New-York tribune., 1877-07-23


every State.
The better part of valor is conspcuously
displayed on each slope of the Continent. The
Pittsburg home guards fraternized with the
mob and a militia company at Altoona stack
their arms in the depot. At the same time
the volunteers whom Gen. Howard dispatched
to Joseph's old camp quietly disbanded and
retired contemplatiytly to their homes.
When stones were fired at the United States
troops in Baltimore they did not face about
and fire indiscrminately into the crowd on the
sidewalk. The insult passed unnOticed; the
Soldiers marched on. The Militia Companies
do not show the same GOODNESS and steadness.
We have allowed our National Guard to de-
generate. Years ago we used to take pride IN
our crack reg ments; but since the war all
militia manGuvTes have seemed ridiculous.
The efficiency of ow citizen sOldery must be
restored. There must be a revival OF public
interest in our home guards.
The Presidents proclamation sounds well,
but there are no bayOnets to enforce it. The
American Army has been pared down by the
Democratic House until it is a cOrporars
guard beside the armies of foreign nations
Yet that little army has to patrol the
Rio Grande, garrison a long chain OF
forts on the Western plains, oyerawe the
treacherous tribes in New Mexico, prevent the
return of Sitting bull to the Yellowstone VAL
lev, fight with Joseph in Idaho, and now re-
press domestic violence i'll five States. The
Government ought to have material as well as
moral power in an emergency like this.
IT is now stated that at the time Of the re-
cent accident to the steamship Vera Cruz, the
engineers department was under the charge of
An oiler, who did not have certificate, and that
the engines were running at a speed
ten per cent higher than usual. The
Board of Underwriters Will not waste Their
time in investigating such charges as these
Three weeks after the Orange riot of 1871
there were three disastrous boiler explosions
on American waters, followed by prOtracted
investigations and volumes of testimony from
experts. About this slime can we not cOntrive
to have boiler investigations without the ex-
plosiOnsf
There are two admirable carcatuTes III our
Saratoga letter. Fist, the boot-black, who
complains that it has become as fashionable
10 carry a shOe-brnsh as toOth-brus
and that "the cOuntry's going TO the
"Devil in mighty shabby-looking boots"
Secondly. the Honorable john Morrissey, who
invites his colleagues to the race-track where
oools are sold in defiance of the law which
they passed last Spring. Certain Senators got
close up to the pool-stamds, either to investigate
the machine or to look at the wire fence with
which the morals of small boys are hedged IN.
Mr.. Morrissey thinks that the City pool-rooms,
where children learn to gamble, ought to be
broken up,-especially when they interfere with
mis- business but what can be more innocent
than a pool stand, with pretty wire fence, out
of the viilagef
The summary which we receive from
London of the military operations OF
the week is exceedingly meagre. The
military critics, it seems, cannot determine
whether the Russians will mask the
fortresses and cross the Balkans at once,
or delay the advance until they are masters OF
Bulgaria. Is it not probable that they VIII at
tempt to make dash across the mountains