The New York Herald Newspaper, December 15, 1873, Page 6

é NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, Volume XXXVIII.... ++--Wo. 349 —— AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, 28th st. and Broadway.— Lonpon AssuRaNce, BOOTH’S THEATRE, Sixth av. and Twenty-third st.— Kir; on THe Ankansas Traveccen, METROPOLITAN THEATRE, 585 Broadway,—Vanierr ENTERTAINMENT. MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE,— Liian’s Last Love. LYCEUM THEATRE, Fourteenth street.—Lapy or Lyons. THEATRE COMIQUE, No. 514 Broadway.—Vantety ERTAINMENT, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Houston and Bleecker sts.—Dzap Heart. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Houston sts.—CwinpRrEN 1n THE Woop. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth Gtreet—Sux Sroors to Conquxx. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway.—Lep Astnay. Union square, near WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirtieth st.— ‘Tax nist Derective, Atternoon and evening. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, 14th street and Irving place.— OrnEtio, BROADWAY THEATRE, ‘Dux Wonay in Waite, GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Eighth ay. and Twenty-third @t.—Husrry Dumpry As D. PARK THEATRR, Brooklyn, opposite City Hall.— Avma; on, Heup 1x Bonpac: TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— Vanury Exterraixusst. BRYANT'S OPERA HO! Sixth av.—Necno Minste ARMORY, corner of lth Promenape Concent, STEINWAY HALL, Irving place.—Lecrvnr., ASSOCIATION HALL, 23d street and 4th avenue,— Lecture, “Writers or Mover Ficvi0n.” and 73) Broadway.— Twenty-third st, corner &e. and 6th av.—Graxp 14h between 4th ay. and Ruby,” THE RINK, 3d avenue and 6ith street,—MENAGERIZ AND Musxum. Afternoon and evening, Als TRIPLE SHEET. New York, Monday, Dee. 15, 1873. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Heraid. #THE ASHANTEE WAR! WHAT IT MEANS! THE HERALD’S SPECIAL CORRESPOND- ENCE FROM THE GOLD CUAST”—LEADING ARTICLE—Sixtu Pace. WARRYING WAR INTO AFRICA! THE TERRORS OF THE CLIMATE AND BRITISH ARMY DIFFICULTIES! THE PRE NT ASHANTEE WAR ANALYZED! PERS! LL SKETCHES OF SIR GARNET WOLSELEY AND HIS STAFF! THE DAUNTLESS ON THE GOLD CUAST! THE HERALD “SPECIAL” DINES WITH AND INTERVIEWS THE YOUNG LEADER! AVERSION TO THE PRESS! SLAVING AND MISSION WORK—THIRD AND FourTH PaGEs. THEATRE OF WAR IN AFRICA! MAP OF THE GOLD COAST AND ROUTES OF BRITISH EXPEDITIONS AGAINST ASHAN- TEE—Turmp Pace. AFRICAN FEVER WASTING THE BRITtSH FLEET ON THE W. COAST OF AFRICA! FIFT EVEN CASES ON TWO VESSELS— SEVENTH PAGE. VIRGINIUS SURVIVORS BAHIA HONDA! THE V CAPTIVES WILL BE SUF AD NEOUSLY! THE HAVANA } ERS TO BE LAR AGAIN TEERS! MILITARY CITY—SEVENTH PaGr. MR. FISH AND SPAIN’'S VICTORY! THE NEW 3 DROPPED! SPECIAL THE THE ON THE WAY TO | PATROLLING THE FRAUDULENT SEPTEMBER PROSPECT PARK—TENTH PAGH SURRENDER OF THE VIRGINIUS, INTEM- PERANCE AS A CRIME AND THE BASES OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND PROGRESS AS VIEWED BY THE DI ES YESTER- DAY! MOST INTERESTING CHUROH SER- VICES—EIGHTH PAGE. FRENCH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS YESTERDAY! 2} EXTREMIST SUC- CESSES—SEVENTH PAGE. BISHOP CHENEY CONSECRATED! CHICAGO IN A GIOUS FERMENT—ALLEVIATING THE DISTRESS OF THE JERSEY CITY POOR—Firti Pace. PROFESSOR LOUIS AGASSIZ DEAD! HIS GREAT WORK IN THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE—SEv- TH PAGE. 'MORE SINNED AGAINST THAN SINNING!" POLICE BRUTALISTIES RECRUITING “THE DANGEROUS CLAS’ 't A MERE CHILD FURIOUSLY CLUBBED—FirTa Pas. N’S CHARACTER AND HIS- WED BY HIS LA EL “BILL” NS OF MACY! PAGE. LABOR DEMONSTRATION IN THE CITY OF THE * MUNICIPAL RACE AT HIS WL “QUEEN EM- PLOYMENT Dé DED—NEWARK’S TOILL- ERS—Purti PAGE. INFLATION AND FINANCIAL NEEDS CON- SIDERE BACKWA NOE ED! A RD MONETARY SITUATION. ~Two reports reach us from Washington in relation to the Chief Justiceship job, One is, that the Presi- dent has been pressing Mr. Williams’ con- firmation as a personal matter and threatening a withdrawal of his friendship from those Senators who oppose the humiliation of the highest judicial office in the United States. The other is that a majority of the Senate will, notwithstanding, refuse to confirm. We hope that the former report is baseless as sincerely gs we trust that the latter is well founded, Tue Deatu or Proressor AGassiz, which took place last evening in Boston, will awaken a deep sentiment of regret over the entire world, wherever science is honored and prized. His condition for the few days previous to yesterday had been almost hopeless, and the unfortunate event had been sorrowfully antici- pated. Bit Pennstuvanta Constrrutionan Exxction To- Monznow.—The people of Pennsylvania will be called upon to-morrow to vote on the proposed new constitution. So far as the discussion during the canvass has progressed it would seem that the strongest opposition to the new instrument springs from those whose sinecure Offices are abolished and whose fat jobbing schemes are thwarted. That the reforms sug. Gested meet the hearty approval of the people there seems but little doubt, and that the new constitution as a whole will be confirmed bya Jarge maiority there is as little question. CAPITAL— | ON ON THE | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1873 ‘tne Ashantee War—What It Means— The Herald’s Special Correspond- ence from the Gold Coast. In to-day’s Hzranp we present our readers with the graphic opening letters from the Henatp special correspondent despatched to the seat of war between the great British Empire, on one side, and the barbarous African kingdom of Ashantee, on the other. In order that our readers may become ac- quainted with the geographical features of the debated land we publish a splendid map of the entire Gold Coast, with the tribal divis- ions of the British protectorate and the land of the Ashartees. We submit these things to the American public in the certainty that, as a piece of journalistic enterprise, this latest Heratp expedition will be appreciated, and that its live interest will well repay a perusal of its chapters. The day has long since passed when a first class American journal can afford to rely on second hand sources of informa- tion. If England undertakes a “little war’ or France a big one American journals, hop- ing to be considered first class, must have their hardy specials along with the van of the army. It would never do to take our informa- tion on such subjects as the war in Abyssinia, or the present war on Ashantee, from the printed reports of English journals. In the Abyssinian war a Heratp special despatch from Magdala first gave the news of the fall of King Theodorus to England itself. With this brief introduction we commend the corre- spondence to the American public. The English, in attempting the reduction of Ashantee, have certainly undertaken a serious task. Near the Gold Coast of Africa, away from the shore about thirty miles, there stretches to the northward and eastward the land of King Coffee Kalcalli, the predatory monarch, whose warlike subjects number over three millions of souls. His domain, besides being the most densely populated portion of Africa, is rich in agricultural products, as it is also fruitful in gold and ivory. Over two hundred years ago the progenitor of the pres- ent race of kings made conquest of all the neighboring tribes and consolidated the gov- ernment of Ashantee, until, in the lat times, it has become a sort of Prussia among kindred peoples. The descendants of the noble Sai Tootoo, whose deeds of valor are the inspiration of Ashantee song and his- tory, have never revered English rule, and they have always resisted it successfully and to the death We need not detail the awful record of slaughter and bar- barity which has followed every effort of the British Crown to reduce this singular people to submission. In 1816, when the Ashantees could not be beaten with arms, they were quite | willing to sign articles of peace in considera- tion of presents of value. The unhappy ex- periment was tried again in 1824, when Sir Charles McCarthy lost his head, and the Brit- ish forces retired precipitately, overwhelmed with defeat and disease. English critics, in drawing the grim picture of another possible defeat, point to the skull of Sir Charles McCar- thy, from which the young King on every feast day still drinks his potion of native wine. Those were sad days for England’s braves—when officer after officer was put to death in the most barbarous manner and when the one remaining prisoner was marched back to Coomassie, distant one hundred and thirty miles, and compelled to exist on a ration of snail soup daily. The Ashantees have never given quarter to the English, whom they despise more than they fear. It becomes a question, therefore, as to how far the present expedition of the English is founded on good sense. Four times they have been shamefully defeated, and now the War Office fits out an expedition under the com- mand of a brave young English General, Sir Garnet Wolseley, a pointed personal sketch of whom will be found in our correspondence. This expedition is to embrace fifteen thousand men, armed with the best rifles and furnished with mountain howitzers, mitrailleuses and all the implements for fighting in the bush. The original plan for the reduction of the Ashantee capital is that one base of operations is to be at the delta of the Volta, while another will push forward from Accra and the main body will proceed from Cape Coast Castle, going in a straight line towards Coomassie. These three lines of ap- proach on the barbarian capital will converge ata point about fifty miles from Coomassie, whence the whole expedition will move for- ward on the King’s city and despoil it of all the riches which are reputed to be stored in its palaces. The principal obstacle to the success of this plan is the densely overgrown and malarial country out- lying the coast fora distance of thirty miles toward the interior. ‘The terrible difficulties of building a road through this jungle are described by our correspondent. The lazi- ness and cowardice of the native allies joining to the fever, which makes it forbidding to the whites, show that even this early stage of the operations is fraught with danger. There are also river approaches toward Coomas- sie by the Prah and Volta, though by the latter river the arm of the expedition under Captain Glover will be obliged to traverse a distance almost as great as that from the coast to the capital. Such, in effect, is the ex- pedition which has attracted the attention of | all Britain during the past two months. In importance it was not exceeded by the Abys- sinian war, which was conducted with rare skill by Lord Napier to a brilliant victory. Ashantee, however, is a different country. But we have not mentioned all the difficul- ties that must be overcome, and the principal of these difficulties is the enemy. King Coffee is able to muster ninety thousand warriors to sally forth to meet the English, and it is estimated that he can enlist over two hundred thousand men for defensive operations. Against these fearless negroes, armed from Dutch arsenals, the English will bring their fifteen thousand men, together with such a force of the Fantees as they may be able to collect, Does the prospect look in- viting? It is very wisely argued that the Abyssinia expedition found powerful allies in the dissatisfied subjects of King Theodorus, who had been despoiled of churches by the impious negro chief. In Ashantee the peoplearea unit. They hate British rule, and the cause of the present war is a proof that they will fight to the bitter end. When Governor Pope Hennessey acquired Elina from the Dutch the natives were not willing to consent to the transfer, and the Ashantees, supporting their claim, appeared about Cape Coast Castle with thirty thousand men. This. and some other circumstances admirably grouped in our despatches from Cape Coast Vastle, inaugurated the present war. Elmina, a sympathetic town, having furnished arms to the savages, was bombarded by the British on the 14th of June last, and another warlike step was the disaster on the Prah. The Fantees, as allies of the British, were likewiso defeated on land, and fled in great confusion from the field. The English have no alternative but to advance. The engagements lately reported by telegraph show that it may be done in the end, but re- liance can alone be placed on white or English colored troops, such as those from the West Indies. But can they secure a permanent peace? Would the sacking and burning of Coomassie render these two hundred thous- and fierce warriors more pliable to British rule? Could England, in the event of a bril- liant triumph, maintain an army of oc- cupation sufficiently numerous to repress the insurrections that would undoubtedly break out from one end of the king- dom to the other? Let the Ashantees speak for themselves. They say:—‘We have fought and conqnered the Fantees under the English flag four times; are we now to accept that conquered flag?” Y’e are of the opinion that it would have been wiser to conciliate the Ashantees from the outset. This mode of dealing with them has been the only success- ful one since the beginning of European colo- nization on that coast. It was practised by the Portuguese and Dutch long beforo the English went there. But English rule among semi-civilized peoples has never been gentle nor productive of good feeling. India is to-day inoculated with the poison of civil war, and a terrible hatred towards England exists from one end of the Peninsula to the other. The troubles in Jamaica are fresh in the minds of our readers, and we mighi cite many instances where, by 8 more politic ad- ministration, costly expeditions like that now disembarking on the Gold Coast would have been unnecessary. Sir Garnet Wolseley, in a palaver with the Fantee allies, endeavored to impress upon them that this was their fight; but the Fantees scarcely see it, or, if they do, wonder why the English bother themselves about it. The majority of Englishmen wonder how the nation has become involved in the matter at all. There may have been some im- prudences by English officials at the start, but now it is a fight by England to gain con- trol of the commerce of the rich productive country which King Coffee Kalcalli rules. Exeter Hall may insist that it is all a Bible fight, but Birmingham, Manchester and Shef- field know better. It is a fight for a spread of the empire of Manchester calico, Birmingham guns and Sheffield cutlery, to be paid for in | ivory, gold dust, oil and other African pro- ducts. England manages to have her seasons of Christian squeamishness at the most con- venient times—namely, when her axe has been ground, it matters not whether on Ashantee skulls or opium-poisoned Chinese. Just now she is in fighting trim, and if expenditure of life, treasure and pluck will bring her victori- ously to Coomassie she will invest a large amount of each. Common Sense in Congress—Opposition to Our despatches from Washington, published to-day, indicate a determination on the part of Congress not to impose additional burdens upon the people in the shape of taxation on commerce and on the necessaries of life, unless such urgent necessity can be shown as does not at present exist. The suggestions of the Secretary of the Treasury are to be discussed in the Committee of Ways and Means to-day, but it is certain that no hasty action will be taken upon the subject. It is natural that the head of the Treasury Department should like to have large balances at his command, and Mr. Richardson is sensitive on that point. His hobby has been a rapid reduction of the debt, and a temporarily reduced revenue, which for the moment reverses his favor- ite balances, occasions him unnecessary disturbance. He finds also an increased appropriation for naval purposes, and he sees approaching the time for the redemption of the twenty million loan of 1858; so nothing occurs to him but to draw money into the Treasury by taxing tea, sugar and other necessaries which the masses of the people consume; to increase the cost of travel and the price of all produce and merchandise to the consumer, by levying taxes on railroad and steamboat receipts; to reimpose all the annoying duties under the in- ternal revenue laws but recently swept away. Congress, however, coming fresh from the people and acting for the people, understands that the country is full of wealth; that busi- ness, fast recovering from the temporary check of the mt commercial crisis, only needs more ease in the money market to give it a greater impetus than ever; that while bogus schemes have exploded good securities are Unnecessary Taxation. growing stronger and stronger every day and | reassuming their legitimate values; that the national revenues, which have fallen off only on account of the retrenchment necessary in the crisis, will soon swell beyond their former proportions. The additional naval appropriation is mere bagatelle, while the loan of 1853 is not likely to give the Secretary of the Treasury any trouble, Addi- tional taxation at this time would be an injus- tice to the people and a suicidal policy on the part of the majority of Congress, But if Mr. Richardson wants money—and he says he needs forty millions—he can get between twenty and thirty millions without placing a heavy burden of taxation upon the people. The government now pays six per cent interest to the national banks on the securities, say four hundred millions, depos- ited as the guarantee of their circulation. If Mr. Richardson will recommend that all this national bank currency shall be called in and be supplanted by legal tenders, and that the banks which desire circulation shall circulate only legal tenders, which they can receive in exchange for their securities, the heavy amount of interest now paid to the national banks, practically on their own cir- culation, will be saved by the government. It is stated in our Washington despatches that Congress will at once take up the considera- tion of the currency question, and that many members favor an increase of currency, either by releasing the Troasury or bank reserves, or by some other project. If our present volume of circulation, seven hundred millions, were all of the denomination of legal tenders instead of being divided into legal tenders aud national bank notes. there would be no i oceasion for bank reserves, and the people would get the benefit of the whole volume of currency. The subject will no doubt be thoroughly discussed in Congress, and if a wise measure of finance be not adopted it will not be because of a scarcity of projects. Tyranny and Tea—The Boston Mohawks, Boston will have a tea party to-morrow, and will celebrate the one hundreth anniver- sary of an event that occurred in that city on December 16, 1773. On that day some sixty or seventy Boston Mohawks—of whom it has been shrewdly doubted whether there was a “real Injun”’ in the number—tried on a liberal scale ‘chow tea would mingle with salt water;’’ an experiment with a famous history, that stirred up the world of that time and provoked those measures on the part of the British Parliament and royal authority which awakened the slumbering revolt, and fanned the smothered fires of discontent into the flame of battle. It was the first organized open defiance of British authority on the part of the people of this country; the first violent act of the great drama that led to our national independence, Writs of assistance, stamp acts and kindred facts of equal oppression had done their utmost harm, apparently, in pro- ducing all over the country an irritation of evil augury for the future ; and, though some citizens of Boston had been shot in the streets by the soldiers, resistance lagged, and wise rulers might yet have put off for many a day the sundering of the colonies from the imperial power. But there was little wisdom in London. Government insisted upon the taxation of the colonies as a ‘necessary badge of Parliamentary supremacy,” and a law was passed imposing a duty on all ‘‘glass, painters’ colors, paper and tea’ that should be ‘‘im- ported from Great Britain into any colony or plantation of America;"’ but subsequent legis- lation exempted from the import duty alb these enumerated articles except tea. Vessels freighted with ‘‘the detestable tea” were sent by the East India Company to all the colonial ports, and an aggregate of three hundred and forty-two chests were in Boston harbor, waiting to be landed on the memorable 16th of December. Spontaneous action had been taken by the citizens, and the captains of the ships had been publicly notified that they could only Jand any portion of their cargoes at their proper peril. Notice was also given to the authorized agents of the company that they must not receive the tea, and that they must send the ships away with it, An order from the Governor for the meeting of the citizens to disperse was treated with contempt, and the whole patriotic in- fluence was brought to bear to induce the Governor to direct the departure of the ships; but this failing, the irretraceable step was taken, and the tea was thrown overboard. All the country was in sympathy with the act. On the day before it was done—the 15th of December—the Sons of Liberty in this city issued an address to the people, in which they denounce as ‘an enemy to the liberties of America’ any person who should assist in the landing or carting of any tea, or rent any house or cellar in which tea should be stored or “‘who- ever should sell or buy, or in any manner contribute to the sale or purchase of tea sub- ject to duty.”’ In Philadelphia steps were taken earlier to oppose the landing of the tea. Re- sistance was therefore the common thought everywhere, but it fell to the share of Boston to first act on the thought, and against that city therefore was directed the disciplinary measure known as the Boston port bill, which closed the port until such time as the citizens’ might please to make their peace with the honorable East India Company, the owner of the tea. Impending ruin by the closure of the port and the concentration of troops in tho city convinced the people that there was no further hope from any peaceable proceedings, and they began to prepare for the other sort, to enroll companies and gather military stores, and an expedition from Boston to destroy a depot of those stores led to the battle of Lex- ington ; and so the war came. As we are all proud of the results of that war the whole country will say now, on tho hundreth anniversary of the tea party, “Bravo, little Boston!’’ and this without any impertinent reference to the relative greatness of the city; for she had at that time only six- teen thousand inhabitants, but a clearer per- ception of the right than Rome, with a world at her feet. Itisa distinctive characteristic of Boston, her special attribute, that in the crises of national life she generally sees a little sooner than others just what should be done, and is very apt to be readier to doit. She is less controlled by the ‘flesh pot” influences. Great merchants elsewhere in these cases are always deprecating ‘extreme measures’ for fear of injuring trade ; and we can well fancy how the solid men of this city in 1773 “sat on the heads’’ of the Sons of liberty who de- clared against tea. In another community than Boston the tea tyranny might have passed by like the others without consequences from the mere shirking of the point of resistance, As the measure was framed it was not in its first effect of public application. It came upon the importer. Nobody was called upon to import tea, and need not do it unless he saw good reason for paying the duty. With the duty paid, even, the public might patrioti- cally deprive itself of the luxury and refuse to buy; and, finding this, merchants would not continue to import, and thus the attempt at taxation would fail without resort to violence. Some communities would thus have let the point go by default, but Boston did better ; for she knew that many a craven spirit would yield to temptation, and that thus the obnox- ious levy would become an accepted fact, and so she dealt with the evil face to face and hand to hand, leaving no opportunity or pos- sibility for the weakness or irresolution of the future to compromise the great purpose of the whole, She boldly passed the Rubicon, ven- turing everything for the great cause in which her leadership has gained her an imperishable renown, Ose Mitxion Suonr.—The Secretary of the Navy says that the House bill appropriation of four millions to complete the work of fitting up our available ships of war for active ser- vice is less by a million than the sum re- quired. If so, we presume that the amend- ment suggested will be made to the bill in the Senate; for, withina year or two, we may have some further complications with Spain, in the settlement of which an efficient Navy inay prove to be the balance of nowen .—TRIPLE SHEET. Wendell Phillips as a Leader of Pub- lic Opinion. ‘Wendell Phillips isa man of some genius and of more pretentiousness. He isan agi- tator because he has not the ability, although he has the ambition, to be something better. It is his hobby to appear to lead public opinion—to be the avant courrier of great events; and so he searches industriously among the thoughts of others for ideas which seem to him likely to grow into prominence, in order that he may cast about them the mantle of his eloquence and pass them off as his own. We often notice a bright and frisky terrier in the streets, ranning constantly ahead of his owner, and, although from time to time looking anxiously around to ascertain in what direction his master's course may be, yet seeming to lead and direct the journey. Occasionally, however, the man takes a sud- den and unexpected turn, which throws the to ascertain his bearings and reassume his pesition of affected importance. Like the ambitious terrier, Wendell Phillips is some- times right and frequently wrong, as he frisks about in advance of public opinion. We are neither disappointed to find him preluding his new lecture, “‘Glances Abroad,” by predic- tions for the future, nor surprised that he should mix up sense and folly in his prophe- cies in most admired confusion, The main features of his programme for the United States may be briefly stated. They are, Com- munism, woman's rights, free-thinking as a substitute for religious faith; an unlimited paper currency, resting only on the credit of the government, ‘with no check and balance of commodity, wheat or gold, to disturb the natural relation of its volume;” social equality without distinction of color, and a “third term”’ for ‘the General who now occupies the Presidential chair.’’ Without these it is the opinion of Mr. Phillips that ‘‘the boy is born to-day who will write the decline and fall of the American Republic.”’ ‘There is no originality in any of these propo- sitions. The men who met at the Cooper In- stitute a few nights since proclaim nearly the same programme, only in less polished lan- guage. For instance, they resolve that no citizen shall be entitled to own more than a certain amount of capital, and some of their orators advocate a raid on the banks and a general division of their contents. Mr. Phil- lips simply points out a representative man, “the head of the Pennsylvania Railroad,” who “wields four hundred and fifty million dollars,’’ and hints that this wealth must be divided on Communistic principles if the American Republic is to be preserved. For- tunately a country educated in republicanism cannot be disturbed in its intelligent onward progress by the influences that distract the new fledged republics founded on the ruins of thrones but recently overturned. It is true that the American people in their carelessness and in their over eager straining after wealth may seem to be marching on towards those blessings foreshadowed by Wendell Phillips, even including the two antagonistic results of Communism and Cwsarism. But none can tell how soon the owner of the terrier may turn a corner and set his frisky leader scamper- ing about to discover in what direction to take a new departure. Cartagena—The Suspension of the Bombardment. Day after day, for months in succession, we have been expecting to hear of the downfall of Cartagena. But, in spite of all the strength which the government has brought to bear upon it, in spite of attacks by land and attacks by sea, the intransigentes hold out, and it is not at all impossible that they may hold out for many months to come. Our latest news is that the bombardment of the city has been temporarily suspended. It is only a few days since we learned of the ap- pointment of General Lopez Dominiquez to the chief command of the attacking force. . It was generally expected that the new com- mander would make short work of the siege. The suspension of the bombardment would seem to imply either that he expects that the rebel authorities will surrender or that he has found the work more difficult than he sup- posed it would be. There are many compe- tent judges who are of opinion that Cartagena will not be easily reduced by mere bombard- ment, The city occupies a highly advan- tageous position and is well fortified. It is, however, far from being impregnable. An attacking party, composed of soldiers of the right sort, might take it by storm in a few hours. What the suspension of the bombard- ment means we know not. It may be that General Dominiquez intends to make a more vigorous assault than has yet been made. It may be that he has some reason to expect that the rebels will surrender. Whatever his motive it musi be admitted that if the Repub- lic is to live the rebellious city must be taken without delay. History Rerratina Insery Bapry.—The recommendation of the Secretary of the Treas- ury to increase the tax on tea may constitute the subject for some lively comment at the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor, which takes place in Faneuil Hall, Boston, and other places, to-morrow (December 16). It was the tax on tea imposed by the British government a hundred years ago that led to the event which is thus to be commemorated, and the people of our day do not relish the idea of history repeating itself in so objection- able a manner. Conaresstionan Nicknames. —Some Con- gressional would-be wits think it very funny to dub some prominent member with a nick- name. Occasionally they overshoot the mark. ‘This is the case with regard to Mr. S. 8. Cox, member from the Eighth district in this city. He has at different times borne the familiar cognomens of ‘‘Sammy’’ Cox, then “Sunset” Cox, again “Shoefly” Cox, and finally he has just been dubbed “Dewdrop” Cox. Gentle- men, do drop this nonsense. Gnowrn or Lake Commencr.-It appears from carefully gathered statistics that the growth of the steam and other vessels on the lakes the past year has been unexamplod. No less than fifty new steamers have been added to the lake fleets the past season, against twenty- seven in 1872, anda hundred and fifty-two sail oraft--an increase of one hundred over last year. Tho total increase in tonnage over 1872 is 67,054. This exhibit does not indi- cate that there have béen very ‘hard times’ in the West the past year, so far as our lake } commerce is concerned, animal out and sends him scampering back The Surrender of the Virginias= Quiet Restored at Havana. The news from Havana is of a satisfactory character, and we may look forward to tho proximate surrender of the Virginius and her crew as assured. Tho captured ship is lying in the Bahia Honda, guarded by a Spanish gunboat, and as soon as the Bazan arrives from Santiago de Cuba with her surviving passengers she will be surrendered to the United States. We may accept this act of reparation asa proof that Castelar and his government desire to maintain friendly relations with this country. The fears entertained that the violent section of the Havana volunteers would oppose the surrender of the ship by force have proved groundless. A riotous demonstration was made, but was quickly suppressed, and the ringleaders were to be tried by court martial. We hope the authorities will take the present opportunity of teaching those men a lesson their comrades will not soon forget. Tho present is an auspicious moment to restore the empire of the law and break down the mob rule which for years has disgraced Ha- vana in the eyes of the civilized world. Police Violence—Proiection to the Poor. Tho position of a police officer is full of difficulties and requires a coolness and pa- tience of character not often to be met with in seal life. An officer should do his duty promptly and energetically, yet he should be careful never to overstep the limit of author- ity conferred by the law. The man who should on all occasions just do his duty and nothing more would be a model policeman. Perfect specimens are, however, rare. Society is generally ready enough to make allow- ance in the case of a patrolman who has been led by over zeal to overstep his authority when dealing with hardened criminals. It is felt with reason that the dangerous classes must be dealt with in an energetic manner. We do not, therefore, stop to examine whether the patrolman has been somewhat too liberal in the use of his club when dealing with hardened roughs. Unfortunately many members of the police imagine that the tacit permission to act ener- getically with the habitual criminals and dan- gerous roughs who infest our city justifies them in using unnecessary violence with all citizens; so that the readiness of the patrol- man to use his club on the slightest provoca- tion or without any has become a subject of general complaint. Many of the force seem to forget that they are paid to protect tho citizens, not to club them. As there exists some cloudiness on this point, it might be well for the Commissioners to take steps to have the men thoroughly instructed in the conduct they ought to pursue, and to impress on their minds that locust clubs are given to them as a means of protection, not as weapons of offence. Very loose ideas are entertained by large numbers of the force as to their right to use their clubs. Too frequently examples of this present themselves in the abuse of drunken men who attempt to resist capture. Even when enough police are present to over- power the man, temporarily deprived of reason, it is not at all unusual for the officers to have recourse to clubbing as a means of reducing to quietness an unfortunate being whose posi- tion ought to cause commisseration rather than anger. We call attention in another column to a case of violence which appears to be desti- tute of all justification. It is bad enough that foolish men who have made them- selves amenable in some degree to the law should be exposed to ill-treatment, but the public will not consent to such an abuse of authority as is alleged in the case of young McCormick. His story is told simply, and with an air of truthfulness that commands attention. It does not rely on_ his own unsupported testimony. Two ot his youthful companions, poor, but indus- trious children, give similar accounts of the transaction, and we are inclined to believe that their testimony is worthy of credence. Even had the boy McCormick been in fault, and his captor fully justified: in making the arrest, the fact would still remain that un- necessary violence had been used by the polico officer. It is a disgrace to the police force that any member of it should be guilty of striking a poor, wretched child with a heavy club, under any provocation that might be offered. It is one of the saddest illustrations we havo met with of the poet's thought, “Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.” We hope the Polica Commissioners will at once order an investi- gation into this charge made by young McCormick. No police oflicer would have dared to so ill use the child of arich man, and we shall see to it that the persons of the poor shall be equnily free from outrage, Judas in Springficid. Last Saturday evening a lecture of a very remarkable character was delivered in Spring- field, Ill., by Colonel H. W. Herndon, for- merly law partner and intimate friend of the martyr-President, Abraham Lincoln. The lecture was entitled “The Later Life and Re. ligious Sentiments of Lincoln,’”” and was made the medium of endeavoring to prove two things—first, the illegitimacy of the dead President ; secondly, his infidelity in relig- jous matters. Our opinion of Colonel Hern. don in relation to this subject can be ex- pressed in very few words, and that opinion is inspired by the dastardly and unblushing hy- pocrisy of the moral’ which the lecturer piously tagged to the end of his discourse, He wound up by declaring that the establishe ment of Lincoln's infidelity settled a historic fact; that it rendered a true history of tho man possible; that it furnished reason for believing that his real life would be written ; that it was a warning to all bad men that their secret sins would be dragged to light ; that it proved how impossible it was to throw a per. manent glamour over sin, and that it would put a stop to the composition of roman. tic biographics. But why did Colo. nel Herndon stop here? If the es- tablishment of Mr. Lincoln's infidelity achieved so much, would not the substantin« tion of the other charge do infinitely more ? But there are one or two things which Colonel Herndon’s lecture proved, and of which he seems to be quite unconscious, It proved that Colonel Herndon had the heart of Judas beating beneath an exterior of friendship; it proved that he could commit a crime too in+ human to be recognized by law, the crime of ‘~fidelity to the memory of a man who re