The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-12
Fisk or the Susquenanna-The Graud Pau-
jandrum Takes the Field.

and here II is. In the valley Of the Susque-
hanna there are stirring times. That hitherto
placid region was the chosen home of the
Angel OF Peace, but he, poor rustic, has wiped
the smut from his fragment Of smoked glass
and his forehead, folded the little linen he
owns, packed his Russian leather bag, and
taken his departure, slipping away by an
express train, having been surprised with his
wings out for repairs In his stead comes,
slowly rising above the line of the horizon.
the burly figure of Fisk, Jr., the hero of
hundred fights and victories-the man OF inte-
rior lines aud exterior equanimity. There is
hum of many voices-a hubbub, clamOr-the
noise of hustling al nd jostling, and the dust of
the struggle fills the air, so that the only
thing that is definite is Fisk, Jr. He comes
out as round and clear "a that part of the
moon that first thrust its impudent periphery
between US and the sun on Saturday last at
one minute past five p. NJ. He is the only
thing that is ell defined; but there are other
| figures dimly seen in the edge of the glory
| that blazes out from his person like
the circle of splendor around Chinese
| giant made Of fireworks There is some
| mysterious creature named Ramsey, touch
ing whom tradition and history are
equally silent; there are five hundred persons
called the Indignant public" gathered to-
| gether in Albany and shouting for Ramsey
there are captured trains, burned bridges,
judges furiously and rapidly issuing injunc
tons; the very air is darkened with writs and
with sherils hurrying madly up and down with
those puerilities of the law. Then there is the
Governor encouraging the diversion by declar-
| ing that whoever gets possession shall be pro-
| tected therein; and, better than all, there are
| the militia soldiers marching through the blue
| and rose-colored fire, the excellent band
playing
C'est i'm fameux regiment,
lie regiment de la Grande Duches5e.
Hurrah for the militia
Then we have the Governor again. This
time he threatens to apply the radical cure of
martial law, which, as is known to all "mussy"
persons, both in this country and Europe, has
sting like VIPER" seize the road in the
name of the Executive and run it as military
line under the urgency of a military necessity.
| The very announcement of such plan had
| soothing effect. The belligerents were aston
ished, sobered and finally soothed, at least for
the moment. They appeared as if rejoiced
| that any person or power came be-
| tween them TO ''hold on to them
and calm the ''hurly burly" even tempo
rarily. 1t was agreed to hand the matter
road, quarrel and all-over to the Governor,
saving the rights of the contestants, let him
retain it for while, and then see how it would
''come out" Governor Hoffman, in the mean
time, ''went in, as invited. He appointed
gentleman to represent him-a sort of con-
| densed railroad king-assume the RESPONSE
bility and s'work" the road on the ''one man
power" principle. This has been carried into
effect, and all refractory members are likely to
be pushed aside equally, after the fashion Of
Oliver Cromwell and the first Bonaparte. The
precedent may herald grand revolution in
| the matter Of railroad management for if the
| Governors man is able to ''tOol the coach,
after the others have failed, why not an execu-
| tive man be appointed to run each line or all
| the lines in the State, under authority of law.
Good may ''come out of evil"
|
tanning and distracting middle Of modern
times. 1t is better than the anti-rent war
fifty times better than Grants visit to Long
Branch. GLOW is 1t he didn't go to Saratoga,
since there are races up thereO Nobody
would think of comparing Bismarcks Sadowa
war to this war on the banks of the
beautiful Susquehanna for Bismarck is not so
stout as Fisk, and whereas that war lasted
only seven days this will last great deal
longer. There is no use to make the COMPARE
son seriatins with all the great events Of our
time, from the coup d6tat to the battle of
Prince and Turk. 1t is sufficient to say that
this surpasses them all in the dramatic and
epic elements, and we are confident that If
Fisk owned q poet Achilles Ulysses, Diomedes
and all those fellows would appear as atomites
beside him. The confusion Of the thing is 50
beautiful It is 50 exqaisiteiy hincomprehensl-
be. This, indeed, Is, critically speaking, the
great point. All ordinary uproars are soon
seen through. We know them as we know the
incidents Of ride in city horse car. And
it is this familiarity that breeds contempt for
them as commonplaces We defy anybody
to have similar contempt for Fisk's doings.
He evidently believes in Burke, and means to
be sublime by keeping just 10 the outer limit
Of popular comprehension.
No doubt the public would be sorry TO have
this fine row degenerate into simple thing
that they could understand but this need not
cause them to regret that Fisk has written
letter explaining his case. He does not OK
plain it, OF course. He is not 30 foolish 90 10
make these matters plain. True, he seems
for moment To argue very straightforwardIy
that he acts in the interest of owners of the