The New York Herald Newspaper, December 28, 1872, Page 4

4 Ges ‘NEW YORK HERALD A BROADWAY AND ANN WERE T. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Rejected communications will not be re- furned. ‘ —+—_—_ THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the tear, Four cents per copy. Annual subscription price $12. ++-No. 363 Volume XXXVII. AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street.— New Year's Evs. Matince at 14. | WALLAOK’S THEATRE, Broadw: ‘street.—Buoraer Sam. Maitnee at 1s. and Thirteenth THEATRE COMIQUE, Bex, Matinee at 244. BOOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third street, corner Sixth avenue.—Henxy DuxsaR. Matinee at 2. 614 Broadway.—Dixe Doxa OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between fMouston and Bleecker sts.—Lxs Cunt Virxcks. Matinee at 1g. «WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirtieth st.— Bangs ix tux Woop. Alternoon and kvening. | GERMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third (Ov. —Dar Nauw Des Give ‘" BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Hzrwx, tax Honten— Migs Martin. GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st. and Eighth av.—Rounp tax Croce. Matinee at 134. (" NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Houston streets.—Lxo axp Loros. Matinee at 1}y. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth sts.—Monry. Matinee at lds, MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— Satanas, &c. Matinee at 2 BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st.. corner ‘th av.—Neceo Minstaesy, Eccentxicity, &c, Matinee. ATHENEUM, No. 585 Broadway.—Srienpip Variety Or Noverrizs. Matihee at 24;. E, No. 201 Bowery.— TONY PASTOR'S OP! a . Matinee at 2. (Graxp Vaniarr Ente: SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, corner 28th st. and roadway.—Erniorian Mixsteessy, tc. STEINWAY HALL, Fourteenth street.—Gaanp Syrm- @uonr Concert. CANTERBURY VARIETY THEATRE, Broadway, be- tween Bleecker and Houston.—Vaniety ENTERTAINMENT. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— (BcueNck AND ART. New Yerk, Saturday, Dec. 28, 1872. ‘THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. "To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “SHALL CUBAN PATRIOTISM BE IGNORED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE *’—EDITORIAL LEADER—FovurrTH PAGE. “WARRING UPON RUSSIA! THE KHAN OF KRIVA BESIEGING THE FORTS ON THE EMBA RIVER! DESTRUCTION OF FISHING “STA- TIONS! REINFORCING THE RUSSIAN TROOPS! ENGLISH VIEWS OF THE CZAR'S INTENTIONS—Firru Pace. {DESTRUCTION BY FIRE OF MAILLARD’S CHUC. OLATE MANUFACTORY! FIFTY LIVES EN- DANGERED! DUTY NEGLECTED—Tuirp PaGE. ‘WINTER STORMS ON THE OCEAN ! SHIPWRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE ! FEARS FOR OVERDUE STEAMSHIPS—ToIRpD PaGe. ICE GORGE IN THE MISSISSIPPI NEAR MEMPHIS! EXTENSIVE DESTRUCTION OF STEAMBOATS, COTTON AND COAL FREIGHTS—AFRICAN SLAVING ~ Nintn Pace. ANOTHER OF THE NORTH CAROLINA LOWERYS DEAD! BUT ONE OF THE GANG NOW ALIVE! THE SHOOTING UF ANDREW STRONG: A SCUFFLETOWN CHRISTMAS— FIFTH Pace. BOSTON BATTLING WITH SNOW-PLOUGHERS! A LIVELY TIME AMID THE SNOW—A MASONIC LODGE OF SORROW—TIE SNOW STORM AND BLOCKADE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY — AMUSEMENTS — Testu Page. WHE WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP GERMANY— EUROPEAN NEWS BY ATLANTIC CABLE— Fivtn Page. ‘NEWS FROM WASHINGTON! THE SPEAKER- SHIP: RECALLING THE ITALIAN MINIS- AN TER: EW YEAR'S AT THE WHITE HOUSE—MARINE INTELLIGENUE—Testu PaGs. ‘WINTER WEATHER AND SPORT IN THE SNOW! WADING, DIGGING AND SLEIGH-RIDING: EVERYBODY HAPPY ON RUNNERS: SCENES ON SLEIGHING ROUTES—NinTH Page. ‘ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL SEASON AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL! THE EXCLUSIVE SETS AND MODES OF ENJOYMENT—Nintao Pace. & GRAND TIME AT THE JAPANESE COURT! THE LOOCHOOAN AMBASSADOKS RECEIVED WITH ORIENTAL CEREMONIES—BERGH ON COCK FIGHTING—SEconD PaGE. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS! STOKES! STORY OF THE SHOOTING OF FISK: ADAMS EXPRESS SUSTAINED IN THE STOLEN BONDS SUIT— THE VIENNA EXIIBITION—MUNICIPAL— E1onta Page. THE WALL STREET EXCHANGES! MONEY AGAIN VERY SCARCE: EFFECTS OF THE SNOW BLOCKADE—LITERARY REVIEW— SIXTH PAGE. REPORTS UPON THE SAFETY OF OUR THEA- TRES AND THE MEANS OF EXIT—A HAPPY FEAST—TM@IRD Pace. Epwarp 8. Sroxes Was on THE WITNESS Sranp through the greater part of yesterday, testifying in his own defence. His story was lntrinsically the same as that given on the first trial. A course of severe cross-examina- tion by the counsel for the prosecution did not phake his evidence. The details of the shoot- {ng of Fisk from the prisoner's lips form, as they did on the previous trial, the principal feature of interest, but does not now attract he same public attention. * Flow ro Crean THE Staezts oy THE SNow.— AVith the first thawing weather (and we may have a thaw within a few days) bring out the prhole Fire Department and all the idle men bf the city to wash and clear the snow away. ‘ A Nice Man Taar is that in Eighty-sixth ‘street, near Madison avenue, where the side- ‘walk has been ripped open for months, leay- ing a large exposed chasm into which the un- buspecting traveller may fall at any moment, day and night. Tae Dzzp Sxow which covers all the North- ern States from Kansas and Nebraska east- ward, with the fierce cold preceding and at- tending it, has brought its inconveniences of railway blockades and detentions of travellers in every direction on the land and our in- Jond waters; but its compensations will be cunple in the replenishment of the thirsty soil, aud our wells, springs, lakes, brooks and sivers with a fresh supply of life-giving and Uile-sustainivg water, NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1872—WITH SUPPLEMENT, Shall Cuban Patriotism Be Ignored by the American People? Again we ask the people of this Republic whether they are willing to ignore the struggle for independence going on ina neighboring island? The Monroe doctrine may constrain the federal government to non-interference, but can a people who partially owe their own liberty to the generous support of France; who not many months ago sold arms to that country—arms with which to fight a nation friendly to ourselves ; can such a people, we repeat, be so lost to all sympathy as to lend no helping hand to Cuba? We put this question earnestly, because we have done all in our power to make known her necessities. Further investi- gation by us is almost ‘impossible, unless pur- sued with lynx-eyed caution and unknown to Spanish authorities, Our article holding Spain responsible for the life and liberty of our envoy was telegraphed to Havana by Admiral Polo, together with peremptory orders that he should hold no intercourse with the insur- gents. This order was received by General Fajardo in Puerto Principe during Mr, Hen- derson’s visit to General Agramonte, the last patriot he was allowed to interview. What- ever action is taken, then, must now be by the people. The United States government is at peace with Spain; but is there any reason why we, the people, should favor Spanish rule in Cuba? Itis true that we owe the discovery of the New World to a so-called Spaniard, who, however, was a Genoese ; but apart from a blessing voluntarily rendered—which, we are safe in saying, was never asked for by an unborn posterity—what debt do we owe the land of Isabella? Are Spanish Cubans our friends? No. They dread us, because they fear us. The success of our institutions means the overthrow of theirs. They speak soft with the mouth, while they curse with the heart. Are they chivalrous? Are they merciful? Need we ask these questions of those who remember the atrocious murder of medical students perpetrated in cold blood not many months ago? Need we apply these Christian qualities to men who compel Cuban women of good character to listen to foul lan- guage until they soil their own mouths with it, knowing that their lives are at the mercy of | the Spaniards, that violation of chastity is a matter of course, and that when found in a Cuban camp the least dreadful fate befalling them is death? Need we seek humanity in men who recognize no flags of truce, who take no prisoners, who cut the throats of the wounded, mutilate the dead, who leave all slain upon the battle field to be eaten by buz- zards and to poison the atmosphere for miles around, whose acts are allowed by one of themselves to be ‘too horrible to look upon ?”’ “Lately,’’ says President Cespedes, ‘‘the Span- iards have been more barbarous than before, while we have been making an effort to inaugurate a more civil- ized and humane system. Upon several occasions recently we have spared the wounded that have fallen into our hands, and when we were compelled to leave them on the field have furnished them with food and water. But this has had no effect upon the enemy. Indeed, ten days after we had thus acted in the past Summer, the Spaniards found in the same neighborhood one of our hospitals con- taining our sick and wounded, all of whom were killed. Now the poor Cuban farmers who live in the country—particularly in the region of the insprrection—are killed by the Spaniards wherever found, simply because they are supposed to sympathize with the movement, but ostensibly because they failed to surrender themselves to the Spaniards. I have come across many a body with this notice attached: — ‘Por no habverse presentado,’ as a warning to others to come forward and declare their allegiance to Spain. Let me add, sir, that many of the villages, including Les Yegues, Divinico, Vista Hermosa and others, are completely at our mercy. We could destroy them if we desired, but we know they are inhabited by Cubans who are our friends and who will finally rise to help us.’ And these are the “high natured and polite soldiers whose motto is God, Country and King.’’ Do the Spaniards tell us the truth regarding the insurrection? We know that they lie. For more than a year we have been kept in complete ignorance of the insurgents’ condi- tion. The Cuban forces have been represented as a handfal of naked, ill-armed negroes and Chinese. The Captain Genoral himself as- sured our Commissioner that they did not number twenty-five hundred, of whom not more than six per cent were whites. Only twenty-five hundred! And Gencral Riguelme declares them to be ‘everywhere and nowhere.’ Only twenty-five hundred! And the insurrec- tion has already lasted four years. Only twenty-five hundred! And this same General confesses that the warfare may be prolonged “four, five, six or even seven years.’’ Span- iards claim that four of their army would not hesitate to engage fifty insurgents, and yet their thousands have not conquered twenty- five hundred vagabonds. And now, having contemplated one picture let us look at the other. ‘How many troops have you?”’ asked Mr. Henderson of President Cespedes. “I underestimate our forces when I say we have twelve thousand men, cavalry and infantry, at our command; but if we had arms enough the insur- gent troops in Cuba would number fifty thousand men, Let me explain to you. We have now waged the war of independence for four long years. Those who have seen ser- vice during that period will always stand by our colors. Long ago many surrendered and were pardoned by the Spanish authorities, be- lieving at the time our cause was hopeless. . Now, sir, I venture to assert that if we were provided with a sufficient quantity of arms the majority of those who surrendered would promptly return to the ranks of the in- surgents. I have made inquiries into this matter and feel confident that with our prospects a little brighter our army would in- crease to probably sixty thousand men.’’ “How do you obtain ammunition?” ‘We were sadly in need of ammunition until within a yearago. I confess the situation then was far from pleasant to contemplate. But now, sir,” he continued, in a cheerful aud confident tone, “we manufacture our own powder. The American expeditions brought us more sul- phur than ever we can use, Our supply of nitre, however, was short and soon gave out. You have a good saying in America, that ne- cessity is the mother of invention, and, find- ing ourselves reduced to some extremity, wo managed to extract it from the ordure of bats that frequent the caves and rocky parts of the island. Perhaps the only thing we depend upon outsiders for is fulminating powder, and when others fail to supply it we have no diffi- culty in purchasing it from Spanish officers, who sell their powder and occasionally get the benefit of it.” ‘Our first act was to declare all slaves free— the unity of blacks and whites on terms of equality." ‘‘As long as I live I will accept no terms from the Spaniards but their recognition of the independence of Cuba.’’ “We are worrying the Spaniards to death, and will continue in that line if it should take twenty years.” ‘On one point you may fully rest assured, that we can carry on the war for an indefinite length of time, and will never surrender," to which brave pledge surround- ing officers cried ‘‘Amen.”” Do you think that patriots such as these can be annihilated by paid troops? When a town like Puerto Principe, with a population of forty thousand, sends nearly three-fourths of her young men to the insurgent army; when wealthy Cubans destroy a large portion of their property over the entire island, burning their own sugar estates in order to deprive Spain of her revenue—when this is done, do you think that Cubans will not endure hardship for a great cause? ‘You have no quinine,” said our Commissioner to President Cespedes. “No, but we have discovered a substitute. It is called aguadica, and serves us just as well. We have little sickness; wo are acclimated. Nearly half the Spanig rds that come to Cuba die of disease. In dressing wounds we substitute for nitrate of silver a vegetable known as gnao, We manufacture pantaloons out of # plant called pitadeheniquer, while sewing thread is obtained from pitadecoroja. The guacacoa bark is made into blankets. Wild cattle furnish food and leather. We have our shoemakers, we have no expenses, we live under a genial sky, we want for noth- ing.”’ Of such stern, earnest stuff are Cuban patriots made. They have fought an en- gagement daily during the last year. Do you believe that they are not ready to fight as many more during the year to come? What can we do? We can hold mass meet- ings, we can petition Congress, we can pri- vately furnish arms, their one necessity; we can quietly fit out expeditions. ‘With a force of five thousand Americans,”’ exclaimed Presi- dent Cespedes, ‘‘we could secure our inde- pendence in three months. I'll tell you the reason—the moral effect would be to make every Cuban in the land rise to free his coun- try and drive the Spa niards from the soil. I don’t believe it possible that any Cuban can be a Spaniard, and I have no doubt that every Cuban that has deserted from our force and surrendered to the Spaniards would be glad to come back to the rescue if he were satisfied there was any prospect of success.’’ Mr. Henderson declares it to be American sympathy that inspires Cubans with the greatest hope. Shall that sympathy take no tangible form? Can the enemy be. fought with good words? Already colored citizens of New York and Boston have publicly pro- tested against the singular course being pur- sued at Washington. It is enough for them that five hundred thousand of their race will be freed by the success of the Cubans. Ought it not to be enough for us that an army of brave republicans, composed of men both black and white, have sworn to deliver their country from the imperial rule of a stranger? “No reforms will be inaugurated in the gov- ernment of Cuba while a singie insurgent re- mains in the island,’’ declared Minister Zor- rilla to the Spanish Senate. What hope, then, ofreform? What hope is there but in the success of the Republic? It calls to us; shall we remain deaf to its entreaty? The Cold Weather and the Great Fires. In seasons of extreme cold the prevalence of Jarge fires is not at all unnatural. De- termined to keep out the chilly intruder, grates, stoves, furnaces and heating apparatus are kept night and day alive with fuel. Of the late great fires three, it is pretty safe to conclude, originated from defects in the heat- ing apparatus, namely:—Talmage’s Taber- nacle, Barnum’s circus and Maillard’s manu- factory. Where the continually overheated flues are in contact with woodwork the danger of fire is always to be apprehended. In every building, therefore, where large furnaces are kept constantly alight for heating purposes the keenest supervision should be maintained. So many carelessly constructed buildings exist in this city, where large fires burn night and day through the Winter months, that this precaution is capable of very wide ap- plication. The fire of yesterday morning at Maillard’s confectionery and restaurant was communi- cated by the roof to two tenement houses, from which, we are glad to note, the inmates escaped with their lives. It is terrible to re- flect that these houses were unprovided with fire escapes of any description, and that a nar- row stairs was the only means of escape for the fifty persons within them. The careless- ness or ignorance of owners, sometimes pleaded as the excuse for permitting this want to remain unfilled, is, curiously enough, bal- anced by ample business capacity and know- ledge of the flight of time to demand rent on the first of the month. It would surely be a very small return for the vast incomes derived from this source to have a proper fire escape attached to every tenement building in the city. The cost would not be great, and it would not make the millionnaire sleep less comfortably to think he had put the means of saving their lives within reach of the poorer people who labor to sustain him in lordly ease. We have had ao terrible list of destructive fires lately, and the experience thus gained should be zealously utilized. While touching the sub- ject of fires we must say an encouraging word for the promptness, energy, courage and skill of the Fire Department, which has in all its grades stood up to its work manfully in face | of the obstacles encountered during the past eventful week. An Awru, Bupoer—The budget of dis- asters by flood and fire, by frost and snow, by tempests on the land and the sea, by ice gorges and avalanches, by rail accidents and shipwrecks, by falling church floors, and 60 on to the end of the dreadfal chapter of misfor- | tunes to life and property, with which our | columns are charged to-day, aud have been | charged for many days iu suc sion, France=M. Thiers and the Assembly. In the Heraup of yesterday we printed an able and instructive letter, from the pen of one of our Paris correspondents, relative to the political situation in France. ‘The late crisis—a crisis not yet ended—is very clearly explained. For the first time we are made to understand that Bonapartism or imperialism, which it was thought was’ ashamed to show its face, is a powerful and vigorous unit in the Assembly. ‘We are thirty-five imperialists, heart and soul,’’ said a prominent imperialist some few days ago, in the Assembly. Accord- ing to our correspondent it is this united section of the Assembly which for some time past has determined the votes of the House and given the majority now to the Left, now to the Right. The imperialists are united and move as one man, and it is not difficult to see that, unless the contest between the President and the Assembly is brought to a satisfactory close by the Committee of Thirty, this vigorous little party in the Assembly, like the Peelites, some years ago, in the British Parlia- ment, may prove themselves masters of the situation. They can unite to-day with the Left and to-morrow with the Right, and, by skilful manoouvring, they can for their own purposes use the republicans and the monarchists in turn. ‘ In the late contest in the Assembly the mon- archists were triumphant because the impe- rialists felt it to be their interest to act with them. The President had been showing un- mistakable leanings towards the party of the Left; but the decision of the Assembly was so emphatic that he yielded to the necessities of the situation and made such Ministerial changes as were satisfactory to the monarchi- cal majority. The majority had gained a great point in having M. Lefranc removed from the Ministry of the Interior. They were not satisfied, however, with M. de Rémusat, whom Thiers appointed in his stead. The result was that in the appointment of the Committee of Thirty the majority again put forth their strength and placed on the com- mittee nineteen men devoted to their opinions. The immediate future of France depends upon the report which the Committee of Thirty may make. It is quite certain that the committee, whatever they may do'with regard to other matters before them, will report in favor of Ministerial responsibility, and thus exclude the President from the privileges of the Tribune. In the Assembly the Ministers alone will represent the government. It is doubtful what course the President may take in the event of the committee so reporting and the Assembly adopting their report. Should he accept his new position it is probable that his term of office will be lengthened; nor is it unlikely that, as a check on rash legislation, some sort of suspensive veto will be granted him, Should he resign the Assembly will assert its authority by appointing his successor, and it is generally understood that Marshal MacMahon will be offered the Presi- dency. Marshal MacMahon would be accept- able to the Assembly; first, because he has a firm hold of the army, and second, because he is not a politician. Such, it is understood, is the policy which the majority intend to fol- low. It is quite possible, however, that the President has sketched out a policy of a very different kind, It is thought by some that the President may, before he abandons the reins of power, abolish the Assembly by de- cree, make an appeal to the people, convoke another Assembly, and as his first measure propose a bill of indemnity for himself, with, perhaps, a three months’ term of office. That the President has a right to adopt such a course in a country where universal suffrage is law seems to our mind sufficiently char. Such a course, however, implies an amount of courage which it is doubtful whether Presi- dent Thiers possesses, and it exposes the coun- try to such fearful risks that it is doubtful whether it would be wise. The Assembly would not, without a bold and daring effort, abandon its hold of power; and it would be certain to make an appeal to the army. The President could do nothing without the army at his back. Such a conflict between the Assembly and the President would divide France, would most certainly divide the army, and the result would be civil war. It will thus be seen that the situation in France is beset with serious difficulties and that much depends on the report of the Committee of Thirty. ee ote et Regulating the Currency. * Mr. Boutwelland the administration press are intent on justifying the recent issue of a portion of the legal tender reserve. The argument is that it was necessary to relieve the pressure in the money market and to help the business community out of the trouble caused by that. This special pleading indi- cates, too, that the Secretary of the Treasury wishes to retain and exercise the power of regulating the currency and the money market. Admitting that some relief might have been given, temporarily, the evil of permitting any man, even a great statesman, to interfere with the currency and business whenever he may choose to do so is far greater than the good that may be effected. It is a dangerous power to trust to any one, and especially to a man so incompetent as our Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. Boutwell’s knowledge of national financial matters is very crude. As @ consequence the Secretary is under the influence of the shrewd speculators, bankers and others who are within the charmed circle of the Treasury De- partment. It is monstrous to suppose the vast business interests of the country are to be at the mercy of this man and the Treasury Ring clique around him. If an elastic currency be necessary to suit the changes of the market and the demands of the community it should be regulated by some provisions of law, and not left to the will, caprice or interests of any man or set of men. Tur Breakina or THE Ice Gorce at Mem- puis.-~A Fearrun Scenz or Destruction.— The bluffs in front of the city of Memphis were lined with people yesterday, watching the fearful spectacle of the destruction of the steamboats along the landing by the drifting ice froma broken ice gorge, the heavy mass being borne down on the resistless current of the swollen river. As detailed in our de- spatches, it was indeed a lamentable scene of destruction. But with a little river on the Tennessee side discharging itself into the Mississippi at Memphis, we cannot understand why that city has not made in its place of shelter to steamboats from these destructive urifts. Let us hops that this rough lessog of yesterday will turn the attention of the merchants of Memphis to this important sub- ject. The Great Storm. The great storm has passed over, and, with aalight effort of the imagination, one may exclaim with Richard— Now ia the Winter of our discontent ae acon Summer by this sun of York; lout lowered u| our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. The storm, from the Gulf of Mexico in the South and the Great Plains in the West, ex- tended northward into the heart of the New Dominion and eastward far into the Atlantic Ocean. In the Southern parts and in the low valleys of the Gulf States it was rain; in the northern highlands of those States, including the elevated range of sand hills on which Co- lumbia, 8S. C., is situated, it was rain, sleet and snow, and the same across the States of North Carolina and Tennessee, excepting the moun- tains, on which the snow predominated. North of the heart of Virginia it was all snow, and along and east of the Alleghanies from Penn- sylvania northward the fall was the heaviest. In the United States and the British possessions the area covered by this tremendous storm was probably not less than fifteen hundred thousand square miles, and the volume of water discharged over this area would be equal to the contents of a lake six feet deep and covering an area as large as the State of New York. Such are the stupendous atmos- pheric forces of evaporation and condensa- tion, from which the earth receives all its sup- plies of fresh water and from which the mighty currents ot the sea are kept in motion. Disasters at Sea—Terrible Storm and Wreck. Asad list of disasters at sea will be found in the Heraxp to-day. Added to those already recorded, they will make the present season a memorable one in the annals of storm and wreck. On last Thursday night the ship Peruvian, from Singapore for Boston, struck on Peaked Hill bar, Cape Cod, went to pieces, and all on board perished. On the same night the bark Kadosh, also of Boston, went ashore at Point Alderton, and the Captain and six men were drowned. The German bark Francis, from Singapore for Boston, also went ashore on Cape Cod on Thursday night the steamship Franklin, from Havre for New York, forced into Hali- fax through stress of weather; the schooner Dexter, bound for Boston, driven to Province- town with her deckload gone and her crew all frost-bitten; the bark Chanticleer, bound for Philadelphia, dragging on the bar at Lewes, Del., and vessels drifting out to sea in the ice; the abstract of the Bremen’s log telling of terrible hurricanes, violent northerly storms, heavy seas, high winds, rain and sleet day after day from the time of leaving Southampton up~ to the arrival at Sandy Hook ; all these tell a fearful story of the perils of the deep in such a season of storm as we are now experiencing. In ad- dition, we have the thrilling account of the shipwreck of the bark Mary Leonard, bound from Miramichi to Belfast, Ireland, while the detailed particulars of the loss of the Pacific Mail steamship Sacramento reaches us in the California papers. The season has been a trying one for ves- sels, and we may well be thankful that there has not been a greater number df dis- asters. The Atlantic steamers have evi- dently had a severe time, but as a general rule they are staunch vessels, and little ap- prehension is therefore felt for their safety. Tron and the screw have done much to protect life on the ocean, and where caution and care are exercised there need be little fear of dan- ger. Such ships as those of the Pacific Mail line have had their day and ought to be things of the past. When they are wrecked the cry of accident or bad fortune is raised ; but few attribute the loss to the right cause. Those who go down to the sea in ships nowa- days seek strength, seaworthiness and capac- ity in a vessel rather than tinsel and show, and the sooner all wooden sidewheel toys are banished from the ocean the better. Stories of A Utah Avalanche. They had an avalanche on Wednesday last down one of the mountains. of the great Wahsatch range, in Utah, which in its magni- tude and destructive consequences surpasses anything of the kind reported from the Alps for many years. In Little Cottonwood canyon, in one of the silver mining districts of Utah, @ mass of snow, reported as six hundred feet wide and twelve feet deep, rushed down the mountain side, sweeping away on its course across the narrow valley eight or ten teams with their teamsters, and carrying them fifteen hundred feet across Cottonwood creek. Three of the teamsters, badly wounded, but still alive, were shovelled out ; four others were known to be in the drift, and, though two hundred men were working to extricate them, it was feared their bodies could not be reached till the return of Spring. Eight mules were dug out, some dead, some with broken legs or otherwise so severely bruised that they were shot to relieve them of their sufferings, This lamentable affair will afford the uninitiated reader something of an idea of the enormous Winter snow fall in the Rocky Mountains, and of the sources of supply to those great Western rivers, including the Platte, the Arkansas, the Rio Grande, the Colorado, the Columbia and the Missouri. Those Rocky Mountains are the Alps ten times multiplied, and their Wintry snows and avalanches are on the same tremendous scale. The Treuble im Central Asia. A Berlin special despatch says Lord Loftus, British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, has de- livereda note to Prince Gortschakoff informing him that England will abstain from interfering with the progress of Russia in Central Asia if the interests of Afghanistan are not threat- ened. It is added that nine thousand Khivese troops are now besieging the Russian forts on the Emba River. Another force, it is said, numbering some two thousand, is depredating on the Russian fisheries, at the mouth of the Emba, and Russian reinforcements have been sent to that locality. It is manifest from all this that Khiva is working her own destruc- tion, that Russia has found her opportunity to put down the barbarous tribes along the line of the Oxus, and that the British government has decided to allow Russia to prosecute her career of conquest unchecked. Bokhara hes fallen, Khokand has fallen, and now Khiva is to follow. In tho interests of civilization the substitution of Russian rule for pative author- ' ity in those barbarous regions will be ® poate tive gain.- It ix but little likely that Russia will unnecessarily provoke Great Britain by taking any liberties with Afghanistan, The conquest of Khiva by Russia will, however, bring the two Powers painfully near each other, = aie The Erle Compromise—More Light Wanted. The recent series of eventa in the financial management of the Erie Railway present very grave questions for the moralists of the time. These moralists have had many striking oppor~ tunities of late to stir their virtuous anger withal, and the Erie Railway bas, one way or another, furnished many of the themes. There is an offence known to the law as com- pounding a felony, which means striking a bargain, pecuniary or otherwise, having for its object the escape of a person guilty of felony from legal punishment, generally very difficult of legal proof, and in the present laxity of public morality bearing scarcely any social penalties. Its existence on the statute book, so far as felony is concerned, we mention only to show that for other classes of citable offence “compounding” is im- moral in act, and, therefore—what sermon- izers prate about so vigorously—in example. During the days of the “corner” in North- western stock Mr. Jay Gould was arrested by the Erie directory, charged euphemistically with the ‘misapplication’’ of some nine million dollars’ worth of property belonging to the Erie Railroad. At that time, leaving aside all question as to whether the arrest was an expediency on the part of “cornered’’ stock operators, we urged that this indictment should be submitted to the impartial verdict of the courts. It was due to the immense interests of the directors’ con- stituents; it was equally due to the defendant. We ventured, also, to hint our doubts that the course would be followed out to the indicated end of a legal deliverance. In the event wa were justified. An agreement was made whereby Mr. Gould delivered or promised to deliver to the railroad property said to equal in value the nine millions of the in- dictment. It was understood that this pro- ceeding was to be the end of the matter. Is this, however, all? The crime, the offence, if any, was apparently altogether left un- touched. Restitution, in a common, vulgar case of theft—say of nine dollars currency— might be looked upon as a mitigating circum- stance, and take a few months off the sen- tence, but would leave the stealing a crintinal and punishable act nevertheless. The posi- tion of Mr. Gould in the Erie case is at present, so far as publicly known, that, having been accused of misapplying nine millions, he hands over property to that amount. It is clear that unless some weighty guarantee hag been given him, or some strong proof volun- teered that he is innocent, he is still liable to be indicted and punished if found guilty. The President and directors of the Erie cor- poration may perhaps feel satisfied that as directors they have done their duty; it is not at present certain that their conscience is so clear on their duties as citi- zens. Let us, then, know more of the com- promise. If it simply bears the questionable character in which it is now publicly viewed it is not creditable to either party, the direc- tors particularly; if it furnishes evidence that Mr. Gould has been foully wronged by being accusee, the public will be glad tz learn it. : Another “Swamp Angel” Killed. The Robeson county outlaws are being thinned out by Providence and buckshot. About o year ago this gang of daring outlaws and murderers, who ruled the dismal, swampy region of Scuffletown, N. C., consisted of fiva persons, These were Henry Berry Lowery, the leader; ‘‘Boss’’ Strong, Andrew Strong, Steve Lowery and Tom Lowery, From the visits of Henraup correspondents to the terror- ized neighborhood, one of whom penetrated the swamp and met the bandits themselves, the thrilling story of their long fight with the peculiar civilization around them was given to the world. Largo rewards have long been offered for their bodies, dead or alive. As a proof-of their complete desperation it may be noted that Henry Berry Lowery was killed by the bursting of a shotgun. ‘Boss’ Strong was shot in his cabin through a ‘‘cathole’” by a- man named McLaughlin. Neither of the bodies was recovered. Tom Lowery wasshot a few moaths ago by Colonel Wishart, a relative of one of the victims of the gang. Andrew Strong was shot dead on Thursday by a young man named William Wilson, whom the outlaw had just threatened with death. Steve Lowery is now the only living member of a band of desperadoes whose name will long be remem- bered in North Carolina. Switzerland and the Holy See. The government of Switzerland and the Vati- can authority in Rome have finally broken off the diplomatic relations which have existed be- tween the two Powers for such a lengthened period. The event is of little importance, taken alone, in the present condition of the world’s progress. Viewed in connection with the more immediately exciting causes which have induced to its consummation, it becomes of much significance. The cantonal and er- ecutive governmental authorities of the little European Republic have undertaken to cham- pion the cause of the civil power against the dogmatic infallibilist hierarchical claims which were enunciated by the Vatican Council in the’ Holy City, and which have just been attempted! for practical enforcement ina Swiss diocese, sy The Holy Father has already recalled his am- bassadorial officers from Lucerne, and it ia thought that the Legation will be abolished by order of the Council of the Swiss Repub- lic. Avery difficult and exceedingly trouble. some problem of diplomacy will thus be solved satisfactorily, and many and embar- rassing entanglements resulting from the past | history of Papal-monarcho proceedings be swept away from the thresholds of the audi- ence halls of the great sovereignties of tha world, fp Our Foreign News by Mall. Our latest London papers are to the Aith inst, Steamers which left Liverpool cm tho 12th and 13th should be here, and ‘aave no doubt been delayed by adverse winds, Tho English papors have details of ihe hurricana which swept the island on thg,8th and 9th, destroying buildings and getowing the coasta Tt is a grade of offence - — er rr ee EE, eee. .