The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-15 00:00:00

EDITION.

NEW YORK GOSSIP.

NEW YORK, July 27.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Although the excitement which arose in this city on the
reception of the news of the declaration of war in Europe
has now to a great extent subsided, the topic still remains
the prime subject of conversation wherever men meet and
talk, and the condition of affairs abroad occupies our minds
to the exclusion of all matters of lesser importance. It
must not be denied, however, that a feeling of disgust has
sprung up in this country, occasioned by the apparent
want of daring on the part of the two armies. The wars
of modern days have come to be so wry short, sharp, and
decisive that we non-combatants on this side of the
Atlantic had expected to haveheard of either of the arrival
of the French at Berlin or of that of the Prussians at
Paris almost before the present date. This expectation
was encouraged also by the "red-hot" speeches, to use an
American vulgarism, of the two potentates and their sup-
porters. The impression here was general that both
Powers were thirsting for the fray, that the army first in
the field would have a great advantage not to be despised,
and that would be seized upon and utilised by one or the
other of the combatants, that immense numbers of men
would be assembled on each frontier, and that the war
would be virtually decided by the first battle fought. Now
either we receive no news by the cable or else the tactics
of the opposing generals are very different from what our
fancy painted; and, furthermore, being a commercial
people, and apt to pay the utmost consideration to dollars
and cents, we look amazed at the strange spectacle of two
vast armies, ranged under the colours of the two greatest
nations in the world, upon the frontiers of their respective
countries, making no move, shewing no sign, and merely
entailing upon the tax payers of the two nationali-
ties an expense of many millions of dollars. The
attitude of affairs certainly puzzles everyone here, and I
think must disappoint you considerably also.
Next in importance to the war and the condition of
things likely to arise from it comes the yacht race, in
which we are all more or less interested, and about which
there is much discussion and great difference of opinion.
And, before going further into this matter, I would state
that as a result of careful inquiry among all sorts of people
I have found that the right feeling prevails, and that the
race is not looked upon by the majority as an interna-
tional affair at all. On the contrary, all to whom I have
spoken upon the subject regard it as a very interesting
trial of speed between two celebrated yachts belonging to
two private gentlemen ; the result is expected to prove
the superiority of the one vessel over the other, but in no
sense to determine the comparative merits of the yacht-
building of the different nations. I do not know that
Mr. Ashbury is considered a representative of his country
by his countrymen, but I do know that Mr. Bennett is
here looked upon as a very daring yonngman, of nautical
tastes, in whose success we shall take pride. Further
than this there is no feeling in the matter, and those
who endeavour to show that the hearts of the two
nations are beating quick with excitement until the
result of the race be known are simply distortionists,
who take upon themselves the grave responsibility of
misrepresenting popular feeling. Up to the present
writing neither of the contending vessels has been sig-
nalled, and we are 'as yet in darkness as to which will
win, but both are expected to arrive during the day,
and the excitement is very great in consequence; All
the yacht clubs of New York, Brooklyn, and adjacent
cities have united to receive the racing boats, and the
entire fleet is anchored off or cruising near Sandy Hook,
keeping a sharp look out, and ready to extend a hearty
welcome. With them is the celebrated yacht America,
whose exploits in 1851 are still our boast, and which will con-
tend for the different prizes to be sailed for in the harbour,
though she is now the property of the United States'
Government, and, of course, belongs to no club. With
the fleet is also the diminUtive vessel the Red, White, and
Blue, celebrated as one of the smallest, if not the very
craft that -Ever crossed the"-Atlantic. The
assemblage is an extraordinary one, and the number of
celebrated vessels anchored within hail of one another is
without precedent in this country ; many of our citizens
have gone down to Sandy Hook to enjoy a sight which is
at once unique and beautiful.
As the result of the race will probably be known to-
morrow, if not to-day, I should like to delay my letter
until Saturday, in order to give you the details both of
the voyage and of the reception in this city, but there is
so much uncertainty at present about the departure of the
mails that I cannot follow my inclinations. The German
lines have definitely ceased running, and until the
Government makes the necessary arrangements with the
English steamers we shall be sadly incommoded. As it
is we grumble almost as loudly against the Post-office
authorities as we do against the clerk of the weather, and
with as good reason. The heat has been excessive in this
city ever since my last, the cases of sunstroke have
increased in number daily', and many persons who never
leave the city in the summer time have gone away because
they found it utterly impossible to remain. In New York
we are often afflicted with tropical weather, but it is
always short, seldom lasting beyond three or four days,
and invariably succeeded by a refreshing rain-storm, and
a short period of pleasant weather. But this summer all
our superstitions have been cruelly destroyed, and things
do not move by any means in their accustomed grooves.
For three consecutive weeks we have been sweltering
under a tropical sun, with the nights as hot as the days
had been, and not one breath of air to ameliorate our
sufferings. This departure from the hitherto well ob-
served rules of summer weather has caused the greatest in-
dignation among the populace, and were it the work of
human hands would certainly excite a revolution in our
midst.
The city presents a strange and dreary aspect, streets
usually crowded by carts and waggons, piled high with
bales of merchandise, now scarce contain a single hand-
cart. Broadway is positively deserted, and even along
the Jocks, where the work of lading and unlading seems
never to cease, the same quiet reigns, caused by the ex-
cessive heat, which prevents all such work during the busy
hours of the day. And withal, the coming season pro-
mises to be a very prosperous one, indeed it has begun
already. For early as it is the buyers from the West
have entered the city in swarms and are dispensing green-
backs with a lavish hand. The same activity is not evi-
dent in all branches of trade, but the impression is gene-
ral that business will be better this autumn than it has
been for several years past.
Superintendent Jourdan, of the Police Department,
will remain in his office. As I wrote to you in my last
letter, he sent in his resignation to the Board of Police
Commissioners, but these latter refused to accept it, and
he has decided so remain. Mr. Jourdan is admirably fitted
for his post. During his tenure of office he has planned
and carried out many excellent and much needed
reforms. In view of the number of these we
must overlook his negligence in the Elm Park
riot, and trust that he will never again per-
mit a similar occurrence. General M'Clellan has
accepted the position offered to him as Engineer-in-
Chief of the Department of Docks, and we can now
look for a radical change in the present system of
structures. The new steamship Italy of the National
Line is now in this port, and has been visited by a large
number of persons. John Real, the murderer of a police-
officer named Smedick, who has been tried several times,
and now lies under sentence of death, has made a last
appeal in the form of a printed document addressed to
the public. It 'gives his version of the killing, and
asserts, as he has always done, that self-preservation was
the cause of the deed. The impression is that his sen-
tence will be commuted to imprisonment in the Peniten-
tiary. The Chevalier Charles T. de Loosey, for twenty
years past Consul-General of Austria in this city, died of
apoplexy on Thursday. The attack was probably brought
on by the excessive heat. He was buried from St.
Stephen's Church on Tuesday, and the remains taken to
Greenwood for interment. The body of M. Prevost-
Paradol, the unfortunate French Minister to Washington,
was sent back to France upon the Lafayette, on Saturday
last, the same vessel which brought him here alive and
well, two weeks ago, taking back his corpse. His son
and daughter were passengers by the steamer. That
these two deaths were due in a great degree to the exces-
sive heat of the weather is unquestionable, and you will
easily imagine that many persons die from the same
cause, whose deaths we never hear of, but whose number
would make a formidable list. Theatrical matters are as
dull as ever, though great things are promised us for
next season.'

PRINCE HAL.

The opening of the theatre Chatelet, Paris, now
occupied by Mr. Strange and an English troupe, has just
taken place ; the performance of the Marseillaise,
orchestrated dy Berlioz, being a leading feature on the
occasion. •