The New York Herald Newspaper, December 9, 1867, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. ey All business or news letters and telegraphi} despatches must be addressed New You Herat. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be m turned. THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the year, Four cents per copy. Ammual subscription price $14, THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Five Cmnm per copy, Annual subscription price:— One Copy... 82 ‘Three Copios 5 Five Copies. 8 Ten Copies... soe 15 Any larger number addressed to names of subscribers $150 each. An extra copy will be sent to every club of ten, Twenty copies to onesaddross, one year, $25, andany larger number atsame® price. An extra copy will be sent to clubs of twenty. These rates make the Werxty Heratp the cheapest pubiication in the country. Postage five cents per copy for three months. The Cartrors1a Eprrioy, on the Ist, 11th and 2fst of each month, at Srx Cars per copy, or $3 por annum. The Eveorzay Epiros, every Wednesday, st Six Cents per copy, $4 perannum to any part of Great Britain, or $6 to any part 6f the Continent, bod\to include postage, ADVERTISEMENTS, to a limited number, will be inserted inthe Weexir Heratp, European and the California Kditions. JOB PRINTING of every description, aho Stereyping and Bmgraving, neatly and prompily ececuted at the lowest rales. Volume XXXII pitas, rte AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. Praag it THEATRE, Bowery.—Hxarr or rax Genat NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broads Busca Caroox. NEW YORK THEATRE, opposite New York fpiel.— Unves trax Gasticut, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway —, OLYMPIC E, Broadway. —A . Minsvhuxe \ WALLACK’S THRATRE, Broad - Town ayp Counray. iad ae ee bain. 8 \ BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Ticxxr or 1 GERMAN STADT THEATRE, Nos. 45 and 47 Bowery. + Birea von Unskux Laur’, &c. \ FRENCH THEATRE, Fourteenth street.—Tux Graxp Ducuxss. NEW YORK CIROUS, Fourteenth street, —Graxasrics, Equestaianism, £0. FIFTR AVENUE THEATRE, Ni atreet.-Ya Gaanv Queen Long mo atent teres ne THEATRE COMIQUF, 516 Broadway.—Wuirm, Corton 4@ Suanriey's Mixstexis. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 5% Broadway.—Bruio- rian ENrmurainMests, SINGING, DANCING AND BURLESQUES. KELLY & LEON'S MINSTRELS, 7 Brondway.—Sox Dinos, Eocurretcrrs, BUBLASGOEE aa nye TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comid Vooatiam, Nwoao MINSTRELAY, 40. 5 BUTLER'S AMERICAN THEATRE, 472 Broadway.— Bacixr, Fance, Pawrouer, ac. BUNYAN HALL, Broadway and Fifteenth street.—Tar | Pio. | | DOPWORTH FALL, 806 Broadway.—Canicarore Paixt | tes, wera Lecture, BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC,—Norwooo. BROOKLYN Cuuina. HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Rrooklya.—Ermoriax Minwraeisy, BALLADS AND BURLERQUES. OPERA HOUSE.—Biuxsxis—Nonan NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Scienow aN Ant. R ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth street —Goupey | Branou. a | New York, Monday, December 9 1867. EUROPE. The news report by the Atlantic cabie is dated yes- terday, Docember 8, Garibaldi is reported to have again disappeared from | Caprora and another revolutionary movement against | Rome is looked for. | Lord Stanley stated to the English Parliament that the Cabinet did not think any good could come from the mooting of the French representatives in the Roman conference without a previous agreement on a plan of basis of dolegations, France is threatened with a minis- terial orwis in consequence of M. Rouher’s spesed | on the relations of Italy towards Rome. The italian Premier informed the Parliament that he had addressed a note to Paris asking on explanation of M. Roaher’s remarks, He acknowledged that Italy could not obtain possession of Rome without the consent of | France and the other European Powers, as it would be | “impossible to achieve the object by force.”’ Prince Napoleon is to have an interview with King Victor | Emanuel at Monza, ia Northern italy. Germany is to mako important chasges in the tariff of the Zollvercia. Fifty thousand med turned out in Dablin and marched in a faneral procession ia memory of the Maachester Feutan convicts. By the steamships New York and Minnesota, at this port yosterday, we have interesting and important mat! reports in detail of our cable despatches from Kurope to the 27ta of November. MISCELLANEOUS. | Our special telegrams from Havana contain news (rom | the British Honduras and the West India islands. The island of Little Saba was divided in two by the Jate con- vulsions of nature, St. Croix was partially inundated and am American steamer was driven near the market place by the awell, There were appearances of cholera at Surinata. From British Honduras intelligence is received of preparations on the part of Kamel, the native Indian leader, for a renewal of hostilities agains the British. The Southern emigrants were greatly disheartened in consequence of the disapproval of the land concessions to them by the English government, Advices from St, Thomas of the 18th ult. state that Admiral Palmer and the Danish Commissionsr were to meot the Governor next day to compiste arrangements for the transfer of the island to the United States, Th people were pleased, but the merchants were not chanted with the idea of American tariffs. Tne whalesbip Java, recently arrived at Monolula, reports having been erdered out of the Ochowk Sea by & Russian coneral, who threateoed to sink ber euless she loft in twenty-four hours. Im the Virginia Convention, on Saturday, balloting for meats took place, but, by a little compromise aed con- | sive cotion tax. | taken on two highly /mportant questions with NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, preached a3 In the Louisiana Convention the spirit of discord is ‘St, Mary's Catholic Cathedral was consecrated at Bur. lington, Vermont, yesterday. Archbishop McCloskey, of New York, preached an appropriate sermon, and a Jarge number of high dignitaries of the Church from all parts of the counsry were present, The Hudson river is closed with ice from Albany to Castieton, with two tugboats bard at work but unable to move ber, Thomas Leonard, a young man of twenty-one, who was known in bis neighborhood as a desperate character, was killed at West Boyleston, Mass.,on Friday night, and bis father was arrested on suspicion, as the two were known to have been drunk and fighting during the night, ‘The leading radicals in Congress are dubious of the Virginia Convention, and consider it necessary to look after it, Wilson, Farnsworth and Hendersen are daily expected in Richmond, General 3. G, Burbridge appears to be the cheice of the tadical members of the Senate for appointment to the position of Sergeant-at-arms, Some time ago,hojwas working in a sawmill in Tennessee, Mr. Boutwell, the chief of the impeachers, has not yet given up all hope. He thinks the President will yet be impeached and removed. 4 prominent radical Senator thinks that nothing will be done in the Senate in the case of Secretary Stanton. Returning Reason—Congress and tho nances, The proceedings of Congress during the few days it has been in session give us hope of bet- , ter things than we had expected from that body. To use a common expression, it is taking “the back track” with surprising alacré’y from the perilous ground it stood upon | last session, and is taking broader statesman- like views of public matters. A few days ago the Honse of Representatives voted by a very large majority to repeal the unjust and oppres- On Saturday votes were Fie a similar good result. The first was on the proposition to impeach the President as re- ported by the majority of the Impeachment Committee. The House voted on the resolu- tion direct, and would not admit of any parlia- mentary tricks to put it off. The result was fifiy-seven for impeachment and a bundred and eight against it, consequently it was defeated by nearly a two-thirds vote. The democrats all voted against it, but had: none of them voted there were republican votes enough to defeat it. The other question referred to was also highly important—that to pro- vent any further contraction of the cur rency. The bill for this purpose was the oligarchists and the reumptionists almoal alone. Now, however, ligtt is breaking upon the country, and we see tle Grst fruit of it in the remarkable vote of he House of Repre- sentatives against contracion. This action of a it ls to be hoped, is the beginning onl, nitlatory step—in a new and reformed system dfinance, The coun- try can use the present volime of currency very well. Indeed, Mr. McCuloch’s stupidity in contracting during the last year |s sorely felt through the channels of tade angin checking industrial pursuits. Nom are benefited by contraction except the bondholders and the rich, The next step Congress shold take is to make uniform legal tnder jurrency—to withdraw the national bak tion and issue legal tenders in its plsce. the three hundred millions of money thw issued in- terest bearing bonds should be biught up aad cancelled. This would relieve the country from paying about twenty-fiv) millions 4 year, in interest. Take thy sum and the surplus in the Troaswy together and five hundred millions of theinterost bear- ing debt would be paid at ono. Nothing is easier, nothing more practicable; and there is no reason why it should not belone. Pay off five hundred millions of the imerest bearing debt next year and we shall ge/nearer specie payments than from hoarding gold or from any other policy whatever, Redice the debt as much and as fast a8 possible, wthout burden- ing the people too much, andwe sbali hear nothing of repudiation nor am doubt of the credit of the government. Di this, and let the amount of circulation remfn as it is, and we shall grow up to specie paments health- fully and without serious revulions. Congress should also take offs large amount of taxes, particularly those tha press heavily on industry and those which cost almost a3 much to collect as they yiell. The whole revenue system needs revision and simplify- ing. The army of office holders night be greatly reduced. Wesee by the Troasujer’s report that the revenue the last fiscal yea amounted in currency—and that is how it should be reckoned—to over six hundred millions. Of course we reduce the gold re@eipte to cur- reney in this calculation. Ove six hundred millions of revenue in times of peace and two years after the war ended! Whg a stupendous sum! Seven years ago it wis about ono- ninth of that. Who imagines, ye need such a revenue? Who does not see hat it must cor- rupt both the government andpeoplo and im- poverish the country? Hergis a great work of reform for Congress to accomplish, and if it will follow up the work it hg commenced it may yet regain the confidenceof the country. Dangers of City Life—Wariiag te Parents. reported by Mr. Schenck, from the Committee of Ways and Means, and pro- vides that after its passage the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to make any. reduction in the currency by retiring or can-| celliag United States notes is suspended. Tho vote was taken, and stood—for the bill, one hundred and twenty-seven ; against it, thirty- two, That is, three-fourths of the House of Representatives have promptly and emphati- cally condemned the contraction policy of Mr, McCulloch, and thus have declared that our nation: finances and the country shall not be brought ‘to the brink of rnin for the benefit of | check foreign ccympetition. | the earth by poverty and from the want of | and regard were thu greatest sufferers. Bat | would have been better to have abolished it | of Congress. Finally, a majority of the Im- | peachment Committee brought a> charge | ora.” | effectually. | ing reason among them we are not disposed the boncYholders or at the bidding of the on- to-specie-,»ayment theorists. The cotion tax was a most iniquitous measure, aiad was enacted under the influence of passions engendered by the war. Rarely has any government, however despotic or exigent, taxed the native products of the soil. Generally theyt have been protected, and par- ticularly where much labor was necessary to raise them, an€ where it was desirable to Yet our Congress laid this burden tpon a people bowed down to means to raise themselves up. .And, strange to say, the very poople—the negroes—tor whom that Congress professed so much care the tax is repealed prospectively, though it atonce; and so far it is a gratitying sign of the returning good ‘sense of the national legislature. The end of the impeachment humbug shows still more strikingly the sxtraordinary change that has come over Congress. The dominant party in and out of Congress, a short time since, clamored for the Presideut’s impeachment. They were ready to remove bim at all hazards for partisan purposes. In their violence they represented him as a traitor, sot, debauchee and everything else vile—in fact, a monster. They raked the prisons and every conceivable place for evidence against him. They took the testimony of the vilest characters and per- jurers to make out a case. They put spies about his residence to watch him, and they did everything possible to blacken his charac- ter before the public in advance of the action against him for “high crimes and misdemean- And, after all this violence, labor and partisan zeal, what did it end in? Abortion; in a two-thirds vote of the House against im- peachment. Never before did a great party come down from its lofty pretensions so flatly. If the radical republicans had wanted to do Mr. Johndom @ great service they could not have done anything to accomplish that more But as there is evidence of return- to rub caustic on their sores too mercilessly. | The large and decisive vote against further | contraction of the greenback currency «must be regarded as more important than anything Congress hag done since it reassembled. It shows, too, what a surprising revolution has taken place both in the views of members and the people. The finances of the coun- try, the currency, the banking system, and the magnitude of the revenue—all assumed proportions novel and altogether unprecedented since the war commenced. Neither our public men nor the people had ever experienced anything like it be- fore, and could not understand all at once such a state of things. At the same time we have been so unfortunate as to have had ignorant financial theorists at the head of the Treasury Department. When we com- menced, some two years ago, to expose the evils of the financial policy of the government and the national bank system, and to show the disastrous consequences of contraction, few In the Hurarp of Saturdaywe published an account of one of the most heartless and de- liberate cases of wickedness which it is pos- sible toconceive. An adverisement is seen in one of our city journals alling for girls to learn the. trade of dresamating. Two young girls, sisters, belonging to arespectable family in Brooklyn, make applicatbn and are formally engaged. Three dollars a week are prom- ised for wages. After having beon at work for ® day or two, it is propaed to them by the mistress of the establihment that thoy should become boardes with her during the term of their apprenticeship. Madam visits the parents of the young ladies, and obtains their consent to this arrangement, the parents stipulating that their daugiters should be allowed to return bome every Saturday evening. Saturday evening comes, but the presence éf the young women does not gladden the Brooklyn home. On Monday Madam visits the anxious parents and explains why the daughters came not It had been stormy, and hep regard for the welfare of her charge had induced her to retain them in their new home, but the parents might rest assured that their daughters would visit_ them on the evening of the following Thursday. But Thursday came and went, and still no daughters. Not to prolong the tale, suffice it to say that, on visiting the house in New York where the girls were supposed to be employed, the parents could find neither them nor their betrayer; thai, some five wecks after their disappearance, the younger girl was found by the police in a low brothel in Baltic street; that, according to her account, she and her sister had been forcibly detained in the woman’s house, had been subjected to most brutal treatment, had found themselves to- gether in a low brothel, and had afterwards been separated. Where her sister was she knew not. The sister and the woman have not yet been found. i We have been perhaps a little particular in the statement of this case. We have done so because it 1s only one of hundreds of cases which are constantly occurring, and because we consider it desirable, in an emphatic form, to bring the case before the public. It might not be difficult to find stupidity or ignorance in the parents; but because stupidity and ignorance do exist it is all the more necessary to.ralse a warning voice. Let parents be on their guard. Let them have a cure of the in- fluences amid which their daughters are thrown. Above all things, let public opinion come down en the parties of which the mem- bers of this family have been the victims. Nay, more; tet law mete oud to there parties ite severest penalties. The suffering parents in this casé¢ have public sympathy on their side, and mo panishment which may be adjudged the guilty parties will be considered 100 severe. Mexico Organiateg Pence. fa the news from Mexico there are some healthy signs; railway interests are being fostered, industrial enterprises are receiving the most honorable encouragement; there is a reduction of tolls, and an exercise of power in the suppression of disorder; the State legir latures are coming together, and a convening Congrees promises to assert the vitality of the Mexican people. If Mexico goes on thus and avoids revolution for a year she may take her place before the world as areal nation. It re- mains to be seen, powever, what political and personal vagaries and dispute the new Con- gress may distract the country with ; and some points in the news remind us that, even with all the promise, Mexico is still Mezico—such, for instance, as that “ kidnapping of wealthy persons continues to be carried on pretty ex- tensively by numerous bands of bandits prowl- ing round in various parts of Mexico, who, seized the wealthy then make is dua Wendors Above Since the eraiing of Ontobe we bate to chronicle a of hurricanes and earthquakes that did immense damage in the ‘Weat Indies and on the Gulf coast. First we had to record the tornado at Galveston, Brownsville and Matamoros on October 3; next came the destructive gales at Martinique and St, Vincent islands on October 7, followed by the still more disastrous hurricane that tore all before it in St Thomas on October 29, and in Porto Rico, St Domingo and st Cape Haytien on the following day. All the steam- ers plying in the Gulf of Mexico reported tem- pestuous weather in the beginning of the first and second woeks of October and November, and the United States steamer Wilderness, with ex-Minister Romero on board, had a rough experience of the gale at the beginuing of November. Succeeding each of these hurri- canes were shocks of earthquake, following the same course traversed by the torna- does, and corresponding in violence t the preceding gale. The moat violent of these convulgions was felt at St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, St. Croix, St, Thomas and Saba islands, at Mayaguez, in Porto Rico, and St. Domingo city on the afternoon and night of November 18 and 19. The observations made at Mayaguez establish the fact that the course of this tremendous earthquake was from east to west. At that place water spouted out of the earth, while the earthquake caused such an upheaving in the Virgin islands that some of the smaller ones are reported now as totally destroyed. Tho island of St. Croix, where it was most violent, is sixty-five miles east southeast from Porto Rico, and is the largest and southernmost of the Virgin group. With St. Thomas and St. John it forms the Danish possossions in the West Indies. It is twenty miles long by five miles wide, and has a population of 25,600 inbabitants, Its surface is level, and earth- quakes are frequent, St. Bartholomew is about one hundred and twenty-five miles to the east- ward of St. Croix. Its area is thirty-five square miles and its population 18,000. Its conform- ation is similar to St. Croix, but the inhabitants have to rely upon rain for their supply of fresh water. It haga fine harbor—the Carénage— on the west side, and is the only Swedish pos- session in America. St. Martin is about one hundred miles northeast of St. Croix, and has an grea of about thirty square miles, with a population of 8,000 inhabitante. The surface of the island is hilly and not fertile. About two-thirds—the northern—of this island be- longs to the French, the balance to the Datch. We do not pretend to have the gift of prophecy, nor have we any desire to alarm people of weak nerves; but, in view of the facts above stated, it is our duty to oall attention to the shaky condition of our globe at the present time. Almost every day for some time past we have published startling accounts of terrible earthquakes; of volcanic eruptions from old craters and from new clefts in the crust of the globe; of the smking down of islands beneath the ocean ; of the rising of the sea fifty feet above its ordinary level ; of tornadoes such as have hardly been known since the Flood; of showers of meteors, and of a general disturbance ‘a the heavens above and in the earth beneath. What all these things pertend we do not pretend to say, but they are ominous, The first question that arises is, has the world become so wicked that the vials of wrath spoken of in the Apoca- lypse are now being poured down upon itt And here we think the writers on prophecy, the expounders of Daniel and St. John the Evangelist, are at fault and behrad the, times. Where, too, are the Millerites and those wonderfal modern Spiritualisis who can see through a millstone easier than ordinary mortals can through glass? People who have a clear view of what is passing in the seventh heaven and all other heavens by merely closing their eyes and calling the dis- embodied spirits to their aid ought lo be able to throw light on the subject. The prophets and revealers of prophecy and the penetrating mediums being unable to | satisfy us, we must ask what are men oi science doing to explain the startling phe- nomenon? They, too, seem to be ignorant. But our scientific men, as far as we have heard, appear not (to have any knowledge of the matier. Mr. Dellisior, a French savant, it soems, acwally pre- dicted the earthquake and hurricane at St. ‘Thomas and other parts of the West Indies, He even gave the date, the 12th of November, and it wason the night of the 11th that the convulsions of nature commenced or were pre- ceded by a “terrfble display of electrical light.” From that time to the 19th Jamaica, St. Thomas and a large portion of the West Indies were in a fearfully convulsed state. Mr. Dellisier, it is said, mado his calculations from astronomical observations and from the influence of planets on the surface of the earth. It is reporied he is preparing a work on the subject to be read to the Academy of Sciences at Paris. This work will be looked for with great interest, and when we get it the religious and spiritual prophets may be helped out of their dilemma. We may then know whether the spheres of the universe are going to joatle against each other and bring the world to end. But where is philosopher Loomis and all our other savans just now? The and hurricanes have bewildered them as much as the meteors did. It is evident that if we must have information about such phenomena, s0 a8 to be able to “sleep o’ nights” without fear of the earth being smashed up, we shall have to find more waichful and abler astrono- mers at home. Under this staic « things it devolves upon us to allay the fears of quiet, respectable people ; but at the same time we have no wish to lessen the apprebensions of the wicked and conscience stricken. Geologists tell us that before the crust of the earth was well jn there were continual flery storms of most terrible nature, such as, in fact, we ¢an form no ides of, and that for a long period, while the crust was cooling and forming, the tipst. tremendous convulsions recurred fre- quently, creating the vast chains of mountains and the depths of the sea. It was not till after the surface was cooled and became solid and something like the present atmosphere was formed that anything could live upon the carth. All this anterior period, or succession of peri- ods, were what is meant probably by the sit days of Creation in Seriptares. Many sntmals existed before was able to live on the earth, apd, therefore, pa) eg of the great broken up.” This was probably only the Asiatic deluge; fo? it is sald in water, we know that the Old Testament writers speak generally of Asis as all the world. There have been, no doubt, other deluges in struction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This, most likely, was an earthquake with great volcanic action; for it “rained fire and brim- stone,” and these cities sunk far below the level of the sea. The water of the lake which now covers the spot, and the whole region around about, indicate there was fearful vol- canic action. In profane history, among the earliest accounts of remarkable convulsions of the globe is that which destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeli in the yosr A. D. 63. Sixteen years after these cities were buried in the ashes from Vesuvius. Some countries are frequently visited by earthquakes. Calabria, the southern extremity of Italy, and the neighboring island of Sicily are examples. From February, 1783, to* the end of 1786, less than four years, this coun- try was in a continual disturbed state, when nearly a thousand shocks were felt, and most of them of great violence. Ancient An- tioch, in Syria, was visited several times by earthquakes, and in A. D. 526 the most disas- trous one occurred of which there is any record. Gibbon states that two hundred and fifty thou- sand people perished at that time. In more modern times that of Lisbon in 1755, of Java in 1772, and in Chile in 1822, are the most noted. In six minutes sixty thousand persons perished at Lisbon. Humboldt estimated that the extent of the earth’s surface shakes by that earthquake was equal to four times the area of Europe. At the Java earthquake one of the loftiest volcanoes, with an aroa, fifteen miles long and six broad, sunk down and carried forty villages with it. We might enumerate many other such remarkable disturbances of the earth’s surface, but these are sufficient to show that its crust is constantly subject to unknown forces, both within and without. It is now generally believed by geologists that the solid part of the earth is only about as thick to the whole mass as the rind ofan orange is to the pulp, and that the interior is liquid fire. We need not be surprised, then, at the terrible convulsions and eruptions which have occurred lately, and which we havo referred to as occurring in former times. We do not know what offéct the outside pressure of planets or masses of meteors may have in producing earthquakes, hurricanes and voleanic eruptions, but doubtless they have an influence. We know, however, that the gases with which petroleum and other substances are intimately associated are connected with these phenomena. The Caribbean coast of Venezuela is known to be highly volcanic, and is frequently subject to earthquakes. Near this, in Trinidad, is the famous lake of bitu- men or petroleum. At one spot, along the Gulf of Cariaco, Mr. Humboldt found petro- leum spring bubbling through the water ef the sea. The atmosphere was filled with the peculiar smell for a great distance around, and after finding the place from which it came he waded in the salt water to examine the phenomenon. Perbaps it may be some comfort to our people that a great deal of this material and its gases have been set tree lately by the vast number of petroleum wells sunk in she United States. We recommend all with surplus cash to employ it in letting out the petroloum and other gases in the bowels of the earth, and thus save us perhaps from earwaquakes and such like terrible catastrophes. Above all, we, call upon the people and poli- ticians to cease from wickedness and sectional strife, for when “the times are out of joint” we may expect the forces of nature to war against us. Wanted—A Hangman. A murderer was executed at St. Louis on Friday under the most horrible circumstances, The noose slipped from under his ear after the drop of the gallows fell, and forty minutes elapsed before life was extinct in the swaying body. Now, this is too often the case in our public executions. A sheriff appointed for one, two or three years, principally on political reasons, finds in the beginning of his official career that he has to deprive some criminal of life. He forthwith proceeds in fear and trembling to execute the duties of his office, and as a general rule he bungles them. Now, why not have a professional hangman here like the English Calcraft, who makes this horrible subject a matter of scientific study and investi- gation? It is very easy and very much more in accordance with the principles of Christian law and charity to bavé these necessary and disagreeable results of the law carried out with despatch and precision. The idea of humanitarian principles in regard to convicted murderers is out of the question; but the bungling administration of the law in such extreme cases only tends to bring it into disre- pute. Death is the only penalty which should be inflicted where human life is wantonly sacrificed ; but thie death must be sudden and merciful, as far as useless tortures are con- cerned. The guillotine in Paris is an instanta- neous method of ridding the community of a criminal ; but it has one disadvantage, namely, in leaving a headless trunk. The Spanish garrote is better, and, to judge from the bungling manner in which hanging is con- ducted in this country, it is the most Christian- like style of execntion. Yet with such a pro- tessional adept as Calcraft, in England, hanging may be conducted in an unexceptionably satis- factory manner. Let us, then, have some pro- fessional hangmen in America, instead of those nervous, bungling sheriff’, and we will have no such disgraceful exhibitions as that which afflicted the sight of the bystanders in St. Louis on Friday last. Napoleon and the European rei At Munich, on the 9th of December (to-day), was to meet s grand conference of sll the 80 Napoleon wished, and that it should be so echoed the French press. Europe, however, io not yet at the French press « fair exponent sentiment. At congress. The a the determination to have « con- grees of the various Powers to his own peculiar policy has been a failure. Londo & conference, in present circumstances, bas been pronounced impossible. It is not un-* likely that some species of conference may be held in Paris so as to break the Emperor's fall. The rebuff, however, will not be the less visible to the world, and the Emperor will have to submit to it as best he can. It is now more manifest than ever that whatever reasons the Emperor may have had for the course he has followed, it bas neither been dictated nor gustained by highest wisdom. Charles Dickens’ Readings. Mr. Charles Dickens commences his readings in Now York at Steinway Hall this evening. The event is regarded with considerable in- terest, and its near approach has elicited some emotional feeling, which partakes more or less of a national character. Some of the news- pepers express themselves towards the enter- prise in terms which,if not unfriendly, must certainly be regarded as ungenial by « foreigner. The writers appear disposed to revert to an occasion and circumstances long since elapsed, and thus, “embitter the present when compared with the past.” 3 This is wrong; in fact, it is not American. When Mr. Dickens published the “American Notes” he merely attempted to’ laugh dowa our democracy by caricaturmg our manners, mode of life, society and institutions before European audiences who had down to that time merely heard of us in the rongh. ‘The tendency to this course was at the moment almost natural to an Englishman, and some- what excusable in an aspiring English writer anxious to make a name—and money. The world, with the things and people thereof, have sitered greatly since. Tho un- polished democracy which so astonished Mr. Dickens has asserted itself and Americans, of a new generation, have accomplished some remarkable dceds—in war, Ila diplomacy and finance, at home and abroad, on land and on the ocean. We have successfully combated the moat formidable and bloody rebellion recorded in history, and sustained the republic against domestic traitors and foreign disunionists, to the amazement, perhaps chagrin, of the mon- archies. We have incurred the heaviest load of debt yet undertaken by a nation, not ex- cepting England, and pay taxes to an extent so enormous as may well make the finance minis- tera of Europe, who seem puzzled how to make both ends meet, envious. Our armies start up as if by magic, we can build iron-clads to beat our own naval work when in the hands of others, we pay away money on all sides—mu- nicipal, State and national—and yet we have our pockets full of cash, on paper, and are fond as ever of, novel sights and new sensa- tions. - Having thus vindicated the constitution, our country and ourselves, we take foreign criticism very complaisantly. Indeed, we rather court outside remark, and will endure almost any amount of it so as it affords usa hearty laugh and a pleasant evening. We are well known in the world just now, and the occupation of the pen-and-ink caricaturists of our land has passed away. Mr. Dickens repeats his visit at a favorable moment and will “draw.” He is a very fine reader, and will be, consequently, appreciated in New York. Our people seek informa- tion from every and any source, and are willing to pay for it. We wish to be amused also, and Mr. Dickens presents in his readings a wonderful embodiment of some of the characters of the creation of his brain. In their wish for variety our citizens are likely to give him crowded houses. They. have done so with every novelty—Barnum’s giants, Kossuth, the opera, the Prince of Wales, “patriots” from any place, and the “Black Crook”—so Mr. Dickens will take his departure from our shores loaded with “greenbacks” and in much better humor with America than was Carrie Jellaby with Africa when she exclaimed “Africa’s a beast.” An Arctic Continent. In our telegraphic news from the Sandwich Islands, published on Saturday, we laid before the readers of the Heratp what appears to be a valuable contribution to Arctic discovery. This is an abstract of an account in a Honolulu paper of the purported observations of Captain Long, of the whale ship Nile. This navigator, favored by the mildness of the season, had reached a northern latitude of seventy-three degrees and thirty minutes—thus advancing about six degrees within the Arctic circle. Cruising some four hundred miles to the north- ward of Cape North, on the continent of Asia, and in the same longitude with that point, he had seen land and sailed in sight of it for several days, approaching within fifteen miles ofthe shore. The land seen nearest the ses was high, free from snow, and apparently covered with vegetation. Beyond this were ranges of mountain, and one peak, resembling in character an extinct volcano, was estimated to be about three thousand feet above the level of the sea. Such are the main points of the pub- lished report, though doubtless Captain Long will communicate his discovery to the world with more detail in due time. In the meantime it is doubtless safe enough to assume that we have thus defined and fixed another portion of the coast of the same land that Kane and Hayes have hitherto touched, approaching it from another direction; and the mountains scen from the Asiatic side by Captain Long are probably of the same system as seen by the above named navigators from Kennedy’s Channel, peaks in which they called Mount Franklin, Mount Edward Parry and Mount Francis Beaufort. J ST. THOMAS. Seward’e A Mere Hopefal Report from Mr. Territorial Acquisition. New York, Dec, 17,1867. To tae Error or tar Heraip:— By advices to band this day from St Thomas, dated two o'clock, 18th ult, 1am happy to be able to contra. diet the somewhat strange telegrams in your and other Papers for the last few daya, Admiral Palmer and Com- mod ores Boggs and Bissol wero at St. Thomas oa the 18th alt, and it wae the intention of Admiral Palmer to carry the Danish Commissioner for the trassfer of the islands of St, Thomas and St. Johas over to St. Croix on the following day (19th), for the purpese Of arranging, ‘with the Governer (Birch) the consequent, om the transfer of the islands, There was much rejote-; ing at the idea of annexation to the United rte the merchants did not’ mike to the iden of taritte, Iam, dear cir, your most obedient servant. N. MORRISON, Of Gt. Thomes aad 62 South strat, New York,