News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · BATTLE CREEK, MICH. · Jan 17, 1871

News and Miscellany.

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Terrible Suffering.—A correspondent of the Boston Journal states that the people of Alsace and Lorraine are starving to death by hundreds. He has been among them, and has been a witness of their sufferings. He says that as many as 25,000 families would gladly go away, and that it would be a holy, noble work to rescue them from the terrible sufferings which surround them. It is proposed at once to set on foot schemes for providing for their immigration to this country.

Egypt Preparing.—The Khedive of Egypt is said to be preparing for war, and to have preparations now complete for sending into the field an army of 100,000 men. The full weight of Egypt’s influence on European matters has not been felt heretofore; but upon the opening of a general war in which Turkey should participate, Egypt, under her Khedive, would assume a prominent position as an independent power. Restrained and hampered by the overbearing influence of Turkey, the ambitious viceroy has long ached for an opportunity to assert the power which he feels he ought to hold in Europe. Undoubtedly, he would prove the strongest ally that Russia would have.

The Jesuits have been expelled from Marseilles, and their newspaper suspended. In Rome the control of education has been taken from the Jesuits. This is more than can be said of New York city, for there the Jesuits use Protestant money to carry on Roman Catholic schools.

The Tribune declares that more of the policemen of New York are drunk when on duty, than ever before, and that these are recent appointments, and adds: “We continue to be exposed to the shame and peril of having our streets guarded by reeling patrolmen, armed with clubs and pistols.” So will our cities be everywhere “exposed.” It is a part of the state of things to-day. With the government of the nation, State and city supporting drunkenness as an institution, with many of its chief officials drunken, there is no reason to expect that its lowest officials will be sober. Like priest like people. Like the highest rulers the lower. “All are but parts of one stupendous whole.”

An English paper says that after concluding a lecture, Mr. Bradlaugh called upon any present to reply to his arguments. A collier arose, and spoke somewhat as follows: “Maister Bradlaugh, me and my mate Jim were both Methodys till one of these infidel chaps cam’ this way. Jim turned infidel, and used to badger me about attending prayer-meetings; but one day, in the pit, a large cob of coal came down upon Jim’s ‘ead. Jim thought he was killed, and, ah, mon! but he did holler and cry to God.” Then turning to Mr. Bradlaugh, with a knowing look, he said, “Young man, there is now’t like cobs of coal for knocking infidelity out of a man.” It need scarcely be said that the collier carried the audience with him.