The New York Herald Newspaper, October 17, 1870, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD |™ =" BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed: ‘Naw York Hera. ‘ Letters and packages ‘should be properly sealed. geipars 3 Rejected communications will not be re- turned. THE DAILY HERALD, pubdttshed every day tn the gear. Four conts per copy, Annual subscription price $12. . THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday; at Prva CawTg percopy. Annual subscription price:— AMUSEMENTS THIS EVEQING WaLLAOK'S THEATRE, Broadway ana Vth street. NIBLO’S OARDEN, Broadway.—LittL® NEL AND TOR MAROMIONTS:, GRAND OPERA HOUSE, corner of Hizhth avenue and id t,—Orrna SOUrFR—LE Perit faust, AC MY OF MUBIC, Mth street.—JANauscuRm a6 Many Stuart. WOOD'S MUSEUM Broads ances every afternoon aud ener 30th st,Perform- OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Tur Pantowiar OF Wer Wii. Winkie. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.-Tawovcu sy Dar- LigutT—Y ROMAN, FIFTH AVENUS THEATRE, Twenty-fourth st.-MAN anp Wirz. BOOTH’S THEATRE, 23d st., between Sn and 6th avs. — Bir Vaw Winnie. NEW YORK STADT THEATRE, 45 Bowery.--Granp GueMax Oreeka—Tux Mure or Powria, FOURTEENTH STREET THEATRE (Theatre Francais) MATHILDE. LINA EPWIN'S THEATRE, 720 Broadway. Cinprr FLLA—LA SoMNAMBULA, ATRE, 728 Broadway.—Varinty ENTEn- ORETIA Bouts, Ml. D. GLOBE FAINMENT: MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THUATEE, Brooklya.— Ticker or Leave MAN TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOU3!, 21 Bowers.—Va- miniy ENTERTAINMENT, THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Comic Vooau- 1sM, NEGKO Acts, dc. BAN FRANCISCO MINSTREL HALL, 58 Broacway.— Ne@no Minstuersy, Fanors, Buri esgors, dv, KELLY 4 LEON'S MINSTRELS. No. 805 Broadway.— Tux OnLy Lrox—Swenrest oF WiLtiams, &c. HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brook!yn.-Nruto MIN- STRELSY, BURLYSQUES, £0. BROOKLYN OPERA HOUSE——Wriou, oanes & Wuits'’s Miseretis—Visginia Pastines, So. NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth street, Scenes OM THS BING, AGnouATS, do. AMERICAN INSTITUTE EXM1GITION.—Eweren RINK, Third avenue and Siaty-third street. NEW YORK M'SEUM OF ANATOMY. 618 Broadway, SCIRNOR AND ART, DE. KAHN'S ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, 745 Broadway. — SOrENOE AND Aut. RIPLE SHEET, York, Mondny, October 17; 1870. CONTENTS OF TO-DAY’S ZERALD. Page. Advertisements. ttsements. : HERALD Special Report from Versailies; ench Claim of Successes Deuted; No Fight- Ing of Consequence Aas Taken Place; Bismarck and the Crown Prince Opposed to Bombarding Paria; Rumored Offer of Bazaine to Sur- render; Another Battle Expected Near Ur- leans; Prussian Forces Moving on Rouen and Orleans; Surrender of the Fortress of Sois- sons; Hostile Demonstrations of National Guards in Paris. 4—Religious: Falling Leaves and Rising Hopes; Services and Sermons in the Churches; A Pulpit Blast at Political Pretenders; Telling the Trach with Charity; Emancipation Throug! the Heath of Christ; What to Kead and How to It. G—Religious (continued from Fourth Page)—Per- onal Intelligence—Fighting Fever in Pough- keepsie—What About This?—Au’ Aertal Ad- venture—Deaih of Archbishop Baillargeon— Conrt Calendars for To-Day. G6—Edltorials: Leading Article, The Political Situa- tion as Reflected vy the Hlections—Amuse- ment Announcements. 9—Editorials (Continued from Sixth Page)—Tele- phic News from all Paris of the Wortd: Reid ising im the Island of Martinique; Arr- val of New Spanish Troops in Uuba;. Narrow Escape of the Sicamsiip Scotia on the Irian Coast; a Home for the Homele: News irom Washington—-Musical and matic Notes—Brooklya City News—rrate: zation of French and German Workmen—New Jersey Items—Panks and Breckinridge—Busi- ness Notices. S8—Foreign War and Home trafe: How the Franco-Prussian War Affects Trate im New York—Generai Lee’s Funeral—New York City News—The Cold Spring Murder—VFair in Atd of the German Wounded—vellow Fever in Boston—Political Intelligence—neal Estate Transfers—Murriages and Deaths, 9—Financial and Commercial Reports—An Earths quake in the Pacific—Advertisements, £0—Home Evangelization: meeting of the American Tract Society—Lager Beer vs. Religion: A Boston Parson After a New York Journaltst— Paris Fie Arts—“The Year of Jubilee”: Lec- ture by the Rev. Leonard Bacon—A Chase After a Daughter—Smipping luteiligence—Ad- vertisements. @1—Advertisements. 12—Advertusements. Tam Cowarp Steamer Sootta made a nar- tow escape from wreck near Queenstown on Satarday last. She grounded ina fog, but was got off by tugs just before a heavy gale came up. Genexa. SwEripan says there is as much shirking among the soldiers in the French and German armies as there was in ours during the rebellion. Soldiers are about the same all the world over. Mazzist at Liperty.—The report that this agitator had been excluded in the amnesty bo political offenders granted by Victor Eman- nel to signalize his occupation of Rome, tarns out to'be unfounded. A despatch from Flor- ence, dated Saturday, states that Mazzini is free, In this tho King has acted wisely. &n exile, Mazzini would have been an object of comumineration ; at liberty, he is power leas, M. Trmrs, THe Prace Ampassapor of the French republic, after the cold shoulder given Bim at London, and the wet blanket given him st St. Petersburg, and the empty : accorded him at Vieons, has been received im Florence ; but ne doubt only b be requested by King Victor Emanuel to call again. The crowned heads of Europe don’t like the French republic, and they don’t want it; but, long war or short war, they will have to acceptit in the end. History will yet declare thst this peace mission of M. Thiers was 8 proper mission and bore good fruit. Situation as Roflected by the Elections. “The tew4 at first of the October elections in Obio, Pennsylvania and Indiana seemed more favorable to the republicans: than the Intest and more complete returns, of the vote show. . It now appears that the democrats hayegained in all these States, not very largely, it is true, In the total popular vete over the previous corresponding election, but still their gain is positive and important... The, State of Ohio remains republican, though the democrats claim to have: elected two members of Con- gress more than..they. have at present— the Congressional delegation being now, fourteen republicans and five demo- crats, and in, the next Congress. it will be twelve republicans and seyen demo- crata. Io Pennsylvania the democrats claim to ‘have gained eight members of Congress. In the present House of Representatives the republicans have! eighteen members and the democrats alx. According. to the election re- turns thus far the former will have ten and the latter fourteen in the mext Congress. Indiana is represented now by seven repub- licans and four democrats. The election has reversed that, and she will have seven demo- crates to four republicans next Congress. So that it appears the’ total gain in the three States is thirteen representatives, making # difference in the balance of, the two parties in the next Congress of twenty-six votes. It seems, too, that the newly elected Legislature of Indfana will have a democratic majority of some six to eight votes on joint ballot, which will insure, probably, the election of a democrat to the United States Senate. These are the facts as far as the election returns show up to this time, and they are pretty complete. It is , but fuir to say, also, that these democratic gains haye been obtained in spite of the increased strength of the republican party from the recently enfranchised negroes. From this local and partial success the democrats begin to make up their figures for a majority ia the House of Representatives and the election of a Speaker. This, to use a familiar simile, is counting their chickens before they are hatched. A great deal bas to be done to overcome the overwhelming republican majority in the present House. The State of New York will add mate- rially to the strength of the democrats, no doubt, if the party act prudently and energeti- cally in the election next month. But we have yet to see what turn the elections will take in the Southern and other States where they have yet to be held, From present appearances the democrats will have a powerful minority and will run the republicans close in the next House of Repre- sentatives, but it remains doubtful yet ff they will have a majority. Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that they may get by the skin of their teeth a majority, the re- publicans would still be overwhelmingly strong inthe Senate and in the administration. It would by no means follow that the democrats had improved their chances for the Presiden- tial race in 1872 so much as to elect their can- didate. . The people may be dissatisfied with the weak and corrupt republican members. of Congress and yet retain their confidence in General Grant. We say General Grant, because he must of necessity be the candidate of the republicans again. If the party is to be saved from defeat and to hold the reins of gov- ernment for another term he only can succeed in bringing that about. lis personal popular- ity and glorious war record carried the last election, and it is apon these the) party must rely in the next contest. Grant, as the candi- date in 1872, then, may prove superior to the reaction now going on in favor of the demo- crats and to the weakness and unpopularity of the republican Congress and politicians. While it must be admitted that a tura in the tide of political sentiment in several large States, such'as we see in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, though not very great, indicates the general current ; still, we should remember that politics in this country oscillates like the pendulum, and a few months may bring an- other change. The present apparent reac- tion may not go far. This depends very much upon the conduct and, management of the two great political parties, The republicans have the vantage ground in the power they possess both in the administration and Congress. There is no efficient obstric- tion to any lawa they may pass or policy they may carry out, The opposition is powerless. No party ever had a better opportunity to benefit the country and to make itself popular. What a chance it has for the display of states- manship, for devising and carrying out great measures to promote the prosperity and hap- piness of the country and to purify the gov- ernment! What a record it would make in one term of Congress, even—yes, even long before the Presidential election! The demo- crats have no such opportunity. The republi- cans have it all their own wey. But with this comes a heavy responsibility. If the republicans do not fulfil the mission com~ mitted to them and continue to disap- point the expectations of the poople the reaction against them will go on, and though the President may be saved through his per- sonal popularity the party will lose its power. The popular instincts are seldom wrong—at least they are generally right in this en- lightened and self-governing ‘country. There must be a cause, then, fer the change of public sentiment in the States where the elections have just taken place. What is that cause? Undoubtedly the corruption and incapacity of the present republican Congress and leaders. Th men have shown no statesmanship. They do net come up to the level of the prac- tical sense afd expectations of the people. They are drivelling local politicians, who can- not see beyond the narrow limits ef their own districts and little party schemes. They have no minds to grasp great questions of national importance. However desirous the people of any particular district or section of the country may bete promote the interests of their locality and may expect their repre- sentative to attend to these, yet the national sentiment is strongest—the welfare, progress and glory of the republic are first In thought. It fs because the majority of the preseat House of Representatives do not come up to the aational standard of statesmanship and have not shown capacity for national affairs that the people begin torepudiate them. This incapacity was strikingly apparent when they refused to atav a fow hours longer in session ‘NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, 0 to restore our mercantile marine at the com- mencement of the European war, although the Pres‘dent sent.a special message to Congress calling upon them to ‘seize this opportunity and to act at once, Indeed, the examples of | weakness and want of elevated pa- ‘\'trlotism nd statesmanship are too nou- merous to cite in tbis article, They are known, however, to the public, and) are not likely to be’ forgotten, Then, the oor- ruption that has existed in Washington and in every department, of government where these republican Congressmen and leaders could reach has been sufficient to disgust the honest voters and taxpayers, There are few who have not become ‘rich or had their fortunes greatly improved through railroad jobs and land grants, whiskey frauds, contracts, lobby schemes, or some other corrupt means, Such are the causes of the reaction that has set La against the republicans. True, the democrats have no poticy—nothing but a negative platform to stand upon. The faults and shortcomings of the republicans ‘constitute the political capital they work upon. We look in vain for statesmen in this party, or for a bold, positive and’ comprehensive policy, either domestic or foreign. The leading men who are uppermost at present are local politicians of narrow views and mere selfish aims. There is nothing national or largely patriotic about them. Still they have the negative virtue of not doing wrong the last few years because they have not been in power to do so. They can denounce the republicans effectively and say that they would do better had they the majority in Congress and the administration, The people, therefore, seem inclined to take the democrats at their word rather than trast the republicans again. The public mind is rather ina state of uncertainty, however, at present. The republicans may hold the power, even in Congress, if they will purify the party and inaugurate a comprehensive national and popular policy. Failing to do this, the democrats might gain the ascendancy if they would bury the past and strike out a new programme of political action that would seize upon public sentiment, At present all is adrift and uncertain. Who will take the helm and guide the ship of State? The War Sitwation—Contenéiction of the Reported French Successes. Despatches from the Prussian headquarters at Versailles are calculated to throw great doubt on the reporis of the brilliant success of the French sortie on Wednesday. It is stated that although a few outposts had been removed on account of the accurate fire from the French forts no positions have otherwise been changed. The lines remain as they were, and. preparations are rapidly going on for ‘the bombardment, which is delayed mainly through the efforts of Count Bismarck, who prefers the slower and less destructive method of starvation. So far from the investing lines being weakened by sending off forces to meet the advancing French armies from the south, they have been or are being reinforced hy one hundred thousand men from the landwehr, the Silesian reserves and the Strasbourg armies. The grand sortie has dwindled down to two slight skirmishes, the repulse all around the zone has contracted to the dimensions of a mere withdrawal of outposts, and the virtual raising of the siege amounts only to a differ- ence among commanders as to the beat method of continuing it—a general over- turning of strategic combinations peculiarly aggravating, not only to M. Gambetta, who must modify his proclamation accordingly, but to the newspaper strategists of the war, who hus find all their plans of thefature campaign completely overthrown through the unrelia- bility of a carrier pigeen. We in this country are too freshly acquainted with the unrelia- bility of the despatches of some of our own windy generals to have reposed much confi- dence in the first despatches reporting the sortie, or to give undivided credence to the last, denying it. The despatches to-day state that Soissons has surrendered, that there has been slight fighting near Rouen, that Bazaine is treating with King William for the surrender of Metz, that Garibaldi is to be placed in command of the irregular troops in the Vosges mountains, and that the Prussians in Normandy are re- turning to Paris. The Orleans movement is not yet denied, but a report that a great battle took place near Beaugency, south of Orleans, in which the ill-starred French were sorely de- feated, shatters it also to pieces. The Fenian legion is said to have been cut to pieces and the Papal. Zouaves displayed great bravery. Thus, while the record of heroism and daring ranks high in the armies, fortune and success still desert the banners of France, Tae SPanisit Tarong AGAIN.—On Saturday @ ramor was current in London that the Spanish throne had been offered to Prince Amadeus, the second son of King Victor Emanuel, and that the Prince, with the consent of his father, had accepted the offer. The rumor, it is fair to adé, was not generally credited, At the same time we know no good reason why this arrangement should not be acceptable to all parties, Nog that Napoleon has fallen the Latin races must seek unity in some other way than through his influence. An Italian prince on the Spanish throne would bring the two peninsulas into close and inti- mate relations. Such an arrangement might, in fact, pave the way for fiual union. But why shoald Spain keep hankering after a king ? The republic is the only final solution. of her difficulties, To that the Spanish people must come at last. Why not at once? With a united and powerful Germany in the centre of Europe, a confederated republic embracing all the Latin peoples seems to us to become s necessity. Much, of course, will depend on the success of this latest republican experiment in France. Japan is anxious not to get herself impli- cated in the European war. She has already issued a proclamation of neutrality, but some noruly sailors on the Prussian and French vegsela-of-war recently had a brush with one another in her waters, as if that would raise the siege of Paris or decide the war. Ir Sgems Simon Cameron and Zack Chand- ler manceuvred Cox out of the Cabinet. There will evidently be no permanent organization in that body until Pennsylvania is represent>d fo it, ry { ACGLMON ALLASIO Religious Exercises Yesterday. There is a wonderful amount of Christianity’, in a clear, bright, balmy Sunday. A deep blue sky, unobscured by vexing clouds, and a golden sun with jitst:sufficlent warmth in’ him; to temper the October wind, both contains sermon quite as effective as, if not more than,, the most eloquent discourse delivered from the pulpit. For when the day is ‘beautiful it imparts ® plaoidity aud tenderness to all eouls not utterly ‘callous, drawing them nearer to | God and consequently to Christ. Thus it is that the Creator, through nature, gives @ helping hand to our religious teachers, who are too frequently sad bunglers.. ‘The ‘serene beauty of yesterday contributed greatly to the, Christian devotions of the city. With the sun- beams smiling on the yellowing leaves ot autumn it would have been difficult for metro- politan mortals to remain at home and lose the opportunity of a walk or ride ona fine Octo- ber morning to their several places of worship. We were, therefore, not surprised to learn that the streets were crowded and the churches thronged with good Christians and repentant sinners. Of course Fashion was not absent— she never is on such a day. But whether one. gets to heaven in the lateat fall costume or in old-fashioned attire really makes no difference in the long run if there be not too much atten- tion paid to the dress while one is on the road. It requires but few words to say that the ser- vices at the different churches were, as usual, conducted according to the forms of worship of the several denominations. The glery of the Omnipotent was sung by some congrega- tions without recourse to artistic rendering, though none the less effective and welcome; while with others brilliant sopranos and splen- did tenors chanted the hymns of praise in well- trained choirs, saving the ordinary attendants the trouble of exercising their vocal ‘organs, The sermons were numerous and good. At the Church of the Strangers Dr. Deems preached on Paul and Festus, and as-. sured his hearers that the madness of Christianity was preferable to the sanity of scepticism. Rev. Mr. Hepworth, at the Church of the Messiah, piously arraigned corrupt politicians in'a discourse which treated largely of the power of conscience. At the Greene street Methodist church Rev. Mr. Sanford spoke words of comfort and cheer to “old disciples,” while at the New England Congressional church Rev. Merrill Richardson endeavored to make Christianity easy by explaining the short and simple method of finding Goi’s truth. Mr. Frothingham, at Lyric Hall, was somewhat verbose and a trifle tiresome in a dissertation on the Cross; not so Rev. Charles B, Smyth, at the Ameri- can Free Church, who was very earnest and eloquent in his work of pointing out the path to salvation, At the United Presbyterian church, on Jane street, Rev. Mr. Mathews expounded the Scriptures, while at the French Protestant Church of the Holy Spirit, Rev, A, Verren discoursed on “‘telling the trath with charity.” In Brooklyn Brother Beecher preached on the startling subject of hell and damnation, but as the Plymouth Church apostle is un- familiar with other than celestial and humorous things his sermon cannot be recorded a success. At St. Paul’s Episcopal charch Dr. Fox was eloquent and convincing, and at the Roman Catholic church of St. Charles Bor- romeo Father Freel drew a touching picture of Mary, the mother of God. In all other churches in this city, Washington, New Jersey and other places reported, as well as in Brook- lyn, the attendance was large and the sermons good, Too Mucu or A Goop Taina.—The de- spatches from Tours that Minister Gambetta has officially announced the defeat of the Prussian forces which have been occupying Orleans; that'they had surrendered with all their artillery to the French; that a great and successful sortie was made at Paris on Wednes- day, the 12th inst., with one hundred and twenty thousand men under General Trochu; that Bazaine had escaped from Metz and was marching with his full force to the relief of Verdun—not to enumerate other startling incidents serving to fill up the chinks— were published yesterday. But: this big budget of news seems te be too much of agood thing. Gambetta is what the Yankees call “‘a very smart fellow,” and he may succeed by such announcements in firing the heart of Southern France, although in foreign countries they may not be so easily swallowed whole. ‘The very fact, however, that some time has elapsed since any of King William's reliable despatches have been received, makes it prob- able that certain advantages, precursor, per- haps, of others still more important, have been won by the French. The fortunes of war, like a woman’s will, are very capricious. Tue Report of THE AMERIOAN Traor Soorery shows that the good work of evange- lization is progressing among the heathen Chi- nese in our midst.. John, while cobbling our shoes and washing our linen, is not to be al- lowed to go forth spiritually barefoot and un- clothed. There is some Christian sentiment innate in the Chinese breast if the story that one of them, some time ago whipped a Jew for ‘‘killing. the Melican man’s Joss” fairly represents the bulk of our almond-eyed immi- grants. A PoxtticaL Misraxe.—Herr Jacoby is still detained in prison. Count Bismarck will not yield. The German democrats, it is said, are furious. In the present condition of affairs Bismarck ought not to aggrieve his democratic opponents. Jacoby no doubt acted rasbly ; but his rashness was not s sufficient crime to justify imprisonment, As in Italy the exclu- sion of Mazzini from the privileges of the ampesty will certaifly) encofrage the repub- lican cause, so will democracy gather strength in Germaovy from the detention in prison of the great democratic leader. If republican- ism does gain, neither Mazzini nor Jacoby will regret their sorrows, Ax Irox-Crap Humsuc.—It may be well enough to try to protect the Arch of Triumph by making it iron-clad. But as a fortress, even if armed with the enormous steel dannon which are now being manufactured at Paris, it can be formidable to the Prussians only after they have penetrated too far for it to be of any use. Among the increasing number of ab- surdities transmitted by the ocean cable this iron-clad Arch of Triumph is the most absurd. AHOY CTOBBR 17, 1870.-TRIPLE SHB wan Tho War {= ‘Burepe and tho | ‘ Question—American Sapplics. — “A London despatch which we published: yesterday announces that the most consideration for France and for Germany ts that of food, not only for, the coming winter, : but for all next year. Bismarck’s pitture of asked, ‘What condition is America in to sup- ply ue with cereals during the next twelve months? We shall have to draw heavily on you,’” The fact is that the war has dovas- tated France and is exhausting Germany. The crops of the year have been used up or de- stroyed, ‘and only imperfect preparations for next year’s crops have been possible, In war the consumption of food material is far greater than in peace. Moreover, the dronght which has extended from the Thames to the Danube during the past season has seriously dimin- | ished the amount of that material. Even'the vast cereal reserves of Russia will prove inade- quate to the urgent demand, From the facts and statistics reported at the Bureau of Agriculture in Washington it hap- pily appears that,. notwithstanding the United States have suffered heavily by a drought which has extended over the greater part of the northern hemisphere of the globe, our crops of wheat, Indian corn, potatoes, peas, beans, and every kind of subsistence down to fraits, have been extraordinarily abundant, We have a large surplus to spare for Europe, without ma- terially increasing the price of these products for our own consumers. The bread question of the European war will thus find its solution in America. The Public Park Commission and Its Improvemeuts. We have alluded frequently to the improve-~ ments which the Commissioners of Public Parks are making in all the small parks throughout the city. The President of the Commission avows that he will leave nothing undone, within the province of his duty, to supply the working people with such comforts and luxuries as can be provided for them by beautifying the breathing places which are left for public use in the vast bulwark of bricks and mortar that hems in the population of the lower part of the city. Commerce claims its share of the limited domain. on Manhattan Island, and wealth absorbs its portion also; butithere are still left to the masses of the people certain spots, which can be made healthful and beautiful—such as Tompkins square, Washington square, the City Hall Park, the Bowling Green and the Battery. We notice that the work of improvement is going on so rapidly, under the supervision of the Park Commission, that these places will be all blooming gardens next spring. The improve- ment of these public places, which have been allowed to fall into decay for many years past, we are glad to see, occupies the attention of the Park Commissioners equally with the in- terests of the Grand Park. The work of im- provement going on in and around Central Park includes the grading of Fighth avenue and the Boulevard, which was much needed, and if pushed on vigorously will make. the Park doubly valuable to the public, not only by rendering its approaches more available, bué by encircling it with splendid avenues, which will be an ornament to the city,'and, at the same time, will increase the value of the upper part of the island immensely. Upon the whole we owe a great deal to the new Commissioners of Public Parks, and we hope that they will continue in their present course of adding to the beauty of the metro- polis. Every dollar expended in the work they have on hand will be returned by and by twofold to the public. Att Apout a Grass, or Lager Beer.— The Rev. Mr. Smyth’s gin and milk never created such a sensation in New York as Dr. Fulton’s lager beer has created in Boston. Nearly twenty-five thousand people tried to hear him explain, in Tremont Temple, last evening, how untrue was the story published by Mr. Theodore Tilton, that he went into a lager beer saloon on the Bowery and took lager beer with a friend. This Theodore Tilton, it must be understood, is an anxious mentor, who uniformly sets the little weaknesses and failings of his prominent friends before the world and then calla on them to explain. Well, Fulton explained, and it turns out that the whole story was a joke told by a showman to humbug Tilton, who bas narrowly escaped a libel suit for passing the little joke around too freely; What if it were true? Why is strait- laced Boston: so excessively exercised over the consumption of a few glasses of lager beer by a favorite minister when she allowed the same maa to abuse the memory of Charles Dickens without uttering a word of reproval? Tur Avrora Borgatis,—The magnificent display of the aurora last. Friday night was visible at so many different points over our widespread territory as to contradict the opinion of M. Struve, Admiral Wrangel and others who have had opportunities to observe this strange electrical phenomenon in high latitudes, and who assign to it a very mode- rate elevation. Mrs, Somerville says that either the aurora must be high above the earth or its’ corruscations must be very ex- tensive, since the same display is visible at places wide asunder. It has frequently been seen in North America and all over the north of Europe at the same time, sometimes even as far south as Italy; yet Sir Edward Parry certainly saw a ray dart from it to the ground near him. What connection the recent ex- hibitions of the Northern Lights may have bad with the floods in Virginia and the storms on the British coast, which have accompanied or immediately followed them, may hereafter be discovered by science. Surely the electrical conditions which occasion the brilliant cor- ruscations ‘of the aurora may have something todo with the floods and storms and other physical disturbances, perhaps even with the wars and social revolutions, of which they often seem to be the precursors. Negaro Ristne in Marrinique.—A despatch from Havana iast night announces that a formidable rising of the negroes in the French island of Martinique took place on the 24th ult. Fifty plantations were burned and a number of white people were murdered by tha misguided negroes. ‘The presence of a detachment of United" States marines atone of the polling places in Philadelphia in the ‘recent éledtion in that city, in tho enforcement: of the right of colored citizens to vote, has raised a flerce outcry against the | from several of tho » , of |'democratic journals of ‘this city. ‘Thoy ,| denounce it as ‘the suppression of the free dom of electious™ by the bayonet,” ‘aa an” aggression of despotism, and the new, laws of Congress on the subject authorising. such, interferences as radical outrages, » unconsti~ \tational acts’ and Intolerable’ usurpations of* power, to be resisted in this city even to the’ extremity of an appeal to arms. ,. It is given out to inflame ‘‘the fierce democracie” that ‘tims New York ten thousand men will be placed ‘at the polls if need be, each with 9 badge of’ ‘Deputy United States Marshal’ on his breast, and with a six-shooter in his pocket,” and, ‘that “if these ‘will’ not secure ‘a radical victory, thea the whole available force of the , [United States, Army” iwill be brought inte, requisition; ‘to keep voters from the polis." ‘But, then, these despotic radicals are warned’: tliat their ten thotiand deputy marshals, each ° with his fully loaded six-shooter, will be con-. fronted by at feast’ one hundred and fifty , thousand young, vigorous, brave and resolute citizens, jealous of their rights and determined to maintain them at all hazards. : Another reckless democratic trumpeter of the same warlike proclivities issues the same warning, and says that ‘‘our city has a flerce love for the freedom of ita elective franchise,” and that ‘‘it will shed red blood before it sur- renders it.” And so they go. But all such bellicose trumpetings as these, it may be said, are only the harmless claptrap of a political , campaign, and that they mean nothing more than the stale repetitions that ‘‘our liberties are in danger,” and that ‘American freemen must be prepared to vindicate their rights at any sacrifice,” and the usual electioneering fustian of that sort. But in this case it ix feared that these new election laws of Con- gress, if acquiesced in by the democracy of this city, may put in jeopardy the magnificent sum of twenty-five millions of corporation spoils and plunder, in the danger of the load of the State from the’ reduction of the city’s : majority, proved, during the last three years, under a full local control of our elections, ia the voting, in the counting and in the official returns, to be equal to cover any adverse out- side majority from the State at large. We know that the greedy politicians of both parties have not the weakness to stick at trifles in their struggles for the spoils and plua- der; that with them the end justifies the means, and that “everything is flsh that comes into their net.” We know that as between the party in power and the outside party the difference in corrupt appliances is only the difference in the facilities and means possessed for corrup+ tion by the one party over the other. In this impartial view we think it cannot be honestly’ ‘ disputed that during the last three or fous years the democracy of this city, in their ex- traordiuary means and facilities for corruption, have too much redaced our city elections to a mockery and a farce in the voting, the count ing and the official returns, The test of the census--not only of Sharpe’s census, but of any ceusus—applied to the official vote recorded ofnnmerous election districts of the metropo< lig will prove this fact. In the funny voting of May last so notorious was the impunity | accorded to repeaters and ballot stuffers, and all their confederates, that the election excited the general laughter of a roaring extrava- ganza. It was such an amusing exhibition of the perfect freedom of the elective franchise that Lord Dundreary himself would have pro~ nounced it the best joke of the season, and would have given his valet a double kick in the exuberance of his delight, But there is also @ serious meral to this business—a dark side to the picture—which challenges our attention. It may be reduced to this simple proposition: — Let our elections elsewhere, as they have been of late years in this city, be controlled by fraudulent voters and false returns for even a year or two, and we have an end of popular sovereignty and popular government, Our whole political system falla into the hands of a conspiracy of. ambitious and scheming dema- gognes, in the shape of a plundering oligarohy. Hence it is that no honest voter desirous of honest elections in this city has any objection to offer against these seasonable election lawa of Congress. The ery that they are uncon~ stitutional is simply absurd. ‘The authority in the constitution for them is clear, ex+ pressed, comprehensive. It covers the whole ground, and if the power has not heretofora been exercised it is because the intervention of Congress has not heretofore been necessary. Great cities, however, ‘are the centres of great abuses and demoralizations, as they are of great things in the general advancement of mankind. With the’ growth of these great centres of our population: and trade we hava thus experienced in many things the insufl- ciency of our State and local authorities and the necessity for Congressional action covers ing the whole Union. These new Congres- sional election laws are thus only among the necessities of our development, and as they are clearly calculated to suppress dishonest and to encourage honest elections the parties threatening a violent resistance are open to the suspicion of dishonest designs and ihe fears cropping out from dishonest practices. Now, we may ask, Are the Tammany chiefs. concerned in this democratic hue and cry against these election laws? Are they afraid of the results of an honest election?, Do they encourage these outside attempts to inflame the ignorant roughs of the cityto measures of violent resistance? We cannot tell; but, at. all events, we bave no manifestations from Tammany to the coatrary. We cannot be~ lieve, however, that such men as Oakey, Hall and Peter B. Sweeny—men of educa- tion and refinement, law-abiding men, who in their private and public deportment, ara examples of decorum, can be parties to any- thing that has the appearance of riotous resist. ance to the laws. But when we have a politi- cal campaign conducted as this is conducted in all its parts, and on both sides, regardless of decorum or common decency ; when we find the republicans, without reserve or qualification, denouncing Governor Hoffman as a mere toot of Tweed and # confederate robber in the Erie ring, and the democrats, rank and file, dle- nounciog General Woodford as a confsderate