The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-09

OF. The uame~ of Gen. Jamos Shields,
OF Indiana. aud senator Casselly, of Cal
ifornia, are talked Of lot permanent presi.
dent, though McClcrnand still has the in.
side track.
The New York delegation have APP
pointed Gov. Hoffman, chairman Mr..
Casserly, OF Albany, and MIR. Gordon, of
Delaware county, secretaries.
There seems little doubt that Greeley
will be unanimously nominated on the
first ballot
\ 1t is not believed that the boilers con-
vbntion will ever assemble.
a BENEFACToR OF MANKIND.-Rob.
EFT Dale Owen writs to the New York
Times: In your Yesterdays issue you
state that the young king of Siam" is
going about making speeches in praise
of European civilization and modes Of
life" and you accept this as "one of the
meny tokens, from Arabia to Japan Of
the softening of Asiatic prejudice against
Christian nations. Doubtless true;but the
result in this particular case is measur-
ably, if not wholly due to the influence OF
a lady now living unobtrpsively among
us, the author of "The English Cover
ness at the Siamese Court" The young
king who is now, as the Rangoon Times
has it, Overwhelming" his subjects by bis
addresses, was daily, throughout five OF
six years, the pupil of Mrs. Leonowens
A few years after she left Siam he came
to the throne, and one of his first acts
was substantially to abolish the system
of slavery, which, from time immemorial
had prevailed among the Siamese, a
system in part resembling the scridom
of Russia--the laborer attached to the
land even branded with his owners mark
in part similar to the ancient feudal
system of personal service. Siam is remote
and little known, and thus this act oil
emancipation, though it maumitted the
bondmen throughout nation of fifteen
or twenty millions Of people, has attrac'
ted but iitte attention here. There is
probably not one person in a hundred
among us who realizes the fact that such
an event-one Of the landmarks OF civil
ization--was brought about by the quiet
teachings of an English lady within the
walls Of Siamese harem. There are
hundreds less worthy of the title thar
Mrs. Leonowens who have taken rank
among the benefactors Of mankind.
CIOryt ing the President.
New YORK, July 3.
To the Editor Of the Register Mr.
Mast (who unwillingly aids Greeley BY
caricaturing him continually gives us IL
this weeks Harpers, design intended tC
glorify President Grant. The latter il
represented smoking his cigar, and alb
-mindedly treading on the tail of the
British lion. The beast, with unleonint
tears rolling from his aged eyes, squirm'
and snorts, but does not bite which i
very mild Of the lion, but still more he
roic Of the President. One looks with d
deal Of curiosity at the legends scattered
about the picture to ascertain what it al
means, and is led to infer that the artist
would typify the grand moral victory Won
oy the President over Great Britain in
the matter of the indirect claims.
This reminds Inc of a story once read
A wit, after listening to hunters thrill
ing account of his affair with large ii.
ger, in which the beast was pursued ten
miles on foot, but escaped with his hide
riddled with balls from a small revolver
drily remarked that he would like to hear
the tigers side Of the story. Then per.
haps, it might have proved that it was
the hunter who was chased ten miles and
finally escaped, leaving n morsel of his
trousers with the tiger. ] am sincerely
DESTROYS of hearing the British lions side
of the story. He would likely say that
it was not he, but the other party who
did the snarling, and was discounted. ]
think it is time for caricaturists and Ad.
ministration editors to stop eulogizing the
President and Secretary Fish for theiI
management of this Alabama business
Decidedly, the least said abont it the bet
ter. We have been out-generaled and
beaten at all points by the British states
men in our last diplomacy, and are final
ly ruled out Of court at Geneva on an is.
sue on which the administration had de-
liberately stak cd itself, leaving the two
nations where they would have stood
months ago if these indirect damages had
not been cooked up and thrust upon thu
arbitrator by surprise. In the mean
time business has suffered greatly from
the fear of the entire treaty falling
through and serious difficulty springiul
up between the two nations. That the
Alabama question is now finally on the
road to settlement is matter of congrat
ulation still one cannot help feeling hui
inflated at the sorry figure cut By oul
government at Geneva. With greater
craftsmanship and less craft at Washing
ton, this result could have been avoided
A clear understanding on the indirect
claims should have been had before the
treaty was signed. That was the origin
al blunder, and all subsequent efforts tc
rectify it have failed. The whole affair
on the American side shows the ut
ter incompetency of the administration
and the necessity OF a change. Since ouI
defeat at Geneva we must expect TO heal
the British lion roar, not gently as /
lamb, but good, loud healthy roars o
victory. 10 my opinion he is Justly en-
titled to the indulgence. Mac.
| ~ 4 T.