Year: 1878

1nOSe VINO seem anxious to hurry up war
with Mexico, and who come to Washington
periodically to help it along feel constrained
to announce just now that the time has about
come for the war policy to develop, and that
MacKenzie's reported raid across the Rio
Grande at this time is the germ from which
will spring the looked for war. The theory is
that Mackenzie will push far enough into
Mexico to find the regular troops, have a
brush with them, retreat across the Rio
Grande, and from this war sentiment will
develop in this country which will demand
reparation on the part of Mexico for the indig
nifty, AS Mexico has nothing to give which
Will be considered ample reparatiOn for firing
on our flag, war will therefore be an inevitable
result: 1t may be added, too, that there are
not few army officers who really believe that
this government is anxious for the occasion to
pursue an aggressive policy toward Mexico.
Las reported, Mac kenZie has with him across
the Rio Grande over 800 men, it is about all of
the effective fighting force along the border.
There have been no recent reports from the
Texas frontier, which goes to show that the
Mexicans have been more. predatory than
crossing of the Rio Grande with a good sized
army is accepted as menace to Mexico, and
one which is expected to be resisted.


INCoRRECT-In letter to the Director of
the U. S. Mint, dated the 18th instant, Feer
Herzog, the celebrated Swiss financial writer,
states that the tables of Sir Hector Hay. which
the English silver commission insists are cor
rect, are incorrect in some particulars. He
says that the annual prOdu ctiOn of gold is
placed too low, and that the figures as to the
German production of silver are also too low.
The latter Sir Hector places at 100000 pounds
the production during 1877 actually reached
30,O0U,O0O francs. He adds that the principal
mistake of Hay was in taking the export of
Australian continent as the actual production
OF gold there in 1915, Omitting the gold coin
which went to the Melbourne and Sidney
mints: He also omitted the gold produc-
tIon OF Nova Scotia, New Zealand, and British
Columbia.


THE GOVERNMENT TO TRANSPORT Irs Own
COIN.-The question of the transportation of
government gold coin through the mails is at
last formally settled. The Postmaster General
To-Day notified the Secretary OF the Treasury
that he would give the necessary instructions
to railway superintendents and post Office Off
cals, and that the suggestions in respect to iron
boxes and system of duplicate invoices for
the protection of the gold would be adopted
Other details for assuring the safety OF the
coin will be perfected later, The Second AS
reply to objections forwarded to the depart
ment yesterday by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company to the proposal that the Post Office
go into the gold carrying business.


THE CROPS eF ODEssA.-Mr. Dyer consul at
Odessa, reports the condition of the crops
along the coast Of the Black and Azoff seas as
not greatly promising, in consequence of the
dry weather. In the interior OF the country,
however, the crop is said to look remarkably
well, and hopes are entertained of a harvest of
something above the average production.


No BLACKMAIL IN IT.-Editor Star: have
to regret that my name should have been men
toned in connection with a charge that two
clerks in the Treasury department had ap-
preached me with offers of service in the pas
age of my accounts if would pay them $1,000,
&c. This is untrue, wholly and specifically.
and never so stated. With an appropriation
made by Congress in my behalf, I have natur-
ally chafed at the delay in payment but no
clerk or other person in the Treasury has ap-
preached me, as stated.


G: p. BIRKETT,


WASHINGTON, DC, July 25, 1873