The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18

q long period, and the loss falling more
heavily on the New York roads than on their
rivals. The railroads, like the merchants,
will, as general rule; do business for present
rather than prospective profits, and it is
absurd for the merchants to complain of the
roads for acting on this principle until they
evince more public spirit themselves.
The Fire on Twemty-third street.
One of the structures which owed its rise
to the robberies of the Tweed Ring was yes
terday evening burned to the ground, the
fire consuming two churches at the same
time. The building on Twenty-third street,
between Seventh and Eighth avenues, Of
which the Eighth regiment used the two
upper floors as an arnlory, and OF
which the lower floors were occupied
by firms mostly engaged in cabinet
work, was erected by Ingersoll, of ''Ring"
infamy, and was doubtless intended to be
worked as a rich city placer in the shape OF
armory rent But it was set up too late to
catch the designed proportion Of the public
funds and has never probably been very
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of the armorer Of the Eighth regiment. who
had rooms in the upper stories, it would
appear that the fire broke out in the lower
floors where material was heaped which
would only want spark to set destruc-
ton afoot. There was no steam in the
building after four o'clock on Saturday,
but it appears that some Of the cabinet
makers were accustomed of late to do o
little work there on Sundays. This is
stated to have been the case yesterday, and
it is q hint which the Fire Marshal may
work upon in his inquiry. 1t is, however,
a strange comment upon the general cor
ruption of ring" times that regiment Of
the National Guard should be quartered in
o place exposed to such risks from fire,
and all to put money in the purse Of
swindler who happened to be in the furni-
ture business. The State loses some fifty
dollars and Colonel SCOTS regi-
ment loses at least ten thousand dollars.
Two handsome church edifces are laid in
ruins, leaving two congregations churchless.
The loss in oil is, doubtless, over half
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was very brilliant and excited the attention
of tens of thousands of our citizens who had
been out enjoying the cool of the delicious
Sabbath evening.
There is no indication Of any material
change in the condition of things along
the Bosphorus. The Russians have
not advanced upon, and the Eng
lish feet has withdrawn from before, Con-
As consequence diplomatic
rumofs are again upon the wing One of the
latest comes from the not very reliable Lon
don Observer, and is to the effect that
Russia is about to propose giving seats at
the coming Congress to representatives of
the United States. Not, indeed. satisfied
with this statement, the Observer goes
step further, and says that in such an
event England will ask place for Greece.
Without for moment supposing
that the astute statesmen of Russia
have studied American history with so lit
tie profit as to believe that the United
States would depart from its unbroken ira
ditions, which have hitherto kept it from
mixing in European quarrels, we must con-
fess to little surprise at the offset which
England is, according to the Observer,
to propose-namely, the little farm
for brigands which is called the
Kingdom Of Greece. If England has
found an ally in Greece, and she de-
sires seat for her ally at the Congress.
she must really find some other excuse than
tho presence of the United States thereat.
For America to take part in such a meeting
would imply that she should be prepared
to stand by the result. 1t would
mean in some shape European al
lance, and one which would prove
in all probability an ''entangling" one.
1t is not at all likely that Russia has made
or is about to make such propositions; but
if she did we would, for all our we'll wish
ing to her cause in the present struggle, BIO
compelled to decline. What we can do to
encourage civilization must be done by
the cultivation of friendly relations and
the spread of commerce. In Europe's
bloody contests for frontier lines, seaboards
and points of vantage we have no part, and,
therefore, none in hor settlements after tn 70
fighting is done.
Land sharks.
The crying evils which are laid bare in
another part of to-day's HERALD relative to
the sharks which prey upon the COM
merce Of this port should be remedied ut
once. That a system should have grown
up whereby British shipmasters and
through them British shipowners should
he mulcted illegally though under the
guise of law to SO shameful an extent is
rather surprising. The British Consul lays