The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-29

be added that system of breaks connected troughoi
the would facilitate the adoption of means
ncaton between the engine driver and the guardian I'D
vantage which all the railways in the United States pos
sess, but very few OF our
Another cause OF accidents admits Of very simple
remedy II L., that the signals set at danger" and
altered when no danger Is apparent at the time of train
approaching This breeds an inscnSblty to the danger
signal the continuance of which is often not observed
when, contrary to what usually happens the signal is
nued Indeed an habitnai disregard of caution signals is
m the case OF AN accident at WelWyn on the
Great Northern Railway, the frcmen stated that they
in the habit Of passing the caution signal at speed
of thirty five forty miles hour" Another Of
accidents has still simpler remedy The watches of the
railway servants are oten what ancient vulgariy used to
call "iunips" and do tell that most important thing
for raiways-ume. The natural remedy for this l., that
tho railway should provide these articles aud secure this
invaluable faculty.
distinguished from all remedable causes reigus but
small proportion Of the disasters railways But th is
after az poor oohsoauon unless we first know what Is
meant by remedable causes There is great cause
and root Of railway disaster which be called ire
mediabe, but which, matter of fact will be
medicdand that is individual careessness 10 what you
will there will always be certain amount of mprudence
in passengers and railway servants. Though better
lection, then and tighter discipline will give YOU
prudent and cautious class of railway servants you
cannot look 10 this quarter for your principal
of improved safety, because you cannot alter
the human mind; but you have power over nature,
and improve the mechanical arrangements of
the railway indefinitely. A freer and more mas
improved plan OF signals would Of themselves 60 Sons
derabeway in improving railway safety Captain Douglas
Gallon however who has drawn up this report as well
that on American railways to which have than
once had to call attention. is against the attempt govern
railways by legislative enacments Arailway is 50 CON
pcated an instrument that ii Is not probable accidents
would lie prevented by legislative enactmens adopt par
tcuar modes OF working to provide specified
to safety" His arguments that such interference would
deprive the railway companies of their vitality well
relieve them of their responsibility managing bodies
making them only the serve executors Of specific plans
and therefore retarding instead of adv ancng the progress
OF improvement
n
-HcrPOsltion and Hopes ms n Nation.
From the London Times, April lO.]
People who moralize on history have never doubted
that national greatness has its rise its elimination and its
setting Asyra, Greece, Carthage, Rome. and the rest,
have passed away; srains boast Of empire which
the sun never has been transferred to England the
ruins of whose metropolis popular writer has already
figured New Healander contemplating. Why indeed,
should the great of present time yield
supremacy to younger rivalss England and France
old in comparison with the other great Powers Of
the world Even Austria Is no longer the Ger
United States they but upstards Of yesterday.
We cannot wonder that all the historians and philo3o
piers all the theorzers about the progress of cvza
ton and the march Of empire, should abound
in predictions of t decline which Is to be the inevitable
fate OF the leading nations OF Europe There was some
lan.he co,uY had seen its day had reached the apo:
gee of prospeuy, and But, happily, the spirit of
people, has rejected all such discouragng suspicious
They feel that nation which Is every day increasing in
numbers, in wealth and also, We may say without pre-
SUMPTION in morality and happiness which adding colo
colony and conquest TO conquest be in danger
Of decline and that to look forward hour of collapse
epoch Of degradatonis absurd the conduct
OF the Lapuhan philosophers who made themselves mise
rabe about the inevitable approach Of the earth 10 the
after long period Of revolutions But If feel ourselves
young and vigorous If just establishing our colonial
system taking possession Of Aatc empire II
building houses Of Parliament and inshutng national
collections in the fine arts, is not the same with our
nearest neighbor France Is powerful much richer
than she was she has capital which Is the resort of the
world and court which yields in magnidcence to none.
But OF years. and especially since the establishment
the empire there has been strange detection among
the educated classes and all those who think profess
think political subjects. Railways, gold coinage, in
crease OF trade and increase Of revenue, have failed
restore cheefune~s 70 large class OF Frenchmen. Amid
SS the all
been sounding the praises OF France France itself has
been unsatished The De Prcfundis Of the old political
world and the old literary world has mingled with
the Official II Deum u the Imperial reainers. All this
70 be expected. In France the liberty which was
me, perhaps for Can wonder, then, that the
eminent who gained fame and position amid the
Of free political life should In their old look with
anger the Of all they had founded, and
cipa.e only decay for the country which has betrayed
The prevalent feeling which has resulted from these au
gures Of i'll has been deepcned by the publication Of the
last census The increase OF population during the five
1870 gave increase OF 1,i7o,oo0. Now, the
Fenchman : not an cmgrant rarely quitting his country
cultivate the wldernesses OF the New World the
podes, this almost mp~cepble increase Of population is
certainly dcouragDg sign Not more than 10 900 French
emgrae yearly III follows therefore, that the stationary
character which population to have assumed
must result from deficiency In prolific power the
consequence Of deterioration cf race OF material obstacles
which society should remove. There does, indeed
have been lately rapid diminu,ion In the rate OF in
crease until in tho present day the increase has almost
nshed But for than half century the French have
no, been prolific people In 1870 the population numbered
- 500 COO that - almost equal u the population Of
the Br-h islands at the present day AZ that time Great
Britain hardly contained than 10 700 600 -uls while
Ireland, with some i-0vD more rather burden
than support. We may well conceive the advantages
which rival bad IA these DAYS from her superior
bers and admire The with which iOrefahers
always ready for Il war with France, country
which had an elective population OF not far
frum three times their But things have
indeed altered. The British people have increased and
multiplied and rcplcnhcd the earth in manner beyond
example Frcnchmen may laugh ut our large families
while their honstholds are limited 10 two or three
but have certainly the best Of IT, since within The last
two generations have been able not only assist In
popuatng America and colonizng Australia but we have
actually raised our home population 10 something ap
preaching equality with the French II we take Great
britain alone lind that the population hls considerably
than doubled since the French revUutOn while that
of France has scarcely increased than IS per
Notwithstanding Iri famincs and English strikes cholera
and short harS ct, the number OF children born has been
continually In enormous eAces- over the deaths. but
IN France ind thai every natural political
calamity checks the increase In marked
In lI1 the excess &c births over deaths fell
from ~ CO 600 Of the scarcity and this
small again diminished to 1900 By the cholera
of $40 Things grew after 1851 under the double
influence Of scarcity ana I'LL IN 1854 and 1855 the
deaths for the first time exceeded the brhs Thus we
learn The astonishing feet that at the present time the Jopu
laon Of France j. actually diminishing although enigra
harvest the grape blight and The disease Of The silkworm
AL pointed 10 having share In producing this
ling result hut cannot hut feel that there must be sOne
cause dccper and abiding than any these For the
last 90 years NJ least the proorion,ic increase hss been
steadily le-sening and he present me ony witnc-se- the
change frum increase 70 elimination. This l. fact which
may sonev hat justify aGuilt o. ~ Tvolucvic In their
mo'rnfu tone.
France has certainly changed In character since her
cyoiuon Before that great convuiOu the French ht
good deal ~ what We consider nos exclusively Anglo
saxon auaucs. They cOonzcd and conquered: they set
tc Canada where they keep their ground 20 the present
day they planted Louisiana, o-cendcd the Msslss phi,
and nearly succeeded Ia checking c de,p!oemcnt OF the
colonies which now the United State. They got the
start Of In India battles. formed alliances and
almost effected hat Providence eventually reserved for
England. Their fleets even a. late tho American war,
were equal ~ ours In strength, fought against
Us without disgrace. Their merchant marine was
81 still later period, almost equal b. ours in ton
mage. hut within the pros.st century the two nations
have gone different Ways. How much We have changed
u unnecessary 10 say, but certainly france seems to
have lot much 81 the energy and vitality of tho old
tunes The excessive deveNpemeni ~ the military sys,rtn
ia furuue and the attention laid b. etrirty rontinen,