Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-01-02
THE GRAND RIVER TIMES.
GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN,
WEDNESDAY, EVENING. JANY.2, 1856.
REVIEW OF 1855.

"
ernments in the world. This little earth of
ours has been scene of bloodshed and strife,
and Europe the theater where the tragedy
has been played. All that we can imagine
of earthly grandeur and ambition, has been
presented in the great drama now being act
ed on the Crirnean stage; and If we honestly
study the motives Of the principal actors, and
Judge of them not by the magnitude, but by
the character of their acts, how contemplate
do they appear. ng
The principal one, an adventurer, possessed
of great shrewdness, but governed entirely by
selishness and ambition; Queen governed
entirely by her ministry, and being but pup
pet in the machinery of government; Sui
tan who is being used as a cats paw to carry
out the ambitious schemes of France and
England; and Gar fighting for the main
tenance of hereditary despotism, and to
preserve his land from invasion-four,, per-
sons, and one woman, have, by concentra-
ton of power, been able to control the inter-
ests and fortunes of half of Europe, and keep
the balance quaking in fear while they did it.
The Queen and Sultan are themselves uncer-
tain whether they are fighting for their
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or are merely the tools
of managers behind the scene. They appear
in less dignifed light than Lucy Stone,
acting independently as the leader of what
she considers a great reform; as much so as an
agent is inferior to principal. Then if Luz
cy is more worthy of notice than two of the
principal actors in the great drama Of the
nineteenth century, and yet is not worth re-
viewing, it is hardly worth while to criticse
the play in which the others are engaged.
The fight in it, and which forms its great at
traction, is of the same character, though on
more extended scale, as the one between
Poole and Baker, and for which the latter is
to be tried for murder. The same passions
are brought into play-ambition and revenge
and it is matter of great doubt if any
more worthy motives are mixed with them.
Poole and Bakers fight was the great event
of the week in the history of New York.
Napoleon's and Alexander's fight is the great
event of the year in the history of the
world. 1t has smeared its pages with blood,
and, although its means may try to hide
themselves behind the pride and pomp and
circumstance of glorious war, and their ears
may be filled with the fattery which is offer
ed as an incense to their ambition, yet the
same God that judges Poole and Baker will
decide on the merits of an Emperor and Gar
and the character of the fights in which they
are engaged.
Were it not that our own government
stands firm, even profting by the wars which
now rage in Europe, we might conclude that
the lesson taught by the history of the past
year, was that ambition and brute force have
yet (as in the years that have preceded the
presently control of the world. But we have
no need to 60 to Europe to learn a very diff
ferent and more hopeful one. We see at
home nation governed not by force, but by
a principle-the right Of the people to govern
themselves--and though the past year has
with us severely tested the practical carrying
out of that principle, and it has been most
wantonly attacked by pretended philanthro-
pists, yet we ask if the present aspect of af-
fairs in Kansas does not indicate that the
right will triumph and the principle upon
which our government is based be nobly sus-
tanned!
But the old year has personal history for
all of us. Its grave is also the grave of
many bright hopes. Its seasons as they have
passed by have taken one after another Of
our friends and relatives with them The
ireside has fewer around it. The graveyard
more in it. Many of us have learned by bit
ter lessons how slight the cords are that bind
us to earth, and feel that the memories OF
the old year are much more sad than the
hopes of the new one are bright. But the
storm of December that sings the death wall
of 1855, is not the one that January sings to
inaugurate with festivity 1856. There was
a pause in time when the clock was at the
hour of fu,o1,,o tl,o@ n 1oaoo4 ,r@o,oI 4