News and Miscellany

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 16, 1867

News and Miscellany.

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

The Russo-American Treaty.—In another column will be found an article on this subject from the Chicago Journal, giving a very clear idea of the relation of European nations to each other, and the perplexities in which they are involved. Since that was in type, news has been received that the Senate has ratified the treaty with only two dissenting votes.

—The Governor of Michigan appoints Thursday, April 18, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer in this State.

—The Legislature of Ohio has finally voted in favor of admitting colored men to the right of suffrage.

—Governor Oglesby has appointed April 15th—the anniversary of Lincoln’s death—as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer in Illinois.

—It now seems probable that the Russian-American treaty will be ratified before the Senate adjourns.

—A. T. Stewart’s new palace, in New York city, will cost nearly $2,000,000 when completed. The style of architecture is Corinthian; the best and purest marble is used in it, combined with iron; most of the floors are supported by iron pillars, and the whole will be fire-proof from top to bottom. The main hall, leading to the picture gallery, will be 36 feet wide and 56 feet long, and the Italian marble stairs 26 feet by 29. This home of a merchant prince will far surpass in magnificence any private residence in this country, and cannot be matched by many palaces of kings or emperors. As Mr. Stewart has no children, the wonder is, to whom he will leave his splendid house?

—In the course of the physical researches necessary for ascertaining, by the passage of electricity through the Atlantic Cable, the difference of longitude between America and England, it has been found that the time required for a signal to pass through the Atlantic Cable, is 31-100ths of a second. This is equal to a velocity of 6,020 miles a second, considerably less than the speed of the electric fluid through the land lines.

—The Russian Government is said to be seriously contemplating to introduce the Gregorian Calender into Russia. This is strongly opposed by the Russian clergy, who declare that the introduction of the Gregorian Calender would be equivalent to recognizing the Pope.

Turkey.—A Paris letter asserts that a general organization of the Christians resident in the eastern Provinces of Turkey and Greece had been completed against the Sultan, and that a war, in which the power of the Porte in Europe would be destroyed, was inevitable.

Bismarck’s Policy.—It is said that negotiations between France and Holland for the cession of Luxemburg were proceeding favorably when Count Bismarck skillfully succeeded in suspending the bargain by calling the attention of the Dutch government to the existence of certain claims of the late Germanic Confederation on the Ducal government of Luxemburg for unpaid Federal contributions and for different fortifications, and to the fact that Prussia, the legal successor of the Confederation, would consider any disposal of Luxemburg by Holland to a third party as an infraction of those claims. This protest had prevented any agreement with the French government.

Indian War of Extermination.—The Montana Post, of March 14th, says that 1,800 lodges of Sioux, numbering three warriors to a lodge, under the chiefs Red Cloud, Iron Plate and White Young Bull, are encamped on Big Horn River, about 35 miles from Fort Smith. The Crows, Bloods, Peguins, Grosventres and Sioux have made peace among themselves and joined in a league against the whites. About 800 lodges were yet north of the Missouri River, but would cross over and encamp near Muscle Shell River as soon as spring opens, and after concentrating their forces, the confederation will wage a war of extermination against the whites. They say the whites have occupied their only hunting ground, that death is inevitable and they prefer it in battle rather than by starvation. The commandant at Fort Smith does not expect to be able to hold his position, and it is thought if reinforcements do not arrive soon, the command will come to Clark’s Fort on the Yellowstone.

The Fate of Spain.—In diplomatic circles in Berlin the idea prevails that the attention of the French Emperor is directed not to Luxemburg, but to quite an opposite quarter. He is said to be meditating the dethronement of the Spanish Bourbons, the last branch of that family, so hostile to the Bonapartes, that still occupies a European throne. By all accounts from Madrid it is evident that the government of Queen Isabella are doing their best to facilitate the execution of such a plan. Since the unfortunate pronunciamiento of General Prim, Spain is in a state resembling too closely the last years of Bourbon rule in Naples not to augur a similar catastrophe. As Piedmont anxiously watched the progress of events in Naples in order to step in at the moment when they were ripe for her interference, so Portugal is eagerly expecting the time when the consolidation of the Iberian Peninsula into one kingdom will enable her to take a place among the great Powers of Europe. And as Louis Napoleon stood behind Piedmont, ready to stretch out his helping and protecting hand if it were needed, so he stands now behind Portugal to assist her, and of course, to get paid for his assistance. In what the price of his co-operation will consist is not exactly known; some think Cuba, others the Balearic islands, but all agree that it will be an acquisition sufficiently handsome to allay the mortification felt by the French at the aggrandizement of Prussia and her refusal to allow them “compensation” on the Rhine.

London, April 8.—Uncertainty prevails in regard to the future action of Napoleon, and fears that he will adopt a warlike policy, create a wide-spread distrust among business men, and great depression exists in consequence in commercial and financial circles both in this city and Paris.

In the House of Commons this evening, Mr. Lowe stated that alarming news had been received in Berlin from Paris, and that the king of Prussia had sent for Bismarck at 2 o’clock Sunday morning.

France and Prussia are exchanging sour looks and financial Europe trembles. The agitation communicates itself even to our own stock exchanges. What the commotion is all about, it would be hard to say, though we may conjecture that it has something to do with the rumored negotiations between Napoleon and the king of Holland for the cession of the latter’s Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, an arrangement which would naturally be displeasing to Prussia.

Ireland.—Considerable fighting is looked for in Ireland before the Fenian rebellion is finally put down. There are now in the island 60,000 British regulars, with perhaps 40,000 police, marines, etc.

The Great Fire at St. Louis.—The fire which destroyed the Lindell House at St. Louis, Saturday night, was discovered about half-past 8 o’clock, and continued raging fiercely till 2 o’clock the next morning. For some time it was thought that the flames would be controlled, but they broke through the roof and inner courts of the building, after two or three hours, and the case was then hopeless. The 400 guests lost nearly all their personal effects, as they waited for a long time thinking that it would not be necessary to remove them. The light of the fire was seen 27 miles from the city.

The Lindell was the finest building of its kind in the country, both in the elegance of its architecture and the richness of its interior furnishing. It was commenced in 1857 by a company of St. Louis gentlemen, who were resolved that the hotel of that city should surpass any in the world, and when completed was purchased by Henry Ames & Co. Its actual cost was $1,676,400, and a few statistics will give some idea of its extent: area of plastering, 27 acres; length of bell wire 22 miles; surface of wall brick 38 acres; total floorage, 7 acres; length of carpeting 18 miles. The hotel had a capacity for the accommodation of 800 guests, and all its reception rooms were fitted up in the most thorough and costly manner. It is said that $2,000,000 would be insufficient to replace the hotel and its furnishings, and its loss is a calamity to the city. A meeting of the St. Louis board of trade was held Monday evening to take immediate measures for its rebuilding, and $650,000 was subscribed.

The Spiritualists Becoming a Sect.—The Spiritualists started on the basis of absolute individualism, and scouted all ecclesiastical organizations as so much slavery, but they are already fulfilling the prediction that they would yield to the universal tendency and become a sect, like the rest. They have got so far as to talk about yearly settlements of their lecturers on regular salaries. They have Sabbath schools, and all the denominational machinery in full operation, only under different names. They also begin to feel that they have too much neglected worship. The Boston Banner of Light, the most intelligent organ of the new sect, says: “It seems to us that many Spiritualists greatly lack the reverential element. They need a more thorough cultivation of the spiritual, the religious faculties, the devotional feelings. Worship is beautiful. Prayer is exalting. We have no prayer and conference meetings, corresponding to the orthodox churches, where they meet to exercise their gifts. Our religious natures are not satisfied with flights of fancy, or cold philosophy. The apostles of the new faith seem to forget our deep-seated devotional sympathies, neither do they portray as they ought the sad effects of a life of crime and sin upon the future of life. True holiness must ever precede happiness.”

The European News.—The shrewdest observers are inclined to believe that the late threatening news from Europe owed its origin mainly to the designs of speculators.

If this was its source, the attempt was a success, for all classes of securities were greatly affected. Whatever may have been the truth as to this, however, all the circumstances attending this report reveal the delicate nature of the relations existing between France and Prussia. The enormous aggrandizement of the latter power naturally threatens the supremacy of France, and a contest along the frontier of the Rhine, to be followed by a European war, has been and is now imminent. The boldness of Bismarck and the peculiar situation of Napoleon combine to precipitate matters, and the sagacious dread, with reason, a collision that would be most destructive in its results. The late reports by the cable were, therefore, significant, even if exaggerated, and well set forth the feverish apprehensions that exist in the diplomatic circles of the Old World.—Det. Trib.

Europe Arming.—The Belgian Minister of War states that France is having 480,000 breech-loading muskets manufactured. The arsenals in Prussia are also actively at work. Austria is having 600,000 muskets converted into breech-loaders. England will have 350,000 similarly converted by the end of the year. Russia is transferring 600,000. Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Belgium are all engaged in the same warlike preparations.

The Pullman Line Palace Cars.—The two new sleeping, refreshment and drawing-room palace cars—the “Western World” and “Plymouth Rock”—recently built at the shops of the Michigan Central Railroad in this city, for Pullman’s line of sleeping cars, are now completely finished and ready for use. They were on exhibition yesterday at the Central depot, and a large number of citizens paid a visit to these traveling palaces. They have previously been described in the Advertiser and Tribune, and are equally well adapted to day and night travel. Each car has four large center state rooms and one side state room, the former capable of accommodating six persons each, and the latter four. In addition to these, the car contains six sections, each capable of affording sleeping and traveling accommodations to four persons. The car will thus accommodate 52 persons. The great feature of the car, however, and one which will recommend itself most favorably to the traveling public, is that it contains a cook room where hot meals can be prepared and furnished to the hungry traveler in as good style as can be done in the most fashionable dining saloon or hotel. This room is provided with a cooking range for the cooking of oysters, fish, making coffee, etc. There are also refrigerators on the cars for the preservation of fresh meats, fish, oysters, etc., and in fact every arrangement needed for the comfort and luxury of the traveler is to be found upon them. They will be at once put into use and will run from St. Louis through to New York and return. This will be a great accommodation to passengers, and will make a railroad trip from the far West to the great metropolis, instead of a tedious and irksome journey, a very pleasant and inviting one.