The New York herald., 1876-09-24
Tho Explosion .. H.ii..r. Point.

high tide this afternoon and We retain the
confidence we have hitherto expressed that
there is not the slightest occasion for any ap-
prehension of effects beyond those the engi-
neers count upon in the removal Of a great
obstruction from our harbor. Indeed, we
believe that but little, if any, alarm is felt
by the people; for. though there was few
days ago some excitement produced by in
judicious publications, the tone Of perfect
confidence of those who know most as to what
will happen has reassured the many. An in
genious correspondent, however, assails the
confidence that is founded upon the assur-
ance Of experts He tells US that scientific
men sometimes make mistakes. This is
true, and there is, therefore, the possibility
that the scene at Halletts Point may be more
volcanic than the engineers anticipate,
and that the vibration transmitted
through the ledge Of which the stone
to be blown up is part may shake some
houses But our correspondents instances
have not shaken our faith in the men OF
science. He tells us that man Of science
demonstrated that a steamer could never
piers and cultured Congresmen" laughed at
the notion of the transmission Of messages
by the electric wire. He does not seem to
notice that in both those cases the true
science was on the other side Of the ques-
ton. It was science which held that
steamers could cross, and science which
completed the telegraph in defiance Of the
opposition and discouragement of practical
men !; and it is science which now reassures
the public as to the mine, while the practical
men shake their heads and doubt the en-
gineer as they did formerly the great in
ventors
1t is to be regretted that the date Of the
explosion has given rise to ON assault upon
the conscientious engineer who deems it his
duty to explode the mine when it is ready,
and has not been able to control the time
1t would have been a strange fact if the ap-
pointment of the explosion for to-day had
been permitted to pass by without an outcry
on the part Of professional Sabbatarians
This occasion for some men to declare their
piety from the housetops was too good to be
lost. General Newton is himself q devout
mana fact that is Of private nature, GER
tainly, and one that he would be the last
man to thrust into public notice or to plead
in regard to any course that he deemed it
his duty to pursue; yet it is fact, not
without some interest in this connec-
ton, as it may induce sincere people to
believe that the decision taken has not
arisen from any merely wanton defiance of
public respect for a sacred day. 1t may be
assumed that every sincerely pious man has
as much respect for Sunday as is entertained
by those who make themselves it's especial
champions, and who plead for its observ-
ance in the Pharasaical spirit which pictures
the American people as great deal better
than other people because they keep their
window blinds more resolutely shut on that
day than is the custom with some other
nations. But the respect of such man for
the day is of different sort for sincere
piety if we may venture an opinion on such
O subject, does not mainly concern itself
with formalities, or with days and dates and
seasons, or it does not on their account set
aside the deeper obligations of essential
CHRISTIAN cOnuuct.
There is an aspect of this case from which
thoughtful men may see, if they will, that
there are obligations compared with which
those that are due as to the observance in
an especial manner of a particular day are
of little moment. Danger to life-danger
that the authorities may have reasen to
complain that the commander has neglected
his duty danger, finally, that some acci-
dent may defeat the we'll conducted labor of
seven years and cause the great undertaking
to end in partial failure-all these are in
volved in delay, and these are evidently the
elements to which General Newton referred
in his declaration that he was compelled to
explode the mine to-day rather than on
some other day by 'sheer necessity" There
is authority which the Sabbatarians cannot
gainsay, that, as the element of danger to
human life is in the case, the simple likel-
will justify any act done on Sunday that
may save that life. "And Jesus said unto
them What man shall there be among you
that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into
pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay
hold on it and lift it out? How much, then,
is man better than a sheep? Wherefore, it
is lawful to do we'll on the Sabbath days"
He has had but little chance to obseve the
heedlessness of the multitude of men under
the impulse of curiosity who does not know
that from the time the mine is in a state of
readiness until the moment it is fired
principal anxiety and difficulty of all in
charge will be to keep the space of danger
free from the intrusion of ignorant, indiffer-
ent or reckless persons. And if that period
is to be extended twenty-tour hours an un-
timely explosion through any accident might