National Republican., 1877-04-28
Tho Duties Of Neutrals.

the piers, with intsnt TO disarm, IL can remain as
lon. as II chooses pending the war. On the
the Ru..l.n squadron IN Now York, x the ruie
was made for vessels entering q neutral port amer
:1sh S .GS ss, Ps for por mp; 4! ,I .hSn
and not as beliigeronts. Besides, the rule was
that man.of,wsr should not be permitted to
the sailing OF beliigerent ship In regard 10 the
selling and sending Of warlike implements 70 bel.
,igercrts Amercans can do It a. private eltiscns,
In the discussion at Geneva that Il was right for
neutrals to allow the eIporta'ion OF goods con.
contrsdIstinc,ion rom the hitting ou. Of war S,s n
sels 70 said that this is the position which the
United States will assume. Vessels which carry
the risk Of capture by Russian vessels when on
me high seas, without tho right TO claim the pro.
lection fthe Government Of the United States.
Guarding Against Fires.
From the New York Hersidi
The recent disastrous FIRE at St. Louis has
naturally set people 10 work In all parts Of the
country devisins means Of escape from burning
buildings and methods OF preventing tho rapid
spread Of flames and smoke through the sieys-
tors and stairvays Some suggestions have been
The open space for tho working Of an elevator.
hotel, no doubt acts as chimney to draw up a
lower part OF 9 building. A aweii'' st.irvay'
such as that In the Southern hotel has tbe Sans
sa.ss. snsss The late, dancer can ?. syoded ~
especially In hotel. An inventor proposes 70
prevent the spread Of fire through elevator wells
falis-such as that Which occurred ~ : few 'S day,
ago In one Of our own hotels by the use OF double
iointed matches. provided with springs and counter
each story, open through the operation Of
one hinge as the elevator passes up, and
A. m. el.v.,ae ,.e.s,a% opeon .,ea, %. tne other
dl.tely after It's passage. When shst they are
quite hrm, the spring which loosens them being
both on us ascent and descent. This oeItainiPP
appears 70 be simple and desirable invention.
A sugxestien made in relation to the rescue OF
merit attention from Its simplicity although n
might not always be effective IT'S that each
.i,"nv fusn IN .n the a. nrs be supplied with
piled on all It's sides with strong rope handiss,
when persons are cut of from sscape By stairway
building praying for aid that cannot be rendsred'
one OF these canvas sheets, held BY strong arms
beneath the Window. might receive them one By
trucks in the New York dspartment with such
"orla D. sna a. \ insy ;noua save single Ire they
come experts In their use, and We believe that the
sspsriaent Of making them part OF the ma.
cninsry ofthe nre department would never bc re-
The New York Custom House Investigation.
| From the New York Tribune:
The New York custom house 10 not now under
Investigation for the nrst time. II has been sat
upon BY committees horetofors, has boen inquired
into, examined, testified about, and reported upon
nN. In.i so,umss were niled With the results. ihs
dinsrent character from those that have preceded
it. Previous Investigations have been almost
70 show on the one hand corrupt administratiop
snd gross abuses, and on the other the greatest
smss,ssnsy and honesty in the transaction Of ON.
eiaI BUSINESS The present Investigation means
no special abuse or scandal to inquire into, no
.Iesps 70 SS. nssSn s.S * Uau ss:
duet OF the ofhee, the methods OF doing
business, the principles Of Its mana Esmsnt, IL Il
rendered b. the empIoyes, and in general 20 ds
cover whether the business Of the toyernment At
pSSs AZ
and In what particulars improvements can be
snseted. IL Is IN short business Investigation
| beneit or injure either party, but only 10 secure
| 70 the Government what every business man
seeks in his own transactions, the best service at
o. the Treasury look to this and nothing more
This being tho case, there Is OF course nothing
the movements OF tho commission tnnt have
attended the deliberations OF partisan commit.
tess which were expected to make an overhaul.
ofncial misconduct
Hopeless scheme.
| From the New York Times;
The Democratic newspapers assume that
all that has taken place In Louisiana and South
| Carolina Is the direct result Of the
refusal Of the House OF Representatives
TO- pas. the army bill une0ndi,ion.
had ss that S Ss aG.y n.uussa liz ss
act Inherently in these tive states he would have
done 10 tiths S Leaders q The Dsuocr,tic party
enough to shirk his duty as he understands II be.
they are spestiy mi.a2sn Is %sssps pSllSpy ny.
that the Prssident's course e the fruii Of bal.
his own convictions, carefully and conscisn,iousy
formed, and Of nothing else. We shall be much
for him to show that he can sdminister the
What th. Hous. OF Rsprsssntstises tt''s may y
equal to the task. The Democratic ieaders-or
some Of them-imagine that the House secured
ne ne adoption Of the measures recently taken in
lion Bill and they % natter ri ths%s@srss @ ssss Ps.,
apply the same compulsion to secure tho repeal
sy sss Sr 70 tss
| little doubt that they will ind themselves mis-
taken; There Is not the slightest reason to sup
threats, or that they could influence the course Of
the President. Tho roconstruction laws are de.
/ W prUtoct tno POLITICAL OF the freed
men. They place in the hands of the Executive
ally be defined to him BY the opinion Of his Attor-
ney General. and by his own Judgment, based on
the laws as they exist, and such judicial inter.
prctations OF them as have been made. These
powers the President must use n occasion re-
9uires. He has no option In the matter. The
House may refuse him an army, but while the
/ army Is In existence, he must employ It uhere
the law requires Il. He can make no promises,
enter into no Understandings" be . party 70 no
"eomprcmises" whatever. He must do his duty as
Il 10 laid down for him, ,ana the House can neither
ask NOR expect anything else.
what the was win Profit Us.
/ From the Philadelphia Times.
| While all Europe 10 uneasy lost 1t shall be
drawn into the complications Of the Russo
Turkish var, tho United States Is interested
solely as . nation Of shop p-keepers. We arc con-
| Affected, and business Is Just now SO prostrated
that u looks anxiousiy for the least sign Of relief
The course OF the markets for the past month In
| dicates very clearly that American commerce,
| finance and agriculture will be materially bene-
| nted, but capital and laDor will experience very
| little relief, except what may come seoondarily.
| There was at ono time lingering hope that there
might be some demand for Arms and ammunition,
but this hope has been pretty thoroughly dissi.
cost Of living In the United States an average Of
fally 70 per cent. This Is very serious matter,
since neither capital nor labor yet SEQ any avenue
opened BY which their earnings can be Increased
proportionAtely. Russian and Turkish vessels
Will be practically driven from the sea, and all
oarEoes Of arms on the high seas destined for