, 1880-12-31


Congress viii take recess from Pee.
23i 10 january 3d.
A fire o.',u a, Fcnsacom on the. lIth
DESTROYING ...r~tru'h~ ~ the huSineS"
part or ,u. r,.l. !U. ii.r a'ir|i"r GIEH'
hnlr-. Five mopk ion tie heart of the
,itv were burned. Il B.b,oX street from
Wltucu's conner tu the middle OF the
block opuo r.. he plaza is swept clean.
The IRE Stopped on government street at
the City li0 @ east, and one square ana
back of the custom house west, over IVU
establishments are gone, embracing vhe
main business buildings and turning out
about fifty families from their houses.
The custom house, postotice, Merchants
Hotel, Brent, bank, both telegraph OF
fees, both newspapers, Dunn's exchange,
Wrights drt GOOD house and the county
clerks oiiir A.' among the well known
buildings burned. County Clerk Larne,
for the fifth time in his term, saved the
records, bnt while doing this his own
residence burned and he is hunting Tor
his family. The railroad depot and adJa-
cent mills seemed certain of destruction
and locomotives stood ali night fired up
ready TO pull the company equipments
and other property ont of town. Much
suffering must ensue.
A company has been organized IN New
York in opposition to De Lesseps Nanal
Co. of Pars. Secretary Thompson OF the
navy is president. The company only
ask that cungreSS should give 1T char
ter to open It's books TO subscriptions In
the United States rs the French company
is to-day permitted to do and it does not
seek any subsidy, subvention, grant OF
credit, motley or bonds or any financial
aid whatever. A summary of the points
presented was: flrSt-Ihat tonnage
which passes through any canal will be
mostly furnished by American coasting
trade and that it is important to the
| United Staies that the tolls upon the
canal should be as moderate as possible.
1t is not wise for Americans to encourage
canal uudrr a working management
which will levy discriminating or eXtor-
| tionate tolls on American vessels. Sec
ond--It is vital to American interests
| that the canal shall be under American
control. In case of q war the canal would
be the nearest route from the Atlantic to
| the Pacific states, and 1T would offer
means of escape from one ocean TO the
other for our merchant vessels in the
event that war should be declared against
United Stated by any foreign power. A
Panama canal under French control, in
the event OF war between United Stated
and France, or any of her allies, for in
stance would be closed to the United
States ships, and our commerce would
| Immediately become the prey Of priva-
teers Third-The United States should
give encouragement to the route which
| is the most easily approached by mer-
chant vessels. The Nicaragua route is by
far the easiest Of access tor sailing yes.
sells. The bay of Panama, on the contrary,
is VIGOROUSLY difficult of approach for
that class of vessels. The prevailing
winds are all in favor of the Nicaraguan
route. Fourth-The Panama canal,
whatever may be said on the contrary. is
likely to be built with view to lis ulti-
mate control by the French government.
It's charter was obtained under French
law ana French authority will control it,
The Isthmus of Panama is a place no.
tOrious for trouble with labOrers. The
United States several times had to land
troops there during the construction of
the Panama railroad, and De Lesseps
would undoubtedly in like manner call
on France for troops to aid him in case
of trouble. Troops once landed there
would be defiance of the Monroe doc
| trine and & gross violation of the trudi-
tions Of our people. Gen. Grant, Billings
of the Northern Pacific, Riggs, u Wash
ington banker and other capitalists, are
the incOrpOralors.