New-York tribune., 1876-10-30

polar sea, accessible thrOuC' Smiths Sound, is
now no longer tenabe. That sea is covered
with ice estimated as eighty feet thick, and
of course there is no prospect that such
masses will break up and 1oat sOuthward,
even in exceptionally warm years. Siedge eX-
culsi0ns upon the ice are attended with diill-
Guilty and suffering that make them almost
impracticable. The next attemDt to reach the
Pole will most probably be made 10y the Spiz-
bergen route.
Cen Dix for Mayor will he a strong head to
a straight Republican local ticket; and with three
candidates i'll the field Ought TO have some
show for winning. lie can poll every Rcpabll-
can vote ~ the county. Mr. Ely, OF course
can do nothing Of the sort with the Democrats
and it is very questionable, under The circ'Im-
stances of general distgust of Tammany Hall
and some of its candidates, if he can get as
large vote rs Mr.. Green already seems sure
OF 1t would at any rate make very lively
triangular fight and everybody will stand on
tipt0e to watch it..
The success of the 100-ton gun, made by
Sir William Armstrong for the Italian Govern
ment, marks the opening OF new era IN
maritime armaments. HepcefOrth the naval
mower of nations will have to be measured by
the number Of these guns at their command
rather than by the size aud strength of their
irOn-clads. The recent experiments demon
stratc that a strong vessel, easily managed
armed with one or more 1OO-ton guns would
be more than match for the most powerful
iron-cad ailoat. In the contest between guns
and aruoT the former have won.
Probablv no Northern man Of equal rank in
currcnt politics has devoted so much attention
10 the actual condition and tendencies OF the
Southern people rs William :. Wheeler and
surely there is uo Republican, North or Soutb,
whose views Oh This ycXcd question would be
received with more general respect and wider
conviction by both parties. The ifamer oi the
Louisiana compromise can claim the right to
he heard by tie whole American people on
the problem of tie solid S0djh, and what he
saws 10 stai' correspondent in another col
umn Will be read with the bcenest interest.
Mr. Nacelers invariablc moderation and
f,ir-drahny are not in the least dImin-
i>bed by the fact that he happens to
be the Republican candidate for the Vice
Presidency: he treats the question with the
same judicial lalihcSS tIdC III """'" "iHP'''
in the discharge of any public duty. He ccal-
sidcrs this the OvorShadOwing issue OF the
canvass, involving, in the possibility Of IA
Democratic victory, not only the safety OF
the ,ullic credit but the whole question o!
national progress or retrogfcssion. He be-
lievcs that the ruling classes in the south
have not accepted the Constitutional Amend
ments in good faith and that they still hope
for release from them. Mr.. Wheeler draws
the line between the solid South and the
North in a way that is dlstinctncss itself lie
saws he does not know "of one thing on
(which the South is united, on which the
" North Is also united, and on which the wei
fare of the nation depends On the other
"hand, the South il a unit on every thing that
"opposrs aud hmdcrs the progress Of the
nation Let the stray independent voter
who still hanl,crs after Tildcn ponder this