The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-22
The Ge..y.burs National Asylum.

The Gettysburg National Asylum.
The country is being constantly flooded with
lotteries, gift enterprises and other outrageous
swindles, and circulars Astounding in extrava-
giant promises are scattered broadcast in every
city, town and village This kind Of swindling
prepares the minds of the people to look with
suspicion on all kinds Of gift enterprises. Yet
there are some which deserve at least con-
eideration and examination, and among these
is the Association formed for the purpose of
founding an asylum for our disabled veterans.
TIE ostensibe object Of the Gettysburg Asylum
Association is to provide national homo for
our invalid soldiers, similar to the Hotel des In
valides in Paris or the Greenwich and Chelsea
hospitals in England Now, this is very laud
able and patriotic foundation for an enterprise.
The only trouble is that gift undertakings do
not always fulfil what they promise. A bellige-
rent member of Congress jumps up in his seat
IN the House and says that the Gettysburg
Asylum enterprise is humbug. Now, this is q
very serious charge, and one which should
not be made except on good grounds. The
grounds for such charge are not given and.
although all the proceedings Of the National
Asylum scheme have been so far characterized
with honesty and fair play, yet this Mr.. Van
Wyck Eliminates the thunders Of his eloquenoe
against it 1t proposes to hold gift festival
next month in New York and Philadelphia,
and distribute the presents to the lucky draw
ers in the selfsame manner in which the gifts
at the grand presentation festival for the ben
eft Of the Soldiers Orphan Asylum was con-
Quoted last year. The latter festival was an
entire success, and gave satisfaction to all con-
nected with It 1t was conducted under the
auspices of some Of our most eminent citizens,
and every encouragement was extended to it.
If the Gettysburg Asylum affair, which GER
tainly has an excellent object in view, prove
humbug, then why should the Legislature of
Pennsylvania grant 1t q charter, and why
should the names of some Of our most eminent
thing in the world to unmask humbug of this
kind but 1t is very serious thing for men,
Der OF Congress to inveigh against it without
being able to prove his assertions The object
of the Association Is Of the noblest kind, and
its arrangements have been so far satisfactory.
Let impartial justice, then, be done to i. by
the national legislature and the people.
PRoGnEss OF PUdnLsx.-We have already
chroniclcd the arrival of several English pugil-
lists, whom the growing odium Of their trade
at home may have induced to leave their
country for their country's good. They have,
however, been most Hospitality welcomed here
Yesterday, for instance, we published GLOW
ing account OF pugilistic exercises in honor of
one Of them. In several of the encounters on
this occasion our reporter testaies that the
blows fell SO thick and fast as forcibly to show
"feeling to a considerable extent on either
side;" but not, Of course, ''ihe fellow feeling
that makes us wondreus kind" But the
most striking commentary on the pro-
gress OF pugilism In our midst was
the report-which also appeared in yester-
days HERALD-of a fatal prize fight which
took place on Sunday on Bloody Island Zap
propriately named) In Illinois, just opposite
St Louis, in Missouri In this murderous
fight Dennis Reardon, light weight eighteen
years Of age, pummelled his adversary, Thomas
McCann, to death. He and six other persons
were arrested. II we continue to pay extraor-
binary honors TO the exlled English pugilists
we must expect to have TO record many more
deadly encounters like this.
GAMBLERS DEMoRALEEp INTo THrEvEs.-That
hard times demoralize history has always
shown. Within few days we find that de-
moralzation has extended so far as not only to
necessitate the closing Of several "hells," but
also to convert at least two gay gamblers into
thieves. Two Individuals, whom the detectives
describe as Well known in the more fashion
able circles Of Fighters with the tiger" have
been arrested on the charge Of being impli-
Gated in the recent theft Of fifteen thousand
dollars from the Bank of the Republic. One Of
these gamblers turned thief has, II is said,
"been for some time past acting as bull' in
Wall street speculations." Had he confined
himself to Wall street speculations, or even to
his equally hazardous risks at the faro table,
who knows but that in due time he might have
been elected to Congress But both he and
bis friend seem to have decided in favor Of the
alternative offered TO their ambition and TO
have laid their plans 10 60 to the Penitsntiary
-