The New York herald., 1871-10-15

essentially apostolic, and individuals permit.
ted to choose their own priests and to travel
toward eternity on their own path and after
their own particular fashion. King Louis may
become such man ~ was Henry the Eighth
in England.
Those Other Fires In tho Wese and Thsir
disastrous Consequences.
The immediate wants of Chicago being
relieved, our attention s again drawn from tho
one hundred thousand people Of that unfortu-
nate city, whose homes disappeared in tho
late fire, to the thousands of souls left home
less and destitute from those other fires In the
West, extending from the shores of Lake
Michigan, hero aud there, to the Plains os
Dakota and even to the Rocky Mountains.
The reports which have come to us for several
days-nay, for several weeks past--of tho
losses of tho people Of Michigan from their
forest fires, involving in their work Of de-
struction not only numerous farmhouses, OUT
buildings, mills and crops stored away, but
whole towns and hamlets, present US paia-
tul plCLtITc VI uo 5uuCAiuSC Vi tuO uuuui CuU
and thousands Of people who, from those
resistless fires, have escaped only with their
lives Next to Michigan in her losses from
these sweeping forest fires comes the State Of
Wisconsin, though it is probable that Minne-
sofa, from the fires in her forests and prairies.
has suffered more in the destruction Of houses
and crops than either Michigan or Wisconsin
Iowa, Nebraska and Dakota have also, from
their autumual prairie fires, suffered to some
extent; but from their abonnding resources
they will be abundantly able to take care Of
their comparatively few unfortunate people.
Nor can we imagine that in Minnesota, the
greatest wheat-producing State in the Union,
any immediate suffering will be permitted
among her thrifty and iarge-hearted farmers,
who have not been touched by these consuln-
ing fires; but in Michigan and Wisconsin re-
lief from beyond their borders is urgently de-
manded- Tho authorities of every county in
all these States, that have suffered to any ssri-
GUS extent from these fires, should appoint
committees to look after the families left dcs-
titute, and make the needful arrangements to
carry them through the long winter that il
before them, the first blasts Of which are now
the wants Of those destitute people are only
known they will be supplied; but responsible
and trustworthy men should be chosen to act
in this business. The rich city Of Detroit il
doing and will do much for Michigan, and the
rich city Of Milwaukee for Wisconsin, and
a;t IF fhooa csfiau hovn foi1 1od Oil fail
in reference to Chicago; but still we appre-
hend that the destitution resulting from those
sweeping Michigan and Wisconsin forest fires
will need outside assistance in view OF the
long, hard winter to be provided for. Let tho
local authorities concerned find out and mako
they will be relieved, for generous charity d
the crowning virtue of the age we live in.
Looking beyond the immediate misfortunes
resulting from these forest fires In the West,
aud TO their probable effects upon the climate
and prosperity of the States and Territories
directly concerned, we are appreheusive Of
the most serious consequences. The great
want of all that vast section Of the United
States lying between the immediate trough Of
the Mississippi River and the mountain range
which skirts the Pacific coast in the want Of
rain, and the deficiency Of rain in different
localities is in proportion to the deficiency Of
timber II the Great Plains between the
Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains wera
covered with timber they would be blessed
with bountiful rains even through tho summer
season. If you strip Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and Michigan Of their timber you make them
as rainless as the Great Plains. The vast
warm water basins of the Gulf Of Mexico and
the Caribbean Sea furnish vapor enough to
water abundantly all the Continent east of tho
Rocky Mountains, but that which Is not con-
densed on the land passes over into the Allan
tic and is lost The subject is one Of vital inn
portance to the West, and il demands the
| earliest attention of Congress and the States
directly interested, in view of some general
! system Of measures for the preservation and
enlargement instead of the universal destruc-
ton, q tes f9Ss'ts " qpI- tQ2 tllnly tiReerea
States and Territories, Or for the prevention, 1t
all events, Of these sweeping annual fires, be-
| coming from year to year more and moro do
| structivc In the forest and the prairies to life
| and property.
TIE WEEK IN WALL STREET will doubtless
be remembered among such historical epochs
az the Morse panic of 1864 and the Black
Friday pacic Of 1869. Many Of the leading
railway .tocks suffered an enormous decline.
Good, bad and indifferent were alike carried