The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-29
The Season Of Earthquakes aud Volcanoes
Financial, Political and Other Warnings.

The Season Of Earthquakes aud Volcanoes
Financial, Political and Other Warnings.
We live in days Of portentous warnings to
man, both in his humanity and pocket, warnings
visible in the heavens, warnings coming from
the bowels of the earth, and warnings realized
to sad actually in Wall street, that terrestrial
mean or unquiet New York limbo which
stands between both. We chronicled the late
grand meteoric display in our columns despite
the calculations of Professor Loomis, and
enlightened the American Continent on the
subject of the last eclipse of the sun with equal
promptitude and energy, showing how the
New England savant was mistaken in the
first instance and how the chickens and
roosters in Washington and South Carolina
were equally deceived as to the hour
in the latter and went to sleep and
chanticleered the dawn of morn at the most
unreasonable moments, and all within the
current of a day which had barely attained its
post meridian. The gold crash came along
very suddenly and there were rulled feathers
and nngainly limps observable in the ''street"
on the inklings of financial advice which
appeared in our paper almost daily for some
time previously.
Now we have subterranean upheavings,
volcanoes in eruption and earthquakes and
tremors of the globe. Mount Etna is ablaze,
the island of st. Thomas-shaky at the best
although about to come into the Unon-has
experienced another earthquake, and Mount
Colma in Mexico, has made fiery endeavor
either to exceed the eruptions of the politicians
of that portion Of the Continent or to attract
their attention, If possible, to something at
once sublime and awful. The realities are not
deemed sufficient, however, for in the very
midst Of the commotion comes along pro-
lessor who assures us that he does not know
the moment when the entire line of country
which fringes the South Pacific will be
unhinged, and the interior tablelands and noun
tains and mines Of the different republics re-
cede, dear knows where, and thus, we presume,
become so inextricably mixed up in territory
that it will take many generations of future
presidents and generals, with reams and
reams Of pronunci0mient0s, to unravel them.
Western Mexico is alarmed and agitated, and
its inhabitants waiting, as usual, for ''some-
thing to turn up"
1t is well, during such an exciting crisis, for
people to keep their eyes fixed pretty steadily
on Mount Etna and Wall street. They are,
after all, the great centres of action equally
for the subtle imponderables and the solid sub
enthusiastically, inter-terrestrial fame,
sulphur, lava, ashes, bills of exchange and
notes of hand and gold. They will serve to
guide men, both for here and hereafter, if their
signs and murmurings are only received and
read and Interpreted in q proper spirit. Mount
Etna told of the advent of the Austro- Italian
war, and Vesuvius in It's upheavings excited
the revolutionary leaders even when in COM
plete sway in Naples. Colima heralded Maxi
milan. The basalt foundations of st. Thomas
impugned the American Danish treaty of pur-
chase Immediately, an earthquake lifting our
flag, with couple Of our noblest war vessels
right out Of the ocean, and landing our gallant
tars high and dry on its unstable soil.
Lord Clarendon, Napoleon, Pope Plus TX,
Dr. Cumming, Father Hyacinthe, in truth all
men Of sseh like minds, read these warnings in
the same light which we do. They foresee great
changes. They are, however, alarmed; we
are not. Hence the visit of the British Pre-
mier to Paris, Napoleon's retirement to an in
valid couch, Eugenies strange desire to visit
the Turks, the Independent spirit OF Egypt,
Pere Hyacinthes retreat from N6tre Dame,
the Ecumenical Council, and DR.. Cummings
wish to attend it. Nature, in her great hidden
depths, is In active motion, and using her
occult power with extraordinary effect. Man
feels the influence, but, being himself-ac-
cording to Byron at least-''a phenomenon"
and wonderful beyond all wondrous measure"
he cannot comprehend it, Hence the puzzle.