News and Miscellany

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 22, 1867

News and Miscellany.

Can ye not discern the Signs of the Times? Matt. xvi, 3.

A great financial crash is predicted by the merchants of the country, on account of Secretary McCulloch's policy of contracting or rather destroying the currency.

—A Jacksonville, Oregon, telegram says a terrific earthquake was felt at Fort Klamath on the 8th inst. The sky was darkened with ashes and the air filled with sulphurous vapors, which came from the direction of Klamath marsh. Klamath lake had fallen about six feet, and Crooked creek was entirely dried up.

—There are two countries in which legalized slavery still exists, Spain and Brazil.

—Some Prussian officers will be shortly sent to America to acquaint themselves with the latest improvements in the Naval Department of the United States.

—The Cable dispatch, stating that the Greek population in several more of the Mediterranean islands has risen against the Turkish rule, is of great importance. If, as we were again assured a few days ago, France and England will not interfere in behalf of the Turks, the latter will soon find themselves in difficulties. Intense excitement pervades all the Christian provinces, and the prospects of a cordial co-operation of all the Christian tribes were never better than at present.

—A report says that an insurrection is on the point of breaking out in Bosnia.

—The saddest episode of the Candian insurrection, was the blowing up of the Monastery of Arkadi with its heroic Christian garrison and several thousand besieging Turks. These heroes will secure a place beside those of Thermopylæ, who more than two thousand years ago fell in the defense of the same cause. The event is, moreover, one which is likely to have important consequences. The recent letters of Garabaldi and Victor Hugo show how profound an interest is felt in the issue of the struggle by the European Liberals. The waves of popular indignation are beating with renewed force against the decayed Ottoman Porte, and almost daily dispatches by the Cable report the steady approach of the fatal hour of collapse.

Vienna, Jan. 12.—The journals to-day contained official announcements that the Sublime Porte has called 150,000 men into the service to quell the Greek insurrection.

London, Jan. 13.—The Globe's editorial says that the Eastern question has become so pressing that it demands the immediate attention of the European powers. The Globe thinks a general conference of the leading powers will be proposed on the subject.

Great Britain.—The Lords of Admiralty are busily engaged in the preparation of estimates for the large increase of the naval arm of the service, which has lately been ordered.

The Largest Army Ever Yet Raised.

Items from the Census Reports. In 1700, the entire population of the Anglo-American colonies was 262,000; in 1750, it was 1,000,000; in 1775, 2,389,300. In 1790, the population of the United States alone, was 3,929,827; and in 1860, 31,443,321. Anticipated population in 1900, 107,000,000.

The unimproved lands of the United States, in 1860, amounted to 244,101,818 acres; improved lands 163,110,720 acres; cash value of the whole estimated at $6,645,045,007.

Estimated product of our manufactures in 1860, $4,000,000,000.

Commercial railroads in the United States, 35,935 miles, costing $1,432,649,000.

City railroads, 402 miles, costing $14,862,840.

Slack-water canals and branches, 118, of which 68 cost $147,393,997.

Real and personal property estimated at $19,089,156,289.

Educational institutions reported, 113,006; teachers, 148,742; students, 5,417,880. Collegiate institutions, 445; students, 54,969. Churches, 54,000.

Newspapers, 4,051; circulation, 928,000,000 copies.

Revolutionary army, from 1775 to 1783, 231,791; vessels, 4.

In 1812, regulars, 32,360, volunteers, 6,000, militia, 30,000; navy, 8 frigates and 170 gunboats. In 1815, 276 vessels, with 1,636 guns.

In March, 1865, we had 684 vessels of war, with 4,477 guns, many of them of large calibre, and the aggregate number of men raised for the Union armies was 2,688,000. If the Confederate forces be added, the grand total would be reached of 4,000,000 of men at arms—the largest force ever yet raised in any country or age of the world.