The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-17


exhibition of captive balloon at the Central
Park, in which people who desired 1t were
taken up and married off hand for ten dollars, |
including the clergyman's fee.
Such are q few of the adventures, real and |
ims ginary, which have occurred in mid-air. |
They are curious and interesting, but they /
are surpassed by those which are occurring |
: at and around Paris. Balloons, it seems, are |
leaving the besieged city quite as often, to
say the least, as ocean steamers leave New |
York for Europe. Intelligence has, indeed, |
reached us by this means which we might |
have failed to get by any other. Last Friday |
week M. Gambetta, the French Minister of
War, up in o balloonwith the intention, if |
possible, of communicating in person with
his colleagues at Tours. Actuated apparently
by desire to see what would happen to M.
Gambetta, and possibly not unwilling to
get out of Paris, two American gentlemen
ascended in another balloon at the same time.
The two balloons we're in the first place de-
layed for two days by lack of wind, and they
seem to have had too little for their purpose
when they finally went up. For, at the con-
venient height of eight hundred yards, they
found themselves stationary while directly
over the Pfussian camp. The Prussans ma
turally began to fire at them, using first mus
kerry and then cannon. The effect of this
on the nerves of the adventurers must have
been more novel than agreeable. However,
used fuses and other scattering missiles,
hoping to set fire to the balloons. At 3
o'clock, on Friday, the two sets of voyagers
parted company, but both landed in safety,
the conveyance of M. Gambetta at Mont
Dider, and that of the Americans at Roye, in
the Department of the Somme. Both par
ties met at Amiens and journeyed together
by special train to Tours.
The adventures of M. Gambetta were
more thrilling than those of the Americans.
His balloon began to fall almost instantly
after clearing the walls of Paris. Much bal
last was discharged, and the machine rose
and passed slowly over the Prussian lines
Again the machine descended near Creil
where Prussians were seen close by. Closer
and closer to the earth it came, and capture
was imminent. In hot haste the party threw
out more ballast, overcoats, shawls, opera
| glasses, and even their pistols. 1t was almost
| too late. The enemy we're upon them with
rush, but at the critical instant the balloon
rose again majestically into the air. A vol
| ley of musketry few hurtling after it, and
| bullet passed through M. Gambettas hair,
and another, it is said, through his hand.
No further harm was done, and the machine
| sped on. Near Mont Didier it dropped again,
| got entangled among the trees, and was torn.
| The travellers contrived to extrieate them
selves, to secure a vehicle with swift horses,
| and to dash forward for Amiens But on
the skirt of the wood where they landed,
and within half mile of where the balloon
struck the trees, were the PrussIans.
All this is impressive as well as entertain
ing. 1t is not every nation which has Min
| lister of War willing to take such risks for his
country. There is dash and romance about
M. Gambetta's achievement we'll calculated
to please the French temperament, and to in
spire among his countrymen new hope and
energy. If messengers can come safely apd
ind afipifa al nf with nu
news the gloomy isolation of siege will be
divested of no considerable part of its ter
rors. We have not to be sure, yet heard of
snybody's returning to Paris who had man
aged to get out of it in this way; but such a
return, for obvious reasons, is less important.
There is another lesson taught by M. Gam
bettas enterprise, and that is the lesson of
example. If only Messrs. Tweed, Connolly,
Barnard, and few more of their kidney
would go up like M. Gambetta in balloon,
we can assure them that they would win uni
versal gratitude by their enterprise, and that
they would be heartily forgiven if they never
came down again.
A SHORT READING OF CERTAIN ELEC-
TION LAWS.
From the NJ Y. World.
The Tribune having announced that Mar
shall Sharpe viii have no more hesitation in
''callipg for bayonets" to enforce what the
|
Gregory had in Philadelphia, we have looked
into the action of tho latter as avowed in his
answer to Mayor Fox, and have with equal
care examined and collated the late acts of
Congress in the official and authorized edi-
tion, in order to see what warrant of law
Marshal Gregory had for marching a COM
pany of marines to the polls Let it be un-
derstood that we take Mr.. Gregorys own
statement of the facts and citation of the law
If, as the Tribune threatens, this proceeding
is to be repeated in New York, it is important
to our citizens and to all official persons,
State or Federal, to know by what autho,i y
of law, and on what occasions, if any, the
marshal or any other Federal officer can ''call
for bayonets."
1t appears from Marshal Gregory's state.
ment that under the sixth section of the act
of July IA, 1870, he had appointed number
of deputies to attend the polls; that the Law
defines the duties of such deputies to be
'to preservs order at such elections and tC
arrest for any offense or breach of the, peace
. committed in their view" that he was in
9 formed that colored voters were being ex
4 cluded from the polls; that some of hil
t deputies had been arrested by the police anG
a thereupon for the purpose of protecting the
q deputies, he ordered up O company o.
, marines 'for the preservation of the peac,
Q and as matter of absolute necessity" HI
q further claims that under one of the provi
i sions OF the same act it was his "duty Il
y take cognizance of the offense (of obstFuct
n ing negro voters, we presume) and to see t.
the enforcement of the law" He does no
IS say that he held any judicial process.
IS Two laws were passed at the late session O
J, Congress, of which we shall give a careful
i analysis so far as their provisions relate t.