smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869




We believe that the best thing 10 do with
the public schools Is to leave them alone.
They are now effective educational institutions.
They are in the hands Of men who manage
them honestly and well, and there Is no part
Of our public expenditure that is so light BY
comparison with the benefit derived from tho
money spent. We believe this ct the Same
time that we have no doubt that TammanV
Hall can contrive tables and statements 10
show that the schools are managed with ~
much extravaganza as they would be in the
hands of Tammany herself. We are, there
fore, against any change in the schools, and
especially against the proposed change. We
cannot see the benefit Of q law declaring that
the present school commissioners shall be out
Of ONCE in ten days, and that the Mayor shall
thereupon appoint twelve other men as school
commissioners. Why should the whole school
system be thus at once put into the hands Of
the Mayor or twelve men Of his choosingf
What is the objectf What is the allegation
against the present men? By the proposed
bill the present board goes out at once, and
the first chance the people have in the naming
of others is at the end Of the year, in sthe next
general election" What was tho urgency
that would not permit the present men to stay
in until that election2 What is expected, In
the interval, Of the twelve men whom the
Mayor is to appoint
Year: 1869

1t is appropriate at this time, whom better
organization Of the different departments OF
the government is being considered, that atten-
ton should be given to the condition Of the
navy with reference to the retiring Of ON
GERS. We yesterday presented In tabular
form the condition Of the navy with
reference to this. It unquestionably
shows marked injustice to the young, ener-
getic and able officers Of our navy, who see no
hope Of promotion until they become rheu-
matte and unfit for service. The standard In
the navy is the old phrase '.gray hairs are
honorable" and it Is evidently the only stand
ard matters little how many young Joneses,
Nelson's, Perrys and Lawrences we may have,
they are never permitted to show their mettle
until they get so aged and worn out that no
thing short Of q miracle will give life and
health enough to enable them to make mark.


We want retiring list much more effective
than the one existing. The men who ofhcer
our ships must wear their honors younger in
life, and consequently enjoy them longer
They must also step aside sooner and give
others an opportunity. We have seen gray
headed midshipmen sailing in first class YES
sells, and even now to be lieutenant COM
mander at forty years Of age is high grade.
We are young people, and illustrate that
young brains, young energies, young courage
and daring, not only apply on land but, on the
ocean, will carry ship farther, keep her aAoat
longer, fight her better and confer more honor
on the nation than can be done by the more
aged officers, however covered with glory won
In earlier years.
Year: 1869

AS WE SUpPosED.-When 1t was suggested
some time ago that affairs here should be taken
up by vigilance committee we ventured the
fancy that in this latitude all the rogues would
be on the committee. We now see by the
court reports that pseudo. president Of the
vigilance committee" is on trial for getting
money on bogus check.
Year: 1869

CoPpERHEAD Chop LoGIO-That negro
suffrage will give the negroes the balance Of
power, and that the exercise of this balance
will upset our republican institutions in gen.
eral disgust and give us monarch. This fell
low forgets that the Chinese are coming in as
q balance Of power against the negroes.
Year: 1869

A newemade widow went recently to a
life insurance Office To receive the amount
of policy on her husoand's life, which
had providenlly been made payable 10 her
The president thought it only proper 10
condole with her on her bereavement L
am truly sorry, Madam, to hear OF your
loss That is always the way with you
men. You are always sorry when poor
woman gets little money.
Year: 1869

Old Ossawatamie Brown, as the Ava
lanche appears TO be unaware, expIated his
heinous offense of treason against the United
States by being hung by the neck until he
was dead on the I'd dav of December, 1859.
The law has been satisfied, so far as he was
concerned, more than nine years; during
which time thousands Of leading Democrats
have committed treason in comparison with
which Browns offense, with his nineteen
followers, was as nothing, and in their case
neither law nor Justice has claimed any pen
ancc or punishment Then why continue to
prosecute the case against that feeble old Ia
natic. whose brain had been crazed by the
murder OF his sons, in the interest OF slavery,
by border ruffians, and who in his bereaye-
ment. and stung by the recollection oil
great wrong. raised his palsied hand above
his aged head and swore to fight against the
monster institution that had bereft him OF
his offspring during the remainder of his
wretched life. while with the general consent
OF all parties the guilter parties go free. We
are not clamoring for the just punishment OF
the arch traitors, the leaders of the rebellion
and authors of so much bloodshed, poverty
and taxation, but simply putting in human
plea for the remains of one who has paid the
neualty of his great crime. Let his old bones


rest in peace.
Year: 1869

Cord is the name OF the mine recently in
coTpora.ed in San Francisco, and Of which
L. J. Lewis is en- active manager Martin
Jones, who is known here as straight
forward and reliable business man, is Super
intendent The appointment of Mr. Jones
10 this responsible trust exhibits good judg-
ment in the Company and will inspire the
people with confidence in its operations. -
However stupendous an enterprise and how
ever responsible the Company that has II in
hand, they should employ agents who can
command the good will of those around them
in order to be successful under circumstan-
ces that are liable to arise with the best reg
ulaied institutions. Mr.. Jones will at once
employ a few men to sink shaft at the
north end of their claim. run levels. etc :
say ten men for the present, and increase as
occasion requires carpenters and other me
chanics, until sometime in June, when set
Of hosting works will be brought up and
placed in position to take out ore. The
proximity Of their shat, TO the original silver
Cord, and the great depth, which it is their
purpose to sink, will enable the old Company
to Judge of the value Of their mine and may
be the means OF encouraging them to resume
labor and prove the Silver Cord valuable
mine. We trust these anlicipations may all
be realized and that by the time the Robbins
Tunnel shall reach the base OF these ledses
they will already have proven themselves
vast reservoirs of wealth and be yielding
millions, to be increased many fold by the
facilities the tunnel will afford in working
and drainage.
Year: 1869

A BRAVE BoY.-One little
scene at Arlington struck all be-
holders. A very puny little
orphan-one who was, as after
wards learned. the child of a SER
geant who had been shot dead
on picket-came to the grave of
a Confederate private. The boy
before him stopped, and on
making a motion to plant a bou-
quet on this grave hesitated and
refused. The little fellow broke
ranks, walked to the head Of the
grave of the Confederate, and
emptied all his freight of roses
there. His manner in doing this
Vas that of nervous courage. like
one who feltia bold thought and
acted promptly on it, countless
of danger orr opinion, and it
seemed to be the moral sublime
act Of the day.


(Cor. Nev York Tribune.
Year: 1869

If a young lady wishes to have
herself published in the daily
papers as beautiful, fascinating
and accomplished,' all that she
needs to do is to wrap up her
clothes in a dirty towel, take a
hundred or so of the "old mans"
greenbacks, crawl out of the
kitchen window about midnight,
and elope with her fathers host
ler. 1t is as certain as fate, and
will bring the desired notoriety
as sure as stagnant frog ponds
will bring mosquitoes. Besides,
if she has a particle Of romance
in her composition, she will enjoy
If
Year: 1869

When it blows in Illinois it
blows hard. A man sitting in
his house at Shipman, eating q
pie, heard the storm coming and
ran to the door. The gale first
blew the house down and 'then
seized the man, carried him
through the air a hundred yards
or so, aud landed him in a peach
tree. Soon afterwards a friendly
board from his own house came
floating by. This he seized and
placed over his head to protect
himself from the raging blast.
Under this shelter he finisheq his
pie. The above is related as q
veritable occurrence.
Year: 1869

The Prince of Wales is to
be partially helped from the
slough Of pecuniary want by his
mother. She will give him an
addition to his feeble income oi
millions, Of $250,000 q year.
This is intended as a mere item
Of relief, not as a sufficiency by
any means. These poor princes
have q hard struggle to make
both ends meet.
Year: 1869

A young couple, engaged 10 he married.
were walking in the vicinity of Bristol.
England, when some Slight disagreement
arose between them, and the vourr man
walked hastily away. The young woman
soon went in search. Of. him, and found
that he had cliined q tree and hanged lin
self by his handkerchief. Nobody was
near the spct; and the girl at once climbed
the tree to cut her lover down. but she
had no knife with her. and the only way
by which she could effect her object was
by biting through tie knotted handker>
chief This with some difficulty she sue.
ceeded in doing, and the foolish boy fell
on the ground insensible. Tie young
woman then succeeded in getting assists
ance, and he was taken to tie Bristol In>
frmary, where lie is lying in a very pre-.
cariOue condition
Year: 1869

The bill lately passed by the United States
Senate with the view Of amending our judi
ciary system was before the House yesterday
and adopted in q substitute form, the chief
points Of which are provision for the retire.
ment Of judges after they have attained the
age Of seventy years, and the empowering the
President to appoint an assistant associate TO
such functionary, provided he should mot re-
tire. A member moved to fix the retiring age
at seventy-dve years, which was defeated
on q division. The bill. appears in our
columns to-day, and our readers will
see from II that the associate justice COM
missioned by the Executive Is to succeed his


senior when he is removed either by retire.
ment or death. We regard this as wise
and prudent measure on the part Of our legis-
lstors although IL may appear little hard on
Year: 1869

THE Fuss ABOUT FRNroN.-The poets Of
the Post have permitted their wrath against
Fenton to outrun their discretion touching the
appointment Of General Merritt Governor
Fenton's chief Of staffC as Naval Oficer Of this
port. The Post would have us believe that
Fenton has been bribed and corrupted and is
q disgrace to the Senate, aud that Merritt Is o
piece Of sboddy Of the same pattern. Greeley,
on the other hand, contends that these two
men are living models Of oil the virtues, civil
and military, and that the poets Of the Post
are laboring to smash the machine Of the re-
publican party. The truth is, no doubt, that
the Fenton faction, in gaining the office in
question, have put the nose out Of joint Of the
wild goose poets Of the Post, and hence their
towering rage against Fenton and Merritt. The
objectionable crime Of Fenton and his favorite
lies In the simple fact that they have cut out
the minstrels Of the Post in their nice little
game for nice little sop in the deshpots Of
the Treasury. This is what all their fuss
about Fenton amounts to. "Only this and
nothing more
Year: 1869

This fertile subject Of legislative debate and
irritation was again under discussion in the
United States Senate yesterday. The debate
resulted in the appointm ent of Messrs Trum-
bull and Grimes as q committee of conference
on the part of the Senate, and the disposition
evoked seemed to be in favor of final and
amicable arrangement with the lower house,
and the bringing of the legislative deadlock
existing on this measure to an end. The
motion for q recession from the Senatorial
position hitherto maintained was supported by
only twelve republicans and received the votes
of eight democrats-an amalgamated vote, the
record Of which created some surprise, as the
vote against numbered thirty-seven members.
Senator'S hitherto classed as repealers OF the
measure voted for the conference committee
movement which, to say the least, Is hostile to
repeal. After an animated discussion. In
which Messrs. Davis, Trumbull, Sprague,
Howe, Corbett and Pomeroy took part, the
vote was taken, with the issue in favor of
conference. The final result will, we presume,
be soon known, and may, perhaps, serve to
allay the troublesome spirit Of the Tenure Of
Office bill. From the days developments the
issue win be surrender Of the House Of
the Presidents constitutional rights to the oil
garchy Of the Senate. If 90, we must not look
30 much to the administration for the policy Of
the government hereafter o. to the Senate.
The President, it is said, has left the contro-
versy to the two houses, and the Senate has
thus become apparently master Of the situa-
ton. The question will be settled to-day, most
likely, and the Senate will we fear, come off
tho victor.
Year: 1869

AN APPROPRIATE TITLE.-''The Bloody
Junta, or the Escape Of an Assassin, from the
pen Of an Arkansasian, Is on the title page Of
a new Southern publication. Peaceable people
have often thought themselves fortunate In
escaping from Arkansas toothpicks, but now
that they have to be on their guard against the
pens Of Arkansas authors their condition. is
truly deplorAble.
Year: 1869

Our latest news from China and Japan is
more than ordinarily interesting. It Is per-
fectly manifest that in both Of those great
Eastern nations a tremendous conflict is going
on between Q civilization which is old and
doomed and civilization which is new and
rapidly pushing Its way to the ruin Of the old.
We have made treaties with China, and Mr..
Burlingame is in Europe, pushing his princi-
Piles and inauguratiAg better era for China
and the East generally. Japan has accom-
plisAed a great revolution; the Mikado, for
centuries unseen by The vulgar eye, has been
dragged from his oAscurity into the light Of
common day; but is extremely doubtful
whether japan has gained much by the change.
Both China and japan, in fact, are in the agony
of revolution. The new civilization struggles
against the old, and the old finds it hard in
deed to maintain its position. The struggle
must 60 on, but 1t ought to 60 on fairly.


We notice that Mr.. Burlingame's mission has
created quite a revolution in England. For
merly, II trouble occurred in the East, nothing
was thought Of but The honor Of the British
name. All others might be wrong, but the
question Of wrong WAS not q question which
gave England much concern, in comparison,
at least, with England's supposed honor. A
change, however, has taken place. The Eng
lish government, the Lords and Commons,
the press and the people, have begun to ask
why this is and why this is not. Great Britain
is In fresh trouble with China. Missionaries,
so called, at least, have been annoyed. British
oonsuls have been appealed to. British gun
boats have gone to the rescue. Some six
hundred and fifty pounds have been paid down
by the Chinese for damages done. The British
people, however, have begun to ask themselves
whether missionaries are to be allowed to per-
petually plunge the country into war. The
Abyssinian war, purely missionary in its orr
gin, and which was to cost no more than five
millions sterling, has already cost some nine
millions. Chinese wars have already proved ex-
pensive enough. This fresh Chang Tow affair
has very much perplexed the Lords, and in
the upper house it has been openly discussed
whether through the follies Of merchants on
the one hand and Of missionaries on the other
the nation is to be kept in state Of perpetual
warfare. By the House Of Lords and by the
public press the Chang Tow affair has been
loudly condemned. This revolution is entirely
due to Mr.. Burlingame and the Chinese EN-
bassy.


After all, however, when we look at Chins
and Japan it is impossible to resist the convic
ton that forces of an outside and q foreign
character are so busily working against
them that there is no power within themselves
strong enough to resist the encroaching tide o
revolution. The Americans do not objec
to revolution, but we insist upon fair play
China and Japan must yield themselves up tt
the new civilization, but the coercion must be
as just and as gentle as possible.
Year: 1869

The DAILY HERALD will be sent to subscribers
for one dollar month.


The postage being only thirty.Hve cents .
quarter, country subscribers by this arrangement
can receive the HERALD at the same price it is
furnished in the city.
Year: 1869

NoTHNa WONDERFUL ado is made
about the ticks Of clock passing over thou
sand miles Of wire. That's nothing wonderful.
The supercargo Of Boston ship once went
round the world on tick and brought up At
Long Wharf with cargo Of cassia, Manila
hemp and West India molasses.
Year: 1869

Before Us.


All the free governments that ever flourished
became tyrAnnies, and fell In exactly the same
way. History is monotonous with the story
Of the ruin Of nations by the same events in
the same order. Always the motive. power is
q minority Of plotting politicians. They study
first to secure to themselves the plunder and
spoil Of the national wealth. They can only
succeed in this by getting poEer, and they
cannot get power so long as those constitu-
tional forms are intact by which power be-
longs to the majority. Down goes the consti-
tuition, therefore, crippled at first by restric-
ton at one point, an addition at another, and
overlaid by changes Of every sort. But the
most important change Is that the Executive
Is always reduced to nullity. In free gov
ernment especially federal government, the
Executive is the only direct expression there
is Of the majority Of the whole people. He re-
presents the popular unity, while all other
representation Is Of parts. He Is the keystone
Of an arch. He is the will Of the nation-its
initiative. And II q nation is to be really vital
among nations-to be respected, and strong
and free-;he only theory Of government
upon which II can stand Is that the Execu-
TIVE is the government, and all other parts
are but safeguards to prevent tyranny. This
Ia the reverse Of what the oligarchs say--they
holding that Congress Is the government and
the Executive the functionary OF Congress.
Pursuing this idea, the ambitious minority
always works upon the fears OF the people by
representing the Executive as aiming at
tyranny, and thus executive power Ia given
into the hands Of the legislature. Then fol-
low In the conflict Of schemes and counsels
disorder, license, corruption, anarchy, the
destruction Of property, the loss Of all public
morality, ill the nation becomes banditti and
10 botted out, or ill some fellow halts his
guard In front Of the legislative hall, strides In
and declares himself first consul, king or
emperor, aud has the applause OF the nation
because at least he represents order and safety.
One might write formal history OF republics
on this outline Of events, changing the names
TO suit occasion, and II would be always true.


We are led 10 these reflections by the ap-
pearance In the New York Sun OF PROPOSE
ton that the American people shall now take
one more step than they have hitherto taken
in this career. The Sun Il the organ, and In
Year: 1869

and Steamship Interests.


We publish in another part of the paper
some valuable remarks, communicated to Q
monthly publication in this city by Admiral D.
D. Porter, on the navigation interests Of our
country and how to promote them. he advo-
Gates free trade in the building and purchase
of steamships, and shows that this is the only
way under the present conditions Of things
and cost of materials and labor here to restore
the merchant marine, and particularly the
steamship part Of it, to anything like what it
was or ought to be. Let Americans buy
steamships or any other vessels wherever they
can get them best and cheapest, on the Clyde
or elsewhere, and give them an American
register. II Is an absurd and narrow policy to
prohibit this, and prevents the United States
from acquiring that maritime importance IL
once had and is entitled to. The first thing Is
to increase our mercantile marine, and parti-
cularly in ocean steamship lines. BY and by
we may be able to compete with foreigners
in shipbuildine, but for the present let us go
to the best market and by all means increase
our tonnage and navigation interests. Ad-
miral Porter's excellent arguments speak for
themselves, and they are the same that We
have urged over and over again. We advise
him, however, whenever he has anything
more to say SO good and to the point not to
hide his light under q bushel, but to commune
cate his ideas to some daily live newspaper.
He is man Of large and comprehensive
views, and Notwithstanding the mistake he
made in writing to an obscure monthly pub
lication, we give him in this case the benefit
of the HERALD circulation.
Year: 1869

To TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-


Permit me through your columns to make few
comments an article In one OF the city journals
headed ''What Can be Done for our Shipping inter-
est" The writer is evidently alive the importance
OF his subject ana If his object was to benefit the
Shipping interests only 1t well enough. But as
he has connected shipbuildng with 1t suppose he
intends his remediesn to be applied for the restora-
tion OF that branch OF industry also.


"Our shlpyards empty;' yet he is willing to let
our merchants go abroad and purchase such ships
and steamers as Will answer foreign trade bring
them here, give them an American license and place
them on an equal footing with American bottoms.
lie would reserve the coasting trade, however, rs
"prize open 10 American shpbullders.n lie Is op-
posed TO subsidies, because Ii is dangerous prece-
dent and not at all necessary.


The French ocean steamers which have been sue
cessul were built on the Clyde, but before admitting
foreign built vessels on the terms named he would
give the American shpbuildcrs clear year before
them to show us what they really can do" am
not among those who believe that the day OF wooden
vessels is past In this country, do expect to see
that day very soon, for so long timber be pro-
cured we will have them and the forests Of Maine,
Virginia. Maryland, Georgia ana Texas will furnish
all that Is needed on the seacoast for many
years to come, while Ohio. Indiana and Michigan





Western rivers. The underwriters make vast
difference between tho rating Of wooden and
an iron vessel their Dooks--morc, We think,
than s Just. This, however, can DO traced to
foreign influence. Yet we do not think that
any OF the foreign iron steamers running to this
port have given any very great evidence OF their
longevity, while IL Is well known that We have quite
q number OF wooden ships built In this country tnat
have been sailing out OF the port OF New York for
the past fifteen or twenty years, and are likely to do
good work for number OF years to come. In the
year 1888 we commenced our apprenticeship In this
city on the ship Duchess Of orleans, built by Mr.
W. ii. Webb. This ship Is now nearly thirtytwo
years ola and Is perfectly sound and seaworthy.
Other facts can be given to show that wooden ship
well built and properly managed will compare IN
age and hard work very favorably with the best
built iron vessels. For many years to come our
coasters and lake vessels with but few exceptions,
VIII DO built OF wood Iron vessels our lakes have
not AS yct shown any superiority over the wooden
ones as grain carrers cutters and tugs they have
done better still It II evident that we must turn
our attention to iron steamers for the trade.
aud to do this wo must have ttle time.


For nearly thirty years the English ana Scotch
shlpbuilders have been engaged IN building iron ves