The New York Herald Newspaper, August 22, 1870, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR.: Volume XXXV ‘oo THE BERALD CORPS OF KUROPEAN WAR CORRESPONDENTS. | We have special correspondents moving with each division of the opposing forces of France and Prussia, and news agencies in the principal capitals--London, Paris, Berlin, Ma- drid and Vienna—so that nothing of an im- portant news character escapes our vigilant representatives, We do not pretend that our comments gj the war, or that our opinions upon the pro} a- ble success of either belligerent in contem- plated movements come by the cable. Our only aim is to give to the public the fullest, the most reliable, and the ‘most authentic rd of facts as they occur in the grand ions of the contending armies. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. 8 GARDEN, Broadway.—Tut DRAMA OF UNDER MUSEUM AND MENAGERIE, Broadway, cor- eth wt. — Mances every aiternoon and eveulng Broadway ana 18h SIN GuUMAN, WALLAC! Fuirz, Oun 0 street. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Trying Ir On—Tur Wivow's Viotia, &, GRAND OPERA MOUSE, comer ot Elabth avenue and 2h wt.—-BITALA—THe NATIONS, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Ortra Bourrr— Lirree Faust, BOOTH'S THEATRE, 25d st., bevween Sia and 6th ave.— Riv Van WINKLE. MRS, FB. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brookiya,— MaguLe Heaw TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Va- RIETY ENTERTALNMENT—COMIG VOCALISMS, £0. THEATRE COMIQUE, 5M Broadway.—Comio VooaL- Iss, NZGRO ACTS, &. NPRAL PARK GARDE sts. THEODORE THOMAS’ ay, between S8h and ULAR CONCERTS. ith street and Third aye- UMENTAL CONCERT. LEEDS’ ART GALLERIES, EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— BCIENOE AND ART. DR. KANN'S ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, 745 Broadway.— BOLENCE AND Aw’ New York, SHEET, perez August 22, 1870. CONTENTS OF TO-DAW’S HERALD, Napoleon's if 8 of the Fr ng on the Rhine; King arck in Council in and the HERALD Spe uur uncing Defeat Coney I: ent Of Scat on the itio Jontinued fro} broglio in ments GENERAL Grant's CAMPAIGN FROM THE WILpERNEsS, on an enlarged scale, is repro- duced in the present German invasion of France. As Grant at every point, in and out of the Wilderness, wherever he could find the enemy, fought him to cut him up, and to divide his forces, and to flank them, and to get ahead of them, and cut them off from Richmond, so the Prussian generals from the frontier opera- tions of Saarbruck, Wissembourg, Woerth, Haguenau, Froeschweiller, &c., have been marching and fighting to cut up, envelop, divide and cut off the retreat of the French army to Paris. So far, too, this campaign of King William has been marked by greater suc- cesses than the famous fighting and flanking campaign of General Grant. To Tae Repusitcaxs or Franoe.—We publigh this morning an earnest and eloquent appeal from General John N. McCiernand, late of the United States army volunteer service, to the republicans of Franco, against Prussia and in behalf of Louis Napoleon. As a review of the European situation by one of the shining Western lights of the democratic party of the United States this appeal of Genera! McClernand is interesting, for doubt- less his party generally share in his opinions in favor of France and against Prussia. In point of time, however, his appeal’ and his arguments are ‘‘too late.” The reign of Napo- leon is practically at an end; the empire has collapsed, and the republic, which General Mo and does not recommond, is looming up in France, General McClernand, there- —_—— NEW The Fighting m France. Y gloomy as possible. in Metz; but, if this be true, there is just as little doubt that it will require an army to keep him there. This is not for the Prussians a simple case of a fortress and its garrison, before which they could leave a corps and pass on, as they have done with the several fortified places in their rear. Thoy have cut off the retreat, perhaps, of an army that fought them desperately for five successive days in the open country, and in this army there cannot now be less than one hundred thousand men, Our report that on Saturday at daylight Bazaine ‘‘made a most desperate effort to cut his way through the Prussian line” indicates es necessity of holding bim with a large fo: perhaps, indeed, with all the force that it required to drive him into the place. Thus he may for the present practi- cally neutralize the army of Prince Frederic Charles. But doubts here must soon be dj with, Although it is reported that Metz fully provisioned it is scarcely possible # it is sufficiently provisioned to feed Bazaine’ army. It was provisioned for its garrison, and these supplies will not feed » hundred thousand men for many days, and ihe vigilant energy of the Prussians will certainly prevent the introduction of new supplies. The Mar- shal, therefore, must starve, surrender or cut his way through. He will very surely not relinquish the effort to get away with the failure of Saturday. He will try again and again and he may strike a weak place. This is his best hope, and this has been done successfully so often in the history of war tbat soldiers possessed of such pug- nacity as Bazaine clearly has need never utterly despair while this chance is open, If surrender must come at last its effects on France will go far to finish the story of this misjudged war. But we must remember that this story is altogether from Prussian sources. It is persist- ently denied in the despatches from Paris—first, that Bazaine has been driven into Metz; next, that his communications with Verdun have been cut. Indeed, in our reports from Paris we have quite a different story, and we get the first glimpse of events that affords an ex- plication of the tangled reports of the very great battles since Tuesday last. By this it would appear that the whole army of Prince Frederick Charles had crossed the Moselle to the south of Metz by Tuesday, and that on that day they engaged Bazaine near Gravelotie, and that while the Marshal was thus engaged with Frederick Charles Von Steinmetz, who had crossed the Moselle to the north of Metz, advanced in a southeasterly direction to strike Bazaine’s rear—much as Stonewall Jackson fell upon the rear of McClellan before Richmond while Lee was engaging him on the front and right—only that Bazaine was equal to the occasion, and faced this new enemy with a force perhaps hitherto not engaged and defeated his pur- pose. This view of the relative positions of the German forces accounts for the reports we had of fighting near Briey, to the north of Metz, and of the German ariillery en- trenched there. If the Germans had any success in that fighting—and they claimed a complete victory—they must have driven Ba- zaine the further from Metz in proportion as they were successful. Victory on that day, therefore, would, in its consequences, be quite inconsistent with what they claim to have won by the severe battle of Thursday, which was doubtless a renewal and repetition of the battle of Tuesday. It is possible that having two armies in the field, they may have iso- lated Bazaine at some point in the open coun- try, where he has covered himself with ex- temporized defences—which some excited chronicler has mistaken for the lines of the ap Van For France the military prospect is as If we credit the positive and reiterated declaration of the despatches we cannot doubt that Bazaine is really shut up fortress—and it may be from such a position that he tried to cut his way on Saturday. While Bazaine holds Frederick Ch Metz he keeps him away from Paris without him the Crown Prince, from his delay, would appear to be very loth to try con- clusions with MacMahon, knowing, as of course he does, that MacMahon has treble the force with which he met the Prince on a former occasion. Here we see the moral effect of a hard fight, even though defeat be the issue. Upon this army of the Crown Prince the issue for France just now depends, and if it were commanded by another Frederick Charies or made up of Prussians that issue would not long be uncertain ; for the raw troops between it and Paris would not be an impediment, and Bazaine, however obstinately he might fight at Metz, would be fighting without a gov ment. But as it is it seems likely to afford an opportunity to organize a strong defonce of the capital. Something may be judged of the situation in this regard by what they are actually doing in Paris. Our Paris despatches, dated Saturday, at one P. M., reported that the environs of the city had been laid waste, common in the waters adjacent to tho city a3 reckless driving and reckless shooting and stabbing have become in the city itself. Can no other verdict be rendcred in these painful cases than the old stereotyped ‘‘Nobody to blame ?” Repeated Changing of Government Clerks and its Bad Effect, It is intimated that the pernicious custom, which has grown up since Lincoln's time, of changing clerks at the dictation of every Con- greasman or politician of influence in the re- publican party, costs the general government millions a year, besides imposing an unfair amount of labor upon the experienced officials, who find themselves compelled by the exi- gencics of the service to do the work of the green hands who are constantly coming and going and confusing the public business. Before the time of Lincoln the lines of demarkation separating the three branches of the govern- ment, to wit, the legislative, executive and Hicial, were clearly drawn and fully under- The legislative was left in undisputed session of iis branch, and the executive as undisturbed in the coatrol and distribution of the public patronage. The President was conceded the right to appoint whom he pleased without consultation with Senator Tom, Con- gressman Dick, or Governor Harry. But now every Senator, Congressman, Governor and big State politician claims a certain proportion- ate share of the spoils, so that if one State gets 4 feather’s weight more than its quota there is danger of an internecine party war, Senators, Congressmen, Governors and big politicians claim this distribution, not as a matter of courtesy, but as an incontestable right, and they exact the last pound of flesh with true Shylock greed and with more than Shylock success. They get their share, and the conse- quenco is that the public service has come to be at the mercy of an unascertained number of politicians. If yesterday's pet does not suit all the whims of Mr. Politician to-day he is summarily discharged from whatever posi- tion he may fill and a new and greener appoiatee succeeds, Under such a civil service system how can the public interests be properly cared for? No sooner are men made acquainted with the duties of their offices than they are dismissed the service. Asa matter of course the public service is entrusted mainly to an army of greenhoras. Only a few of tho chief clerks, who are indispensable for the purpose of keeping the machinery properly oiled and working, are constantly kept in office, and frequently clerks of this class are rooted out to make room for some political fugleman or nincompoop, who, through ignorance of the duties devolving upon the place he is sent to fill, becomes a dead weight and a detriment to the public business, To illustrate the effect of this system on some branches of the service we will take for examp'e tho customs service, there exist many offices most intricate knowledge of old laws, customs and forms of procedure, call- ing for the greatest experience and the most constant and unremitting study ond attention. Four or five months ago the head of the Cusioms Bureau, finding a confused state of things prevailing in the warehouse department, sent an- elaborately prepared series of instructions and regulations to the 1 Custom Houses of the country, for the guidance of both Collectors and their sub- ordinates, The instructions and regulations proved too much for the greenhorns in office, and a Washington official, thoroughly versed, had to be despatched to New York, Boston and Philadelphia to en the thick-headed subordinates, This preceptor remained several days posting all the clerks, leaving behiad him moreover written instructions for their guidance, He returned to Washington, but soon after irregularities were noticed again, and re- peated warnings and expostulations by mail failed to effect any improvement. The official was obliged to visit New York, Boston and Philadelphia again, and at each of the Custom Houses in those cities he was sur- prised to find all the clerks ia the warehouse depariment changed. Not a single one to whom he had imparted information with so much trouble and care remained in office. All were new clerks, who had no more knowledge of the duties required of them than a greenhorn has of the Greek grammar. They had been installed in place of the men of experience by ators, Con- gressmen and big politicians, Any reflecting person can see how a loose public system like this offers a premium for fraud and plunder. There is no incentive for working presented. The clerks are taught by the fate of their predecessors that knowledge and experience are of no account, and that all under which requiring the would seem that reckless sailing has become as | The Military Situation ia France—The Impending Finale. At length official voices have been heard from the exact seat of conflict, extending between Metz and Verdun, and they thunder in upon us through the bewildering clouds of con- tradictory despatches with no uncertain sound. King William of Prussia announces, as the result of an entire week of manuvring and fighting, the rout, demoralization and com- pound dissection of the main French army of the Rhine, under Marshal Bazaine, and the “bottling” of its heaviest fragment in very bad spirits at Metz, All rumors of the wound- ing of the Prussian Crown Prince aud of the death of Prince Adalbert have come to grief, and Count Bismarck—the Blucheard of the Parisian diplomats—was absent from his regi- ment of ‘‘White Dragoons,” who so obligingly allowed themselves to be cat to pieces the other day. The most assured confirmation of this disastrous turn of fate for the French is that the environs of Paris, if our advices be true, have been utterly cleared of their pic- turesque adornment, to avoid obstructing the view of the defenders of the capital and the range of their artillery, Moreover, a still fur- ther and quite important symptom is the tumble of gold in our New York market—a very natural accompaniment to the success Of} a nationality that holds nearly all our bands | abroad, since the higher their quotations go at Frankfort the more they appreciate in general value. In fine, the news seems fully sus- tained, and all the childish drizzle about Prussian ‘‘checks” and ‘“repulses” with which some of the French journals have besprinkled their columns, to the misinformation of the people and the damage of their cause in the sight of sensible men, has been thrown away. The facts stand forth simply thus:—In spite of a desperate resistance worthy of their warlike race and their long renown the French forces acting directly under Bazaine have been shattered, and, with the exception of some broken detachments which have strayed north- westward upon Rheims, are so surrounded in Metz as to be exposed to the necessity of wholesale capitulation. The Emperor is in full flight from the seat of war, his exact whereabouts being a matter of uncertainty. His name is scarcely mentioned in official pro- cecedings and General Trochu is virtually dic- tator, for the time being, of France. Mean- while there are active efforts put forth at London, St. Petersburg and Vienna to secure an armistice preliminary to direct negotiations for peace, and we should not be surprised to hear at any time within the present week that such a truce had beensecured. We can expect no less from the enlightenment and humanity of Europe. The ‘last ditch” businessis literally “played out” among rational men in our day, and we have no reason to believe the great French nation so utterly insane as to invoke utter ruin upon their country because a system of continual exazgeration has entailed upon them some reverses which still leave their military honor untarnisbed. The whole world ean plainly see that France has been misled with reference to the numerical strength and condition of her armies; but the courage, endurance and spirit of her troops never shone forth more splendidly than in the present unfortunate campaign. To this their antago- nists bear willing and constant testimony. We trust that our great and noble ally will display as much wisdom and dignity as she has shown unflinching valor, But in the meantime we have to consider the next movement in the military field, since, although the march of the invading Prussians may be arrested by negotiation before they shall have got withia sight of Paris, furtaer col- lisions are imminent, if they have not actually taken place, in the vicinity of Chalons. In order to comprehend what these are likely to be, let us endeavor briefly to extricate the irve plan of the Prussian campaign from the ‘confusion worse confounded” that has been heaped upon it. The! Prussian grand army of the Rhine consists of three subordi- nate armies, of which the noriheramost one, or right wing, of the whole advancing line comprises the Ninth corps, General Mann- stein, and the Eleventh corps, General Plon- ski, along with two divisions of landwehr, the whole under the command of General Von Steinmetz and numbering over 80,000 men. The centre or middle army is under the direct command of Prince Frederic Charles and General Stiehle, chief of the general staff, and consists of the Guards under the Prince of Wurtemberg, the Second corps, General Fransecky ; the Third corps, General Alvensle- ben II.; the Fourth corps, Geueral Alvensleben I.; the Eighth corps, General Goeben, and the Twelfth corps, commanded by the Crown Prince of Saxony. Total, 180,000 men. ‘The left wing or southera army, operating on the Upper Rhine, embraces the Sixth corps, Gene- ral Tiimpling, the Thirteenth corps, made up of the Baden and Hesse Darmsiadt contin- they have to consider is how long they may preserve the good will of their patrons by po- litical usefuluess and how much they can steal and that the woods of Vincennes and Boulogne were to be cut down; but at seven P. M. of the same day it was reported that the woods would not be cut till a battle had been lost in Champagne. MacMahonis therefore depended upon to keep the enemy at a distance for some days yet, and meantime the peacemakers ply their efforts, and the comparative success of delaying the Prussian march on Paris may look enough like a victory to dispose the French to listen to terms. It is said, indeed, at tbe latest moment last night, that England and Italy are engaged in active negotiations with the view of saving Paris from the Prus- sians, and that Austria is expected to join them in the work. ANOTHER Conn1stos IN THE Harsor.—At twenty minutes past nine, on Saturday even- ing, a schooner was run down off pier No, 2 East river by an inward bound steamsbip, which made no signal and did not even blow a whistle. The schooner was struck well for- ward and cut cleanin two, so that she sunk in about haif a minute. Her captain, who was at the wheel had barely time to jump overboard when she went down. He was saved, with two men, but a boy fifteen years old was drowned. The steamer drifted off toward Buttermilk channel, and neither lowered a boat nor made an effort to save the men and the boy struggling in the water. The conduct of those on board the steamer cannot fore, though a Bonapartist, may be ranked among those Bourbons “who never forget | be too severely censured. envihing and who never leara anything.” As this is the sec- ond collision inthe harbor within a week it in the short time they are likely to remain in office. Fall Prospects for Music The fall prospects for music and the drama are highly encouraging, to judge by the bril- liant programme of the opening season, which occupied three columns anda half in yester- day’s Heratv. It is well that the managers of our theatres have profited by past bitter experience, and will therefore avoid rushing all together into any single line which may chance to prove popular. They have tacitly adopted each his specialty. For old comedies and London pieces the public may confidently goto Wallack’s; for emotional plays of the modern French school and kindred American plays, to Daly’s; for spectacular and sensa- tional plays, to Niblo’s; for comic opera and pantomime, to the Olympic; for burlesque, to Lina Edwards’; for opera bouffe and ballet, to the Grand Opera House; for grand Shak- sperian revivals (after Mr. Jefferson’s present engagement), to Booth’s, and for high tragedy, to the French theatre, in Fourteenth street. The triple conste!lation of Nilsson, Seebach and Janauschek would alone be sufficient to illuminate the whole musical and dramatic firmanent of New York in 1870, The enthusi- asm of our German population over recent Prussian victories will doubtless find a vent in the applause which they will lavish upon these three great artists, and benefits ir behalf of the wounded soldiers of the war will yield unprecedented returns, and the Drama, gents, and two Bavarian army corps, along with the Wartemberg contingent. his force, numbering originally 166,000 men, is com- manded by the Crown Prince of Prussia, whose chief of staff is General Blumenthal. The grand total of these three armies is 426,000 men, with a reserve of 100,000 land- webr, which has been advanced to the Rhine frontier within the last ten days. Now, it is quite evident that, could the entire force of the German grand army be concentrated on any one point, the French would, for prudence sake, require an equal number to confront them, and that the losses by battle could be quickly made up on_ the German side by their well drilled reserves, It has not been shown that MacMahon, Fros- sard, and latterly Bazaine, have at any time had more than 250,000 effective troops altogether acting under them since the war began, and the highest number stated for the French concentration at Chalons, including Gardes Mobiles and raw troops, is 250,000, The fate of MacMahon’s force, the French Army of the Rhine proper, we well know. Defeated by the Southern German army under the Crown Prince, he has been steadily and relentlessly pursued to within a few miles of Chalons. General Frossard, of what is now the French Army of the Moselle, under the general command of Bazaine, was struck almost simultaneously by the German centre and rolled back on Metz, the Northera German K HERALD, MUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 1370.—TRIPLY SHENT, 260,000 Germans, reinforced from 100,000 reserves on the frontier who have marched up as their predecessors advanced, The grand sirategic design, then, is simple enough with these facts before the reader— viz., to cut off Bazaine at Metz with the con- centrated German right wiog and centre, or to give him battle and defeat him with superior numbers outside of that city; that being done, to form a second junction with the Crown Prince at or near Chalons and fall upon Can- robert's hybrid army there with the weight of nearly 400,000 veterans flushed with victory and armed with captured chassepots and mitrailleuses, as well as with the needle gun. A victory there would not only uncover Paris, but overwhelm it with dismay. his, then, is undoubtedly the next thing on the pro- gramme, unless the Crown Prince, who had arrived on Saturday at Vitry le Frangois, hearing of the success of the other two armies now combined under the command of King William, whose chief of staff, Molike, along with Bismarck and and Roon, accom- pany him, should feel emboldened to continue his flunking movement and march directly on Paris by Fére Champeroise and Sezanue. In such case the French forces at and near Chalons under Canrobert and MacMahon would have to give battle, retreat or find themselves situated much as Metz is now. Should they fight, they would be in peril of an attack in the rear; should they retreat, there is little hope of their making any effectual resistance eastward of Paris; should they stand still @¢ Chalous, the road way be cut between them and the capital. That the French metropolis will brave a siege wo are utterly disinclined to believe, notwithstanding the wanton destruction of its beautiful external pleasure grounds, The values at stake aro too enormous ; the owners, belonging to all nationalities, too many and powerful; the com- mon sense of both France and Europe too sound, Tho siege and bombardment of Paris, with its 1,500,000 inhabitants, and all its priceless monuments, would be both a tragical enormity and an insane farce. Everybody knows that the fortifications were originally intended to overawe the city of revolutions itself, rather than to beat off a foreign foe, and the labors recently undertaken have served to amuse and restrain the ‘* dangerous classes” recently infuriated at the government. General Trochu comprehends this perfectly well, and, should he ever fire any of those great guns on the Paris ramparts it will more likely be against the modern sans culottes than against theGermans, At all events, the decisive hour is at hand, and, undoubtedly, within three days we shail hear the final knell of the Napoleonic empire amid despair- ing battles nearthe banks of the Marne, or hail its sudden resuscitation by some miracle of genius and valor. In either case we believe that the cause of armed monarchism has received its death blow. In this brim- ming goblet of blood and tears the nations have pledged unto each other a common aim and a mutual deliverance. The Fall Elvctions. Our political contest for the local fall elec- tions will begir to assume definite shape this week, and both sides already sound the assem- bly and rally their forces. We are to elect a Governor, members of Assembly, members of Congress and a Mayor for the city and a Sheriff for the county. Both State Conven- tions should meet soon. The republicans have already fixeda date for theirs. It will sit at Saratoga, September 7. The democratic authorities have not ye! named their day. This cannot be from any desire to know the course of the republicans, but is attributed to a dis- position to have the Legislature previously assemble and change the day of olection so ihat our local election may not come under the influence of the law of Congress made to pre- vent repeaters from choosing the representa- tives to the national legislature. We sincerely trust that the democrats are not committing themselves to any such mistaken course. This would bea blunder of the worst kind. No party can afford toassume that laws made to punish roguery endanger its supremacy, or that a law which commends itself on princi- ples of common honesty is offensive to it, There are many candidates actually or im- pliedly before the public. For Governor there have been named Governor Hoffman, Horace Greeley, Peter B. Sweeny, James Fisk, Jr., John A. Kennedy and several others, Gov- ernor Hoffman will, of course, be nominated and elected; Fisk, Jr,, could be, perhaps, if nominated, his strongest antagonist. He is regarded by tho people as avery happy man in his way, but the post of Governor is a little out of his way. Horace Greeley could never be thoughtof by the people seriously, and if he is expected to win as a funny man, why, he is not half so funny as Fisk. Oakey Hall is a candidate for Mayor, and will be elected. John Morrissey is named for this honorable place, and although it is possible to elect such aman io Congress itis not believed that the city is yet so far gone that he can be Mayor, Jimmy O'Brien, proprietor of the young democracy, with three votes in the Logisla- ture, is understood to be looking after the republican votes, and may do very well on that side the lines, for they are not so particu- lar as they used to be in the choice of candi- dates for Mayor. Annexation of New Guinea to the Uuited States. We published yesterday a communication from a ‘‘Canadian Annexationist,” who is con- fident that Great Britain is about to lose or rather retire from all her American, Poly- nesian, Australian and South African colonies, In view of this contingency, he proposes, as an object well worthy of the attention of the American people, the colonization of the Island of Papua, or New Guinea, und its annex- ation to the United States. He asserts that this fertile island, lying north of Australia, would form an unequalled field for American capital und enterprise, and that its possession would have the happiest effect in promoting American interests and advanciag American power in the East. He adds that, unfit for white labor, it is eminently suited for Chinese labor, and it would therefore utilize Chinese immigration without provoking jealousy or complaint. But whatever benefits we might army, or right wing, under General Steinmetz, forming a junction with the centre and assist- ing in the operations against Bazaine. Thus ' she point on Metz has been made by at least ultimately derive from the comparative proxi- mity of New Guinea to Hindostan, China, Japan, and ‘ihe Settlements of the Straits,” the great Indian islavds. ond, in fine, all our future heritage in Asia, it would seem that during the present century at least American capital and enterprise will have enough to do in developing the incalculable resources of our own vast domain, which extends from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Our heritage in America will long suffice for all our national wants, The Sermons of Yesterday. Interest in church services improves, though slowly. Yesterday the attendance at the several places of worship was better than it has been since society went to the country, leaving behind few others than barbarians and infidels. Society, however, is gradually returning. Nearly all the summer costumes have been exhibited at the watering places; the pocketbook of papa is beginning to feel the effects of trequent requisitions upon it, and so mamma and the girls are coming home. Tn half a dozen Sundays more our aristo- cratic churches will be well filled by the “beauty and fashion” of the metropolis, and then religion will again flourish in all the grandeur of beatitude. But yesterday was only the advance courier of what is shortly to be. Trinity church con- tained a fair-sized congregation, which listened to an interesting sermon on prayer, delivered by Rev. Mr. Oberli. Dr. Deems at the Church of the Strangers, described eloquently those whom God honors, while Rev. Mr. Wescott, at Plymouth Baptist church, took for his text the story of the healing of the ten lepera and discoursed learnedly thereon, At Jane street United Presbyterian church Rev. Mr. Mathews showed that _the Lord is plenteous in mercy, and the Univeraalista at Brevoort Hall were instructed as to the general and particular love of God. On the subject of the war in Europe there were two sermons. Rev. Mr. Smyth intimated that Napoleon had been defeated because he had not put his trust in God, while Rev. Abel Stevens, at the Seventh street Methodist church, declared the French Emperor to, be the unhappiest manin Europe. From what source either of these clergymen derived their information we cannot say, but we are ready to believe that their opinions are the result of inspiration. Grace chapel was well filled, and Rev. Mr. Kramer preached on the subject oftemporal prosperity. At all the Catholic churches the attendance was large, the services impressive as usual, and the sermons good. In Brooklyn, Plymouth church has not yet recovered from the eclipse caused by the absence of Brother Beecher. The tabernacle, however, was attended by a larger number of persons than have gone there since his depar- ture. Rev. Mr. Ballard preached a sermon on government, afier announcing that Rev. James Beecher, a brother of the Plymouth apostle, would officiate there from next Sun- day until the return of the pastor. At the other churches in Brooklyn and at all the places in Newburg, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Washington and elsewhere, the services and discourses were all that could be required. Reconstruction of Paraguay—The New President. Since the death of President Lopez the news from Paraguay hasbeen meagre. Th closing scenes of the war revealed a sad pic- ture of the condition of this gallant little repul lic. They presented to us a country desolate: anda people impoverished. When we lool backa few years and call to mind the happi-| ness, prosperity and industry of the Para- guayan people, a feeling of sorrow is experi- enced when the present and past are brought into comparison. The long war of the allies against Lopez brought untold miseries on the Paraguayans. Depopulated cities, aban- doned towns, neglected farms, forsaken marts, famine and all the attendant evils of a cruel) war have reduced the country to a state of destitution most deplcrable to contemplate. The associated armies of Brazil, the Argentine republic and Uruguay, in fighting the dictator] Lopez and laboring for his subjugation, nearly anihilated a people and destroyed a nation and blasted for years to come its hopes of prosper- ity. Laying aside the magnanimous it would have been nothing more than just had the allies, after Lopez was defeated and slain on the banks of the Aquedabau river, and the object of the war accomplished in his destruc- tion, taken the necessary steps to afford the Paraguayan people facilities for the reconstruc- tion of their country and enable them to return to the pursuits of peace. Instead of that, how- ever, we find in the city of Asuncion quar- rels of the viciors over the spoils. Surely the powerful empire of Brazil had nothing more to fear from the countrymen of Lopez; and the Argentine republic, together with Uruguay, might have found enough to occupy their attention at home rather than to contribute to the further humiliation of a sister republic. Yet we find at this day Paraguay in a con- dition never equalled in her history. The latest news from Montevideo informs us that a President has been elected for Paraguay; but when it is considered that this President is the special protége of Brazil, and that he is surrounded by Brazilian soldiers in the city of Asuncion, itis by no means difficult to perceive what a hollow sham the late elections in Paraguay must have been. Is this the result which the Argentines and Uruguayans entered into an alliance with Brazil to secure? Does it not appear plain that such reconstruc- tion means eventually Brazilian absorption? Is not this the aim of the great South Ameri- can empire? Her former allies are powerless even if they desired to interfere in her schemes of aggrandizement. Two revolutions now occupy the attention of the Argentine republic and Uruguay. The revolutionists, too, ara making considerable progress; consequently these two republics must look to home and try and restore peace to their disordered States. Brazil, in the meantime, with no one to inter- fere with her, pursues 4 plan of reconstruc- tion for Paraguay on a basis that will easily admit of absorption, should the great empire desire it. This is what the late elections in Paraguay mean. A Brazilian protégé as President of Paraguay, maintained by Brazil- ian bayonets, is a mockery which does no’ require even time to unveil, and as such it will be regarded by the world. Rev. Stoney A. Corny made an untimely display of his anti-Catholic sentiments at Long Branch yesterday, He said tho war in