The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-04-07
Prospects i'm Europe.


render the whole subject contemplate
and ridiculous before the den0uemeat,
We shall in all probability be startled
before very long by the news Of a great
war in Europe. No one who is in the
least familiar with Russian history
during the past twenty-five years can
entertain a very substantial doubt that
her deliberate and stubborn purpose is,
sooner or later, to lay the heavy mailed
hand upon Turkeys feeble head. Moth
ing can be palmer than this fact; moth
ing more infexible than the determina-
tion with which Russia has pursued her
traditional policy. Just now the ad-
vices eoscillate between peace and war
almost hourly, to that degree that the
superficial mind is almost persuaded to
regard the situation as some fgment Of
the newsgatherer's troubled brain. We
are banded about from Prospects of
Peace" to "Signs of War; until the
most healthy interest in the question is
well nigh withered Alto deerepitude.
But there is little humor in the case, if
we look beneath the surface-quite
grim and solemn tragedy is enfolded in
that f6blish wavering of gossip. Tt
will be No hopeful day for Europe when
the Gar shall at last unsheath his fall
chion against the Mussulman. Vast
interests and innumerable lives will be
swallowed up by that insatiate Scylla,
and boundaries changed as though by
some huge convulsion of nature.
Those who discuss it as thing to De
checked or turned aside by the femi-
nine palayer now going on in England
and elsewhere, talk lightly, without re-
Election or intelligence. The most that
human agency can accomplish is to
postpone it for moment. The ire
pressible conflict between Russia and
Turkey is among the awful certainties
OF fate And when at last the cloud
shall break we are inclined to think
that it will be woe for Turkey and for
all others who may be drawn in to
sympathize with Turkeys cause.
It is doubtful if there be any people
ON the face of this earth, who submit
to being humbugged with as much
complaceney and sang .f5oM as the
American people. A right lively dis
covery has lately been brought to pub
lie examination, in the matter OF Life
Insurance companies.
A sudden collapse OF several large
companies within the last two years,
has caused an investigation to take
place in the State Of New York.
The Directors of those companies did
not submit to an examination of their
books, with any better grace then they
would have yielded to the kind sug-
gestions of their dentist to have a pair
of eye teeth drawn, but they were
forced to come to terms. The facts
developed showed, that the Presidents
of the various companies were reeeiv
ing snug little salaries Of twenty-five to
forty thousand dollars per annum,
whilst Vice Presidents, Secretaries, ac-
tuaries &c, were getting from ten to
thirty thousand dollars each. The fees
paid to the officers and clerks in one
of the head offices, amounting to half
million of dollars annually would be
amply sufficient to carry on the business
equally as well aud skilfully for five
years, Added to this fabulous sums
have been expended to erect offices for
those officers, and fit them in q manner
and style of magnificence that would
make Aladdin ashamed of his Oriental
palace, did he but once get peep into
their inner halls:
Is it any wonder that the@insured re-
ceive no return premiums, and that the
first 0pnearanee of hard times comes,
these companies too, burst like blad-
der.- Fhibodaux Sentinel.
THE COMMISSION. The latest of the
commission to Louisiana is that il will
leave Washington for this city on Mon
day. lit will consist of the following
named gentlemen: Ex-Governor j. G.
Brown, Of Tennessee General j. r.
Hawley, of Connecticut; Wayne Nc
Weigh, Esq, of Pennsylvania Judge C..
H. Lawrence, of Illinois, and Colonel j.
Ne. Harlan, of Kentucky. They will, it
Is presumed, receive instructions from
the President before leaving Washing
ton as to their luties.-E New Orleans
Republican, March 90.
The New Orleans Times Of last Sun
day says:
The fact is, probably, that neither the
president nor his cabinet have fully
made up their minds with regard to their
course of action concerning Louisiana,
or if they have, they have been sharp
enough i'd keep it to themselves, and
consequently all talk about the presi-
dents intentions with regard to this
State are mere idle speculations.
d Lowell (Mass.l newspaper an
nounced that twins had been born to
the wife OF John Dixon. Mrs. Dixon,
who lived in Lynn, read this news, and
was certain that no such thing had
hanDened to her. She went to Lowell,
and found the mother of the twins i'm a
second wife of Mr.. Dixon. Ihe biga-
mist was arrested.