The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-02
Tho Late Disastrous Floods In Switzerland
An Appeal for Relief.

political agent and Consul General of Switzer
land at Washington, circular describing the
recent unparalleled calamity which has befallen
a large portion of Switzerland, and invoking
the aid of the press in behalf of measures for the
relief of the surviving victims of the disaster.
The cantons Of Tessin, Valois, Grisons,
| st. Gall and Uri have been devastated. Con
the 9th of September rain commenced to fall
| in torrents along the northern and southern
slopes of the Alps, and continued to descend,
with but little intermission for eight days.
During all this time powerful south wind
ragged furiously amid the masses Of snow and
| ice which had lain undisturbed for centuries in
their inaccessible Alpine strongholds. Every
mountain rivulet swelled into rushing stream,
every stream into torrent carrying appalling
destruction in its course. The rivers OF Tessin,
the Rhone, the Reuss, the Rhine and the Inn
in their relentless power obliterated many
| of the choicest beauties Of nature, impover-
ished thousands Of families and hurried hun
dreds to q watery grave. Whole forests, vine
yards and meadows stacked with grain have
disappeared, and in many places not vestige
of roads, bridges and fences is left; houses,
| mills and factories are torn from their fOunda-
tons, and even cemeteries and charnel houses
have been invaded, and thousands Of our
fellow beings are reduced to abiect poverty.
Along the Rhine village upon village lies half
buried in mud and debris, and every article Of
bedding and wearing apparel has either been
swept away or rendered useless in houses
where comfort and even plenty reigned, while
their verdant meadows, productive orchards
and beautiful gardens are one mass OF grayish
mud. Sixty millions of francs will fall far
short of the loss sustained"
After this vivid description Of disaster
which must be classed with the tornadoes, the
volcanic eruptions, the earthquakes and other
terrible commissions of nature which have but
lately spread CONSERVATION, misery and death
among the inhabitants Of both hemispheres, Mr..
Hitz details the generous and speedy measures
Of relief adopted by the federal government
and the different cantons of Switzerland. as
well as by the rulers and the people Of ada
cent countries, and earnestly appeals to the
numerous Swiss emigrants who have settled
in the United States, and to Americans, who
are all friends Of Switzerland, to aid in re-
lieving the sufferers. An appeal so eloquent
in behalf Of an afflicted sister republic should
surely meet at once with hearty and liberal
West. Donations can be sent to the Consul
General at Washington, District Of Columbia
either directly or through the cOnsulates at
New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, New
Orleans Galveston, Cincinnati, Chicago, st.
Louis and San Francisco. They will be re-
Switzerland, which has been organized under
the auspices Of the Swiss federal government.
Secretary Stewards Way of Putting II.
We published yesterday in full -four
columns) the oracular speech of Mr.. Seward
on Saturday afternoon at Auburn on the po-
ltical situation-a speech which has doubtless
been Chinese puzzle to most Of our readers.
After second perusal of this wonderful pro-
duction, however, we think that the venerable
Secretary desires it TO be understood in quiet
way $50 as not to give offence to Mr.. Johnson)
that, rs choice of evils, upon the whole, he
is in favor Of Grant and Colfax. He puts it
in this shape :-''The Magistrates who are to
preside, then mentioning the President and
Vice Presidency, in the work of reconciliation
hereafter ought, like those who have preceded
in former stages Of that work (meaniug Lincoln
and Hamlin and next Lincoln and johnson and
Old Ben Wade), to be men drawn from and
representing that class of citizens who main
tanned the government in the prosecution Of
the civil war "a sly dig at Sc ymonr) and in the
abolition of slavery" for, says the Sage of
Auburn. sin no other hands could the work Of
reconciliation be expected to be successful,
because different sort Of Magistrate (mean-
ing Seymour again as President would be
profoundly and generally suspected of a will
ingncss to betray Ga hint at the Tammauy Con-
vention affiliations with Wade Hampton and
Company the transcendant public interests
which were guided aud secured by the war"
The meaning of all this beating about the
bush is that Mr.. Seward having looked into
the results of the October elections, has come
to the conclusion that Grant and Colfax will
probably be elected. This is the diplomatic
style VI tHo otCIctaly VI SIdtc, anu ~ DchtS
the verbiage of Seymour all hollow.
The Gold Discoveries in Asia and Africa.
In another place in this days HERALD we
publish full account of the new gold fields in
Asia and Africa. The Asiatic fields do not as
yet offer much encouragement, and the jea-
lousy which the Chinese manifest towards
foreigners effectually bars hope of success for
the present. 1t is quite otherwise in Africa
The yields have not as yet been great but the
promise is abundant. II will not at all sur
prise us if this gold discovery in South Africa
leads 10 results quite as momentous as the gold
discoveries some years ago in California and
Australia. A historian recently deceased, and