The Portland daily press., 1867-08-08

ping. Thebreadth Of the North River between
the New York and Jersey sides is Just about
one mile and the average rise and fall of the
tide about four feet No part of the harbor Of
New York is so well adapted to improved facil-
ties which the commercial world is looking for
in New York, as Communipaw. 1t will be in
teresting to commercial men everywhere to
know that these companies have commenced
here the building of piers, docks, ships and
warehouses which will cost millions of dollars.
AT Gowanus, on the Brooklyn side of the har-
Dor, like improvements are also contemplated;
and it is expected, by the time the new bridge
is stretched across East River, a system of pier
and dock improvements will be so far in pro-
gress, through private enterprise, as to wake
up the sleepy Dutchmen of New York and
push them into plan of docks and piers that
shall rival those of the Thames and the Mer-
sey. Once the "Stars and Stripes" were said
to be floating on every sea. War has checked
American commerce for season, but it must
recover. There must, there shall be no obsta-
Gle to the march Of commerce that American
force and ingenuity cannot overcome. A great
point to be obtained is the rousing of New
York to the responsibility of her position as
the grand commercial centre of the Western
World-and this will be done. NASSAU
PRESIDENT LINcoLN's PREsENTMENT.-Mr
Pierrepont in the course of his closing argu-
ment for the government in the Surratt trial,
made the following interesting statements
All governments are of God, and for some
wise purpose the Great Ruler Of all. by pre-
sentiments, portents, and by dreams, sends
CHI fIaxrr ,Ne.
when great disaster is to befall nation. So
| was it in the days of Saul-when Caesar was
killed-when Brutus died at Phillippi-so was
it when Christ was erucified-so was il when
Harold fell at the battle of sHastings-so was
it when the Gar was assassinated-so was
it before the bloody death of Abraham Lin
coin, President of the United States. In the
Life of. Caesar, by De Quincy, in the life of
Pompey by Plutarch, is given the portents
that came to warn Pompey. Here it is we
in all cases, and never in the whole history of
the would has there been single instance
when the assassins of the head OF govern
ment have not been brought to punishment.
The assassin of a ruler never has escaped,
though he has taken "the wings of the morn
ing and fled to the uttermost parts of the
earth." On the morning of April IA, Mr.. Lin
coin called his Cabinet together. He had rea-
SON to be joyful, but he was anxious to hear
from Sherman. Grant was here, and he said
feared, and related dream which he had had
the night before-a dream which he had had
previous to Charlottesville and Stone River
and whenever disaster had sppened.-The
members of the Cabinet who heard that rela-
ton will never forget it. A few hours after
ward Sherman was not heard from--but the
dream was fulfilled. A disaster had befalleu
the Government, and Mr.. Lincoln's spirit re.
turned to the God who gave it, The dream
i Mr.. Pierrepont did not relate the dream, bu,
we find the following account of it in the
Washington Chronicle: 49,
This dream he had the night before his as
sassination, and the next day he mentioned
the fact to General Grant, among others, say
ing that he feared some great evil and ex
pressing strong desire to hear from Sher
man, who was then in North Carolina, anC
whose army was the only one not in telegraph
lc communication with Washington. Judge
-Plerrepont did not relate the dream itself: bu
Mr.. Lincoln related it before his death and
like everything in any way connected will
that sad tragedy, it cannot fail to have mos
4 pathetic interest. He seemed to be at sea in Z
vessel, that was swept along by an irresistible
current toward maelstrom, from which il
seemed no power could save her,
Faster and faster the wlrling waters sweep
the fated ship toward the vortex, until, looking
.iown into the black abyss, amid the deafenins
roar of the waves, and with the sensation @
of sinking down, down an unfathomable deptb
the terrified dreamer awOke. The same terri
BILE dream Mr.. Lincoln had four times; frs
before the first battle of Bull Run, again befor,
the second disastrous defeat at the same place
again before the battle of Murfreesboro, ant
/ finally, as above mentioned on the night befor,
his own assassination. Mr.. Lincoln bad a
last come to recognize the dream as potent O
some grave disaster, and one can hardly con
slider his so regarding it mere Superstition
Whether we attribute it to some Supernatural
agency or not, it is certainly one of the most in
teresting psychological mysteries.