The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-31 00:00:00

Eke .stourbribge aurtnr.

SATURDAY , DECEMBER Mat, 1881.

THE PAST DECADE.

Circumstances often arise which render it
desirable to cast a backward glance over not
only the year whose departure is more immedi-
atety the subject of attention, but over that
longer period know as a decade. Ten years
form a convenient space of time for the purposea
of a review. While it i not too long, it is yet
of sufficient length to eml‘race a vast sweep of
public events, the record of r hicb is liable
enough to become lost amid the rapidly-passing
incidents cf each revolving year.
Ten years ago the Prince of Wales, who had
been lingeting upon the mysterious borderland
that divides life from death, was slowly recover-
ing at Sandringham from the dangerous attack
of typhoid fever from which he had suffered. It
was on the 14th December, 1871, that the turn-
ing point occurred in alio illness which had
prostrated the Heir-Apparent, and that hap-
pened to be tte tenth anniversary of his father's
death. It may be truly enough asserted that
during the few critical days when the Prince of
Wales lay so perilously ill, but little else was
talked off, and there was a suspension of that
great commercial activity which is so strong a
characteristic of the British Nation. The Minister
who waa then in power is now at the head of
affairs, although during the decade Mr. Glad-
stone's lifelong rival held office six out of the
ten years. Time has removed Lord Beacons-
field from an arena in which he had been a con-
spicuous figure for half a century; but the
r• a:7ot Premier survives to look buck over fifty
yeap. i Partiaaa ntary life, and to contemplate
the less of a toet of able colleagues who have
fallen from his aide. The administration of
public affairs has merely passed from the bands
of Mr. Gladeone to those of Lord Beaconsfield,
ana then back to Mr. Gladstone again. In the
ten years two of the Queen's sons—the Dukes of
Edinburgh and Connaught—have bee' warned;
and the Pri: cess Alice has died. In the con-
templation of the approaching wedding of Prince
Leopold, it will be remembered that her Majesty's
youtig, st child, Princess Beatrice, now in the
twenty-fifth year of her age, yet remains with her
mother, and forms the Queen's constant com-
panion in her maturer years.
France has witnessed many changes in the
past decade. When the 3car 1871 closed over
that country the Germans were still in posses-
sion, and held the northern forts of Paris. M.
Thiers, tl.en the chief of the Executive Power,
was briealy engaged in arranging for the pay-
ment of the large war indemnity which bad heir'
demanded by the conquering enemy—a sum
equal to two hundred minions ster:ing of English
money. The French territory was liberated in
1872; and on the 24th May, 1873, M. Thiers
was driven from power, and a Septeunate, with
Merehal MacMahon ta:, its head, was proclaimed.
The 83ptennate did not, however, last the seven
years intended for it ; Marshal MaoMahou re-
a;gned some time before its expiration, and was
succeeded in the Preaideucy of !tie liepublic by
M. Jules Grevy, foimerly riatinieut of the
Chamber of Deputies. Wallet ir Eng,land we
have had ouly two changes of Ministry, the
number of Plitne Ministers who have held office
in France watild be difficult to enumerate. Ten
yaars ego the Emperor Napoleon was living in
exile at Chisleaurst, with his wife and son; the
fallen sovereign himself died on the 9.h January
1873, and his only elti:d. once the darling hope
of his 'dynasty, was killed six years afttrwerdsiu
Zululand in a quarrel in whit% be himself had
no interest, but which he had described as one
wherein he took part as between civi ization and
barbarism. In Germany there has been the
strongest possible contrast to toe constant
changes witnessed in France. The Emperor
William, now 84 years of age, still reigns over
the Fatherland ; and Prince Bistuarek, as in
1871, is his eiief adviser. Italy has lost her
kit.g, Victor liinin.inupl, who preceded Pope
Pins the Ninth to the grave. by ju-t four week';.
The Quirinal and the Vatietin, sn long in au-
tagouism, each had a new occupant between the
w,.:;21-: and lije waning of a sitig'e moon.
In the Uuitril States tour Presidents have
oczaVed the White Hon-ie ii the short space of
ten years. When 1872 dawned, General (Jr it
was tile, ruler of the ii...ipuhne, end it wjs in that
year tha6 tnc long-standin4 Alabama clai
which had been a perennial source of nittcrat:•ss
between the two countries, were referred to a
court of interuationai arbitrtion at en vs, and
finally disposed of. In the autumn of the same
3 ear General Grant Was re-encted. and in 187 ti
he \vas i by Pr 4si etit Ii ty es. Than
cane oneral (in i field, w a was sa era 1 y
p4,44ssiny.{J,i a f ..v Inoatha aee : .4nl Oen, rd
Chester Arthur directs the ao.icy of the g; e
Repuhic of the Went. f eli toe(;Uital
States and Great Britain are coueeruel, he
relations of the taro euuntries uri much wore
cordial than they were ten years slim.. sz
—o far
as the. general position of Great Britain is

titaa--:luti is a (.iiiider-tifi.ti itninovij.
DlUut UpO.A Lila!, of I.veiVe wOutlii ago, When the
BJers were in insarreetiou against the British
arms. 'Lien) is now for the time no It_:asteru
4 Question to trobble our statesmen, and no Ties-
tiou of increas.ng the public burthcos as a pre-
pdratio i fir ew.:iiugen .1e:, Ca:lse,' by the comioi-
e.iLiolio foreilft) p' IC)'.