The New York herald., 1864-05-06


producing much uneasiness,' to the,e6ect that
1t Is the intention Of the washington authorities
to commence enforcing the draft in this city
upon next Monday morning. Poorly, however.
as We think Of some Of tho blundsrers ct the
national capital. ve are reluctant to suspect
them Of seriously contemplating any aot Of
such criminal folly. II 10 known that very
aearly al the United States troops recently in
our city have been Withdrawn and sent to tho
front, 90 that only some few regiments Of State
militia are now available for the purpose Of
putting down any outbreak, In case the rioters
Of last July should again como out Of their
holes. Obviously, therefore, while affairs are
SO circumstanced, 1t would be worse than
fOlly-madness and criminal provocation-to
attempt any enforcement Of the draft.
Our city quota is now all but full, only requir-
Ing some twenty-five hundred mon for its COM
pletion, and these can easily be had before the
end Of this month II the present system Of
volunteering, as conducted by Mr.. Orison
Blunt, be not interfered with. Let this system
be broken up, however, and the obnoxious
draft made to take its place, and any child can
foretell what will, in all human probability be
the immediate consequences. We shall have
another riot, vaster and more dangerously or
ganized than that which in last July struck ter
ror throughout the country; we shall have an
army Of twenty thousand men recalled from
the front, where they are needed against
the rebel enemy, to protect the peace
and property of Manhattan Island; we
shall have panic in the money mar
ket, which the present delicate state Of our
national currency is lily able to afford; we shall
have bloodshed in our thoroughfares, scores Of
incendiary fires, and scores upon scores Of
houses gutted and pillaged; and, lastly, the vic
torious army Of Grant, in its march upon the
rebel capital, may be arrested by the It'd
just as was the army of General Meade last
July, after the battle of Gettysburg, by the
news that the commercial capital of the country
was in q condition closely bordering upon
utter anarchy.
We feel confident that General Dix is an
officer possessing mind too we'll balanced to
make him consenting party to any such
measure and we trust that he will use all the
legitimate influence of his position to dissuade
the Washington authorities from the design they
are alleged to have in contemplation. Gen. Hays,
too, must by this time be acquainted with the
temper Of our people, and should warn his su-
periOrs Of the certain perils that will attend
any repetition of the attempts at enforcing
the measure, which failed go blOOdily
and disastrousiy in last July Let the
present volunteering system be continued,
and we shall have the last man of our
quota mustered in before the end Of tho present
month; but let the draft again be insisted upon
and we regret feeling obliged to prophesy that
not ono single regiment can ever be raised
under it, while it will probably require twenty
or thirty Of our best regiments from Grants
army to protect the peace and property Of our
city during the abortive effort to raise men
ander system repugnant to oil American
ideas and to the genius and instincts OF our
people.
The Great international Projects or the
Day-Schomes Of Napsioon.
The organ Of the French government in this
city published day or two since an elaborate
account Of the advantages to arise to the com
mercial world from the construction of rail-
road.to be built across the Isthmus of Tehuan-
tepec, under the i'm mediate patronage Of the
new Emperor of Mexico. II is, of course
easily understood that it is Napoleon who
planned this scheme, with the intention OF fur
thering the commercial prosperity Of France,
aud at the same time dealing blow to the
American and English nations. That this
Tehuantepec line will be constructed, and
quickly too, none can doubt, a. all the resources
at the command of the Emperor OF the French
will be brought to bear upon this project
Those who can tunnel the Alps will find no
difficulty in building railroad over the
Isthmus Of Tehuantepec. The French organ
above referred TO condemns the once favored
plan Of Napoleon-a Nicaraguan canal-and
asserts that this new scheme must become the
first care of Maximilian. The Panama line
being virtually in the hands OF Americans and
English, according to concessions obtained,
France will oppose now all idea Of ship canal
between the oceans, and, by the immediate con-
struction Of railroad, render canal Of less i'm
portance. Napoleon comprehends that such
line Of communication opened would immensely
benefit the commerce Of France, as the articles
chiefly manufactured by the people of that
empire are in almost universal demand
Having through this proposed railroad OBJ
tanned q vast proportion OF the commerce Of
the West, Napoleon might count upon con-
trolling the trade Of India. TO great extent,
by the completion Of the Suez Canal, which,
spite Of the opposition Of England, is fast
approaching completion. This done, France
would take her rank a. the first commercial
Power In the world.
To avoid undue preponderanee on the part
Of France, 1t behooves the people Of the United
States, Of England, and Of Russia, to see 70
Il that their anfafnrissa are carried out with