New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-22

| bodied ana gOO0-lOOklnR, ana 10 piV'o ei"'
they have no alarming ideas in their heads
They must not be persons by Whose presence
1.-The free institutions of the country would De
endangered" Which shows how easily
some parts of our common country are fright
ened unnecessarily.
| The announcement of a Conservative organ
in London that the European Congress will
probably meet in June, affords strong asSur-
ance that peace will be preserved. Were
England intent on war, she would nave
allowed Count Andrassy's project to remain
unrealized. But having won some concessions
from Russia, she feels warranted III submit
ting her proposals to the representatives OF the
Powers which undertook the guardianship OF
Turkey. If the British Governments purpose
is not thwarted by some unforeseen circum-
stance. the Congress will meet simply to ratiiy
an understanding prearranged by Lord Sails
bury and Count Schouvalof.
Fortunately the loss of life by the tire-damp
I explosion in Nova Scotia proves smaller thah
! was at first apprehended. As yet the hst OF
| this class of accidents i'll the Provinces
is not long enough to be appaIliIS' puI
this is chiefly because the mining opera
tons there are small compared with those OF
| Great Britain or Pennsylvania. The coal OF
! Nova Scotia is rich in carburetted hydrogen
and the chief demand for the mineral Is on
/ account of its gas-prOduclng qualities; that
/ the mines should suffer from iro-damp Is,
therefore not surprising. If the accident does
not lead TO special regulations for working
4 these mines, repetition OF it may be surely
anticipated, with probably greater destruc-
ton OF human lives.
The outlook for the defeat OF the Army
bill is, to say the least, encouraging. Oar
! Washington dispatches report the Texas deie-
cation in the House as solidly against the
measure, and there are SAID to be other Dem
Gratis equally sensible. Their number Is not
/ likely to be diminished by the appearance OF
| the great army disOrCanIzer General Banning,
Is the spccial champion Of the bill. General
! Raining has shown 80 little temperance and
| 50 little sincerity in his repeated attacks upon
the army, that the mere fact that he adyo-
| Gates this measure, after having secretly
! fathered it, ought to be sufficient to bring to
decision any wavering Democrat who Is I'M
willing to see the country robbed OF ITS
| skilled defenders General Banning's ar2u-
ment for the bill ought to defeat it,
General Shields will not come forward to
retire again on half pay. The Senate has
| killed the bill, and more justiliable homi-
| eide the Senate never committed. The bill
was without pretcxt or just foundation at the
| beginning, and was merely clever bit OF
! clap-trap designed to relieve the House OF
| Representatives from a political dilemma.
! Probably the men who passed 1t had no
! expectation that it would ever become law,
/ and General Shields surely had no right to in
! dulge in any such anticipation. There are
many brave soldiers throughout the country
who are earning their daily bread by humber
methods than lectuIing, whose claims are as
good as his; and to have made such glaring
! execution in his case would have been an af-
! front to a long line of heroes, living and dead.
! TO make the matter worse, the Senate, instead
of defeating the bill for tins plain and convincing
reason, chose to drag into the discussion, as
apparent suppliants for public bounty, num-
Der of our distinguished soldiers, including the
most distinguished of all. The friends of Gen
eral Grant aud good many other people,
will be glad to see that there is an end of this
fOolng.
There Will be two sides to the case over
which Mr.. Potter is to preside. Secretary
Sherman shows fight, and that of the most
incorporating kind. Minister Noyes shows
fight. The Republican side of the con-
test is to be sustained with ylgOr. Secretary
! sherman has, indeed gained the advantage
already which belongs to the first declara-
| ton of war; His letter to the Committee
traverses the Democratic preamble and rcsO:
| lutIops at every point, and that too, in such
q WAY as to put the Committee on the delen
! siye. His reference to the fact that he is
singled out among twenty or more persons
who were present in Louisiana on President
Grants or Mr.. Hewitt's invitation, Is sufficient
TO make it necessary for the Committee to
proye its case abundantly, or rest under
the odium of bringing an unjust and malicious
charge. He declares all accusations against
himself "t0 be absolutely destitute of even
"tbe shadow Of TRUTH" and demands the
privilege of being represented by counsel. 1t Is
not surprising to learn, as we do from our Wash
ington dispatches, that some. at least, of the
| Democrats express a good deal of disgust at
the prospect Of a case resting on evidence
which Mr. Sherman will undoubtedly show
TO have been forged. Besides rcyiying
and fighting through again the whole qucs
tion of the intim;dations and murders in Lou
isiana, he proposes to try the Democratic wit
nesses for forgery. No wonder there is Demo
cratic wriggling.
TIE ACTION or THE SOUTH.
The people Of the Southern States have
matter to settle with their Representatives.
We do not doubt that majority of them have