News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 9, 1872

News and Miscellany.

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

Crime in New York.

During the week which ended yesterday, eight dead bodies were found floating near our city docks, an unknown woman was found dead in the street, and a prominent German citizen mysteriously disappeared. In nearly every instance these persons were foully murdered, else their bodies would not have borne the marks of the bludgeon, the knife, or the pistol. If we add to this list two cases of murder in which the antemortem testimony of the victims has already proved the guilt of the murderers, and the numerous murderous assaults which have occurred during the past week, some of which may yet end fatally, we have a record of crime and violence which hardly any other city of Christendom can parallel.—New York Times, 27th ult.

The French-German Treaty.

In military strategy, he who gets the start of VON MOLTKE must rise betimes in the morning; while, in political strategy, he who bamboozles BISMARCK must be born of other than French parentage. In the new treaty, just concluded between France and Germany, by which the French diplomats attempted to hurry the evacuation of France by the German army, on condition that France would hurry the payment of the vast war indemnity she owes to Germany, the acute Prussian general and statesman have won another triumph. They agreed that, on the payment of a stated instalment of money, Germany would evacuate the departments of France held by German troops, nearest to Paris. On the payment of another instalment, the German troops would evacuate another department; and so on, until all France was released as soon as all the money was paid. But, if French statesmen dream of revenge, as it is pretty certain they do, right here BISMARCK and VON MOLTKE have slyly defeated their hopes; for, by the terms of the treaty, it is not stated that the evacuating German troops shall go back to Germany. Consequently, when they evacuate the department nearest Paris, they will, it is now known, simply fall back to the next department, reinforcing the German troops there, and taking up the strongest positions on that line. When that department is evacuated, they will simply fall back to the next one, making its garrison three times as strong as it now is. And so that process will go on, there remaining in France, to the very last, just as many Germans as at present, while as they fall back the German armies will constantly concentrate, thus showing a stronger and more threatening front continually to the last moment, instead of growing weaker, as the French hoped they would. And finally, when they quit French soil, they will go no further than the new line of Metz and Strasbourg, which is being doubly and trebly fortified, upon which they will face France once more in a concentrated, impregnable wall of bayonets and steel guns.

No wonder there was a bitter disappointment felt in the French National Assembly when this treaty was discovered, by the German military orders, to be susceptible of this interpretation. It shows, plainly, that BISMARCK and VON MOLTKE do not propose to be caught napping; that they appreciate the motives of revenge which have led M. THIERS to strain every nerve of already overloaded France to re-organize and increase to gigantic proportions the French army; and that they also appreciate the plots of the Jesuits to form a “holy alliance” against Germany and in favor of France: and that they propose, as a measure of safety, to retire from France only as a cat retires from its wounded prey, with its claws sheathed, and a demure look, but ready for another deadly spring on the least motion of the victim. All the advantage of the treaty thus remains with Germany, which will receive the indemnity money sooner, and grow stronger and stronger as the moment approaches which the French have looked forward to as their time for revenge.—Detroit Post.

HORSE RACING IN PARLIAMENT.—One of the worst features connected with horse-racing and other disreputable sports and games, is the custom of many persons high in public and social life, who attend them. It is therefore pleasing to notice a protest by Tom Hughes, in Parliament, against the adjournment moved by Mr. Gladstone for the Derby races last week. Here is the cable dispatch:

“Mr. Hughes, on rising to oppose the motion, was received with ironical cheers and laughter. He pointed to the fact that the house adjourned only two hours on Ascension day for divine worship, and now proposed to adjourn twenty-four hours for the Derby. It was incompatible with the dignity of the commons to recognize horse-racing. The English race course had introduced the most corrupt and insidious system of gambling which had ever disgraced any country. While he was opposed to this species of amusement, he believed in manly sports like international boat-races, cricket, and other salutary competitions of human strength and pluck, and thought they should be encouraged. The motion for an adjournment was carried by a vote of 212 to 58.”

South America.

THE SPANIARDS TO SEIZE THE VIRGINIUS AND EDGAR STEWART.

NEW YORK, June 25.—A Washington dispatch states that the Spanish war vessels have been instructed to seize and sink the American steamers Virginius and Edgar Stewart whenever found outside of neutral ports. The Virginius, as appears by a letter received here from her captain yesterday, was at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, the latter part of May, very leaky, and would be unable to receive the necessary repairs there, and be obliged to leave for Martinique. Two Spanish war vessels were in the port. Their officers were enraged at the refusal of the Venezuelan Government to deliver the Virginius up to them, and threatened to cut her out, whereupon the Venezuelans trained the guns of their fort upon the Spaniards, and the latter quieted down. The Virginius is also out of coal.

A PROTEST FROM THE POPE.—Rome, June 19.—The Pope has addressed a letter to Cardinal Antonelli, deploring the approaching enforcement of the law suppressing convents in Italy as a violation of international law. He says the constant encroachments on the rights of the Church by the government of Italy violate morality and justice, and only a regard for the highest interests prevents the head of the Church from leaving Rome. A conflict between the Holy See and Italian Government is inevitable, and a reconciliation impossible. The Pope cannot submit to such usurpations, and he requests Antonelli to protest against them to foreign powers.