New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-01
THE OLD AND THE .Eyy.

The yesr 1874 will, we trust, he long rene n
bered az eunently one Of disssser. and calamity.
In Europe, il witnessed the defnitlve comm nce-
mept Of g. war among the great POTers, whic,
has already destroyed one hundred thousand
lives and an enormous aggregate Of property
without result likely to hasten the reestsbllsh-
mept Of Peace. If the Russians were com
pletely bsfiled and repused at Silstria, the A.
lies have as yet accomplished little at se7asto-
pol, and their recent heavy losses Of vessels and
munitions by storm and sbip@reck render highly
improbable the speedy reduction Of that strong
hold. Gallant and steadfsst as was the M0ssul-
mems defense Of their fortress by the Danube, 1t
did Lot prove them able TO cope with Rnsha IN
the open field, nor does is oyerbesr the facts
which prove tie Ottoman Empire ruin, and the
expulsion Of the Turks from Europe merely
question Of time. 40 decsyed State was ever
vet permanently upheld By foreign bs!onets nor
ever will be. A Greek Empire, stretching from
the Adria.ic to the EnIi1e. would seen
the Iaturel issue Of the long struggle
between Russian ambition and Turkish tenscty
if the Western Powers would permanently sac
coed in barring tie road TO COnstsntbOple against
the unsle6piIg ambition of the Gar. At present,
however, with Ibe Austrian adhesion to the
alliance Of France aud England pretty We'll ex-
plodej, and the probability Of a speedy peace
rather rect ding than advancing, re can only say
with safety that al the belligerents must be in
poverisbed while neither Of them can be vitality
impeIiled by the prosecution Of the contest aud
that neither Of them seems entitled, or likely
coon to eLttle itself TO the sympalbies Of those
whose beart. are With the down-troiden Nation
alities ind wandering exiles Of Italy Poland and
Hungary.
In our own land, the passage Of Douglass
Nebratka bill ard the consequent probable desc.
Grafton by Slavery OF part il not all the vast re-
pion stretchieg westward from Missouri, Iowa
and MiDnesota 20 the crests col tue Rocky Mount
aims, las been the chief calamity Of the year Just
closed. The lying luiloby that the whole contest
was wrance for an abstractOn-.hat Slavery
would never 90 into Kansas, even il permitted
and invited to do So at length ,t.nds unmassed
and paIpable. Slavery uiH 90 in,o Kansas-nay
bas already gone there-and very ea meet .ons
will be required to drive it out again. That these
exeTt0ns will be successfully made, we srdently
hope; that we shall have a House Of Representa-
tives for two years from the 4th Of March next
that " i'll not admit Kansas as q Slave State. we
joy fully believe.
-Misfortunes seldom come singly. Our Har-
vests for 1c5i were materially shortened by in
iects and drouth; pestIlence has been rite ia many
sections; Snd terrible moGey pressure caused
primarily by the breaking down OF our Protective
policy AMI the consequent enormous influx Of
Fore ign Fabrics, bat aggravated and accelerated
by he Schuyler and kindred explosions, by the
sho1tness of our crops and the inability OF West
I'm Europe TO let us 90 deeper and deeper into
htr debt, because her surplus earnings are now
e quired to fiji the devouriDg nav of the great
Eastern War, has rendered the latter b alt of the
ear season cf trial, suffering aud loss TO nearly
ali connected with Trade Manufactures. or
depending wages for bread.
Yet let us not seem to speak murmutiacly or
despondently, for this day ushers in the New
Year The European War, iii has seemed aim
less and barren Of results has yet strikipgy Illus
trated the daring and heroism of the contending
soldiers, their steady yalor and calm dehance OF
death. All have tough. brayely; but as yet the
palm for efficiency must be awarded to tbs British
tro0ps whose behavior at Inkermann would lave
done honor to the beet regiments of any army on
earth. England nisy well be proud of her de-
tenders and rest securely behind her wooden
walls while they are manned by slch gallant
hearts. War is hOrrid game, yet it develops
some Of the nOblest as well as more OF the
darkest phases of human nature. Tney who on
either side poured out their blood for their Coun-
tr,'s sake at the Alma, at BaiaAlaya or at
IukeImaun, died lot wholly in vain. An so the
GIGANTIC wrong perpetrated in Slayery's behalf BY
cur present Congress last Spring has served to
arouse an indgn alton and dissiust which Nil not
be sllaytd until Slavery shall surrender her evil
Gains. and consent 10 be excluded from sll but
the Ststes which have already chosen to cloak 1t
with the forms IF law. So the commercial disas-
tens of the year shall teach Us frugaty aud eau
tic n, as they have already fcrciby reminded US Of
the duty OF charity perhaps truer Political
Economy also-And, by compelling Us to pay part
of ur de BITS and refrain for a season from con
tr.ctiug new ones, msy DIVE upon the course
that will lead us back to solid sud LASTING pros
perity In the fervent hope that such may be the
issue, and with confidence thai the worst OF the
Hand Times have been experienced, We heart.
liz wi.h our readers Hsppy New Year.
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PROGRESS OF TIE WAR.
The sun Of Austerlitz has melted IN water.