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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 18, 1866

Arrest of Surratt. Our Consul-General in Egypt, Mr. Hale, has given the Government information of the arrest of John H. Surratt, a man of whose connection with the assassination of Mr. Lincoln and escape from justice, little is known, but enough to cause intense interest. Mr. Boutwell recently made the startling assertion that, while search was being made for Surratt, Mr. Johnson knew where he was hidden. His trial may lead to new revelations.

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Reconstruction. The opportunity for the South to accept the Constitutional Amendment is rapidly passing away. It having been offered to that section and rejected with a haste and unanimity that were intended to be offensive, Congress is now looking toward other modes of reconstruction. This is the most natural action under the circumstances. The proposition now rapidly gaining ground is the organization of territorial or provisional governments at the South, a mode of action advocated by Mr. Sumner in the Senate, and Mr. Beaman in the House, over three years ago. The proposition then had no support whatever, and would secure a reluctant support even now, had the South not insisted upon demonstrating its necessity.

Maximilian has announced his determination not to leave Mexico; that the Liberals have recently suffered severe defeats; a statement that the church party has offered Maximilian $3,000,000 to remain in the country, and that the French regard with apprehension and anger the mission of Mr. Campbell and Gen. Sherman. The details of the evacuation of Mazatlan are also given.

The Catholics among the Freedmen. The Protestant sects are alarmed at the efforts to be made by the Catholics among the Freedmen.

The New York Observer says:

“The colored men are coming under the influence of the Roman Catholics, and one of the objects of the present Romanist Council in Baltimore has been to devise measures for the conversion to Papacy of the black race on this continent. The negroes have a natural tendency to fanaticism; they are also easily influenced by the shows and pomps of Romanism. Bishop Spalding publicly declared in Baltimore that the Roman Catholic Church was the only church in which neither color nor caste were recognized, and urged the propagation of Romanism among the blacks, especially in Maryland, where there are already some religious houses devoted to the black race.”

Brooklyn Navy Yard. During the past ten days there has been unusual activity at the Brooklyn navy yard. Orders have been received to get eight vessels, the gunboats Penobscot, Peoria, Gettysburg, Unadilla, Huron, Quinnebaug and Purveyor, and the sloop-of-war Iroquois, in readiness for sea with all dispatch. The Gettysburg was formally put into commission on Wednesday, with orders to report to Admiral Palmer of the West India squadron.

Increase of Crime.—In his charge to the Grand Jury of the Court of Sessions at New York, Recorder Hackett alluded particularly to the manifest increase of crime in commercial cities, and the unsafe condition of public buildings.