The Portland daily press., 1875-02-20
Current Notes.

The Attakapas Tia. Sentinel is Of the
opinion that 'to rid the earth OF such mon
ster as Sheridan would be a deed for all the
world to applaud" 1t does not approve OF
masked assassination at midnight, but tine
people of New Orleans should rise in the
majesty of their might, and slay him in the
streets as they would a rabid dog, III the
broad open day, the sunlight OF Gods heav-
en- shining down upon the act and growing
brighter in approval.
I No human authority can bind conscience,
unless such authority acts in conformity with
the law of God. In case, then, of conflict
between these powers, the individual must
follow conscience. But conscience needs in
instruction; who is to impart 1T? The church,
the divine teacher, say Catholics. Private
Judgment, say Protestants. Both agree In
asserting that conscience must be followed ;
hut differ in the mode of instructing con-
science. Mr.. Gladstone ought, therefore, in
common fairness, to have asserted that Cath
olics do render TO Caesar the things that are
C@sar's but that they learn what things are
CAESARS, not by the fallble authority OF pri-
yate judgment, but by the lniallible voice OF
their church. Monsignor Capet.
II seems little paradoxcial that West Vir-
einia. which, on account of its LOYALTY to the
government, was separated from Virginia and
made new state, should now elect as United
States senator man who served in the rebel
Senate. iii
The Chicago Inter Ocean strenuously ad-
yocates the repeal of the twenty-second joint
rule of Congress, on the plea Of the danger
that the Democratic House of Representatives
will reject the votes of the states for Presi-
dent and thus throw the election into their
own hands. - rf ....
For the art of gerrymandering in all its
completeness and audacity, commend us to
the Democratic legislature of Alabama. They
give the $4,000 Republican voters OF the state
one congressman, and the 107, 900 Democrat
ic voters seven congressman. Their effort to
piece out the one Republican district with
| ''contiguous territory" reminds Republican
| legislator of "a rams horn hunting the
| points of the compass" -3 a ..' --'+ .' ''
| The state elections during the spring
| months are to be held as follows: In New
| Hampshire on the 9th of March, for state
officers, members OF the state Legislature and
| Representatives TO Congress; in Connecticut
| on the 5th of April, for state officers, mem
| bers of the state Legislature anG Representa-
| tlVeS 10 COuSTeSS, Ill IuOdC 1oiduu3 APih y,
| for state officers and members of the Legsla-
ture. While in the latter state there will be
| little opposition to the Republican candi,
| dates, the contest win be an exciting one In
| New Hampshire and Connecticut.
When the New York World wants to say
that the flying trapeze ought to be abolished
1t begins in this way: "It is not probable
that human wisdom will ever devise adequate
legislative means to prevent man from max
| Ing an egregious zany of himself if his nature
! and his inclination felcitously concur for the
| attainment of that end; but if his pursuit Of
! folly be calculated to incapacitate him physl-
| caliy and mentally for any bread-earnine occu
| patton, and thereby to render him prospec-
| tive burden upon the charity of the tax pay
ing community, there should be laws to detel
| him from impairiug what little utility Provi
dence may have endowed him with"
The New York Times thinks it is not at all
an improbable supposit'on that we have en-
tered Upon a ''cycle'' of cold winters which
may last for some years. There is so far as
ANYTHING can be made out from so unsettled
4 a science as meteorology-a tendency to repe
titon of given grades of temperature during
| fixed periods. Possibly this is the mode in
| which the great secular changes OF climate
| occur; that is, during brief periods the tenn
| perature rises or falls, and tnen, after that
| never RECEIVERS its old scale. -