Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-06-27
FOREIGN NEWS

fUhElGH @HEWS.
European dispatches announce the appoint
ment OF Count Bismarck as Chancellor of the
North German Confederation. England has
joined IN urging upon the Sultan an in7estiga
ton OF the affairs in Gambia By European
commission. lctor Hugo has addressed 4
powerful appeal to President Juar5z, invoking
him 10 spare the ME OF Macmillan. Cholera
has broken out IA Sicily, and prevails there as
well as IN some lew other portions Of the Italian
territory !ncluulng lSome, whereof has been to
more or less extent rsomc time mast, !
ROME June 25.-Thcrc are already assem-
bled in this city four hundred Catholic preiates
--archbishups and bishops and some thou
sands of priests, who have iourueyed from their
sees, to be present at the celebration Of the
eighteen hundredth anniversary Of St. Peters
martyrdom. Crowds are coming from all parts
Of the world. The Bishops from The u. $.
who have already arrived are lodged in the
different converts within the city. Great prep
arations are being made for the festival of Sa,
turday and the services aud ceremonies OF Sun
day. St. Peter Church will be illuminated in
the evening of that day. ,.........
FLORENCE, June 25.-The feeling prevailing
just now in Italy against the clergy is very Bit
ter. On Monday, the festival of ST. John, the
patron Saint OF the city of Florence, the people
refused to i0in the ccceslastc3 Ia It's ObScrV-
nnce, Tor The reason that the clergy refused to
celebrate the national festival OF free Italy two
weeks ago
The oIDEN TIN1Es-and VIC don't have to
20 back hundred years either toi' the ''olden
times" We that aTc not yet forty can rccol-
lect the fashions, and manners, and costumes
and habits, and sayings, and doioga, and long
list Of things that are now out OF date An
expression made use Of by President johnson,
in his reported reply to tie invitation o. The
Boston Masona to visit that city, recalls TO MOD
one Of The almost forgotten customs Of tie
past. The President said " after | come
back from Raleigh will 90 to Boston, iSnd
willing, as the preachers used to say IN old
candle light prayer meetings. In The 'oidcn
time, :" before gas, camphcne Or Eeroaenc, or
any other dangerous invention OF the nitrG-Ely-
cerine order, was introduced into ollr country
churches it vas customary to light them up
Tor preaching and prayer meetings with com
mon taow candles, and in making their ap-
pointmenta the elders or deacons OF preachers
were ia the habit Of laying that the meetings
for whatever purpose it na lat be, 'God will
Ing, - would take place on such a night ii
early candle Lighting,
This was the most definite time that could
be fixed upon, because, where watches and
clocks were scarce, and men had 10 count then
hours by the changes Of the SIN > Journey, most
everybody could tell when early 'candlr-li"hI-
ing" time arrived.
But in these days Of tclcgraph&, Of steam
boats, OF railroads, OF photography, OF Atlantic
cables, Of phosphorus or loco-Ioco matches, o!
GAS and Ratlicaliam, all Of which things We're
unknown in the days Of "early lighting, -
it is not singular that people should not be ig-
noraut OF the venerable and Anticipated customs
Of those happy, primitive times when We rode
in stage coaches an! canal boats, paid twenty
five cents TO send 4 letter twenty miles In ten
days, and had 10 borrow fire from our nciGhbor
each morning, if the servant had neg lcctcd 10
cover the cmbcrA on the hearth, and permitted
the flame 10 die ont.
Give us back the GOOD old times, the happy
days OF candle-light prayer meeting, and we
will surrender interest IN the ten cylinder
mrntiug-prcss, the telegraph, the raiIrnad pc
troleum borcs, California gold, the modern
prize ring, gas, the steamboats,, RailcaIl%ni
the great rebellion, and all Lll: other lll9 our
flesh has fallen heir to through the $IFcrabun-
dance Of inventive genius, and will still ,LG in
the stage coach, and be content to borrow levy
live Goals from orr ncighbor to tart orr fire
with on frosty morning, and smoke a corn
cob pine instead Of i lncerschaun 49, Hichmonh
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