Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-21

WHAT a FALL WAS TuERE!-The New
York Herald, 10 au article Oh the fall of the
President, says:
"rhc revolutionary period in our Own coun-
try, which began just sixteen years ago, on the
Goth OF December, 1860, when the South Caro-
lima Convention voted q secession ordinance
without a dissenting voice, has at last brought
the executive government of the United States
under the control OF demagogues more incapa.
BILE and INSCRIPTIONS than those who provoked
the creation Of the French and Roman empires.
Cassius and Btutus and Casca, Danton and
Marat aud Robespirre, have their American
countcrparts 10 Cameron and Chandler and
Logan. President Grant is their willing or
unresi5tiug tool. They manage him as they
please, by exasperatiug his prejudices and fiat
teriDg his ambition. The iudomitable will,
the answering patriotism on which tho people
counted in Grant, have failed. The hero OF
1865 Is the puppct of 1876. A trlumViratc OF
~demagogues reigns in his place. 10 what dis
astrous ends, by what dangerous courses they
will drive him is their own secret. We have
no fear OF their permanent success, but we
confess 10 serious fear OF the reaction which is
as sure to follow their proceedings as it is Ger.
tain that the universe is regulated by law and
not by caprice. They are responsible for the
prevalence OF public anxiety; lori is they who
arc Withholding the President from the noblest
duty Of his public career
THE PoalTlos OF Observation-Disclosures
Horrick says Is, tho Galaxy: Long before the
time OF Constantine the growing Roman empire
required an imperial centre nearer to its geo.
graphical centre than its old capital on the III
Der; and certainly, if Constantine had fixed his
new capital with the aid OF modern science and
art, he could not possibly have chosen q site
which would prove so natural a political centre
as the ono he actually selected. Compare il to-
day, considered as tho capital of d great empire,
with Rome, or with any European capital.
There is no one of them all that can sustain the
comparison for q moment. COnsLantinCplo sit5
Europe and Asia. Her site is easy obedience. She
has u magnificent harbor. She ls fsclle mistress
Of the sea on either side, by means of the straits
of the BosphoruS and tho Hellespont. What 10
the site Of London, or Paris, or Berlin, or vi.
emma, or St. Petersburg in the comparison ? No
! eyes toward tho Golden Horn-to the capital
city of the Greek Church and tho Greek En-
| pire. No wonder that the whole Eastern ques-
ton" has long hinged On what is to be done
with Constantinople and the highway which she
controls. Europe cares little abUutthe outlying
| Professions OF INC Oultan DuC IL Is d VIAL ques.
ton with every chief European State who
should hold tho key city of all the east. Let
Russia, with her already enormous possessions
in both Europe aud Asia, hold Constsntinople
a. her southern capital, and she will not BIO long
in showing Europe who is mistress OF the whole
eastern continent. While the Ottoman empire
was still at the height OF her power, while the
glory Of her arms made all southern Europe
tremble, this fear and dread WAS because she
held her scat at Constantinople and thus sat
mistress of tho two seas and the twoS sands"
But later, when the an Client proves OF tho Mos.
IONS gave place to suppineness when the Turk,
who WAS q strong man in his ancient home, be-
cams eifeminate in these SUMMER climes. the
fear grew to be, not lest the Turk should en-
croach upon Europe, the dread was not because
he holds his seat in Europe; but there is disquiet
and anxiety lest he BIO unable to hold the posi-
ton he has conquered lest he become q prey to
tho teeth CT the huge Russian bear. And this
is no idle fear, for giving any strong and i~ntelli-
gent European government q seat there, and she
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