smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1871

The more the Spanish home authcri-
ties bluster aud resolve to put down the
Cubans, the less we are disposed to be
lieve that they will do it. Nothing is
surer than that pronunciamentos and
procIamations will not do the business.
1t will be three years this fall since the
standards of revolt were raised, and the
oppressed still wave their banners in de-
fance, and swear that they must and shall
be free.
Year: 1871

NJ Theirs, with that wrong headed obstinacy
of elderly politicians, seems determined to look
for his popularity in tho place where he lost
it. in prosecutions of those who differ from him.
The present stringent Press laws do not appear
sufficiently severe for the Republican Presi-
dent and he and his Minister of the Interior
are planning an improvement on them, which
will probably provide paddock for the mouth
of every one who does not believe that NJ.
Theirs is a Caesar in genius and Washington
in virtue, and who does not heartily approve
all this irascible statesman has done. is doing,
or may possibly do.
Year: 1871

The friends of Mr.. Tweed please themselves
with the belief that after the 1st of January
he will be privileged from arrest on civil pro-
cess until the close Of the session of the Legis-
lature. The immunity of Senators and Assem-
blymen is defined by the following section
from Chap. VII. of the Revised Statutes,
Title Q:


Each member OF the Legislature shall be privileged
from arrest civil process during his attendance at the
session Of the house to which he shall belong except on
process issued in sut brought against him for any
forfeiture misdemeanOr breach Of trust in any office
place Of public trust held by him."


This privilege covers also the period Of four
teen days previous to the meeting of the Legis-
lature, and the time spent in going to and
returning from the session 80 that if it aB
plies to the case of Mr.. Tweed at all it must
have taken effect more than q week ago.
Whether it does or not seems to be rather
nice question. Tweed's Offense is undoubtedly
equivalent to forfeiture or breach of trust in
"oflice," and is therefore one which the law
meant to except from the protection Of privi-
lege; but the complaint upon which he was
arrested did not charge him with any wrong
committed in his public capacity. and the order
| Of arrest merely specifies "deceit and fraud"
| We have already explained why the action


was commenced in this FORM If the complaint
! had been for breach of trust or violation of


duty as an officer of the City or County OF
| New-YOrk, the action must have been tried in


our local courts. BY making the charge more
general, Mr.. OCOnOr and his associates took
! the case out of the reach of the Tammany
| Judges, and began the suit at Albany. 1t is
fair to presume that they foresaw the possible
| setting up of the plea of privilege, and are
prepared to meet it.


The truth seems to be that in the eye of
the law MIR. Tweed has been constructively in
custody ever since his first arrest two months
ago. The acceptance of bail does not dis
charge prisoner. but merely commits him to
the keeping of suretes, instead of to Jail,
until he is required to appear in Court and
if the sureties fail to justify, or desire to be
released, he can be restrained of his personal
liberty without fresh warrant and this will
not be regarded as q new arrest The sure
ties are supposed to have the custody
of their principal, and whom they fail
to justify, or desire to be released,
they transfer that custody to the Sheriff. In
other words, the surrendering of bail involves
merely q change Of keepers. If Sheriff Bren-
nan, therefore, should send Mr.. Tweed to
Ludlow-st Jail to-day, he would not infringe
upon the privilege Of q Member Of the Legis-
lature, because the arrest was effected more
than two months ago. To suppose that priv
ilege diss0lves bail is about as reasonable as
to assume that every Member of the Legisla-
ture who may happen to be in Jail when the
privileged term begins must at once DO set at
liberty
Year: 1871

Mr.. Sagasta's Cabinet will have to show
promptly whether it has any authority in
Cuba. The Captain General has issued proc
lamation which surpasses in cold and devlish
brutality anything of which We have any
record in modern times. He announces to the
Cubans, and to the world, that on the 10th Of
next month even the present derisive offers of
grace and pardon will cease; that all insurgents
captured after that date will be shot, that all
surrendering after that date will bo con-
demned to perpetual imprisonment; that
white women captured in the woods" that
is to say, outside of the Spanish lines, will be
sent out of the country; negro women will be
given up to their owners, and will be forced
to wear chain for four years. We shall
have to look into the history of savage
tribes to find any parallel to this stolid
atrocity. In it's own naked horror it dispenses
with all comment. But bad as it is in itself,
this proclamation becomes far worse when we
think how the bloodthirsty Volunteers will
execute its provisions. Insurgents are to be
shot. But every Volunteer who has an enemy
will shoot him on this warrant. Those who
surrender will be imprisoned. But If gang
of Spaniards receive tho surrender of a de-
tachment Of insurgents, does anybody imagine
they will ever get to jaili 1t would be a
much finer and more Peninsular thing for tho
Spaniards to shoot them all and then say they
captured them in fight. This will save time
and work, and gain much glory. And


the Peninsular hates work ~ much
o. he loves glory. Then that prpvis-
ion about the women found in the woods.
Every rufian at the head Of band can 60
ont into the country, rsvage tho fow remain
Year: 1871

OOhIs


The nersisteDcy with which Robert Macaire
Fisk, jr bothers the Grand Jury in Oyer and
| Terminer to give him character by blacken-
ing the names of his enemies. would be truly
laughable if it were not serious fact that
his personal spite thus retards and cOmplicatcs
the course of justice, which ought to be swift
and directed to higher quarry than himself or
his petty foes The Grand Jury cannot afford
to waste time as precious rs the present with
such fellow. He is o complainant of such
evil fame that half the members of the New
York Stock Exchange, who are too familiar with
bis transactions, pronounce him incompetent to
tell the truth on oath or cOmpulsiOn and the
most prominent bankers of Boston know and
denounce him as q vulgar blackmaler. The
witnesses he has produced before the Grand Jury
to indict his enemies are cast off mistresses
whom he has under his thumb, servants bribed
to leave the woman he had wronged and then
swindled of her money, and grooms discharged
for drunkenness and theft. The Grand Jury
cannot afford ~ waste longer time hearing
such witnesses, or indict decent people on such
suborned testimony Fisk dsres not take hiscase
as his foes did, directly before police mags-
trate, lest the facts which he hopes to conceal
from the jury in an er parte examination may
be divulged to his damage and expulsion from
court, and his character as a blackmailer and
suborner of witnesses be established.


As long as he was content to amuse with
his buffoonery, this fellow was half endurable,
but when he comes with his purchased testi-
mony to confuse justice he becomes an insult
ferable nuisance of whom we demand to be
rid. He is Less entitled to consideration
than Reddy the Blacksmith. There is grave
suspicion, since the renewal of his attempt at
Indictment defeated last week, that the Jury
and the District Attorney are lending them
selves to the qualification of his personal spite,
betrayal of trust which they cannot afford
to commit If they do not desire to arouse
public indignation. in this matter they will dis
miss him to the Police Justice at YOrkville.
for whose court he has displayed such supreme
contempt by tricking him into pOstpOnement
of the criminal case against him, in order that
he might attempt to blacken the character of
his prosecutors by indicting them before
secret Grand Jury. We wish to see failure
of this weak device, and swift resumption
of the criminal trial at Yorkville, for
in that case the public have O deeper interest
than many persons suspect. The developments
which will be forced from Miss Mansfield and
from Fisk himself, when he ia once on the
stand and under cross-examination, and the
contents of the letters which Judge Brady's
anticipated dissolution Of Pratt's Infamous in
junction will make public, will complete the
ruin of Tammany, and overwhelm In confusion
and dishonor half the minor Rings that were
the adjuncts of the great ono which has been
happily destroyed. These documents belong
to the public, and the public demand them at
the hands of the Judges who lock them up.
Year: 1871

The story of Tweed's flight as detailed in
yesterdays TRIBUNE was fully confirmed by
subsequent inquiry. The account was received
with mary misgivings by skcptical public,
who did bot conceive it possible that the facts
Of so i'm bortant an event of the strange revo.
luton agitating this city could be obtained
and recorded by single journal to the
exclusion of all the others Not only
have the facts So published been
established as true, but the further important
fact has been developed that Tweed is con-
cealed simply to avoid arrest until the Legis-
lature meets, when he mistakenly suppOses he
will be exempt from arrest. We cannot fully
credit the statement which has been made
that this scheme is connived at by members
of the Legislature. and by the officials who
ought to hold Tweed in custody. But it
is not impossible that the next appearance of the
great criminal in public will be in the Senate
chamber rather than in q prison cell. There
was hope that the Legislature would have
been saved this indgnity, but we are assured
that tie disgrace will not be for long. Though
free from arrest on civil suits, the last OF the
Tammany Sachems can be taken from bis
place on criminal indictment; and steps are
said to have been already taken to arrest him
at the proper time, on charges more serious
than any yet presented against him. An i'm
patient public will not have many days to
wait for this action.
Year: 1871

There il rebellion in Boston, we rejoice to An


nOunce, against the impositions and swndings OF
the street railway companies, the gist Of complaint
being that often "patient waiting for toe-quarters
of an hour ls necessary to secure the poor pnvegt
of standing in car for miles, with seventy or eghs
other crowded individuals" Of all corporations tD
the country, the horse railway companies having
received from the public tho valuable franchise Of
right of way over roads already constructed at the
public expense ought to be liberal in their treatment
of the population: but general rule, they hsvo
neither cars enough nor horses enough nor arc tho
cars and horses which they do put on OF the 6rsf
quality If the aggregate discomfoIts Of FIVE hund-
red passengers could all be concentrated upon one
the maddened individual III he survived the trip
would bring an action and recover noble damages.
Year: 1871

A touching proof of the devotion Of the AL
satians to France is seen in the dispatch an
nouncing the formation in Strasbourg Of Com
mittees for the collection of money to help
pay the indemnity which Fpance owes to Ger.
many. They are Germans by ancient descent
and recent conquest, yet they are French in
heart, and it will be long before they are any
thing else. Even though united to the Father
land, they still mourn for France; just as-to
use Townsend's phrase-the Sabine women
would have been hOmesick for Rome if their
own people had rescued them.
Year: 1871

The hopes which had been entertained OF the
speedy convalescence Of tho Prince OF Wales
are again disappointed by the announcement
of a troublesome tumor which will retard. even
if it does not endanger his recovery. The
physicians insist upon it that there is no espe-
cial gravity in these new symptoms; but these
encouraging statements arc hardly borne out
by the fact that they have telegraphed for the
Queen to come, to Sandringham, and she has
Obeyed the summons.
Year: 1871

We are getting back to Oriental customs by WAY
of entertaining the children of his congregation o.
Christmas day. the Rev. f. F. Hale of Boston gathered
them into the decorated church and told them au on
tirely fresh and original story about good little g


and naughty little boys who repented and behaved
like 6rst-class Juvenile Christians finally becoming
promising and industrious members of society. We
confess to preference for this kind of denOucmeat
especially In ohidzens stories. The main Objecto.
to the Little Nels and tho In that they do not
get well. but die just when their example has b.
come the most valuable No matter how loudly .
little woman may sing :" I want to be an ange..
may take it for granted that she really wants to
be nothing of the kind. Every healthy child is b,s,
pleased when Cinderella marres the Prince
Year: 1871

It is to be hoped the merchants Of New


York will not allow themselves to be discour-
AGED from tho work Of investigating the taf'
bor frauds by the conduct Of the Port author
tiles in the matter. 1t is not unreasonable
that they should be iess eager to be exposed
than the merchants should be to expose them
Year: 1871

Police District. presided over by State Com
mission, 7As Word AYERS that 1t "openiy con-
templates" such district, though it is utterly
silent on the subject. II the reastsblishment
Of such district shall ever be proposed. we
shall consider the project dispassionately, and
Judge it on its merits. For the present, we
need only say that we want no State Com
mission of any kind for the government Of
this City or for any department Of its rule 1t
is simply just to add that the law creating our
Metropolitan Police District gave us by far
the most efficient and respectable Police our
City ever had. Our way of reestablishing the


best features of that system would be this :
4. Extend Brooklyn 80 as to include the whole
of Kings County. 2. Unite Brooklyn with New
York, making of the two one City, under one
municipality, and of course with one Police
Elect a Mayor for two years, forbid his re-
election for the next term, and let him appoint
tho Police Commissioners, three in number.
Year: 1871

The World. with characteristic emphasis, diff
fers from The TRIBUNE's cstimate of the
Scventy's proposed Charter, in that we have
not found fault with it because of something
that Is not IN it at ALTO wit, u Metropolitan
Year: 1871

they are acceptable to the Republic.
can rather than the Democratic)
party in this County. "Policy" is n
good thing-but don't let us run it
into the ground. Rather let us take
a straight shoot, do the things that
ought to be done, so far as We may


be able to see, and then abide the
consequences. If the Republican
party is defeated i'm this County this
year it is its own fault-but let us
individual members so work that
the blame thereof, if it comes to
pass, shall not rest on our shoulders.
Year: 1871

The Democratic party formerly
surrendered the American right Of
free speech at the command Of the
slave masters; and now in the city OF
New York it surrenders the right OF
peaceful assembly at the summons OF
religious mob. A party bred in
abject subservience to slavery has no
conception Of the principles OF liberty
or Of the fundamental rights Of free
men. While the Democratic news
papers affect TO deny the existence OF
the Ku Klux in the Southern States,
the Democratic municipal authori-
ties in the great city Of the continent
carefully foster Ku Klux to which
they command American citizens to
yield. The tyrant Gessler at Altorf
put his cap upon a pole, and ordered
the Swiss to bow before it. The
Democratic authorities Of New York
elevate the Pope's tiara, and warn
American citizens that they will
refuse To honor it ut their peril. And
this is the party that beseeches the
people OF the United States to give it
control of the national government!


The circumstances Of the recent
prohibition Of the parade Of the
Orange or Protestant Irishmen in
the city Of New York will serve,
perhaps, to show to the country two
things: one is the absolute alliance OF
the Democratic city government with
political Romanism; and the other is
that, in consequence of that alliance,
the indisputable rights Of American
citizens are deliberately sacrificed.
The facts are very few and simple.
The Orangemen resolved to celebrate
the anniversary Of the battle of the
lsoyne by a public parade in the
streets Of the city. Certai, Roman
Year: 1871

dicates this quite conclusively. Troy
(the one in which Abba
is situated) polls in all, rs l am in
formed, about GOO votes. When
they voted for three per cent. tax
last September, it was carried by 81
At the sham election to
rescind, there We're only some go
votes poled in all. The friends of
the Road, like sensible people, staid
at home, and would have nothing to
do with the movement. l have no
doubt, from all the information /
obtained while at Abba, that If this
election had been legal one, there
would have been general turnout,
and the attempt to set aside the
former vote would have been tri-
umphantly Defeated mean, if the
work had been progressing, or had
not been abandoned.


1t will be remembered that, from
the first meeting called, and the ini-
tiatory steps toward building the A.
*. & ID. Railroad, prominent men OF
Abba co-operated with US in our
efforts for its construction, became
officers of the Company, and acted
with us throughout in apparent good
faith. Not only were these gentle
men prompted by strong desire for
the construction of the Road, but
they were backed by the citizens Of
Abba generally. remember well
to have attended a meeting there,
perhaps two years ago last Winter,
in the Court House, where at large
assembly the expression was unani.
nous in favor of the project. After
all this, and the voting Of n three
per cent. tax last September, / will
not believe for one moment that the
citizens Of Troy Township would
ever vote to rescind their legal obli-
CATION, or repudiate lawfully con-
trncted and honest debt, incurred for
the construction of that or any other
public improvement in which the
community has so deep an Interest,
especially after so much money had
been expended by the Construction
Company, on the work within the
limits of Monroe County. i believe
a large proportion of the taxpayer
of that Township would Indignantly
spurn any imputation OF such an act
and as there is now new arrange
ment between them and Mr.. .Grinnell
by which the three per cent. tax is II
be released on condition that one and
half per cent. be voted in aid Of the
Road, l feel assured they will by
large majority vote to carry out the
new arrangement, whereby the work
will be Immediately resumed, the
Road completed, and the cars run
ming at the earliest time possible.


Let this be done, and within much
less than year the people of Monroe
and Marion Counties will have big
ioilification in cars drawn by the first
iron horse that ever scampered across
the immense coal fields Of the Cedar
Valleys. Respectfully Yours,


JAMES MATTHEWS.
Year: 1871

Desperate Duel, But No One Killed.


The PlGnters' (La.) Banner of the 18th inst.
says:- Bal. ,s1 c.,


Just as we are going to press we learn the
particulars of a rather sanguinary duel that
took place on yesterday evening about o'clock,
near E. Montagues store, some four miles west
of this place, between two cousins, Drosin
Miguez and Theogene Viator. The particulars,
as we learn them, are as follows fF


A fend had existed between the parties for
years, even before the younger one of the two
had grown. just one year ago they were re-
quired TO give bond in the sum of 800 each to
Keep the peace for the space of twelve months,
which bond expired on the day previous to the
hostile meeting. Immediately after one of the
parties sent word to the other, to meet him at
the time and place mentioned above, armed
with double-harrel shotgun and repeater,
charged dd Hbitun. They came within about
forty yards of each other, when they commenced
firing which they kept up until each of their
charges were exhausted. The young man who
was invited to the feast OF blood took the pre-
caution to bring an extra repeater, which gave
him q very decided advantage over his opponent.
After one firing fourteen shots aud the other
eight tbey found themselves close together with
empty weapons and neither party badly hurt.
They then dubbed their weapons, aud went in
for a regular rough and tumble fight, when
friends interfered, and thus ended the matter
for a while at least--not however until one
of them had received a severe confusion on the
head from the butt of pistol and the other had
one of his eyes nearly torn out. Notwithstanding
the great amount of shooting, as we understand
each of the parties received but slight wound,
from which Il is TO be hoped they may soon re-
cover We regret to learn that 1t Is the general
opinion of those best acquainted with the par
ties that this viii not be the end OF the affair.
Year: 1871

came apparent, with clumps Of vague
bushes, and amOrphous shapes Of trees,
rising here and there. Their eyes
sought the path, which led away from
the door, and curved over a sort of
mound or hillock against the east. to
bend again to the distant road. And
there they beheld him.


Look, grandpa" said litde an.
Il see him there"


The moon was coming up, though
still below the horizon, and hale The
heavens were lit with an immense pure
radiance. He stood upon the mound.
looking toward them, enlarged in aspect
by the frozen air, grave and manly
figure. darSly defined against that great
light arising on the world. They eazed
on him with straining eyes. Withn.
the glad noises of the Joy Of earth rang
merrily Without, was the form OF love
undying, moveless In icy darkness
against the peaceful and tender liglit of
God. A moment, and they saw him
raise his hand in bencdiction and fare
well. The old mans eyes filled with
tears-the little child nestled low upon
his breast.


He was gone.