersburg, and though the acts of Gordon and Hill, on the 7th inst, acknowledge that Grant is in.a position from which he ought to be driven. Thus, both in South Carolina and Virginia, we see the ex- haustion of the enemy’s military power making its appearance on the surface; and we can see in that a good reason for the enemy’s groat urgency in favor of an armistice. Le wants us to wait till he gets his breath. | whe War in the Benda Oricntal—Condi- tion of the South An:crican Republics, The latest a@vices from South America, con- | tained in our correspondence from that part | of the world, are of more than ordinary im- | portance. The long-threatened war between | the empire of Drazil and the republics of U1 | guay and Paraguay has at length been preci tated, and hostilities have been commenced in | rather a furious manner. Paraguay very firmly espouses the cause of Uruguay, and some | months ago notified the Brazilian authorities that any movement of their troops into the Uru- guayan territory would be regarded as an act of war, and that Paraguay would at once de- | clare for the invaded State, and send on army to aid her in repelling the invaders of her soil. Brazil does not seem to have been in any way intimidated by the bold threat of Paraguay ; for, without deigning a reply to the protest of the Paraguayan government, she seat troops Our Metropolitem System—The Oity Sewers. The question of the sewerage of this olty has been brought before the State Senate by reso- lution, and it is imperatively necessary that some final and satisfactory action should be taken before the question is permitted to pass out of sight, Mr. Craven, the engineer of the Croton Aqueduct Board, reports to tho Legis- lature that our condition in respect to sewers is “not creditable.” The phrase {¥ far too mild, and is not descriptive of the case at all. The simple fact is that the condition of our city, in respect to sewerage, is a disgrace and an atrocity. Itis one of the standing and vil- Ianous evils heaped upon the people by our bad system of municipal government. Our city is built on a narrow strip of land, and its surface slopes from a central ridge to tidewater on either side. It is washed by four rivers. The Hudson, Harlem or East rivers touch nearly every foot of its boundary, and the Cro‘on river, broken into a thousand streams, runs through every street, Can any one imagine better conditions than these for the cleanliness of a city? Certainly a city possessed at once of all these perfect requisites, and spending at the same time fabulous sums for the construction of sewers, ought to be clean if ever thore was a clean city. But yet our city, with these requisites and with this expenditure, is @ proverb of uncleanliness, Sewers are built all the time, but they are built, not to carry away the city filth, but only to hide it Our sewers are so many sinks under our streets and houses, in which vast accumulations of filth lie for months to fester and rot, and they send up from the open mouths at every street corner a vile effluvium fruitful | of every disexse. Owing to the proximity of | the sewers to cellars the ooze of this filth in many cases comes through, ‘and whole houses ave filled with exhalations of noxious gases that render them almost uninhabitable. Some rooms in the Ziunaup building are hardly tenantable from this reason. Moreoyer, owing to other defects in plan, the sewers lodge what filth they do carry down at the head of the slips, filling up the slip and poisoning the air along the whole river front. This, indeed, is stated by Mr. Craven as their most serious evil. Good and effective sewers—sewers well built, upon scientific principles, and that will drain the city perfectly—can be built for one- fifth (he amount that the sewers, as they are now being constructed, cost the city. Why, then, can we not have good sewers? Because one of the evils inseparable from our bad municipal system stomds in the way. There is a conflict of authorily on the question. The authority to build eewers is given to the Croton Aqueduct Board, subject to the control and direction of the Common Council. There is thq whole into the Banda Oriental, took possession of a smali town, hauled down tho Oriental flag and hoisted the Braziian. On hearing of thjs, the President of Paraguay—a son of old Lopez— like a man who belicves in keoping his word, at once da Braz‘lian mail steamer, sent the Brazilian minister his passports, and de- clared open war against Brazil. The first serious result of the war thus in- stalled is the terrible bombardment of Paysan- du, an account of which we published » few days sinc. In this fight the Uruguayans ac- quitted themselves with much spirit, and though knife, from the effects of which she soon died. Lamb escaped at the time, but was arrested a few hours after- wards, and committed to the Tombs for trial. It is said | he has confessed the murder, but declines to give his | reasons for committing tho deed. Ann Sickles and Ann Brawley wero yesterday locked up to answer to the complaint of ‘Thomas H. Taylor, of Wisconsin, en rvute to California, who charges that while spending Saturday night with them, in thoir place of ro- sidence, in Mercer street, ho was robbed of nearly seven hundred dollars in gold. Coroners’ inquests were yesterday held over the bodies of Charles Rittberg, thirteon years of age, whose death resulted from falling into the coal hole in front of No. 83 Walker strect, and Duncan McClarrin, aged twelvo years, who died from injuries received by falling through a fifth floor hatchway at 114 Cliff streot. On last Saturday night, at a grocery store in Green- ‘Tho canse of the shooting was an The News from South Carolina—Sher- man’ Advance—Tine Weakness of the Enemy. The Richmond papers tell us that a portion of General Sherman’s troops, probably Kil- possession of the national forces, we give in this morn- | patrick’s cavalry, have occupied two or three fng’s Hepaxp an interesting and accurate description of | points along the railroads connecting Charles- tho position of affairs in and around the place on | ton, Richmond and Augusta, and there were the 8th of last month, illustrated by a map. The | Teports that Branchville, South Carolina, was its nnd sides, | in our possession; and their silence as to any . | battle at that point is a sufficiently clear inti- mation that he met with no resistance. Indeed, city was then surrounded except to the southward, im pen trable swamp renders approach almost impossible, on where an the town was reduced to a heap of ruins, it does not seem that tho Prazilians and the forces under Flores, their rebellious ally, gained any substantial advaniags. Meantime the war clouds aro thickening. Strong reinforcements of Brazilian soldiers were expected to join Flores, wh'le a powerful Paraguayan army was on the march to the re- lief of the Uruguayans. The spirit of the Bra- zilians was getting up to fever heat, and, unless wiser coungela prevail, we may look for very exciting intelligence from this part of the con- tinent for some time to come. Paraguay is the only power of South America that has been long preparing for war, and may how bo said to be amply prepared for the work she has un- dertaken. Nevertheless, Brazil is a powerful and concentrated empire, having an abundance vessels; and, if sho goes into war earnestly, she will make terrific ravages along the borders of | her enemies. While these South American governments are thus foolishly embroil! themselves in desolating and expensive wars and revolutions, Spain is beginning to learn wisdom, and is gradually withdrawing from her schemes of renewed conquest and territorial aggrandize- ment in the New World. She has already com- pletely backed out of St Dowingo, after leav- ing nearly forty thousand of her best soldiers td ‘by a chain of some forty very strong earthworks, Be- such was the condition of the rebels, that buried on the ficlds and mountain sides of that, to them, truly inhospitable clime. A lesson so sides these it was defended in tho harbor approaches by ‘water batteries, sunken obstructions, torpedoos and three gunboats, In and around the city there were about nino thousand troops, of whom two thousand were militia, | the whole under command of General Dabney H. Maury. Recently we have had the rumor, two or three times re- peated, that the rebels commenced evacuating the place ‘on the 15th of Jast month, sending their ordnance, stores, &c., northward to Selma, We have yet received no posi- tive confirmation Or denial of this report; but a few days must prove ite truth or falsity. Though cverything remains comparatively quiet in the Shenandoah valley, the strictost vigilance is still exercised by the national forces there and the country is frequently patrolled by scouting and reconnoitering parties. Tho Tegular rebel troops are stationed at different points in the ‘upper part of the valley; but the guerillas are prowling ‘around in some of the counties between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghany Mountains. A petition has been addressed to President Lincoln by Citizens of West Tennessee, requesting him to direct a folaxation by the army officers there of the rigors of military rule to which the people of that portion of the Btate, as they allege, are now subjected. They ark to “bo relieved from interference of the military with the ‘administration of justice in the civil courts, from the ‘imposition of extra taxes, and from drafte for service in the army other than those ordered by the President; that persons who come within the lines from insurrectionary Gistricts and take the oath of allegiance shall be exempt from military service, and that assurance be given that Ps s00n as the people ratify the amendments to their | Wheeler siates he was compelled to burn the bridge at Holmes or Edisto Post Office, thus | dearly bought will not, we hope, be soon for- severing the railroad communication between |} gotten. And that it is still fresh in their mom- | Augusta and Richmond, as well as between | ory is shown by the moro judicious proceed- Augusta and Charleston. But Branchville | ings of the Spanish authorities in the waters of is the most important point to the enemy | Peru. Already we learn that the Spanish ad- in the whole State of South Carolina. | miral and commissioner have alighted from Its possession by Sherman controls the rail- their high horses and expressed a wish to have road communication between Virginia and | the question of the Chincha Islands settled by Augusta, and entirely separates Georgia and | diplomacy and arbitration, and not by the the Gulf States from the rebel capital, though | sharp sword. The letters of our correspond- the Richmond papers intimate that there are | ents supply all the interesting facts concerning means of communication which it would be un- | the commencement and progress of these nego- wise to mention. This is believed to be mere | tiations. At the close of the conferences the rebel bravado, since if the means actually | Spaniards and Peruvians will no doubt salute existed, it would be much wiser to keep its each other’s flags, shake hands and embrace, existence a secret. The truth is that not a | and, wishing each other a prolonged existence pound of subsistence, nor a musket, a cannon of several thousand years, the great rumpus of or @ cartridge can, fom this period, pass | Pinzon and Mazzaredo will vanish like a bottle either one way or the other between Richmond of stoke. and Augusta, the grand rebel arsenal; nor yet} _ It would be well for Brazil, Urnguay and between Richmond and the broken down army | Paraguay if they would now imitate the lately under Hood. If thero is still acommuni- | pacific disposition evinced by Spain and cation of instruction it must be by roundabout | Peru. It would be much wiser for all these ways. Sherman’s presence at Branchville will | Powers to unite their forces fora common de- also necessitate the evacuation of Charleston— | fence against the encroachments of their ene- inasmuch as @ force at Branchville can isolate | mies in Europe, whose chief delight is to sow one at Charleston, and compel it either to | discord and dissension among them. In unity siand a siege or surrender, As the force at | they will be strong, but if they fall to fighting Charleston was too small to fight, and too large | with each other on every paltry pretext, they to lose, we may, no doubt, give full credit to will necessarily become disintegrated, and will | the report that it has already abandoned the | fall an ensy prey to European ambition and hirthplace of the rebellion to the invincible | intrigue. Our own rebellion is now on its Beate constitution, recently adopted by the convention, a "Presidential proclamation will be issued declaring Ten- reasoo no longer in insurrection, and entitled to all her Yighta aa a momber of the Union. F Yn inte Richmond papers wo have reports of the shes deliverod at the mass war mocting in that city ‘Thursday Inst. In yesterday's Henary was published e address of Joff, Davis on that occasion, and we give ia morning the harangues of Judah P. Benjamin, R. . T. Hunter, John A. Gilmer and Mr, SheMoy, Mr. Jamin oxpreased himself in opposttion to Conacripting Yankees. last legs; and, as Spain has retired from the Such is the importance of Branchville, then, | contest, our armies will, at the close of the war, that it is notto be supposed that the enemy | only have to clear out Maximilian and his would have permitted it to fall into our hands French and German adventurers from Mexico. without an effort to save it, if he could by any Two or three gunboats sent down to Rat Island, possibility haye made such gn effort. Here, | witha message to the Sardinian garrison at en, we see all the rogent assertions as to the | that place, will soon convince the Italians of the siréngth the rebellion bad left in the far South | propriety of leaving as soon as possible; #0 tested in a very plain way by a very hard fact. | that there would be no European intruders Southern journals, North and South, have told | among us at all. How foolish, thon, is it for us what a formidable force would be found in | the people ot South America themselves to be Shermnan’s way, organized under Boouregard | threatening their own peace end prospority, trouble. One body cannot move undél the other body chooses; and when the second body chooses tbe first body is on ita dignity, and pre- fers to stand siill. Just this very trouble is the vital one of our whole municipal system. Nothing can be done.in any department of our city government until the little arrangements, preferences and jobs of all the interested powers ure, attended io, and in the meantime the city suffers. As these disputes are frequent, and as officials will insist upon their points of disagreement with due stubbornness, the city suffers a great deal. Ample power is given to do ail that need be done, but it is distributed with such a want of discretion that it defeats its own purpose by this endless and ever re- curring confict of authority between the vari- ous administrative powers. This is the vicious point in our system, and this is the point that tho Senatorial committeo should have many months; so that @ man can spend the summer in ome pleasant camp, and be dis- charged with seven hundred dollars in his pocket to buy a farm or start in business. The French in Mexico—Schemes ef Maxi- milian and Duke Gwin. The nows from Mexico, which we published a few days ago, shows that, so far from that coun- try being pacified by the new régime, the flames of war are flercely raging throughout the whole of the provinces of the South, and that the em- pire is now passing through the worst part of its orisis, The withdrawal of o part of the French expeditionary corps has weakened the hands of the new Emperor and his gene- rals, while it has given corresponding en- couragement and energy to the national re- publican party. Active hostilities, which had apparently been suspended for a time, have been resumed with more violence and vigor, and guorills bands are reported ravaging the land in every direction. Unfortunately this mode of warfare falls just as heavily upon the taass of poor Mexicans as it does upom the invader, but it appears that itis only in this way that the scattered French garrisons can be reached at all. War has been declared by the followers of Juarez against every Frenchman in Mexico, whether bearing arms or not, and the execution of every one captured has been unanimously decreed. In fact, the situation of affairs is far from being agreeable to the par- tisans of the empire. So serious do these things present themselves to the minds of Mar- shal Bazaine, the French Commander-in-Chief, that he has sent a request to his imperial mas- ter, Napoleon the Third, that no more of the French army be withdrawn from Mexico for the present, In tho meantime the bold and defi- ant attitude of Porfirio Diaz at Oajaca has com- pelled him to leave the capital—as we before stated—to take personal command of the im- perial forces now beleaguring that city, and whore, the Mexican chief is preparing for de- fence. These combined and resolute movements of the Mexicans go strongly to show that they have neither despzired of tho republic nor of the means at their disposal to harass the in- vader until he is compelled to seek safety in flight. The spirit which animated Hidalgo, and the fathers of Mexican independence, scem to be identical with that which now governs the marked hostility of the people to everything that is French. With Maximilian alone they could easily deal; but it is tho armed forces of France, and the threatening ships-of-war at Sacrificios, which plainly show that “there’is a power behind the throne greater than the throne itself” France is, in fact, the head and front of the whole offending, so far as this broad farce of an empire is concerned. Maxi- milian is but a poor tool in the hands of the astute Emperor of the French, and in the gene- fal crash which is surcly at hand in Mexico, however innocent and harmless he may be, he must be the greatest sufferer. There is another point in our correspondence from Havana which is deserving of some atten- tion. We find it there stated that Doctor or Duke Gwin—just as he may please to call him- self—had arrived at Havana on his way to Europé, and while there took great care to in- form the correspondents of the newspapers that he had received no honors from Maximilian, nor was it the intention of his imperial Majesty to cede any of the rich territory of Sonora, Chihuahua and other States to the Emperor of the French. Now this Gwin is rather a slippery fellow, and the very fact of his taking so much trouble to mislead the world as to his real designs is turned its attention to when here. Had that committee, instead of indulging in the useless and nonsensical inquiries it made on minor points, fully ventilated this very im- portant point, its visit might have been a roal benefit to our city. For an all prevalent evil, an evil that per- meates every part of the system, there is but one remedy. It is to sweep away the whole system and set up a better. So long as we are under that piece of very poor patchwork—our preeont system—all our legislative remedies will be at best but patches. It isa mere game of expedients to give this or that power into new hands so long as we leave in existence the system that inovitably puts the various powers in opposition and conflict in whatever hands they may be. The Health bill now before the Legislature will doubtless be o present remedy for this sewer business, and certainly a present remedy is better than none. Under the pro- visions of that bill the power of the Common Council over the sewers would, we suppose, in any event, pass to the Health Board; but the Legislature hed better make an express and specific clause for the purpose to avoid siill another conflict—that will put the remédy yet further out of reach. It is thus that a bad system of municipal government continually compels us to choose, not that which is best, but that which does least harm. Our commissions are expedients to get over difficulties, But we ought to have the boldness to sweep away these difficulties, rather than be compelled every year to remedy the harm they have done and provide against the harm they may do. We want in this city a single executive of larger power than the present Mayor, and who shall not owe his posi- tion to the corrupt influences of city politics, He must be appointed by State authority, and, being above local influences, he will not be subservient to the powers that are the source of so many evils at present. One legislative body, elected by the people, would be a sufficient ex- pression of the popular will in the system. The practical operations of the government could be in the hands of as many departments or commissions as were necessary. The Mayor should appoint the heads of all these, and it should be within his power to remove them for cause. Such a system would unite simpliciiy and effectiveness, and would be less liable to corruption than any other. Until we have such a system, or @ system with these main features, the government of this city will never rest upon any good basis, and expedients will always be necessary. Ovr Quvora—The New York Volunteering Committee have decided to give the State bounty to volunteers, and they add one hundred dollars hand money. This makes seven hundred dollars in all—a very large sum when the war is so near itsend. Our quota is about fifteen thousand men, and to fill it in two weeks we shall have to enlist about o thousand mens day. This can be accomplished if every man does his duty and works as he ought to work. ‘We boliove that the wor will be gyor hefore to us proof positive that he is engaged in some strange and unwarrantable scheme. We know that so long ago as the month of June last he arrived at Vera Craz ond immediately started for the city of Mexico, there to con- sult with the “Emperor of the Mexicans.” What brought him there? Was it merely curiosity? What kept him there until now, that he suddenly reappears in Havana on his way to Europe? And what has been the mean- ing of his conferences and confidences with the brother of General Beauregard, whom he has left behind to look after the welfare of his new ducal. possessions? And, finally, what sudden emergency now takes him to Europe? We have always held to tho theory that by the attempt to establish an empire in Mexico, the Emperor Napoleon hoped to reap great advantages for France and for the perpetuation of his dynasty. A vast and unfailing gold- bearing country is one of the desidorata which he has as yet been unable to control. In Mex- ico it is ready at his hand. In the bowels of the land which, it is said, has been ceded to him there are inexhaustible sources of wealth. For years to come those auriforous and argenti- ferous deposits—to say nothing of the teeming pearl fisheries of Lower California—would sup- ply o perennial stream of revenue to the fail- ing coffers of the imperial treasury. All that would be needed are men and means to de- velope the riches of the earth, and ships to bear them across the ocean, and the idea of the Third Napoleon would be fully accomplished. And who can doubt that such a result would prove, beyond a doubt, that his Mexican expe- dition would, in truth, be one of the grandest acts of his reign? In this, we have reason to believe, lies the true response to all inquiries concerning the movements of the new duke. But there are two sides to every story. When Louis Napoleon made his calculation to sub- vert the Mexican republic, he like all the other leaders of European opinion, virtually sup- posed that the power and influence of the United States were atanend. In this he has been greatly mistaken, for the war of the last four years against the rebellion has only begun to de- velop the vigor and capacity of this nation. There is also another matter which he failed to consider. And that is the possibility of a united effort of the Mexicans themselves, without any foreign assistance, to expel every French and German emissary from their borders. The idea very generally prevailed in Europe that forty years of civil war had utterly enervated the Mexicans and rendered them incapable or unfit to defend their homes. The news to which we now refer proves the contrary. On evory side we see evidence that a spirit of hostility to the invader is spreading through the country, and as it gains ground Maximilian will find it no easy matter to stem the onward current of the people's indignation. In this connection we may say that, now that the utter defeat of the forces of the rebellion is entirely beyond a doubt, it would be the wisest thing that Jeffer- son Paris and his followers could do to move agaist Maximilian, and thus find a decent pre- text t get out of their pressing difficulties. ff do thls, sooner or later Mexicans, with their present united front, do much to expel the invaders themselv: until we can come to their assistance, At most, We do not see anything in the future for this French expedition to found an empire on this continent, but a fair and square backing down on the part of Napoleon, and the with- bootless game. The Spaniards have traly de- clared that they have become satisfied that the Dominicans are not prepared for monarchial rule; in the same way the French will speedily be persuaded that the Mexicans are not pre- pared for the founding of a new empire in America. ¥ r Fmme tas Sovrazmy Heart.—Tho attempt of Jeff. Davis to get up a war excitement in Richmond has signally failed. The mase meet- ing was what the police calla “put up” job. The rebel editors were made secretaries of that meeting, and for a day or two afterwards they blazed away in the most bellicose style. At last advices, however, they had fallen into their old, despondent, growling, grumbling vein, and were attacking Jeff. Davis as merci- leasly as ever. Even on the very day of the mass meeting gold rose in Richmond—a fact which proves that the demonstration was @ shallow trick that deceived nobody. Our gold speculators, who are generally more or leas rebel sympathizers, show their despair of the confederacy by allowing the premium to fall to 203 again. Thus, North and South, it is con- ceded that the rebellion is a its lasi gasp, and Grant and Sherman will soon cxush the little remaining life out of it. 4 Tue Cueroxse Nation snp THe REBEL Anrmy.—Mr. D. H. Ross, a chief of the Cherokee tribe of Indians, with highly commendable spirit, denies that his nation has engaged in the rebellion as fully as would appear from the facts given in the rebel army roster, which we pubiished s few days since. He claims that as a nation the Cherokees aro strictly loyal, and that not one-twentieth of the total population of the Cherokee country has joined the rebel cause. Mr. Ross incorrectly infers from our statement that as the rebels have three regi- ments they’ naturally have three thousand Cherokees enlisted in the rebel army. He states that the three regiments represent only about three hundred and fifty native Cherokees and two hundred and fifty white citizens, or a total of six hundred men. We gave the effeo- tive force of the rebel regiments at two hun- dred and twenty-five men each, which would give six hundred and seventy-five as the total strength of the Cherokee brigade, or very nearly what Mr. Ross admits it'to_be. We can- not pretend to give the proportion of native and half-breed Cherokees in each. We are glad to learn from Mr. Ross’ letter that the Cherokees are too far advanced in civilization and virtue to contemplate rebellion against the country which had protected and nurtured them. The less civilized people of the South might learn a wholesome lesson from them. Haronsr’s Ron Barriz—Toz Amur Re PoRTERS.—The recent battle beyond Hatcher's run was an exceedingly severe one. The facts of the combat, as well as the losses, indicate this, One man in every four of those engaged on our side was either killed, wounded or taken by the enemy. Moreover, the tide of battle went to and fro two.or three times over the same space, as shown by our own accounts and by Lee’s report, These are the features of & stubborn battle, in which there must have been much brilliant fighting. How is it that we have had no better account of it? Our own reports are the best yet given to the public; but they are not up to the standard, and do not present the usual graphic view of the battle. Guverat Grant wv Conoress.—The Liea- tenant General visited both houses of Con- gress on Saturday last, and was received with & most flattering ovation. In these honors to Grant our Congressmen were the real repre- sentatives of the people. Literary Intellig Poterson Brothers, of Philadelphia, have just brought out & novel of society, under the tile of “High Life im ‘Washington,”’ which is said to be creating a great sem sation in fashionable and political circles. It lays bare the whole of the underworkings of that volcano of vice and corruption which poMutes the land by its overflows. . A number of leading characters are introduced, who will be recognized at once by the satirical fidelity with which they are sketched. Works of this charactor are of great morat benefit in the atmogphere in which we live, They help to correct and purify it. A new sensational novel by Fairfax Balfour has joss boon published by Brady, of Ann strect. It is entitled “Nellie, or The Companions,” and is plentifully illus trated with woodcuts, The story is of a singularly wild and exciting character, and is capable of furnishing not merely one, but half a dozen plots to the dramatist. Mr. Leopoldt, of Philadelphia, has published a num~ bor of translations of foreign works of late which entiie him to the thanks of the reading community. Among thom are Heino’s “Book of Songs,” translated by Mr. 0. G. Leland; Polko’s “Musical Sketches,” translated by Fanny Fuller, and Mendelssohn's ‘Letters from Italy and Switzerland, and his Lettors from 1833 to 1847," translated by Lady Wallace. They are published in com vonient pocket form, on fine paper and in beautiful, clear type. We aro glad to find that Mr, Leopoldt is about te transfer the principal portion of his business to New York, SPOONER’S DICTIONARY OF PAINTERS, ENGRAVERS, SCULPTORS, ETO. Mr. J. W. Bouton announces for on oF ‘about the Ist of March next, an enlarged edition of the above work, with memoirs of the lives of the most emi- ‘nont ancient and modern painters, engravers, sculptors ‘and architects, The work will contain one hundred highly finished photographic portraits of celebrated art- ists, whose lives are given. Tho book will, doubtless, be ‘@ valuable one to artists, and will moot a ready salo. Im fact, even now there are but few copies remaining um- sold. The price ranges from $2 to $40. THE FIRST CAMPAIGN IN THS VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAT. In a pamphlet under the title of ‘The Campaign in the Valley of the Shenandoah, in 1961, by Robert Patterson, lato Major General of Volunteors,” the author presenta ‘a narrative and vindication of his conduct In the manage ment of the campaign in question. The prominent fea tures of his plans are stated, discussed and ondorsed by ‘a variety of testimony from officers thon subordinates, but who since have become conspicuous and eminent ‘Aside from the design of tho narrative, the facts are intercsting a8 a chapter of history. ‘ City Intel 5 ‘Toe Fovrta Warn Fewaue Evenina Soot. —The closing exercises of the female evening school in Vat dewator streot, Fourth ward, took place on Friday even~ ing, the 10th inst. The order and discipline of thie wokeol during the season reflect much roe on the 8 Jol devolved. ‘The selection ioues song, bes, foe this oocasion was made with good taste, and wero el See ee ed for each gung by Miss Wi as most excollent; the reading of the closing address by Mise Santersoe highest pralbe, On the whole Mi deserves ps» Pann mre OY Fire and Loss of Life. Paovinence, R. 1, Fob. 12, 1906. A fire oovurred ins tenement house on B street laa