The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-24
CURRENT TOPICS.

CURRENT TOPICS.
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TIE Journal OF Commerce, astaunoh old Demo-
cratic psper OF NewYork, which reflects the views
Of the commercial men Of tho country, in it's
Wednesdays issue thus refers to the Attorney
Generals opinion: eve have no special liking for
the plan Of avoiding plain issue and lodging 1t.
Under ordinary circumstances we should perhaps,
commend the legal acumen and ability evinced by
the Attorney General, and take his opinion as
fair commentary on . doubtful Law. But that it
interprets the Military Reconstruction Bill in
manner totally opposite to the intent OF Congress,
no one can doubt who reads both, and who heard
or read the discussions in Congress- when the bill
was passed We doubt whether good can come
from any attempt to avoid the distinct issue which
exists between the supporters of that bill and the
fiiends Of liberty and seltgovernment. 1t would
be much preferable if the Military Bill were held
up in ali ita naked defermity, to be inspected by
tho people Of a country once loving freedom ana
hating despotism, and to be supported or over
thrown by that people. As tis, the admnlstra-
ton Of Mr.. JOHNSON stands in an undigmied
position, endesvoring to explain away the ob}ec-
tionable features OF law which he is unwilling to
enforce, and therefore giving occasion for an
accusation OF want OF boldness. In this, as IN
many other things, the Administration ia weak.
From the commencement, Mr.. yoHNsoN has talked
boldly and aoted feebly. It would have been in
nitely better for him. and given the Radical party
much more severe blows, il he bad acted on the
theories Of his Attorney. General without publish-
ing them in this way TO be read and discussed,
witheut astion. II these are correct inter preta-,
tio1s, why has he delayed an hour in removing the
desposism which Mr. SrANBERY asserts is IN ex'
istence under sHERIpAN7 II there were more
deeds. and fewer words in the Administration it
would be better for all parties"
THERE was political riot in London on Monday
night, when Reform mob broke up Tory meet
ing. On Tuesday there was .. religious riot at
Birmingham, which is reported as q very serious
affair by the telegraph, A Catholic Chapel had
been attacked, and the city was in possession Of
the rioters, against whom a large body Of troops
had been sent. We SEQ no connection between
these two riots. The London population have
been for long time deeply excited on political
questions, and It is probable that the disturbance
on Monday was not moro breezy than similar 90
casions are With us: The Birmingham affair il,
however, OF deeper import. It is not unlike the
rotings in London q few years ago, at the Church
OF st. George in the East, the riots 30 common
ID ireland, when religious zea& and seetarian an
tipsthy arc violently iiufamed Birmingham is
crowded with popustidn Of iabners and artisans.
Many Of them are Intelligent, and af are active
and earnest Or these somsrsre Catholic md
some are Protestant The LATTER have all tie in
tensity-of British Aeshodism and ,Independency,
winch is aggressive tos degree, We use the word
in no offensive sense. Near birmingham is a coll
lees OF the Independents, and recently there have
been arrests near thst city Of parties who were cir
culstine tract in regard to the confessional At
Birmingham is ths headquarters OF the Fiaests OF
the Orstory, which Order is largely composed OF
peryerts from the English Church. A combina-
ton 81 circumstance like this would tend to bring
religious Zeal to white heat, and to make the linz
itationls between 'Ritualisss and Non-Radalists
clear and we'll defined. Out of thfsr zitualistio
agitation, t which has already astraoted che notice
Of the bishops and filed the papers, secular and
religious, with ,discnssionsra public disturbance
might easily rise. The Protestant element in Eng
land is intensely apti papal There is no org 80
ropuiar as ttno popery,n and fright or wreng Bit
,alisrn hss become econneeted in the public mind
with Ro1mshibing tendencies. 1t needs bnh . spark
70 kindle these combustible materials into flame.
Tn at ssptssfk was applied on Tuesday Precisely
how the application was made, Of what the exSit-
ing cause ,F wss, VI We do not now know. We shah
hear In duo time. This we do know, that .reiigi-
Qua passions ara more intense than any others,
moro easily aroused and more careless Of results.
.HcdR. PAnToN has made aketehY and agreeable
article out OF his statistics OF theAmericaa piano
trde trade, He estimates TINT twentysfFe thousand
pGanos Garu were tSd In the United States In
1855, and adds: Every terested and COM
petent judge with whom We have 'conversed on
this subject gives it ss bis deliberate opinion that
the best American piano is the best OF al pianos,
and the one longest capable OF resisting the effects
OF 3 trying climate; yet we cannot sell them, at
m PRESENT n any considerable numbers I'll any mar
ket but out own, Protectionists are requested to
note this faot, which is not an isolated fact fact.
Americ. possesses such an astonishing genius Tor
inventing and combining labor-sayfng machinery,
that We could now supply the world with many
Of It's choicest products! IN the teeth OF native
competition, but for the tariff, the taxes and
the imitation, which double the cost OF pro-
ducing. Tho time may come, however, when
Ne shall sell pianos Ut Paris and watches in
Io.don, aswe already do sowing g-maehnes every
where's MrstPARToN also tells us that sfhe Trade
III now pianos Is nothing to the countless transac-
tions ID old. Here figures are impossIBlej but
probably ton secon- hand pianos are sold to- one
new one. The business Of letting pianos Is also
ono Of great extent. It ls computed BY the we'll
informed that the number Of these Instruments
now out in the city Of New York, is three thou
sand. There iss one arm in Boston that usually
has thousandd ifeo o. As The rent IL Spian6 ranges
nom M six dollars R twelve dollars
both ways n s paid BY the hirerait may inferred
that this business, IS mess when conducted 6n' Urge
scale and with the requisite vigilance is not IN
profitable, In het, the income Of piano letting
bnsinass ,hss approashel eighty thousand dollars
cper annum, of which one-third was proft,
4 IGGL IIAI:l .a-.ETUO3 hi tITOi;1 lis5iL
g WHH4FE already received aceounAt sti q @ court
martial aoayeped q. QperetaFp ~ 4xnIITA, s11
,MrsanoN and Mz,LA.p. kois now Fspertedl ffom
by way Of New. Orleans, that they
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