The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-29
GENERAL NEWS.

The Centennial Commission has re-
ceived frornthe Department at Washington
correspondence of an official character be-
tween our Minister at Mexico and J. M.
Lafragua, the Mexican Minister of Foreign
Affairs. In it Mexico accepts the invita-
ton to be represented in, the Centennial
Exposition, and that it will organize a COM
mittee for the purpose in this country and
Mexico.
The iEtimation comes from Phiadel-
phia that, notwithstanding the inducements
of the splendid reward of $25, 900 to be
won, the police and detectives have wearied
of their unsuccessful search after the kid
mapped boy Charlie Ross; and that the
labor is now to be given over to the hands
of Pinkerton's people. AS their arrange
ments for catching criminals extend over
pretty much the whole country, there is
hope that they may effect something practi-
cal in tracking down this very mysterious
affair.
The drought down the Peninsula, which
had begun to assume an alarming aspect,
in some of the counties, was broken by
fine rain on Saturday and Sunday. In the
dryest sections the rain fell in torrents a
part of the time thoroughly saturating the
earth and leaving much water on the sur
submerged in some places but not suffi-
GENTLY so to impede the passage of trains.
In the upper end several gentle showers fell,
less being needed here, and nature seems
to have sent the rain in quantities to suit
the requirements of the country. The fall
has been general throughout the Peninsula
and no section that we can hear from has
escaped.
Of all the painful stories of lawlessness
and blooashed that have come up from the
South since the close of the war, scarcely
any have been more revolving than that
from Nashville, which announces the saw
age bntchery of a party of negroes by a
squad of masked ruffians. 1t does not even
appear that the wretched victims had COM
mitted any act to warrant their arrest and
imprisonment, but if they had, they were
safely confined in the Jail from which their
murdsrers took them by force. There
were sixteen of the unlucky negroes, Of
whom six were summarily massacred, and
the rest carried off into the forest to meet
the same fate.
News from the East represents China
as making preparations for possible war
with Japan over the Formosa question. If
these Oriental nations 60 to war it will be
with ritled artillery, improved arms and
tue ldIeSI kluuS Vi Eng Sn ana American
inventions for use on the battle field. The
Japanese have completed their business of
castigating the savages in Formosa, and
have now sent an embassay to the Chinese
Court with view of endeavoring to settle
peaceably the issues pending between the
two nations. Although there is bitter
feeling existing, the North China Mail
ventures to hope that the mission will be
successful in preventing an actual declara-
ton of hostilities.
On the 23d, Gath and 25th of Septem-
Der next, an agricultural fair for the whole
Peninsula will be held at Middletown, Del.
Within the past few months stock associ-
alton has been organized there, and twenty
two acres Of land purchased and enclosed
for the purpose of the association. This
purchase is within a hundred yards of the
railroad crossing and ahalf mile of the
business centre of the town, where there
are abundant hotel accommodations. The
association has built ahalf-mile track in
strict accordance with the rules of the
National Trotting Association, and all
trials of speed will be made subject to those
regulations. The exhibition is designed to
cover stock, machinery, fruits and veget-
ables, and the numerous articles which go
to make up 4 first-class fair This is the
first effort on so large a scale ever under
taken on the Peninsula, and is likely to
meet with hearty support. All premiums
are open to the entire Peninsula.