The New York Herald Newspaper, January 1, 1869, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HE 7 BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. . 4AMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the gear, Four cents per copy. Annual subscription Price $12. THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Five - 8 set eeeeeeeereeeeeeeeees edevercesccesae Bt : Apy larger number addressed to names of sub- scribers $1 50 each. An extra copy will be sent to every club of ten. Twenty copies to one addresss ‘one year, $25, and any larger number at same price. An extra copy will be sent to clubs of twenty. These yates make the WEEKLY HERALD the cheapest pub- Uoation in the country. Postage five cents per copy for three months. The EvropEan Epirion, every Wednesday, at Six CENTS per copy, $4 per annum to any part of Great Britain, or $6 to any part of the Continent, both to include postage. | The CatarorNra Eprrioy, on the Ist, 9th, 16th and 24th of each month, at Six CENTS per copy, or $3. per annum. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and 13:b street. — Breep TUR PLovaE. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—AFTER DARK ; 08, LON- ‘DON BY Niout. bOWERY THEATRE Bowery.—Canroucn®—Ta Two JuAN. Malinee at PIKE'S OPERA HOUSE, corner of Eighth avenue and Sd street. —Cuaxson DE ForTUNIO—LEs BavaRbs. FRENCH THEATRE. Fourteenth Que.—GENEVIEVE DE BRABANT. THEATRE, Broadway.—Humpty Domrry. wire Prarvuee. BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tak EMERALD Ring. street and Sixth ave- WOOD'S MUSEUM AND THEATRE, Thirtieth street and Broadway.—Afiernoon and evening Performance. at. vB. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn.— Lass. ACADEMY OF MUSIC.-STILL WaTERs kun ULE FR 18. ESULY 6 LEoIs MINSTRELS, 720 Broadway.—ErHi0- was it, BURLESQUE.—GIN-NEVIEVE DEGRAW . oor, FRapcesco MINSTRELS, $85 Broadway.—ETHI0- wan AINMENTS, SINGING, DANCING, £c. ek Rrmsrian Minermeter ae Suciegs Mie Toy OPERA HOUSE, 91 Rowery.—Couro vecataaa, Heusd’Grsevanust, Be, Matinee at 259. Apollo Hall, corner of Broad- ea Te ‘Lauenry's DuRaMe. FORK Cll Fourteenth street.—EQuESTRIAN ane Oranasne yeevainunnt. Matinee os 23. CHNTRAL PARK GARDEN.—Tazo, Tuowas’ Graxp Peommnast Concent, Matinee at 3 RAS Orne, HOUSE, Brookiyn.—Hoouer's Wa CLADE,” GIPTA, &c. Py RRS ) OPERA HOUSE, Wiliamsburg.— Le "BANTA CLAUS,” GIFTS, 4c. BROOKLYN Dy og ped of Atlantic and Clin. 8 te -sroson Diets. nee at 2. PAY MORDUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Brondway.— ane Ant. New Verk, Friday, Jauunary 1, 1569. S23 Nuws. Europe, ‘The cable telegrams are dated December 31. @ deepateh fom Athens states that che Greek ‘Miuister bas gone to Cerigo to disband the volun- ‘Seers, aed another dexpatch from Constantinople eludes Ww the good feelmg of the Turkish govern- (Germ te Greek ewtyects im that city. 1 & sett thet the Greek volunteers in Crete have ‘surrendered te the Turks and that a provisional guv- ermment has been estaliushed there. ‘The meeting of (ne couference of the great Powers O& the Rastern question & annoenced to have Leen peat pened: Another torrie colliery explosion has taken place ot Wigen. Twenty-six dead bodies have already been taken from che pil. ‘The Emperot Sapoveon intends to compliment the forewgn atiteerndor om New Year's Day on their @uteevers to preserve the peace of Rurope. Bhote kave ogourred im Malaga and barricades have Beem taro n ap in the streets, A taagittrate, nated Uule Bates, has been killed & fretana. ” @ direedfel maswecre of Reropean families is an- eeante! te have been committed in New Zealand | | hy the Maite. We correptiy reporied my Wastingion that k. Joy Morrie, the Amercan Miniwel 1@ Turkey, i» to be Feestled. and het the name of hiv will ve Presented bo the preseat Congross for confirmation. ‘The Wemern | mou Telegraph monopoly are en- Gewvering 6 se mantpuiave Mr. Washbarne’s Teic- Braph bili as bo cause ie tndefatte postponement. Me ht operation, however, they Wt!) doubtiess Le Cetented. as Mr Wasbiurne will give the matter his Petrone! attention. I i belleved that under mo cir- Cummapees can the buliding of 8 pew Welegraph itue berwere Washington aod New Vork be prevented, | MOVETE! Witneeses have Leen examined before the ‘raed Jury of the Metrict of Coiunia, in order to Geoure 6 Hew Iedictment against Jotun H. Surratt. Among (he © acess ¢iam ned were frooke Mabicr and the colored Woman Susan Ana Jackson. ‘The agent of the Virginia Express Company at Hortolk war Knocked down yesterday morning, ‘while om his Way to the depul, aud robbed of $12,000, ‘Ue was serouniy injured. : ‘The Mitmets River lmprovemen’ Convention, held — Bt Pourta, bi, appotwted committee lo lay the mat- ter before the Leguiature. From La Salle to the Monts Of the Myer be .20 miles and the proposed Lun provements Wil) com! §2.000,00, ° Oeweral Grant viniies Girard College. | hiladelphia, yesterday. To-day, at the invitation of the City Coumotia, he will reerive the citizens of Miiade phia at ludependom ¢ ial. A Gre coourred im Providence, KR. 1. yesterday morning, Which desroyed property to the value of eee, Among the eufferers by this fire are the Dproprictors of the Providence Brewing Press, whose Jom ls Goce, Twenty-five operatives at work in the upper part of the boliding whieh was burned bad chetr egress cut of by (he burning of the stair. ‘Ways end made their cecape by climbing down « chai used for lnnsting. ‘The Office of the Meyistrr, at Markavilic. La., was totally destroyed a few days since by a mob, which was led by the editor of a0 opposiwon paper in the town, ‘The Albany and Susquebanna Railroad was for. mally opened yesterday. The directors paesed over ‘the road from Albany to Binghamton, making the Fan in five hours and Ofty-sever minotes. ‘The Stearns woolen mills at Hittafeld, Mass, were destroyed by Gre on Wednewiay nigh’. Loss 8190,000, ‘The Woudies With the negroes on the (reechee , fiver, Ga, continue Gaaband, On Wednewiay night { another piwptation was destroyed, the owner's house urned and "ee crops destroyed, The negroes are ‘Weil arme:t and in large force and seem determined ‘to reniat the authorities Another batvie is reported to have ake place be- ‘tween the Indians aad government troops, im the ‘Washits mountains, in which many lod\aue are said have been Killed, and Setanta, chief of the Clowns, and Little beaver, chief of the Arepahoes, waken prisoners. A loaded shel! exploded and completely demoli-ned @ furnace in an iron foundry in Coscord, N. ee Merchants’ Union Express, were yostertay, under | drawn from ‘the provisions of the extradition treaty, huaded over by the Canadian authorities at Windsor to the United ‘States ofticers. Tho City. In the Courts of Oyer and Terminer and General Sessions for this city during the year 1808 there Were 764 trials, which resulted in 660 convictions and ninety-five acquittals, Of, these convictions three were for murder in the firet degree and ten for man- Slaughter; 207 males and sixteen females were sen- tenced to be.imprisoned in the State Prison—two of the males for life. The aggregate term of imprison- ment for the remainder was 1,072 years and ten months. ‘The United States District Attorney for the South- ern district of New York during the year just closed instituted in the federal courts 1,923 suits aad closed 983, ‘The United States Marshal for this district during the year 1868 executed 1,300 warrants and 417 at- tachments, seized 417 distilleries and 4,683 barrels of whiskey and served 1,100 captases. The Board of Councilmen yester@ay adopted a resolution creating a new office--engrossing clerk for the Common Council, with a salary of $3,000 per annum; $800 was appropriated to the pastor of St. James’ church; $103 to the Bloomingdale Methodist Episcopal church; $25,000 to the House of the Good Shepherd, and $3,000 to the Ladies’ Union Aid Society. Charles M. Rodgers, of No. 42 East Twolfth street, ‘was assaulted in front of his own house by two un- known men, who robbed him of a gold watch and stabbed him in the left side, inflicting a mortal wound, John Reilley was yesterday arrested for entering the premises No. 339 West Twentieth street and steal- ing property to the value of $1,000. Circumstances prove him to be the burglar who has been operating so suctessfally for some weeks in West Twentieth street, where a number of houses were broken into and @ large amount of wearing apparel and other goods stolen. A young lady belonging to the most fashionable circles of Brooklyn and a member of the Rev. Dr. Blanchard’s church has been rnissing from her home for several days past and fears are entertained that she has been abducted by some evil disposed per- sons. : The Inman line steamship City of Baltimore, Cap- tain Leitch, will leave pier 45 North river at nine o'clock to-morrow (Saturday) morning for Queens- town and Liverpool. The European mails will close at the Post Office at half-past seven A. M. Hereafter the steamers of this line will leave at such hours on Saturday that they may not be detained by want of sufficient water on the bar, and the mails will always close one hour and a half before they sail. The steamship Europa, Captain Craig, of the Anchor line, will leave pier No. 20 North river, at twelve M. to-morrow (Saturday) for Glasgow, call- ing at Londonderry fo land passengers, &c. ‘The Merchants’ line steamship General Grant, Captain Quick, will sail at three P. M. to-morrow (Saturday), from pier No. 12 North river, for New Orleans direct. The stock market yesterday, considering the. severe stringency in money, was strong and buoy- ant. Gold rallied to 135, and closed at the quotation 134% a 135. The highest price of gold during the year 1868 was 150 and the lowest 132%, Prominent Arrivals in the City. General F. P. Blair, of St. Louis; SenatorGeorge E. Spencer, of Alabama; Senator A. H. Cragin, of New Hampshire; G.T. Cobb, of New Jersey; Senator James Harlan, of lowa; A. B. Richmond, of Pennsyl- vania; Colonel J. S. Sterns and J. S. Davis, of Mas- sachusetts, and Judson Jarvis, of Monticello, N. Y., are at the Metropolitan Hotel. Colonel T. 8. Kent, of Binghamton; Lieutenant G. Partridge, of the United States grmy; ©. H. Coon, of Ohio, and Surgeon J. M. Reed, ’ of the United States Navy, are at the St. Charles Hotel. General Badeau, of the United States Army,{ana Captain Cook, of the steamship Russia, are at the Brevoort House. Congressman D. McCarthy, of New York ; Thomas E, Graves, of Massachusetis ; E, T, Hatch, of Buffalo ; J. W. Bradley, of Maine ; aiid Colonel N. D. Clapp, of Chicago, are at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Captain Ward, of the United States Army ; Wyley Woodbridge, of Louisiana ; W. A. Gaibraith, of Erie, Pa.; General W. H. Reynolds and Colonel C. W. Tompkins, of Providence, and G. B. St. John, of Connecticut, are at the Hoffman House. Colonel E. R. Logan and Captain B. Saunders, of the UniteagStates Army ; Dr. R. Gibson, of‘ Jackson, Miss.; and Captain G. D. Green, of Macon, Ga., are at the St. Julien Hotel. New Year's Day, 1869—The New Age of American Progress. Yes, the old year is gone, and the new year, with the ringing of bells from a hundred thou- sand turrets around the circuit of the earth, has been or willbe this day ushered in. Great and weighty events have been added to the annals of mankind in the brief but crowded interval from the last to the present New Year morn- ing. Under the appointed laws of the universe our glorious though somewhat shaky little planet, with her attendant handmaiden, pur- sues her steady course in “swinging round her circle ;” but the world of the human family, under the new propelling forces of steam and lightning, moves onward under a continually increasing momentum. Just entering upon a new age of American progress, we stand looking out upon the boundless prospect before us, as stood the Spanish discoverer, Balboa, in exulting wonder, when first confronted by the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. What is our manifest destiny? With General Grant secured as our incoming President we all feel assured of better times. It must be so. Southern reconstruction will be settled, and negro suffrage and the national finances, debt, bonds, banks and taxes, and on a good foundation, We may say that we know this; but we do not know what strange things may tarn up in the unearthing of the whiskey frauds and whiskey rings, or among the wrangling factions in Congress, nor what will be the solution of the Alabama claims, the Chinese question, the Cuba question, the Mexican question, Mormon polygamy or women’s rights. Nor do we know when our new Court House will be finished, or when our new Post Office will be commenced, nor what will be the dividends vor distribution of our Corporation rings and jobs during the year before us. We know enough, however, to predict for this country and thie imperial city a future of progress, prosperity and grandeur utterly eclipsing the wildest visions of imperial Rome. As the contemporaneous index for the last thirty odd years of the growth and develop- ment of this metropolis we turn to the New Youk Henato. Time was when it was a great achievement to secure, a few hours in advance of our rivals, the latest news from Europe via Boston by pony express, or from Mexico by horse power. Time was when the expenses of our Abyssinian correspondence of last year would have absorbed our yearly in- come, About that time the expenditures of the national government were not much in ex- cess of the city expenses and wastages now under the control ot Tammany Hall, and about two-thirds less than the present annual steal- ings of the whiskey rings. In General Jack- son's time the country was turned upside down ‘and inside out and involved in general bank- riuptey front his financial pet bank policy of laflstion on basis of thirty millions of specie DAY, JANUARY 1, 1869. eee - — coffers of « superseded na- tional Wank. Now the perquisites of the na- tional banks on the national bonds are from tweaty-five to thirty millions a year, and nobody cares, and we floarish under federal taxations of four or five hundred millions » year, although very few of the masses of the people have held as much as « ten cent coin in pos- session for five or six years past, The Henao, like the city and the republic, r 3 i i : i | i ; i : of BEES? Bo i Hf betes ian day the past day's history of the world, with a look into the future; our advertisements are an instructive ‘‘map of busy lite,” more interesting than the daintiest romance. Our readers know this morning what was done yesterday in London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Vienna on the one hand, and in Havana, New Orleans and San Francisco on the other. A year or two hence, with the globe belted by the telegraph, we shall get the news from China half a day in advance of the day itself. This engine—the telegraph—is too powerful for any private monopoly or associated mo- nopolies of speculators. With us, as in Europe, it must be taken under the control of the gov- ernment. Otherwise a few telegraph monopo- lies, on their own terms, will rule the press, the money market, the banks, the merchants, and the general business of the whole country. We look for the indicated reform during the year before us as we look for many other good things under the new ‘dispensation now close at hand. Andy Johnson may retire to the mountains of Tennessee ; Seymour may spend the evening of his days in fishing and hunting; General Blair may be forgotten, save as a lieutenant of Sherman, in his “‘great march to the sea ;” the Pacific railroad may create cities in the desert of Utah rivalling Baalbec anf Palmyra ; our god Terminus may be planted on the one Hand among the icebergs of the Arctic Circle, and on the other at the isthmus of Darien; the Napoleon dynasty may disappear, and a republic may take its place; one generation may succeed another; New York city may ex- pand to a population of five millions; but still there is no reason why an independent press, like the Heratp, which has grown with the city’s growth and “strengthened with its strength,” should not continue to be the favorite journal of its people and of the country at large. Aiming at this high distinction, and keeping in view the progressive agencies and spirit of the age, we have the honor to wish our grand army of intelligent readers in this city, the State and the Union, and in all the four continents and the islands of the sea, one and all, “‘a happy New Year. 9 New Phase of the Cuba Revolution. While the government in Havana assidu- ously represses all official news from the scene of the insurgent movements in Cuba, advices gather from all sides which indicate the ina- bility of either side to triumph over its oppo- nent. It is now nearly three moaths since insurrection was first proclaimed at Yara, and while the insurgents have in that time obtained control of nearly one-half of the ter- ritory of the island, they have, from their want of arms and military organization, been unable to obtain possession of a single fortified place or port. Onthe other hand, the government has found itself cooped up in the large towns and harbor fortifications wherever the revo- lution has shown its head, and the main body of its forces is to-day occupied in an attempt to reopen communication between the port of Nnevitas and the important city of Puerto Principe. This weakness, common to both parties in the contest, has been the cause of the delay which has been witnessed in the revolution, and is to-day the motive which is inducing a gradual change in the character of the move- ment, Our advices from the central depart- ment state that large numbers of the slaves and contracted coolies are constantly leaving the plantations and presenting themselves to the authorities. Not holding possession of the country the government has no resource but to enroll these, and, in stress of reinforce- ments, to make soldiers of them. While this is passing at General Valmaseda’s headquar- ters the insurgent leaders are reported as hold- ing a conference within fifty miles of him, at Sibanicti, to take into consideration the ques- tion of the slaves. As all order onthe planta- tions is fast slipping away they think it better to take the bull by the horns at once, and it is already whispered that emancipatioa will be decreed. Private advices received from highly respectable parties in Havara confirm these views and state that the excitement in the public mind is very great there. Another indication of the changing charac- ter of the contest will be found in our columns to-day, in a communication from the secretary of a new secret organization in Havana styled the ‘‘Laborantes,” anc a trans- lation of its first address to the ‘working classes.” Although the note of the secretary states that the body has in its ranksthe most influential and wealthy classes, their proclama- tion is undonbtedly addressed to the slaves, from whom they expect to draw their fighting material. It is incendiary in its character and cannot fail to produce still greater excite- ment among the negroes and coolie:, It is a gathering of materials for the burning, to which the torch may or may not be applied on the arrival of General Dulce, now axpected to arrive from Spain, with the new pr of government for the colonies of Porto Rico. The crisis which « arrival is now so near at hand that « our present data is uncalled for. New Year's Day Car1s.—This is for the blooded racers. Young men of spirit are expected to make faster time than Dexter ever trotted. In fact, they should be ubiquitous to meet half the demands made upon them by this outrageous and barbarous habit of trying to see how many of their friends they can call upon ia one day, The Telegraph Banquet and the Special Pleas of the Monopolists. The grand complimentary banquet given to Professor Morse on Tuesday evening last in this city would, at any season and in any place, have been an appropriate and well deserved recognition of the services rendered to man- kind by the distinguished guest to whose science, genius and untiring devotion to his great purpose the world is indebted for the boon of the recording telegraph. The banquet might well have taken place in any country on the face of the globe, for wherever civilization reaches the benefit of the electric telegraph has been felt; but here national pride com- bines with gratitude to render any honor paid to this most eminent of their fellow country- men peculiarly acceptable to Americans. It is no wonder, therefore, that the company gathered on this occasion should have included many of the most respectable of our citizens, and that the affair, in spite of all drawbacks, should have been a decided success. It may, indeed, have been matter of surprise to some that such a demonstration should have been made at this particular time, and that a great telegraph monopoly, which has hitherto ignored Profes- sor Morse’s services and claims, should have become so suddenly impressed with the duty of giving a costly entertainment in his honor, But all this mystery was cleared up by the speech of the President of the Western Union Company, who, with singular lack of judg- ment, maile it evident by his ill-timed remarks that the honor to Professor Morse was simply a decoy duck to affect a great lobby movement upon Congress, and that the real object of the concoctors of the affair was to assail the pro- posed telegraphic reform, and to spread abroad the erroneous impression that the Professor and the company assembled to meet him were all opposed to the absorption of the telegraph in the postal system of the government. It is true that the innocence and honesty of true genius threw a terrible stumbling block ip the way of the schemers. Professor Morse’s naive declaration that he had from the earliest days realized the importance of a government control of the telegraph and that he still ad- hered to his former opinions was fatal to their main object. Nevertheless their popgun was shot off amidst the heavy artillery of the after dinner speeches, and if it did not produce any very terrible results, it at least served to eeatter the guests and to expose the animus of the whole affair. The President of the Western Union Tele- graph Company, in assailing the proposed bill for the construction of a telegraph line from New York to Washington and denouncing the general principle of a government tele- graph, asserted that the plan was opposed by all the American press, with one or two exceptions. This is an entire misstatement. The truth is that, excepting one or two insig- nificant papers, with small local circulations, no respectable journal has ventured to speak out aguinst the projected reform. Even the attempt of the Western Union monopoly to coerce the press into opposition to Wash- burne’s measure by threatening to discontinue the existing press contracts and to raise the rates for news reports has signally failed in its object, The ually subservient organs of the ménopoly havé thus far refused to be whipped into line, and the independent papers all over the country, wherever they S43¢ spoken on the subject, have'leaned towards the proposed government system. It has been everywhere conceded that the prevailing high rates for the transmission of messages check the growth of telegraphic correspondence and operate unjustly in favor of the large capitalist against the general’ commercial community. It has been stated that, while low rates are a necessity, the cheaper telegraphing becomes the greater will be the falling off in the postal revenues, and that the two means of communi- cation must be combined in the hands of the government or the postal system eventually abandoned. So far, therefore, frotm opposing the projected reform the arguments of the independent press have been used in its favor, and, if left entirely untrammelled by personal considerations, every intelligent journalist in America would take a broad view of the subject and agree with Professor Morse that so mighty an engine as the telegraph should be held in the strong hands of the government, The President of the Western Union mo- nopoly further objects to the government plan, for the reason that all the public departments are corruptly managed. ‘‘Look at the whiskey rings and the internal revenue rings,” he ex- claims, with the authority of one who has filled an importont internal revenue office, “‘and then imagine the telegraph business confided to such hands.” Well, we do not feel disposed to question the President's authority as to the corruptions to which he alludes; but it is well known that the Post Office Depart- ment has been less subjected than any other public department to the suspicion of dishonest practices. His reasoning, if carried out to its legitimate result, would break up the Post Office and every other public department and put the whole machinery of the govern- ment into the hands of private companies, But the telegraph would necessarily require ex- perts to operate it. Politicians are not tele- graph operators, as a general thing, and hence the telegraph department would be less liable to partisan control than any other in the gov- ernment. Besides, the objection to which we have alluded, if well founded, could readily be met by a provision against the removal of any telegraph operator except for incompe- tency or dishonesty. The operators them- selves, who feel more than any other class the grinding and exacting character of the exist- ing monopoly, if left to express their real eenti- ments, would petition ina body for the pro- posed change. The main point made by the President of the Western Union was that it would be an act of injustice to the existing telegraph companies if the government should, at this late day, enter upon the business. This is an entire fallacy. The charters have been the free gift of the people to private companies, who have enjoyed them for years and made enormous fortunes out of them. No such exclusive privileges could be made perpetual without great injus- tice and injury to the people. Patents granted to men of genius and science for the greatest inventions in the world are only allowed to exist for a limited period, and then revert to the government. The Western Union corpo- ration has enjoyed its charter longer than a great inventor can enjoy his patent, and the people have now a perfect right to reclaim it if the public interest renders it desirable to do so. Besides, it has made a bad use of its trust. Instead of being conducted in the interests of the people, it has been made to enrich rings and combinations by watering the stock and raising the capital to a fictitious value. It is true, as Professor Morse says, that the gov- ernment should pay the existing companies the fall value of their lines, and this is provided for in the Washburne bill, which is only the pioneer of the great movement. Bids are to be invited for the construction of new lines, and then the old lines can be purchased by the government at twenty-five per cent less than the ascertained cost of new lines. No fairer proposition than this can be conceived. It is just to the companies and to the country ; while to take the old lines at their own inflated and fictitious valuation would be a fraud upon the people and would defeat the main object of the government telegraph. Cheapness of transmission can never be attained without honesty and economy of construction, and thid is just what Washburne’s bill seeks to secure. Financial Twaddlers In and Out of Congress. Senator Morton made an elaborote speech on thenational finances, and on resumption of specie payments in particular; the editor of the chief radical organ here seized the oppor- tunity to ventilate his crude notions in a pre- tentious and long-winded article in reply ; and Mr. Morton was silly enough to suppose this was worthy of an answer. It is all bandying of words and mere twaddle. ft is proverbial that men often love to talk a great deal about that of which they know little; and that is precisely the case with our Senatorial and editorial would-be philosophers. There is not a practical idea in their financial lucubrations. The radical editor, who has a large stock of vanity, must be delighted with the indirect puff received from the Senator. This hobby of resumption is ridden to death, but the country is brought no nearer the object aimed at. In fact, forced resumption is impracticable, whether immediate, as one of these theorists proposes, or by a slower process, as proposed by the other. Mr. McCulloch tried it, and failed. The British government made several efforts after the wars with the first Napoleon were ended, and failed; and it was only after eight to ten years that resumption was brought about by the natural laws of trade. Then it came almost imperceptibly, as the dew falls from heaven, It will come to us in the same manner, but probably within a shorter period, for the increase of wealth, trade and population is much greater here. The amount of currency in circulation this year will be found to be insufficient a few years hence. It is a waste of time, therefore, to discuss the question of resumption. We shall grow up to that naturally, and any attempt to force it can only result in disaste: Tue Eastern Question—Tue CONFERENCE PostponeD.—Cable despatches which we print this morning show that tbe *smness of Turkey has been ¢r%ned with unexpected success. Gre?ee has Ween compelled to adopt a pacific ‘policy. The insurrectionary spirit hag heen effectually put down in Crete. The Conference, which was to hold its first session in Paris on the 2d of January, has, in conse- toes been indefinitely postponed. The pluck which Turkey has manifested at this time cannot be too highly praised. A little more encouragement to the forces of modern civilization and a hearty submission to the new conditions which these forces generate, and the so-called sick man has a healthful and promising career before him. Not the least important of the various announcements is that which informs us that to-day the Emperor Napoleon, in his address to the foreign ambassadors, will point to the negotiations on the Eastern question as a fresh pledge of the pacific policy now in general favor throughout Europe. Tae Last Day or tHe Year AND THE Weatner.—So much depends upon the weather on New Year's Day that yesterday the lowering aspect of the skies provoked considerable dis- cussion. It was feared that the prospect was threateningly dubious, and housekeepers hardly knew which most to dread, a plentiful lack of visitors or a sad story of soiled carpets. Un- certain, however, as the prospect was yester- day evening, all awake this morning toa bright hope for better things, political, financial and social. Rain or shine, snow or thaw, let us join in the congratulations and the cheerful anticipations of the seasoa. If the Old Year went out gloomily let the New Year be heartily welcomed. A happy New Year to us all! “A Happy New Year.”—Everybody looks happy, for the reason that there can be but one change, and that in our favor in many directions—a change for the better in our government, a change of Presidents, a change in the Alabama claims affair, a change in our finances, a change in the whiskey revenue. MOVEMENTS OF CENERAL GRANT. PHIiLapeLPutAa, Dec. 31 1868,. General Grant visited Girard College this morning, and will to-morrow afternoon receive the citizens at Independence Hall, having accepted the invitation of the City Counelis, CIVIMAN Arrourraayrs IN THR Uxrrep States Army. Brigadier General Gay V. Henry, U. 8. A.,of Fortress Monroe, has for some time past been engaged in pre- paring a book conta:aing the military histories of those omMeets tn our reguiar army who have been appointed from the ranks, from elvi life or the volunteers, the close of a ments known aa “ctvillan,” ih contredivunccion to those given to graduates of West Port. These men the war rendered distinguished service in the ion. Befire it is brought before the public, however, the gather ixious to receive & rantee for the wale of e certain natmber, and to this end requests that ay Willing to sulweribe will send their m. ‘The police authorities at the Central Ofice have been apprised that on the loth of November jast, & mulatto slave owned by Mra. Rosie A. Scala, of Havana, aged thirty-ve, named “ José," robbed his mistfeme of $10,009 in gold and Spanish notes on the Naa VEspagnol of that céy, and escay with hie iy. It i# supposed he left at eliber the cities of New Orieans or Mobile, and ede ra = nee winapi there 4 ve an - ie Frene and Spanish lan, and ng a certi- of liberation. tie ts of a nature to deceive tie most wary. handred dollars re- ‘ward is offered for lis arrest and the recovery of the |, Which we detectives of this city are i # NEW YEAR'S DAY. The Dying of the Old Year—Basy Preparae tions for the New Year—Scenes Last Evening im the City—Programme for Ta, Day. , It was a busy day yesterday—vusy as the closing day of the old yegr, busy in the preparations for the new year; streets and stores and city cars and carriages were filled with busy people. There were the last holiday purchases to be made, and in conse- quence a day of busy shopping for the ladies among all the varieties of dry goods, jewelry, toys, books and flowers. There was & great deal to be attended to in the way of preparations for the new year re- were new clothes to be got—a glossy chapeau ag bran new as the year; white gloves possessing the same virginal freshness; boots with toes of the gon- doia prow pattern—suits, in fact, of special smart- ness For tora: s calls, This was the work of young men, Staid business men, whose are more absorbed in speculations in veal estate, fancy stocks and trade than in the cut of garments and the fair- est of feminine smiles, were busy straightentag out heir year’s accounts, There was unwonted excite- ment, or rather the excitement indigenous to the gong of the year, everywhere—in the streets and out of them, in store, in shop, in room, ‘There and formations of new ones; closing of old business engagements and commencement of new ones. _T' day in, fact, was ly given up to winding uj the year’s old work and preparing for the new wo! of the new year. With many, a8 the clock on old ‘Trinity strack the midnight hour, the dying of the old year and the ushe in of the new, it was the time of solemn resolves for the future, of high pur- ad of the laying aside of vicious habits, of earnest tent to turn over a newleaf, What more fitting time than the end of the year ‘or such resolutions? ‘The time seriousness of thought, but un- happily in the end the resolves thus made mostly turn out as that of the devii’s resolving on a certain a8 portrayed with the result in the tollow- ing familiar quotation:— ‘When the devil was sick the devil a monk would be; Bat the devil got well and devil a monk was he. We have spoken of it being a r It was, if anything, @ more busy eng Bat business more of a roystering class than otherwise. barrooms, notwithstanding the Bohemian assaults on the character of the liquors vended at with unusual liber- other ind to this frequent imbiba- fact that by an im edict of venden$ Kennedy, that jodel cor of tic morals, ms are interdicted from ispensing their usual diurnal quota of Li light- ning. As the result free drinking even- of their hospitalities and sweetest = Flgringeers gpd oe weather is e atres, circus and Ethiopian minstrel concerta—at nearly all of which there will be mttinée perform- ances—will also be full. At some of the public insti- ,tutions ee will es ee a Ch oa the * mates, and many hea! jereby » To all we Wish a “happy New Year.” Watch Meetings—Religivus Exercises in the Methodist ChurcheeA Solemn Midnight Hour. From time immemorial, even before the memory of the traditional “oldest inhabitant” came into play, the Methodist Church has celebrated the departare ofeach old year and the advent of every new one by religious services at their various places of public worship. From the fact that these assemblages break up soon after the midnight hour has been passed, and that the time is spent in anticipation of the birth of a new yearly epoch .of time, they have been appropriately termed “Watch Meetings." Last night presented no exception to the rule with the Methodist societies, but both in thw city and in Brooklyn all the churches were well at- tended, and at an hour unusual for oat the streets in the vicinity of the leading Methodist Bpis- copal churches were thronged with devout men and women who were Lakin tng | to spend in prayer and praise the last moments of the year of our Lord 1868, and the first of its newly-born successor, 1869, The services in all the dislerent churches were simi- lar in character, the only difference noticeable being due to the peculiar tastes of the minister or layman who presided. Passages of Serip- ture affording consolation to the betiever or calculated to cause conviction t% the sumer were read, some of the more appropriate hymas of Joun We y, which spoke of the flight of time and the necessity for preparation for eternity, were sung; and Christian brethren offered pra: for the for- giveness of the sins which marred u rd of the past year, and for strength to live b n the new one. Addresses were delivered, the speakers dweil- ing upon the uncertainty of life, the great good- ness of God and the unworthiness of the son» of men, exhorting all present to come to @ cetermination that the year 1869 should see @ reater devotion in His service and a greater zeal for his glory. The most solemn part in the services was, however, the spending of the time which ushered in the new year in profound silence, the pethiod Congregsiicn pind ppt Mare pont eI - silent prayer. The most care! present could mot fail to feel the solemnity of this silent time. The slowly ticking clock spoke of the rapid flight of time, the associations of the house of er religious its, and the Whole bull ok cote to be ited with & power which, though unseen, ertheless present. , was nev When at last the birth of the opening year was an- fone ve e col 4 sang of eye (4 God of i prayer homes with ris fall of devotion ana gratitude and with minds strengthened by the the solemn hour, New Year's Eve is celebrated in various way but it may well be doubted if persons it in a better manner than those who constitute the congregations at these watch meetings. Amusements This Day and Evening. ‘There will be afew exceptions to-day, some man- agers being determined to force matinées upon their induigent patrons, It 1s almost needless to state, however, that such exhibitions will be slimly attend- ed, Evening representations are of course distinct from the mercenary objects of day At Pike's Opera House will be presented tiis even- ing. “La Chanson de Fortunio” and “Les Bavards.’”’ ‘he French theatre o' for the last night but one the famous “Genevieve de Brabant.” “Speed the Plough” is the attraction at Wallack’s this evening. The Broadway theatre will have the “Emerald Ring.” Ite yems will undoubtedly be appreciated, “Hampty” will, ofcourse, welcome over a thousand New Year's visitors this evening. “After Dark’? 18 the magnet at Niblo’s this even+ ing. Good for Paimer, obody would go to & matinee. ‘The Worrell Sisters will appear in their famous burlesque characters in “Barbe Bieue” and “La Belle Helene.” “Claude Duval,” the highwayman, will of course entice a mass of Boweronians at both day and even- tng performances at the Bowery theatre. it ls neediess to say that Wood's Museum ts always open, Wild antmals ever on view. ‘The number disappointed jay by the post. ponement of the Tammany inauguration was con- siderabie, Monday evening is set down for the ‘and reinauguration, At the New York Circus wild horses gallop at all times, To-day will, perhaps, be no exception to their mercurial excitement. to eal intends to have a matinée to-day at any 0 morrow evening the habitucs of the Park thea- tre, Brookiyn, wil fe suitably cuvertelcea be the “Lancashire Lass’? Some of the minstrels will hold matinées to-day, but the majority of them wilt afford delight by their evening entertainments, » Waters Run Deep" will be the prograrame at the Brooklyn Academy of Musie this evening. At the Brooklyn Athen@um or Blitz has at- tracted a host of admirers di is holiday exitbt tions, His feats are traly ering, aim his en~ tertalnonenss to-day and to-morrow will, doubtiods, much gratification. Li ‘ instreine ‘at both establisiments, wil hold infer to-day. ‘There is po 4 Ree ae havo reasonably terminated the public places of amuse~ meat Will be comfurtably oocupiod. s