The New York herald., 1864-08-03

A BEG0Mo APrEAL FROM CHAMsuHsuUR0.-A'
cry Of despair to ''ths bsnsvolsst eitissns Of
the North" comes mp from the town Of Cham
bersburg, Pa. A large proportion Of the six
thousand inhabitants OF that place have been
burned out Of house and home by the rebels.
The people thus left destitute need assistance.
Their town has suffered to the extent Of over
million Of dollars sum which appears 80
stupendous in their eyes as to require call
upon the charity of the whole North.
We think, however, that this is q case which
ought to be left exclusively to the charity Of
Pennsylvania We of New York can have
very little comniseration for q commu-
nifty Of six thousand people who have,
without show Of resistance from solitary
inhabitant, permitted their town to be entered,
plundered aud set on fire in fifty places by q
contemplate squad Of less than fve hundred
rebel ragamufiins This is worse than Gettys-
burg, where, last summer, one brave man was
found equal to the duty of meeting the rebel
invader with musket, and as an enemy, face
to face. There is no excuse. for the people
Of Chambersburg. They were abundantly
warned of their danger months ago, and If
they decided to trust to luck, because the
ing, when called on, would cost something in
time and money, and because their lives were
too precious to be risked even of their own
doors, in facing armed rebels, they have paid
the penalty OF their folly.
The gallant young men Of New York who
went to the relief Of Harrisburg last summer
have no very pleasing stories to tell of the
patriotism and generosity Of the Pennsylvania
ans. But let that pass We only contend that
New York cannot be expected to defend Penn
syvania or to make good the losses of her people
resulting from failure on their part to lift
hand or to subscribe dollar for their own de-
fence. Let the Chambersburg peace men, suf
fering from this late rebel raid, apply to their
rich neighbors and TO the Philadelphia
Quakers and coal spectators first; and then, if
the required relief be not obtained, let them
come to New York. Charity, in all such un-
satisfactory cases as this Chambersburg mis-
fortune, ought to begin at home. Indeed, as a
case for charity, this affair should not be para
ded before the world
How THE NAVY DEPARTMENT KEEPS UP ITs
D1GNrY.-Several very Important allegations
have lately been made against the conduct Of
the Navy Department by New Yorker inter-
ested in naval matters. One was that in refer
ence to machinery the Department was guided
by man who is not sn engineer; another,
that owing to this some much needed vessels,
one quarter larger than the Kearsarge, had but
half the steam power of that vessel. Some
iron-clads were said, from the same reason, to
be SO vicously constructed that single shot
might destroy them by hitting the machinery
and would, in all probability, If even it did not
destroy the ship, sca!d the crew to death. 1t
was also alleged that merely to give patent
fees to a certain man--who no doubt was to
divide these fees-the Department ordered the
use of boilers that naval board had unani-
mously condemned, and which take up ! n
ship three times the room of better boilers.
An answer to these alterations has been
printed, we suppose at the expense of the
Navy Department inasmuca as it is issued
and circulated from the desk of Mr.. Fox, of
that department This answer does not dis
prove nor even deny the charges. 1t is merely
contemplate libel on Mr.. Dickerson, who
gave to the public statement OF the above
facts. This is the way the Navy Department of
the United States keeps up its dignity. Is it
any wonder that our navy does nothing?
STATE COUNCIL OF THE UNION LEAGUES
This body meets at Saratoga Springs to-day.
We have no doubt that the handful Of men
rrlo ,ct ct;oL N t,,at s.pL;nr copcarn inarira