The New York Herald Newspaper, December 25, 1871, Page 4

4 NEW YORK ‘HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES “QORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, All basiness or news: letter aud tclegraphio despatches must be addressed New York Hevatp. Letters and packages snould be properly sealed. AMUSEMENTS TWIS AFTERNOIN AND EVENING, BOOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third st, corner Sih ay. Suuiue Caesar GRAND OPERA Fagg rey of th aed 38d sl Trower or Leave Max, at 2-Wacnrete WOOD'S MUSLUM, Broad corner th st. Performs ances afternoon and evening. TAN IN PaRts, &0. FI#TR AVENUB TIIKATRE, Twenty-fonrti Tue Mew Drama oF Divouos. Matinee at \ LIMA RDWIN% THEATRE, No. 7% Rroadwer—OPERAs Bourrz—Barur ms.nae., Bavaee Matinee at 2. * street. = WaLLack’s THEATRE, Broadway ani 194 street= Soun Gaxrn va eit NIBLO'S GARDEN, Brostwa Honaton streets. —BLack CRoo » beveen Prinze amt Marinoe at B AIMEE'S OPERA BOUFFE, 7) Brocdway.—BaRBR Birpe, Matinee—La PentonoLE. BOWERY , THEATRE, Breksce.y. Matinee at OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Tim BauLet Pan ‘ToMim® OF Rumpry Doxerr. Mavinoe at a Bowery.— Macurra — Gale STADT THEATRE, Nos, 48 aod 47 Bowory.oTatt Teow oral E, owery.eTHt TKO STEINWAY HALL, Fourteenth street.—-L: AE's 01 ORMO OF THE Meseianl. “sry F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKUYN TREATRE.— vit Ties Guanpemane ‘Matinee at 2 BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Montague street— AMERLOANS LN Lig cid a Last Lrae, PARK THEATRE, Povestr Fiat, THEATRE COMIQUE, S14 Broadway. Couto Vooat- 3sM8, Neaxo A128, ac. Matinee at 2. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Fonricenth at. and Broad- way.—Nroro AcTe—Buagtrsqua, BaLirr, ko. Matinee TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— Nre@xo EcoENTRrOITING, BURLRSQUES, Ao. Matinee, “opposite City Ball, Brocklyn.— BRYANT’3 NEW OPERA HOUSE, 231 at. f and 7th ave.- bo uaa ~-BRYAN?T’s MINSTRELS. Mutines at 2 SAN FRANCISCO MINSTREL | HALL, 685 Broadway.— TUR San FEANCIGOO MINSTRELS, Matinee at? TAIBTY-FOURTH STREET THEATRE, near Third ave hue,—Neoxo Eocenrarornes, Vooauisus, 4c. Matinee NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourtocntn srrem. —S0uNRs IN wa BING, AoRONATS, £0, Matines at 25. NIXON'S GREAT SOUTHERN os by — SOENES IN TUR Ring, &0. Matinee. ater WASHINGTON HALL, Williamsburg. —! A wren Prange ‘Ly lamsburg.—BLind TOM, THE R. KAHN'S ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, 745 Broadway: — pi oe pale UM, 745 Broadway, NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway. OR AND ART. CONTENTS oF Ti “TODAYS “HERALD, Paes, 1-Advertisements, verasementa, The War in Mexico: The Greatest. Revolution chat Ever Degolated the Unfortunate Repub- lic; ‘The Kest.Generais Revolting; Murder and hae pea the Order of tue “Daye More Murder Lynching in Tennessec—Views of. the Past—The Ku Kiux Trials: Fatt Demonstra- oe of the Political Character of the American ‘enmgericnte. nerd Leading Article, ‘Christmas : Progress aud. Power ol Ohristianity—The Mission of Amerivans’’—Political, Movements. ‘and Views—The Hunter's Point Bivle War— Volcante Eraption—suicite on a Business Basis—The' HERALD and Dr. Livingstone—A Somewliat ie mye Case—Amusement AB nouncemen G—vermanr: Tue im peror Wiliam Likely to visie the Ozar of Russta—Tne Prince of Wales’ Healih—Weather Report—The Tornado. Trav- elitag—The ‘International Federal Councii— Smothered to Death—News from Washington —A Trap Gun Tragely—Gioomy Gotham, ‘The Upper Portion of othe City Stil Shrouded in Darkness—A Canntbalistic Female—Mis. cellaneous Telegrams—Business Nowces. ious; Sermon and Soag in the Sanctuaries of the City Yesterday; Dtscoarses on the Ap ee i Holy Festval--The Death of Cathe ne @—The City Charter: Draft of the Propored Charter ‘of vhe Comittee of Seventy—News of Dr. Uvingetone—Fire in Eldridge street—Finan- ctal and Commercial Reports—Catula Market— DPomesilo Markets—Dry Goods Markete— Ad- vertisements, @—Cnristmas: The Religious and Social apt Choral Music at the the Christian Festival; Churches; The Care of Pious Charity for the Poor and Homeless; How Ciristmas ts Ke by the Germans; Midnight Services at St. jan’s Church and Bt. lary’a, Honoken—The rand Duke Alexis—Sitpping Intelligence Marriages and Deaths—A: ‘tisements, A “Tewrrst IN a Trapor’—The rebellion fo Pennsylvania against Grant. Dentisis 1x Covxort..—Look out for jaw: cracking speeches when the present contro- versy among the dentists comes into Court, A Great Revier e relief which we experience from the adjournment of Coagress till after New Year. Thanks for this great mercy. And all the people will ay Amen! Tar Graxp Doxe, instead of spending bis Christmas, a8 it was supposed he might, in hunting down the buffalo, has been hunted Gown by the Buffaloes, and will devote the day to Buffalo. Comma To Ir Ar Laer,—The Bank of France is to be authorized to increase its cir- oulation to the extent of twenty-seven hun- Gred millions of francs and to issue smali aotes. Caen Oxt0aco has just discovered that she has a olty debt of a little over four hundred thousand dollars. Pooh! a mere bagatelle. New ‘York oan see that four hundred thousand and 0 nearly a hundred millions better. | Taz Empreor oF GERMANY contemplates wisiting the Ozar of Russia at an early moment next spring. So we age specially Informed by cable telegram. The compli- ment will be quite natural, in the way of a frieadly family greeting. . Misytacen Inpianatios—The indignation pf the people of California in failing to get the destructive storm which they bad been looking for, Let them be patient; they may get it yet, and as much as they want, The Clerk of Weather has lately had his bands fall with ‘late storms in the East; but pow, we think, he Will be able to attend to California. “Gems Drvore’—The spirits tn Henry ‘Ward Boosher’s church. Tux Frsr Carpinan.—Iif the report we ‘pave from Rome on the subject is correct “Arobbishop McCloskey has been promoted to the red hat of a Cardinal, and he is the first Perdinal of Mother Church chosen from’ the blergy of the United States. At all events he eserves the honor, and if appoiated he will be an important accession to the College of Ovrdinals. penis dal Tue Democratic papers in California, a8 9 general thing, deprecate the passive If 80 soon { am to be done for Wonder what | was vegua for, _— ———- - -—- - Ohristmas—Pregress and. Power ef Murte- tianity—The Mission ef Americans. At no otter veason of the year are all the sweet and eacred sentiments of the human heart so universally awakened as at Christ- mas, This is because the immortal system founded by Him whose. birth the season cele- brates is so perfectly adapted to the nature and necessities of mortals. When the reign of perfect peace and universal brotherhood shall have been established Christmas will have then become the day of days, the univer- sal holy day among all the nations. . Though that promised period, ‘wich kings and prophets waited for,” has not yet arrived, chimes of consecrated bells in Christian coun- tries will this morning summon multitudes to celebrate the anniversary of the nativity of Jesus. And in response to the sam- mons of the chimes and their own convic- tions millions of worshippers will assemble for | that purpose in churches and cathedrals. To those who are less impressed by simple ser- vices than by imposing religious ceremontals the effect of songs of adoratiou and of praise will be increased by the aid of magnificent instrumental. music, and the solemnity of the scene will be augmented by the “‘dinr religions light” that shines through the crimson and purple of the painted windows, The Christ. mas carols, songs and symphonies that will be.) chanted by choirs and’ congregations are but the echoes of the celestial voices of that heavenly host which accompanied the angel who annonnced to the astonished shepherds the advent of the Messiah whose appearance had been prophesied for ages. They are but the eehoes, also, of the songs of faith and praise that have sabsequently lingered on the lips and immortalized the memories of mar- tyra. Viewed in whatever light it may be, the mission of Jesus Christ to humanity is supreme in its importance. We need not. enter intoa discussion of the character of Christ or of the system which He founded. Rival religionists who exclaim ‘‘Zcce Homo!” and. ‘‘Hece Deus!” may rejoice respectively in their opinions, Whatever peculiar forms of faith sects of mod- ern Christians may adhere to, it is enough to know that all concur in acknowledging that Christ was the most perfect character that ever trod the earth, and that the safest and sublimest rules of human conduct are those which He expounded. Though faith, sublime in its simplicity, questions not: but justifies ‘‘the ways of God to man,” those ways are only koown to us as mysteries, And among the most marvellous of these is the manner in which the Creator has at different times. revealed | Himself unto His creatures. ‘In the Old Testa-"' ment He assumes the character of awful ma- jesty. to whom burnt, offerings. and. sacrifices were ‘essential “ia order to appease» His.) wrath and ‘stay‘the avenging hand of Sistioe. In the New, Testament? He assumes thé character of wonderful humility, combined, with infinite’ love, ° gentleness ‘nad mercy. This is the character ii which He" appears the dearest to,.human beings. 2B is more in harmony with,,.as..we-bave . aid, the nature and necessities of mortals, and with the intelligence which has superseded ‘the fgn0r-” ance of departed ages. Hence we gladly tura from the: thanders) of Sinaé to. the Sermon, on the Mount, and from the majesty of Jehovah: to the sitiplictty ‘of Jesns. Without féllowing the fortunes of Chriatianity through all its eveatfnl epochs.we may remark that thongh its march bas been attended with wonderfal ‘vicissitudes, and’ has been ‘tetipo- rarily impeded at various intervals, its career has been one’ of progress from its foundation to the present period, The history of the Church is the most. remarkable iq human asanals, Judaism had flourished end failed, the civiliza- tion of Greece was on- the wane,» the supremacy» of. the Roman; empire. was sinking under the power of -pagantsm, when there arose from the most humble origin a system which, . soon épreading along the stiores of the Mediterransan, has since fonght and won its'way over the whole of what is nowdenominated Christendom. For centuries persecutions followed it into Asia Minor, Greece, Italy and Africa, untilthey were in a measure arrested under Consiantine.. But while paganism was extinguished and Chris- tianity extended the Church became’ corrupt and continued to become corrupted. The most serious assault that Christianity has sustained came from the system founded by Mohammed, who claimed to be commissioned to restore the troe religion revealed, by God to Abraham. By the power of conquest his system was carried triumphantly from Arabia over countries where Christianity still, flourished; it spread into Spate, even France was threatened, aud for a time the cause of Christ seemed to be seriously endangered. But Christianity had not lost its vitality, though the Church was weak and its sffsinm were improperly administered. The Refor- mation inspired by Luther came when refor- mation was most needed. Luther understood the true ides of. Christianity, and he, more than all bis condjutors, labored to restere it in its spisit. Though It has passed through seas of blood, the system of salvation bora with the Babe of Bethlehem has survived all the shocks of ignorance and hea- thenism, and is destined not only to make the world synonymous with Christendom, but to make the true spirit of Christianity the guld- ing principle of every individual, Ohristianity is fove, and love is the most potent power in all the universe. The mission of the Messiah was nos s0 much to found a Church or sect as to establish and exemplify immortal principles, Glory to God in the high- est, and on earth peace and good will toward men, ts the sum and substance of the Christian system. Christ was the link that unites man to his Maker. He came te show the sympathy existing between the Creator and His crea- tures; to elevate hamanity by presenting in His person 9 living example of what humanity might be, and tg point ont the way to » glori- ous immortality, It is because Christianity is so perfectly adapted to the complex obaracter of mankind that it wins ite way to our affec- tions, It not only commends itself to the highest order of intelligence, but it appeals with force and feeling to the eweetest and tenderest of human sympathies. We have an abiding faith in the divinity of humanity, and none in the ‘total depravity” that is preached from some orthodox pulpits. We cannot associate the goodness of God and the immortality of mankind with the ides of everlasting prniakmeats, Asqurodly every p tion of: humanity. iva | human soul will sooner or later receive its fall measure of happiness according to, its capacities, And to show how these may be increased by the cultivation of our moral faculties was one of the objects embraced in the mission of Jesus, This could notbe better accomplished than by showing us an example that we could undersiand and attempt to imi- tate. It is this union of the divine with the human so perfectly presented before us in the person of Jesus that has led, and is leading, the heart of humanity to appreciate an@ ‘cherish His character and teachings. The progress‘ of Christianity in the world can never again be seriously interrupted. The periods have passed when paganism could assume the aseendancy. Much ignorance and superstition prevail among peoples yet, we admit, but ignorance and superstition have been for centuries gradually giving way under the regenerating influence of Christianity, and at no period since the Creation has man- kind attained a higher stage of development than ‘at the present. Never before. were the principles of progress so prominent or the signs of the ‘tfuies for the future so full of promise. .The. arte and sciences, the hand- maids of Christinn civilization, are °“every- where’ aiding the completion of the work commenced by ‘Christ, whose nativity we now commemorate, Steam, © elec- tricity and the press are each and all contributing toward the consummation of the grand design of the Oreator for the ameliora- By means of rapid com- munication ali the nations of the earth are being brought closer together, and with it we have repealed evidence of the interchange of kindly sympathies, which is one of the funda- mental principles of Christianity. With uni- versal liberty we shall have universal intelli- genoe, and this will inaugurate the era of uni- versal brotherhood and universal peace—the feeling of the whole human race that as the children of one Father they have a common sympathy and a common destiny, In this grand and glorious work we must not forget our mission as Americans, The eyes of the oppressed in other lands are turned toward us, and in our influence and example are cen- tred the hopes of liberty everywhere—civil and religious. Already the influence of the United States has been felt and followed to a greater or lesser extent in other and older nations. Wo believe that within the present century Christianity has received an impetus in the United States greater than it has ever yet received in any other country. The “<manifest destiny” of the United States is to establish, firm ps the Rock of Ages, on the whole of the Amorican Continent, the: highest “possible development of Christian civilization, and to’ be o ‘bright, and shining light among’ the nations, Hach has its misston «to. “perform and: each can render to” the © ‘other. sympathy - aod aesistance in promoting the ‘cause of Christianity, which ig the amelioration of mankind by the cultiva- tion of all the “gifts and graces which will enable-us to onjoy the heist end ‘blessings. of'a glorious immortality. ‘The New. Charter Proposed for New York City by the, Commiitee of ‘Seventy. The draft ofa. new charter forthe city of New York, published. in the HaRatp to-day, is the result of the deliberations of the sub- committee of -the Committee of Seventy; ‘and while it is.yet incomplete, the’ groundwork is sufficiently set forth to show the’character of the reforms-it proposes. , It certainly contains some very excellent points. Its underlying principle is to secure to the political minority in the city, a substantial | ‘représéntation in the. government,, To, this, end. large find’ controlling ‘power is vested sin .the Board of Aldermen, © ‘while’ the | "Mayor has few save expcutive functions to perform, The number of Aldermen is fixed at forty-five, nine of whom are to be elected in each Seriate district of the city, Every elector has the privilege of-voting nine Aldermanic ballots, each contetiihg oné name, and he cat vote for the same candidate ‘nine times, or distribute his. votes in such proportion aa be may choose. This, of course, renders certain the election of 8 good share of the candidates of the minority party in each . Senate district, Fol- lowing ‘out the same principle in the various’ branches of the government, all, the important. departments—those of Public Works, Public Parks, Docks, Public Charities and Corrections and Finance—are placed under the control of five Commission- ‘ers, one of whom is to be appointed by the Mayor, while the other four are to be elected by the Board of Aldermen. In such election each member of the Board is entitled to cast four open ballots, containing each one name, and an Alderman may cast his four ballots for one candidate or may distribute them in such proportion as he may choose, This again enables the minority of the Board of Aldermen to make certain of electing at least one candidate in each of the above departments, and thus secures the representa- tion of the minority party in the city through- out the whole municipal government. While oar experience in New York has not taught us to place much reliance in the honésty of those republican politicians who have managed to obtain a recognition under democratic city edministrationr, it is, nevertheless, a healthy principle to secure an opposition representation in all the city departments as well as in the Board of Aldermen. The power of the Department of Public Works is greatly increased; among other things, taking 1n the duties of the present Department of Buildings, of the Departmont of Parka, so far as regards boulevarda, streets and avenues above Central Park, and prob- ably of ‘street cleaning. In the Department of Finance the; member appointed by the Mayor is to be Comptroller of the City and County Treasurer, while the four members appointed by the Board of Aldermen are to be called Commissioners of the City Treasury. The office of City Chamberlain is to be abolished. Asa matters? “*igee all the present office-bolders are Geta out of office ; even Comptroller will not be spared, but will have to take his chance of re- appointment by the Mayor, who is to be elected next April, or of election to the Finance De- partment by the Board of Aldermen to be chosen atthe sawe time, The Mayor and Aldermen are to be elected for a single year's term, and im the latter is to rost the whole legislative power. No money whatever cam be raised for aay devartment of the municipal OV rt ’ government except through the Board of. Aldermen, and tho most stringent rules are drawn to. protect the funds. and credit of the city even. from that body. The powers of removal of heads of departments are some- what less simple and direct than they should be, but the Mayor is to be removable by the Governor for cause in the manner provided by law in the cases of sheriffs and county clerks, On one point the Committee of Seventy make, we believe, s great blunder. They adopt the principle, first advocated by the Heratp, of requiring publication of “all amounts expended, contracts made, resolu. tions and ordinances passed, &c., by every public department at short, stated periods ; but they defeat the whole object of the reform by establiabing another edition of the Tran- script job, under the name of The City Record, in which these publications are to be made, This probably may be designed to save the city. the expense of newspaper adver tising, but it fe a “penny wise and pound foolish” policy., No porson gares to look in any such sheet for city doings, and not ‘one citisen ont of every ten thousand would ever'see a copy of the Record, ‘‘Pub licity” is the only object of requiring these detailed statements of their operations from the departments, and this cannot be secured by printing. them in a job concern such as the Zhwnsoript was, and such as it is proposed the Record shall be. The people desire to see. what their public officers are doing. They know that -had the policy of publishing weekly statements ofall bills paid, contracts made and liabilities incurred, prevailed during the rule of the Tammany Ring, no such frands as have been perpetrated against the city would have been practicable. Our citizens will not begrndge the money expended in laying before them the information they desire, and no parsimonious {dea of saving a few dollars should prevent this most valuable feature of publicity from. being fully engrafted on any new charter that may be enacted, Whatever amount might be used in the publication of The City Record would be thrown away, and the people bave had sufficient experience in the 7'ranscript swindle not to desire to see the experiment revived. We shall have more to say of the committee’s proposed charter here- after, but the blunder of this proposition is so self-evident that we do not suppose there will be any attempt to adhere to it, Of course the rough draft now published .has yet to be re- vised and completed, and there will come the question of its acceptance by the Legislature. As it is not as much as it might be in the interests. of the republican ‘ majority at Albany,’ we do not think itsircjection at all improbable. . The Legislature will, no doubt, have views of its own to carry out, in connection with our fotere municipal government, Sone on. Tae Poor Cai Hose ix ‘Sromct | Wratoxe—‘‘A heart bound bats by weight of ‘whoat’” vit i Christmag Facts and Speculagigns, One common thought and one theme agts | tated the Christian pulplts of this ‘city; and probably of. the whole land, yesterday... The thenght was of the wondrows,love of God, and the theme the manifestattom of that love'in the birth of Jesus Christy whose natal anniversary the Christian world commemorates’ to-day. And such has been the progress of Christian- ity In these latter days that not-only through- out. Christendom, but in beathendom also, is this' marvellous event celebrated om ‘this 25th day of December, The subject and the occa- sion are such as to invite speculation, and some’ of the pulpit preachers yeslerdsy ‘in- dulged -« ‘little: therein. The Rev. Dr. Foss, in St. Paul’s Methodist Epigoopal church, while introducing his andienee to’ the ‘manger-cradle of Bethlehem and its Divine occupant, ‘and dwelling on ihe object of the Saviour's mission, gave them also some historic facts and specula- tions regarding the magit, whom he considered tobe Persian astronomers, chosen by God to receive this announcement, because the Persian religion “was ‘then the least impare, they be- lieving in and worshipping one God, the Creator ‘of ‘all things. The ancient’ fire’ wor- ship the Doctor considered was) derived from Moses’ interview with God in the burning bush, which was well ktown to the ancient heathen. “The fire ‘was: taken as the best expression of the Deity, and thus the unseen God was wor- shipped. Because of the fulness and freeness of the salvation provided in the Gospel and by the life and death of. Christ Dr. Foss had good hopes to see Socrates and other heathen phi- losophers in heaven, And so have we, And many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first there, notwithstanding our theo- logical notions and dogmas. The second coming of Christ was suggested to the mind of Dr. Thompson by the recur- rence of this festival, and he called the atten- tion of Christ church (Protestant Episcopal) to it, and encouraged them not to become dis. heartened nor weary by the length of the journey nor the roughness of the way with the thought that by and by they shall enter into reat, Dr. Ogilby saw in the Christmas anni- versary an occasion for humility in the example of Him whose birth we celebrate, and urged the Trinity congregation to bow their heads and their hearts if they would know the Saviour and be like him. But, according to Mr. Frothingham, the coming of Christ or His life and teachings has not added anything to the teachings of the old classics and ante-classio sages of the world, and hence there is no more benefit in trying to be like Him than there is in being like Socrates, Zoroaster, Confucius or any other man. Such faith may do for Mr. Frothiogham, but It evi- dently does not sult the Ohristisn world, nor indeed the heathen, who are rapidly forsaking Confacins aod Buddha and following Jesus of Nasareth, And, as Dr. Hall beautifully end eloquently explained, it Is only through His blood that we can be cleansed and made meet for heaven. And were we to'scale heaven's high wall, and thas enter, we should have no fellowship..or sympathy among the blood- washed throng who day and night pretee and magnify His love, The eloquent rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity tonched on the supernatdral signs which heralded the Saviour’s birth and death—a carpenter's child and yet the son of a virgin, Poverty end disgrace were His heritage on earth, and, with His life and holy example before us, Mr. Tyng thought there was nothing so contemptible to a Christian as the yauated pride and caste of life on Christ~ NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, ORCRMEER 25, 180 AIEEE maa Day, Rina wakes wetaert toove one another, “Will you value A man. for his money,” asked the preacher, ‘‘and yet" hope to be saved by the life of @ poor man?” This was a pertinent question, and atrack | right at the root ‘of anti-Christian customs which prevail all around us, Two only of our city sermons reported did not touch on the great event of the day. Father-Griffin, in St. Stephen’s Roman Catho- lio. church, gave some excellent suggestions which all would do well to heed, and to amend their ways ia the partisulars condemned. The’ Rev. Professor :Pottgeiaser, formerly of Fordham. College, delivered an admirable lec- ture, in the Assembly Rooms, on God as an absolute and Omnipotent Being, and on the nature and characteristics of faith in Him. Mr, Beecher, while up’ the general theme of the day, treated subject differ- ently from some others, It was not the coming of Christ that interested him so mach as the growth and development of ‘‘the Chriat principle” in individuals and nations. And” he thought that’ we might very properly! say that Christ came in every genera- tion, andthe time will come when even gov- ertiments will “be condncted according to the but appearances do not so,indicate. The Rev. H. M. Gallaghér Illusttated the relation which }| Ohrist’s birth: bears to the futurelife, and by it enforced holiness of heart: and life, which brings peace'and happiness here as well as hereafter. ..Dr.. Newman, in Washington, thought that John the Baptist's ideas concerning Christ were not thoronghly orthodox at first, and he explained why they were not, and, pre- sumptively,, why many others in our day stumble at the same'stumbling atone. And at the dedication of a new Presbyterian church in Brooklyn, yesterday, Dr. Duryea called the attention of the congregation away from the temple made with hands’ to: themselves made temples of the Holy Ghost; ‘ and to it and the other discourses printed in the Heratp this morning we invite the atteation of our readers, to every one of whom also we wish “A Mette Christmas.” — a 0} The Cold Snap and the Storms December. Down ‘to the day before Christmas we bave had this time the naughtiest December through- out the United States of many years. The heaviest’: snows for December within the memory of the. oldest prairie hunters and mountain trappers have fallen this season over all the vast expanse.of country extending from the Mississippi River to that lofty range of tha Sterras. Nevada which look down ‘upon the plains of California, With all their appliances for working through snow drifis. the Pacific Railway trains between Omaha and Sacta- shento, have been: detained by these obstrne- poe from>ten to. twenty days beyond thelr time, . to Utah the jnow ts reported Pe he fen “fee feet ’ deep ‘on. the level, ‘and {nthe ffountala’ Yevines, of. Moangons,” “Trom twenty’ to thirty -foet, from the’ AUlaatle coast to Nevada meantime ‘the intensity of the cold. takes :the premium for December. The breaking up of this. “cold snap,” too, ‘has been es: remarkable. es tha .anap itself, The, 23d of this December, as.a Christmas abopping day, will; long .be remembered, from thie citysover anisarea extending hundreds, of nilles in every ‘direction; as dné'of the rainiest, slushiegt “ahd: ‘uoat ‘ dlanial” ‘ant “disagréemble shopping days.exex known... But out Weat this | same storm wats December jbhurricape, tepr- ing dowf’ and dismantling buildings in Chi- cago, “and a6 ti" from” /patit' to “polit; to’ St. Louis, In Kentucky, \it is described’ ad’ terrific :tornado, doing considerable damage, ‘and io: Memphis it was'a gale of great néverity, blowing’ ‘the’ iteamer Phil Alfén ‘across: the river, upon a “sand bar, where she ‘was sunk. But direotly. following this, tertifc commotion in the:atmosphere:we had yesterday the warm sun’ and the soft and balmy’ atr of a bright May morning,” Within’ the short space of three daya.we. had,here.a.touch of December, suclias they haveon ‘The pitiless coast of Labrador, a taste of the wintry climate of Mr. Seward's beautiful Alaska, Where it rains and snows always, and,the, visitation of a aoft and snnoy Decém- v ber morning, such as they sometimes boast of in Florida’ when we ore ‘shivering herein our ‘freezing nor’ westers. We hope that this visit of the genial airs from the Gulf Stream will be prolonged for many days, although we fear that they came in too good to Inet, of This HAs Nor the civil service question given rige to a good deal of uncivil discussion? THE. HERALD AND. DR, LIVINGSTONE. {From the Tretiton (N. J.) Gazette, Dec. 28,) ‘The New York Heap has just given another evi- dence of journalistio enterprise that throws in the shade any of its former great achievements. Bome two years ago it despatched an agont on a news expedition, which was’ to. conclade and end with a search for the fonious African explorer, ‘Dr. Livingstone. ' This ‘agent has just been heard from, the HERALD of yésterduy publishing a five column account of the progress which he has made in his gearch after the Doctor, ami the adventures and privations witieh he las eneountered in the wilds of Africa, ‘A SOMEWHAT SUBPIOIOUS CASE. A few nights ago @ woman, abont thirty-five years of age, Wiiose name was subsequently learned to have beon Mary Farrell, was found partially in- gensible ine stable in West street, under circum- stances strongly Indicating that her person had been outraged by ruf@fans. There were marks of violence om ‘her arms and lower extremities. After being taken to the Ninth precinct station house: Mary was removed to Bellevue Hospital, and there died on Jonna Beach, M. ne Ret is. 3 made a -mortem examigation on which Bowed that deceased Nad heen of very intemperate of violence. were only super. Relat and. in the doctor's opinion death resulted from arsenie img. No farther on could be concerning deceased. ALLEGED DOUBLE MURDER: Bute, Pa, Dec, 24, 1574. , Acorrespondent of the Erte Despatch says a hor. Tible tragedy occured at Kano, Pa,, Ninety-four miles east of Rére on the Philadelphia and Erie road, on the night of the 20th inat, ‘The wife and obild of Patrick Burns were found. dead Thursday, morning under a ined rete tay mare eo dour tat bath rn ‘wife having beon strangted and oer 2 ommitted 10 Jail to awatt the re. the cor: quent, THE KU KLUX TRIALS, CoLtmaia, 8. 0., Dec. 24, 1671. In the United States Court yesterday the jury in the case of Mitchell and hse igeeredestyrd nearly twenty-four Hours’ consultation, returned a verdict oF gully on the second, nd four counts, ‘The de- fence move for @ new trit ‘The Court thon took @ recess till Wednesday next spirit of Christ. We hope tbat day is, near, ; TEAL‘ WOVEMENTS 4 POLITICAL AND VIEW The Noxt Presidential Contovt trom a Rade ik eal View, (From the Rochester Democrat (republican) Ded. #2.) We give below ® table based on the electoral vote Or the States, a8 provided under the new Apportion- ment bill, In dividing the,States into “contested” snd “uncontested,” we classify as “contested” those which bave been carried. by each party, im turn, during the last four years, ana as ‘‘uncon- tested”’ those which have uniformly votea on one side, no matter-how spirited. the contest may uave. been. The arrangement as oetween “repubiican an@ “democratic” if based, of course, on we latest aleo- tions in the respective States. The following is the tavle:— UNCONTESTED STATES. + 2 Democr sation Detawate. Georgia: Kentucky. Maryland. nesses ‘eXxas.. 8! ehatette CONTREGED swates. Atabam: iH Arwausat Florida Vorai..., Uhcoutested: TOlAL:....csecennse-0126 Oregon. ‘Total Uncontested! ..... dane desesecdens: TULAL...-epacerretesrnonssences Now Hampshire wiil propabiy revert tothe re Publican columa, next spring. From this table it requires 179 votes to elect, The Tepublicans have tans ouly to retain the States they Rave not lost, since 1863, and carry either Califoraia, Connecticut vr Lousiaua (to say nothing of New York) to insure thelr triumph. Un the other hand, the democrats must add the entire “contested” vote, republican as weil as democratic, to tueir owm > to msure success, The New Hampshire Election Next March. (From the Exeter (N. 11.) News Letter (repablican) Deos 20.) “If our conventions are conducted fairly there is a chance for victory, but, on the other band, tt they. are to be managed by men hired ana piedged to particular aspirants, if public opinion is to ve = ~ manufactured by policicul emissariea and ma nipule~ tors, if mdependeat repubitcan voters are to be called upon to cast.a ticket containing the namea of men whom they despise or of whom they Know nothing, and who misrepresent the preferences and i Views of the party, then we sitall tail, and oughtte oy fail; to carry the election”? Tue Sponkership of the New York Assrmbly. Mr. Strahan, of Orange, 1s being pushed for the | Speakership of the New York Assembly. THE HUNTER’S POINT BIBLE WAR. | The War Not Yet Over—The Notification of tho Trustees To Be Disregarded. : ‘Mr. Setverg, the Principal of Hunter's Point School, which has caused go much excitement im the public .mind,, was served by the trustees, on t ‘thursday, wih, & nolification that hereafter the public, school. premises, buildings and property sual no longer, he..used or ..cconpled in pay Tex. gelog, ashoa __Boyga tok ihe . ue pose FeV gtOUss wv fone mony practices, Br, striction; reading Of | Aoriptaves or. tas F recitations of religsous:prayers, : Air. Jopeph Fiosel, Secretaty of the Board of) Trustees, signed the nott fication in the absence of the principal; a copy. way also seutitothe teacher in the school Authort over the buitaing tm: claimed by the trasvees, and although :they have not the power to..decide on the Tewutawons‘of! the sohool, which is vested only im a the Sohool Commissioner, yet they- eave the right w ‘Ulone the! genoul building, which: they will.ao unlegs the reading of the Bivle is discontmued. Mr. Fetsel, after serving the notice on Tharsa: ay, atended ‘the sctiool ,ductug the morning exercises, and” war ‘present at:the reading of the Scriptures by the Prin- ‘tipal, notwithstanding ihe nouficauion ‘on Friday. Another trustes atiendei weed ha for the purpose of Se the disregard of orders and agro both aa nee ‘erelimited to P pony nauiled the principal take ae nets sioners 1 inclpa: € 20 ot grins “odtinent cand to “ebuttaue ‘the reading of the tao, Schools, as usual. ‘The document has been paaseu over Corporation Attorn: and in all proba biit action: wil be oom against the trustees interfering inthe duties of =, ™ ‘tne school. The hang ey cal. are very biter againat Mr. Pee aon’ on that ne broke nia with then serdepacs for the . discontinuauce ot hostilities Was made oA Teperieds in the Papers. ‘This . ts) also. core rovoraved Assistant ‘lot Attorney Burnett. ho distinc ‘states that he understood the arrange- by eo peed made as reported, aud not as 4 principal in his note to the press. there have beeu no open hostilities the past ng tae parents aad the resi- 8 of Long isan rite is More intense van ever. re will be no school during the holiday weeks, shores will | propbly commence on the re- ling of the t after the Ist of anes. do Sonuplinace with tho request the Board of ‘Trus- tees has granted the iree use of the public school batiding vo ali religious denominations tor tod that laxtraction to school ciiidren, It ts Mie phen that the Catholics propose to organize # mous bani alter achool hours, “Lean ERUPTION. : Outbreak: of the Karthquake in Java Ternate Vi Oe The Batavia Handeisblad e 25th of September publishes the followiug particulars. of a volcaaic | ‘ outbreak at Ternate:— On the afternoon of the 7th of Aagust a violent earthquake was lett, of which tne exact direction was unknown, ‘ne Ternate mountain had from f ine A, M, cansed @ dull rambling: sound to be * } rd, varied at intervals by | reports, and a im the course of the day to cast out streams of lay ‘The sky sooked dark, aud the whole country yond abont was darkened by the down-comiug smoke clouds. Luckily, # southerly wind sprung which gave auother direction to the glowli streams fowing landwarts, and ied the dre tp seven currents to the ravines. . ‘This frigntful natural phenomenon held on during the night between tue 7th and sun. Tne inhabitants, thin nA new yo to be «doo cual pow | Me up waxiously a ic cup {hreatou them sil with certain destruc- | tom Al-daybreak the outbursts became worse \ sul; the popwiution began. to fly to the islands ot ‘Tidore and. Haimaneira. All tne Tidorese or is I nave fled back to their xtneie ESIANG, aporeneA Ney by y thou t uP, lave sands of other ruanways. Clunese were the first to seek ther safety in figut. ‘the ous Of fre and stowen held on {or about twelve days, aitenw whieh it became ies, ‘The damage caused to und plantations is enurmous, bul has not beens: as yet accwrataly ascertained, The Java Kode of ihe 19th ot September states that this outburst was the moat violent kaown at Ternate within the memory of man. The wipe mo- Mont of rest was tollowed by another explosion, ‘witch shook the houses to their toundations, ‘Tuere + were, Inckily, anly some slight earthquake shocks iinen’ x Chinese, in teoung, followed the example t them by the he 2ath of August rust the Volcano Was again at vent a toast @uly w simall cloud was seen oo our Of tne crates, SULOADE ON A BUSINESS BABIB. Sr. Lovis, Mo, Dec. 23, 1878, Aman named M. YU. Pierce, Who, it seems, Was Sheridot Fond da Lac county, Wisconsin, was fouma doad in his bedroom’ at the Unton Hotel here to-day, with @ pistot-shot wound tn ‘the left breast and tne Woh lying Ou the floor. A letter to the landlady of Blotnover me sayn:—"'Do as you please wite iny rem: my Lams ts that you take covered § up under My effects will cancel all expenditures, aan My # box aad hole. Lam Sheriff of Fort Wis and want to be buried bei you son ootaraanivats with my iriends, My for joing Unl9 vs the business of nobody but aye ther letter, ad ed to his WY) yet Coagror, dosires the latter to settie rs a8 he can, and to do ali foe ae te babies ble. A letter trom his wie Tah ko some. ae. ra from which tt is inferre peculary trouble, In gouserionee 0 watch, tela leit home, He. Rad Yeon here since tho ae Ouly olny oat wore feud among gis