Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18

THE TRIAL OF THE FRENCH HOSTAGES.
THE trial of French hostages for the
murder of German soldiers in the occu-
pied districts of France has commenced.
That crime has been committed by
French desperadoes and fanatics is, no
doubt, true, but the arrest of innocent
people as hostages is no less crime be-
cause it is done in what appears to be a
legal form. No good will come of it.
The example of the Paris Commune is
hardly fitting one to be followed by
the empire of Germany. 1t will only
help 10 intensity the bitter feeling al
ready existing between the French pco-
pie and their conquerors. Let the guilty
be punished but for the sake of Justice
and humanity let us not have, even at
the hands Of so great a man a7 Prince
Bismark. indiscriminatc punishment.
FEMALE SUFFRAGE.-GOv. Wasbbum
of Massachusetts does not commit him
seit decidedly to female suffrage though
ne evidently has leanings that way. He
says there are some moral issues, vital
to the we'll being OF the Commonwealth,
and in the solution of which woman has
deeper interest than man, upon which
he should like to have her views express
ed IN a more direct and effective manner
than is possible under our laws as they
now stand, hut the only one he specifies
is the question of allowing the sale of
ale and beer He favors the restoration
Of the old prohibitory law and its rigid
enforcement. He advises the passage of
general railroad incorporation act and
says the ultimate and speedy completion
of the Hoosag Tunnel is now beyond
doubt or dispute, and asserts that
whether the property is sold or leased,
the State should never entirely relin-
quish control of the same.
SoCTH CABoLINA.-The South Caro-
lima bondhOscers have commenced to
organize TO compel the State to fulfil its
obligations. At a meeting of the stock
hc3ders of Baltimore last night, where
fourteen persons present represented
two hundred thousand dollars worth of
the stock, it was generally conceded that
Governor Scott, Parker, the Treasurer,
Gand Kempton, the financial agent in
New York, were responsible for the
amount issued. A committee being APP
pointed to hunt up the bondholders all
over the country, we may soon expect
to hear some heavy financial artillery
firing at Columbia.
o MExIoo.-They have queer ways in
Mexico The officers of the army quar-
tered at the capital stopped the pay of
the soldiers for one day, and with the
money bought a coach and made birth
day present of it to the secretary of war.
The prefect of Orizaba demanded loan
of $4,000 from the citizens. They re-
fused, and the prefect arrested the most
prominent among them, and made
them stand on one leg during the
night. The citizens then consented to
lend the money.
FIJI ISLANDS. A pleasant report
comes from the Fiji Islands. The Euro
pean planters there have been in the habit
of kidnapping islanders and as five men
were conveying band of captives the
latter rose and assaulting the planters
chopped them in small pieces with
hatchets, which put an end to their men
stealing
LoulsIANA.-The members of the
Louisiana delegation In Congress are
equally divided in the present issue, Sen
ator West and Representatives Sheldon