The New York Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1870, Page 6

6 NEW Y BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, All businees or news letter and telegraphic @espatches must be addressed New York Herarp. Letiers and packages should be properly sealed. ‘ Rejected communications will not be re- turned. IN's TL ADT THEATRE, iemay WIVES ¢ ND OPERA HOUSE, corner of Sth ay, BRIGANDE and 23a st.— LYMPL WV, <THE PANTOMIM® OF o Vv at ATRE, Rroadw sce.” Mani D'S MUSEUM Br mm Twonty-fourtn et.—FER- ROK AND NEOK—YAN- Sih ana 6th aya Broadway ana With street— MEATS, Brooklya.— wloweth su WAY TALL, F et.—-LEOTURE BY HOUST, 201 Bowery.--Va- ATRE COX oO Ad ay.—Comto Vooau Me No. 803 Broadvray.— Fr &o, M, 745 Broadway.—- SUM OF ANATOMY, (18 Brondvray.— SHEET. >» December 7, 1870. § ¢ A \ g Bel eas El ey Oe Now York, Wedne: War i co—The Eastern Questton— Irowa Wasnington—Oblinary—City Ia- Torress ot Organization in the two me ‘Tax Al- ‘al and Vice z Anni yacht Tsp) al Note Daring Bui ter 5—The Pri Billy ote’ —The Court ad Deaths— 10 stelligeace— 1 £2- Adverti-ements, IN FRANcE remains Our despatches from 11 dated on the 5th and to affect the general SrrvaTion practically unchanged. the theatre of ws contain li t'¢ situation. Ki respondent 0 are pan, y the fighting, and the ¢ officially annousce the same fact. The capture of the ci haz not, therefore confirmed. ris matters rew has come to a 30 in favor of ibd close, v the goverr ANC of the 3 twelve years and six 1 . This effectual as hanging, if the Sing S ties are efficient and vigilant. put out day fe for Aut Accovnts from Paris and Versailles agree in describing the conduct of the French during the recent battles as heroic in the extreme. Indeed, no greater proof of their heroism is needed than the admission of King William that they succeeded in carrying a part of the investing line. They seem, however, to have been most unskilfully handled, hence the Germans were allowed to reform and receive reinforcements at the most critical moment of the day. Nevertheless some of the French charges were most brilliant. They dispreve the assertions se confidently made that Frenchmen of the present generation lack the courage and dash of their ancestors of 1800, TuE PoLicEMAN who captured a robber in f house of ill fame recently seems to have been detailed to lay in wait in the house until the robber should appear. He had made his lodging there several mighis before the cap- e of bis man relieved him of his uansual b It is well cnough to capt thieves even when they are robbing bouses oi ill fame ; but it seems a sirange policy to detail one of the guardians of the public peace speciall one of these houses, which ought themselves to be “pulled,” in order to “pall” a thief whom the inmates suspeot may somo time or other attempt to rob the houses ORK HU ERALD NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1870.-TRIPLE SHEET. , Tie Behavior of the New Dominion, The President's Message affords a favorable opportunity for considering the whole policy of the british government towards the United States at the critical hour when the destinies of the republic were under trial in the civil war. That policy it is which is now bearing ils legitimate and bitter fruit in the disgrace- fal conduct of the Dominion towards Ameri- can vessels and the attempts to close the St Lawrence to the navigation of Amoriean citi- zens, The President preserves, as is right, in his official utterance the calm dignity and reserve appropriate to his position, The diplomatic charaeter of the document hesends annually to Congress prevents his probing to the quick the temper and tendency of an nofriendly government, Such political sur- gery prefaces war; whereas the United States are so strong, and will soon be so irre- elatible, that we shall have our dua and realize our des‘inies without war by sheer political weight, A journal is not under the same duty of reserve and reticence as the President, and we hold it to be our business to signalize in this action of the authorities ef the Dominion the conception, so hostile to the United States, which actuated the s!atesmen of England in bringing about tho new North American con- | federation, Whea our civil war broke out Enropean statesmen, short-sighted, jealous and | ill-informed, conceived that the moment was come to arrest forever the development ef the d States into a single great Pewer, ruling the whole North American Continent. There may have been no exact concert to that end; but the measures taken were skil- ful and might have prevailed if they had not been in utter contradiction to the inevitable majestic march of events, and an attempt— Machiavelian in its want of principle—to make the whole future history of North America the same scenes of inevitable divi- sion and hostility which have alway3 pre- yailed in Europe, The design had two great features. One was the creation of the Mexi- can empire under Maximilian; the other was the establishment of the new federation of all the British American provinces north of our at least, we ought tobe peremptory. The Union ought to brook no action which deprives its citizens of the free navigation of the St. Lawrence basin, The interests and the dignity alike of the United States require that this should be set right without delay, and we are satisfied that American opinion will back the President in requiring of Great Britain that theso questions with the Dominlon should be settled forthwith in conformity with justice and American claims; for the policy of the Do- minion, an American community, ought no longer to be under the inspiration of dynastic Enropean, balance-of-power ideas, which the undoubted supremacy of this republic makes as much out of date on this Continent as the cat-worship of the Bzyptians. The Occupation of Rouen. The capture and occupation of the ancient city of Rouen opens up to the Prussians the flower garden of Normandy, one of the richest and most beautiful provinces of France. It gives them a fresh granary from which to draw supplies—one in which the hoof of a ublan’s horse has never trod. It threatens Havre, the most important commercial seaport town in France except Marseilles, and cuts off com- munication entirely between that city and the interior, The close approach of the enemy, at Rouen, which is only sixty miles distant from Havre, will keep that port in a tremor of doubt and fear that is apt to paralyze the im- mense importing business that finds way into France through its harbor. Thus the invad- ing force makes ils first advance towards that destruction of commerce which Prussia has herself so severely felt by the blockade of German steamers in foreign ports. The cap- ture of Havre would divert commerce from all parts of the world to some other seaport of France, or close it up altogether. The occupation of Rouen is important in many other respects. It is the seat of some of the most thriving Industries of France. It is espectally celebrated for the manufacture of broadcloths and velvets and for the spinning and dycing of woollen and cotton stuffs. To paralyz2 industries like these, and to cut off commercial interests like these of Havre, such immense sources of revenue to the govern- own by ne, ution was founded expressly asa d States, and much exulta- dat the time by British-states- d journalists at the discovery of so exquisite a device for placing on the flank of the republic a Power which, together with independent Southern confederation, would forever insure the disruption of North American. This foolish and unrighteons idea still prevails in the Brilish mind. Even so late as last year Mr. Goldwin Smith, a resi- dent among us, and a sympathizer, according to his f»eble professorial capacity, with our institutions and ourselves, wrote a letter to an English journal in which he expounded with approval this precious piece of philosophical stntesmanship, It is mot necessary to quote the letter, but its drift was that the hardy northernmost Americans, with their simpler lives and more monarchical tendeney, would qualify and balance the more effervescent and progressive republican Union ; with more rubbish of that sort; all showing that the question of inevitable supremacy on this Contineat was as saaled a book, at that lato date even, to Mr. Goldwin Smith as to the driest English tory at home, whom he so heartily despises, Foanded on ideas like these, and stimulated to assert themselves ridiculously in such a direction as this, even by the teachings of a Goldwin Smith, we cannot wonder at the ndly conduct of the authorities of the New Dominion. We have it on the authority of the President that they are harassing Amorican fishinz vessels with a severity not practised heretofore, end subjecting our ships to exceptional lezislation which mnst not bo allowed to siand for a moment. They are advancing pretensions and making laws to enforce them which the British government teelf has not hitherto ventured upon—preten- sions which are little short of impudent. A statute of the Dominion prohibits the fishing yessels of the United States from having on board any merchandise whatever except what is necessary for such fishery, and subjects them to seizure and condemnation if they have; enforcing this by police visitation and intolerable inquisitorial proceedings. Such policy must be resisted at once. It is simply intolerable. It combines insult and injury, and seems more calculated to bring about trouble than to satisfy any legitimate interests, But even more flagrant is the attempt of the New Dominion to exclude Ameri- can citizeus from the navigation of the St. Lawrence. The President shows clearly that this is counter to the whole texdency or inter- national action for seventy years all over tho | world ia respect of rivers whose course runs throughout separate soverei s. It is difi- cult to und ad the drift of such legislation and policy, un! it aims at providing British statesmen with a spurious eqnivalent in the settlement of the Alabama claims. "As sate isfaction for those,” they may say, ‘we will open the St. Lawrence.” We can hardly snp- pose them capable of such pettifogging; but tho = le: ment and to the people, is to extract the bone | and sinew of France, and to break the back- bone of tho resisting power becomes an easy matter. In one respect the fall of Rouen is a matter of more than usual regret to the French. Pe- culiarly a sentimental people, devoted to the dramatic fitness of thiags, the fact that the city is rich in historic interest makes its cap- ture more bitier to their susceptive palates, The heart of Richard Coeur de Lion rests in the Rouen Cathedral, bequeathed to it by the great Crusader himself for the love he bore the Nermans, and the ashes of the Maid of Or- leans, who saved France and ber King, were thrown into the river at this point. That the phlegmatic German should trample through a city made sacred by these historic reminis~ cences is enough to make Gambetta and the gushing sentimentalists of the Tours govern- ; meat doubt the truth of history, or else won- der that the Crusader’s heart still lies pulse- less in its temb, or that the ashes of La Pu- celle do not glow with a white heat even at | the bottom of the Seine. Olid World Lishts on the Eastern Qnes- | tion Crisis. The Enropean mail of the 25th of Novem- ber, which arrived yesterday evening, reports | the opinions of quile a number of the person- | ages who direct or control the public affairs | and mind of the Old World peoples on the subject-matter of the Eastern crisis, Earl Russell, Lord Shaftesbury, the Dake of Cleve- land, Mr. Knatcbbull, M. Thiers and others are reported in our columns to-day. The communications reveal the fact that the Russian movement on the subject of the revision of the Treaty of Paris and towards the Bosphorus was undertaken at a critical or “snpreme” moment in the interest of the Czar. They also tend to confirm our first indication that Russia is likely to gain her object eventually through the present existing doubts and distractions of the cosigners of the Treaty of 1856. The news- paper revelations brought forth a very curious | political reminder in the shape of the repro- duction of a brief note which was published by Thomas Carlyle on the subject of the American war in 1863—the very darkest moment which occurs in the history of the | struggle for the Union. Krxe Wir1am’s report of the battle near Orleans and the French account from Tours | muke it certain that the French Army of the | Lolre was worse beaten than appeared from the first despatches. The loss of thirty pieces | of artillery at the present time, when, by Gam- betta’s admission, they labor under the disad- vantage of not possessing many guns, is a severe blow to the French, By the way, it is | surprising that our government has not availed | itself of the present opportunity to get rid of a part of the immense park of artillery in our arsenals. We must certainly have more than two thousand pieces, from the old-fashioned six-pounder smooth-bore to the terrible , then, do they permit the New Dominion, which the President rightly describes as irre- sponsible, to play such pranks as this? The jon of the Dominion is subject to impe- rial veto, and its polley is controllable bya Governor General, appointed by the Crown. Itis their business to keep this over-lively young Power in order; for they must be perfectly aware themselves, and they ought to teach their subjects and protégés in the Dominion, that the theory of checking and balancing and qualifying and harassing the United States by a new North American Deminioa is blown to pieces forever. This attempt to close the St. Lawrence to American vessels is a plain recurrence to ancient barbarism in the matter of river navigation. The principle was solemnly adopted at the Vienna Congress in 1815 that river navigation should be free, And no more and unrighteous application of the ne!ple can bo imagined than that ds to bar the great American West and Northwest from access to the sea through the basin of the St. Lawrence. The idea and the attempt to do so are so laughable aad con- temptible that they expose the Dominion and Enziand to the derision of all civilized man- kind. England cannot afford to irritate civi- offensive opposite p which pre | lized sentiment inthis way, Upon this subject, | twelve-pounder rifled Parrott. Ir 1s A Sranpine Berar of ihé French that every General of theirs who is beaten is a traitor. Napoleon, Bazaine, Lebceuf, Can- robert and the rest are traitors or they never would have suffered defeat. Cambriel also is a traitor or he would have permitted the Gari- baldians to ride rough shod over him. The last traitor is De Paladines, even he who was the idol of last week. We place him in the list because the French already talk of having him court-martlalled, All idea that the Ger- mans are mainly responsible for the defeat of their armies is scouted by the people. It is impossible. And so the poor generals get the blame. THe Isovarion GF Havre from the rest of France is doubtless caused by the occupation of Rouen by General Manteuffel’s army and by the presence of the Germans in the depart~ ment of Eure, onthe southern side of the Seine, It is scarcely probable that an attempt will be made to capture Havre. The city is situated at the ond of a peninsula bounded by the ocean on the one side and the estuary of the Seine onthe other. Besides its fortifications Havre is defended, or can be, by the French fleet, whose fire can easily sweep all the approaches to the Gitte, The Second Day of Congress. The process of organization went on vigor- ously and barmoniously enough at tho Capitol in Washington yesterday to encourage the belief that our national legislators really “‘mean bist= ness.” However, remembering the old adage about ‘new brooms that sweep clean,” we shall walt in fear and trembling for farther developments beforo giving way to jubilation on the subject. It is to be hoped, however, for the profit and credit of the. nation, that at a ‘moment of such profound interest to both Continents the bearing and action of the American Congress will be such as to confirm the reliance that our people place in it at home and impose respect upon the warring and agitated communities abroad. Christen- dom—nay, we may add the whole world—is convulsed while we write as it rarely has been since the commencement of the Christian era. Three great races are stroggling for unity under liberal laws and with forms of government assimilating gradually to our own, One mighty nation which, just a3 the second session of the present Congress was closing, stood at the head of existing military empires is now straggling for existence as a republic; another holding at that same hour but a second rate position has become, indubitably, arbiter for tho time being of European peace or war; a third, pre- viously divided and crippled, like body with a half-paralyzed heart, has resumed pos3es- sion of its whole territory, and claims a high, decided rank among settled and established Powers. Meanwhile the United States have gone forward in the path of complete recon- struction, on the basis of equal rights under the law to all men, and propitious seasons have combined with skilful labor to tertilize their fields, beautify their cities, fiil all their granarics and throng their marts. Liberty and plenty are seen hand in hand, awaiting wisdom to perpetuate their reign. Such a situation, we repeat it, calls for a peculiarly dignified, and at the same time industrious, attitude on the part of those who take counsel together for the honor and safety of the Great Republic. The eyes of other nations, now in the very agony of supreme trial, are turned to us for light, and as we shall do at this hour so may they be influenced. Washington swarms with agents, lobbymen, land jobbers and social creatures of prey of every class, who have gathered in from all points of the compass to pluck ont the eyes and pick the bones of the expiring Forty- first Congress. The harvest is ripe, they believe, and the revel they expect to be complete while the custodians of the country’s interests are diverted from their watchfulness by preparations for an early departure. But wo trust that this timy these ill-omened birds are to be misiuken in the result, and that in the presence of events which admonish all free governments to closer heed and more diligent work they are to receive a check severe and decisive, Tae Senate mot at the usual hour and pro- ceeded quickly to business, the salient features of which were the introduction of a bill to repeal the sections of the act of 1870 centinu- ing the income tax after the Sist of December last, and Mr, Sherman’s resolution calling for documentary information from the Secre- tary of the Treasury touching the transportation of foreign goods in bond to Canada through this country. The House was enlivened by the installa- tion of three new members fiiling vacancies, and by a lively muster of land grant specula- tors, who soon began to show vigorous signs of life. Three bills to repeal the income tax were introduced—the first droppings of a shower that may be expected—and then the St. Croix River Railroad grant was taken up and explained by Mr. Wilson, of Minnesota, who announced the quantity of acres required to be no more than a million. This quiet demand was debated amid determined oppo- sition and a little strategy among outsiders, and was at last laid on the table by 89 to 80. Mr. Reeves, of this State, offered an excellent shipping bill worthy of future special notice. Mr. Logan, of Illinois, carried of the seasa- tional honors of the sitting by his proposal to abolish the office of Admiral iu our navy alto- gether, and that of Vice Admiral so soon as a vacancy shall oceur—a movement that looks very much like rods in pickle for two or three dignified and prominent Vikings of this repub- lic. Mr. Hale objected to so sammary an on- slaught, but Mr, Logan only grew fiercer from opposition, and announced that he should move suspension of the rules on Monday next and urge the passage of the bill, Retrenchment was again honored by the revival of the ‘iil aboliahing the franking privilege; vigilance lifted her head with Mr, Haldyman, of Pean- sylvania, who efcrad a resolution to iavesti- gate the correctness of the census reiurns, and offended national pride found a voice in Mr. Banks, of Massachusetts, calling upon the Navy Department for its correspondence with Rear Admiral Poor, on the West India station, relative to the search of American vessels by the Spaniards during the first six months of the present year, The latter point has an American glitter to it. Can it be possible that we are, at last, to have a. spirit in Congress rising so high and speaking such round, sono- rous words, so fall of meaning for the people that the Cabinet and the national legislature shail be diséovered side by side in protecting the treasure, fostering the commerce and vin- dicating the dignity and the honor of the na- tion? Tur Erm Linigation before Judge Baraard yesterday produced a very sharp discussion between the learned counsel, in which the lie, modified and sngar-coated, was bandied very frequently, though always in that spirit of caution and regard to future consequences which induced the old bachelor, who dreaded asuit for breach of promise, to sign all his letters to his sweetheart ‘Yours, without prejudice.” The result of the case was that Ramsey and Tailer were discharged and the case against the others was adjourned until Monday.; Looxine Towarp Crvitization.—Some of the journals in Delaware are beginning to discuss the question of abolishing ‘the whipping post and pillory. The Wilmington Commercial says such modes of punishment arebarbarous and antagonistic to the teach- ings of the Gospel. There is hope yet for Delaware—the first to embrace the principles of republican government and the last in the ranks of civilization and humanity, | ‘Tho Approaching Session of Qur State Logtslature~A Chance fer Governor Hoff man. As the period approaches for the annual assembling of the ‘‘congregated wisdom” of the Sta‘e at Albany, speculation becomes rifo in regard to what may or may not be done duriog the session. The political character of the body may be set dewn as dsmocratic, although an exceed- ingly meagre majority can be claimed by that party. Giving the Senatorial vacancy occa- sioned by the death of Senator Blood to the republicans, @ tle may be fonnd in the Senate, but the casting vote being in the hands of the presiding officer (the democratic Lieutenant Governor) it is safe to assume that all promi- nent measures will bs decided in favor of the democrats, Tho House, with perhaps only one majority, may be counted upon as sure to “stick” to the democracy without fear of combinations hostile to Tammany in the shape of bolting young democrats, or “hay- mow and cheesepress” dem>erats, or “huck- leberry” democrats, or any other kind of democrats the financial interests of mem- bers may have given birth to at the last seasion. Asa leading republican in this city remarked the other day, when the conversa- tion turned upon the closeness of party lines in the ensuing Legislature, ‘S2 much the bet- ter; there will be so many the lesa repub- licans for the democrats to buy up.” - Tho Logislature, being thus assured to the democrats, with democrats occupying the Ex- ecutive and other departmonts of the State government, with a s'rong probability that all tho princip.l offices ia both houses will be again filled by tho old incumboats, from the Speakership down, thus securiog the most im- portant committees to the democrats, the de- mocracy must be held responsible for the proper admiuistration of our State government the comiag year. And now, with the State power and tho municipal power of the metropolis in the hands of tho democrats, it will be curious and interesting to examiae how thinzs may shapo themselves—above all, to observa what course the managers of the dominant party will adopt, with aa eyo toward the great Prisidential campaiga in 1872. Gover- nor Hoffman will inke tho initiative by open- ing the ballin his annual mosiazo. That he will preseat a satisfictery exribit of the affairs of the State and of tho transactions of his administration there is no doubt, But there are other considerations which will probably have weight with bis Excelleacy in making his compliments to the people on ths coming New Year's Day. He is the most prominent candi- date for tho democratic nomination for Presi- dent yet namod in this State. All groat mon of the party, the Tammany Regency, the Tam- many sachems, the Tammany Young Mon’s General Committee, and all other democratic organizations, big and litile, those that may have ‘passed out of existence the past year or which may. bo in full operation for the coming year—all, with but few excep- tions, have expressed an open and decided preference for Governor Hoffman as tho natioaal democratic siandard bearer in the next Presidential contest. Hence the Governor may step a little way out of the usual track in his forthcoming message and enlarge upod iitiers of mors Zea proven than mere local topics and which are barely touched upon in the usual anaual addresses of State Exeentives, He may astonish some democrats by taking strong grounds in favor of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, and in insisting that our colored population have accorded to them the rights guaranteed by those amendments. He may have some- thing to say in relation to the administration of General Grant. He may endeavor to show its irresolution in such matters as the Alabama claims, the recognition of the independ:nce of Cuba, as well as its shortcomings and fast- goings in other respects, as will inspiro the democratic hosts all over the land with strong hopes for triumphant success in 1872. He may talk in o patriotic strain about the intrusion of federal bayonets and fedoral hirelings at our local elections. He may explain away charges of corruption pre- ferred against the democratic management of the party 10 this State that will help the cause among pious people and others who discoun- tenance anything but purity and integrity in conducting public affairs. He wiil, in brief, have a fine opportunity of ripping up some of the dead and rotten planks in the old demo- cratic piatforms and of supplying their places with good, sound timber, well impregnated with the preservative—or, if we way so express it, the ‘‘carbolic acid”—qualities | of practical and progresslye doctrines—doc- trines suitable to ihe times and the grow- ing magnitude of the American republic. Hore is the opportunity for Governor Hoff- man to show his hand. As the head of the democratic party he will be held responsible for all corrupt legislation unless he interposes his veto. He must look out for the schemes of the railroad monopolists. He must take a manly stand against all sorts of jobs. He must assume an elevated and statesman- like position upon all public measures; and while he infuses confidence into the ranks of his own friends the re- publicans may learn that unless they bestir themselves ‘right smartly” they may, with ali the personal popularity and military renown their distinguished chieftain enjoys, have to struggle hard to retain their grasp upon the reins of nations! power when their present lease expires. In the meantime we suppos3 we may anti- cipate some reforms, including the total abol- ishment of the election Registry law (to the Rr operations of which the city of New York is made especially liable), and the usual amount of lobbying at the coming session of onr Legislature; but as that business has been reduced to a regular profession instead of being an occult science, whose mysteries were once known only toa select few, we hope the moral sense of the people will not be shocked, as it has hitherto been, by tales of legislative corrup- tion, of bad practices, in the performancé of which each party may be pronounced equally guilty. Let the democrats give us an honest Legislature this winter, just as we had an honest election last November, and the wis- dom of the course will be found in their receiving the warm approval of their con- the just acknowledgments of the community: thee Vv The Splendid Island of St. Domiugo—The ‘Texns Anneration Plan. \ In the President's Message no proposition. made is so earnestly, forcibly and convincingly’ presented as his proposition looking to the’ annexation of the splendid tropical island of St. Domingo, beginning with that importang division known as the repeblic of Dominica. The annexation treaty having failed in the Senate at the last session, the ratification re- quiring a two-thirds vote, General Grant now’ proposes that by joint resolution of the two: houses of’ Congress the Executive be au- thorized to appoint a comraission to negotiate, a treaty with the authorities of St. Domingo for the acquisition of that island, and that an appropriation be made to defray the expenses of such commission, The question may then ba determined by the action of the two houses of Congress upon a resolution of annexation, as in the caso of Texas, What was the case of Texis? The republic of Texas had been acknowledged by Mexico ;: but there remained a boundary dispute which threatened war, when, under Tyler's:adminis- tration, a treaty for the annexation of Texas was submitted to the Sonate and rejected. In 1844, however, the annexation was made o plank in the democratic platform, and upon this plank Potk was elected. But before Polls came in (spring of 1845) a joint resolution from the House providing for the peremptery annexation of Texas, war or no war with Mexico, was submitted to the Senate for its concurrence. It wag found, however, that this peremptory resolution would not go through; that Senator Benton's vote and one or two others were wanted and that they were opposed to annexing a war with Mexico, Phe resolution was, therefore, softened with another resolution providing first for the settlement of the Mexican boundary dispute, in the dis~ cretion of the President. As thus amended the resolutions were finally passed and sub- mitied to the President’s approval (Tyler) on the 3d of March, and Polk was to como in the next day. The general understanding was that Tyler would leave this business to Polk, to whom it properly belonged, and that Polk wou!d adopt the alternative of first settling the Mexican boundary dispute. But Tyler could not resi:t the temptation of takiag the bnsi- noss inte his own bands, and so ia the night of the 8d of March he posted off his special ambassador to Texas with the peremptory annexation resolution wits the boundary cliimed by Texas. Hence, from this caprice of Tyler, the war with Mexico and al its tremendous conse- quences dowa to General Grant in the White House, and this Message of his proposing the annexation of St. Domingo on the Texas plan. But there is no Mexican difficulty here. The coast is clear, the island can. be ours for a mere bagatelle, and we are sure that on the Texas plan General Grant will triumphantly carry through the anoexation of this island. Tae Situation 1 CoNnsTANTINOPLE,— Our special correspondence by mail from Con- stantinople supplics an interesting report of the general situation which existed in the Turkish capital on the 12th of November, | Tae American Interest was evidently a vivify= ing and reflaing eiemont, both in politics and the social cireleo, Tho Hon E. Joy Morris, ex- Minister of the United States, received a very complimentary address from his tellow countrymen on the eve of his departure, Some few Americans had takea out Americaa protection papers. A college which has been founded by an American is likely to produce excellent educational results. Goueral Igna- tieff, the Russian Minister, was expected back from St. Petersburg. The Eastera quostion— of which we bavo had so much in our cable despatches since—ad just come distinctly to light. The Bourse of Constantinople was even then seriously affected and the Porte Cabinet agitated—indeed, wo may say alarmed at the prospect. Iv Oxe Respzct at least the French have thus far been uneqnalled since the war began. The delicate manner in which they report re~ verses to their arms isa model of official in- geauity, Since Gambetta naively announced that the Army of the Loire had ceased to advance by reason of the resistance encountered from the Germans we have had nothing better than the report from Paris of Friday's battle before the city. The result was a French victory, the Prussians retreating, leaving their dead and wounded on the field, after which’ Ducrot’s forces rezyossed the Marne unmolested, Mach stress islaid upon the fact that the Prug- slans did not oppose his crossing. The diplo~ macy displayed in the despatch will be appre- ciated when it is remembered that the object of the Prussian attack was to force the French to recross the Marne—something they would scarcely have done had they been victorious, HackMen AS HiauwayMen.—It is stated that one of our public Jebus receaily drove a lady in’ his hack from the St. Nicholas Hotel to Central Park, and oa the return gave her a glass of water which was dragged. She became unconscious, and, on awaking, found herself in a strange place with all her jewels and valuables gone, and the Jehu, of course, missing. This is not a stranger story than the facts which are detailed every day of robe beries in crowded Wall street or Broadway. It would appear that a crowded city is really as favorable a location for the exploits of the unimproved Claude Duval as ever Hampstead Heath could have been. We do not doubt that Claude cou'd put his pistol to a man’a head in the heart of our great city and make him stand and deliver, without fear of outside interference, merely bevause nobody in busy Gotham cares to interfere with the duties of the regular polic: Me. Sumyer at tar Currincy AGAIN, Mr, Sumner is one of those restless iadividuals that must be meddiing, Te is not satise fied to let well alone, but wants to be making experiments on some fanciful theory. It is the same with the currency as with everything else. We are gradsally and healthfally ap- proaching a specie basis, as the decline in gold within the last year shows, without disturbing business or values, ard it is certain that if the carrevey be left to the laws of trade und the growth of the country we shail reach a specie basis soon enough. Why, then, !e stituents and their own consciences, and in | the question at all? Why bring it bofore Con~