The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-30
CURRENT TOPICS.

BIaMARCK hccently, noWcNef, IL sSu'ui>", III
long leader, to critcise very mildly the treatment
of the annexed provinces. The Government con-
sor ordered the suppression Of the obnoxious arti-
Gle. Itwas too late to replace it, and the Gazette
appeared with its first two columns blank. This
ia the natural result of monarchcal form OF gov
ernment, but We have experienced as despotie aud
arbitrary measures as the above on moro than one |
occasion at the hands Of the military representa-
tives Of Republican Government. While Gen.
GROVER was in command of this city, he net only
suppressed this journal three times for daring to
criticise some few tyrannical movements such as
the needless desecration of tho Roman Catholic bu-
rying ground, which was perpetrated uui inc
pretence that it was absolutely necessary to run
line of earthworks directly through the cemetery;
again, because we protested in behalf OF the cltl
zens of Savannah, against the dangerous habit
Of storing powder and ammunition In an
uneuarded warehouse in the heart OF the
city. For doing this wo wore ordered,
not to suppress on article, but to permanently
cease the publication Of our journal For daring
to charge few drunken soldiers of the garrison
with improper conduct in the public streets, and
insulting unarmed citizens, petty satrap, clothed
in the sovereign power Of provost marshal,
threatened to demoIsh our establishment and ]
give us an armed escort to the grim bastlle on the
outskirts Of our city. And to make matters still
more interesting, we have been informed upon au-
thority Of tho most reliable kind, that a certain
military chieftan while conversing with couple
of civilians day or two ago, generously lntlmated
that all newspaper people should be sent out OF
of the country who dare presume to question any
edict issued in behalf OF the royal feathers CT
pomp. For our part We have been so accustomed
to these ssorders," warnings" threats, sup
pressions," 'arrests," 'imprisonments," and 'ban-
ishments, because of an undue familiarity with
conscience, pen, ink and paper-and all done in
the name OF Justice and freedom-that they have
ceased to have any terror for us, and do not even
possess the attraction of novelty. "Banished
what's banished, but set free from daily contact
with the things loathe." ,.
A WRITER in the Arqosy corrects some popular
misappfehsnsions. He says: '"-here are, per-
hsps, few subjects connected with the Belgians
upon which there is greater inexactness OF state
ments with people who have not been among
them than upon the language of the country. You
hear it commonly said that Flemish is the in
dieenous language of the country, but that the
upper classes speak French. Now, In the hrst
place. this statement does not quite represent the
fact and, in the second, people who adopt 1T have
not in general any very distinct idea of what they
mean by Flemish The truth is that Belgium
has two indigenous languages. Speaking roughly,
if you draw a line across the map from about
Lille to Liege, the indigenous language South OF
the line is WALTON, an old form Of French, but one
which you cannot understand although you may
understand French; and North Of the line the
indigenous language is what they very proper.
" call, not Flemish, but LIE Neerlandais- Neither
and dish. I say they very properly. call it by
this name, because it is the same language,
with only dialectic differences, as that spoken
in Holland, which We ordinarily call Dutch.
Every Belgian, then, has one or other OF these
two either the WALTON or the Netherlandish
his native language. And beyond this almost
eyery Belgian OF education whether in the north
or the south, speaks French. Indeed, in Brussels
itself French seems to be the ordinary language
adopted in the better classes Of society; and,
though the constitution distinctly forbids the es-
tabhshment by Law Of any particular language as
the vernacular French is practically the language
Of the government. Further north French does
not appear to have obtained quite the same foot
ing among the more cultivated sections OF the
people. once was present in the north at q meet
ing Of committee consisting Of one Of their lead
ing ecclesiastcs, most eminent artist, and we'll
known man Of letters, and was surprised to find
that they conducted their business in Netherland.
ish. On my remarking the circumstance to the,
last nained Of the threo and saying that expected
that polished men would have conversed together
in French, he replied that to them it was matter
of perfect Indifference; that sometimes they
adopted one language and sometimes tae other
THz New YORK HERAID of Sunday contains the
Iollowin brief statement Of the situation in Eu-
rope For tho last few days our cable news re-
earding the doings of the Emperors NAPOLEON
and FRANCIS JOSEPH, at Salzburg, has been
strangely contradictory. All that we do know for
certain is that the Emperors have met, that they
have taken into their gracious consideration the af
fairs OF the worl6 generally giving attention to the
affairs of Europe in particular, and that all things
have been directed with special regard to
the supposed interests Of France. This ls the sum
Of our substantial knowledge regarding the doings
of this celebrated salzburg Congress. There are
some things, however, regarding this Congress,
which, though we have not had them stated to us
in go many words, it is perfectly safe to infer Ma
po1EpN has, by implication, declared himself hos
tile TO United Germany with Prussia at its head
The breach between Prussia and France is widen
es: The entente .coraials which evidently subsists
between France and Austria both in regard to
Germ any and the East, will tighten the cords
which bind together Russia and Prussia. The
peace Of Europe, as natural and necessary conse-
quence, is seriously imperilled, We augur no good
from the proposed interference of FRANCIS JOSEPH
in the matter Of North Schleswig. It might have
been better, too,. i The Emperors had been silent
regarding Mexico; for many competent judges are
Of opinion that both Of them have had enough OF
Mexico in particular and Of the American continent
In general Europe never had before her a. moro
doubtful or more perilous future. She is about to
pass through revolution OF the most serious
charac cter. Ere it is ended we may sea ALEXANDER
u in Constantinople and VICTOR EMANUEL in
RoaE, and the ReraiPs fears may be justified in
Mexioo proving the Moscow of tho second French
empire.
TIE FOLLOWING is'an extract from me deIence
Of SURRATr by Mr.. MERR1oK, one of his counsel,
vindicating him from the imputation Of having
virtually confessed his guilt by flight from the
country. In our judgment it is entitled to rank
With the finest specimen OF forensic eloquence on
record: ''Says the District. Attorney,l SURRATT
has cpnfessed his guilt by fght-fight from
mother over whose head was impending such
sad fate. Gentlemen o. the jury, he knew not
of her condition until she was executed, or
about that time and when he got the
! information he was restrained BY force
from coming. This VIC we're ready to prove.
Fyl What else could he do2 Suspicion of
guilt in that day was certainty of convic-
ton. Military commissions wore organized, not
to try, but to condemn. Who of you would not