The Trinity journal., 1857-02-07
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We clip the following synopsis or retro
spective view of the remarkable occurren.
ces which have distinguished the year 1856
throughout the world, from the New York
Herald. 1t will no doubt be interesting to
our readers:
The year which has just closed has not
been one Of those eventful years which mark
historical epochs Such years as 1912,
1915, 1880, and 184S, can only be expec-
ted at rare intervals and no better test of
general prosperity can be found than the
rarity of their occurrence. How few strik-
ing years have marked onr own history
Passing over the initial years which witness
cd the Declaration of Independence, the
peace with Englnnd, and the inaguration of
Washington, the succeeding annals are dull
till 1912, when the successful vindication of
American nationality sheds a brief light over
the scene to be followed by period of
sober, dull fact till-when shall we say p
Some will protest that the Missouri Com
promise ought to redeem 1920 from obscu
rity Others will have it that Jackson's
election and the final entombment of the
ghost of federalism ought to make us re-
member 1929. some will sorrowfully rccol-
lect 1887, and the same will plead that 1916
should be saved from oblivion by the tariff
OF that year all will agree that the cam
paigns of Scott. and the acquisition of Cali
fornia embalm the dates lS47 and lS4S
The year 1856 has no such glories or dis
asters to keep it in memory, and it will be
forgotten, and will claim but little space in
history. The events Of the year, so far rs
the United States are concerned, have evi-
IDENTIFY been the contest in Kansas, and the
squabbles with England How important
these matters seemed to us at the time, yet
how trivial they will appear to the historian
What shall he say of Kansas? That this
Territory, prepared for education by sonnd
organic act, was overrun by settlers from
New England on the one side, and from
Missouri and some Southern States on the
other each DESTROYS of establishing their
own peculiar form of labor there, and exclu-
ding all Others that there two sets of set
tiers growled at each other, and even came
to hard knocks, as became their sincerity
and their stalwart, earnest Anglo-Saxon
lineage that, thereupon, poor man named
support, unlawfully interfercd and tried to
establish military despotism in the Terri
tory, whereat the whole strong heart of the
North rebeed but that Pierce, losing his
chance Of reelection, gave up his unlawful
schemes and left the men of Kansas to their
own device upon which the whole hubbub
subsidized and people forgot all about Kan
sas. What shall we say of our disputes
with England? ? That foolish minister of
hers, under foolish instructions from Lord
Palmerston, broke our laws, aud was sent
about his business, as he deserved, and that
the English made up their minds to it that
after being led to the brink of a quarrel
about Central America by the knavish
schemes of politicians, the people of the two
nations in frank, manly way, agreed that
there was nothing to fight about, and forced
their diplomatists to make terms OF settle
ment and that after all the noise, the dis
pute ended in smoke Here are slender ma
terials for history.
Europe will remember yearly the treaty
OF peace. When the year opened the hor-
zon looked gloomy enough for Russia. Her
finances were exhausted, she was beaten in
the duel at Sebastopol, her fleets were sunk,
her ports blockaded, and there was q very
clear prospect that in the season of 1856,
Cronstadt would be made to follow Sebas-
topol, and peace might be dictated in the
palace at ST. Petersburg. Austria was on
the point of joining the Western Powers,
and, so far as human foresight could go, it
seemed certain that Russia would be crushed,
Accordingly, Alexander saved himself by
making peace, at some cost Of territory, and
more cost of prestige
Since the treaty, the year has been con-
sumed in petty chickering's touching its fulfil
ment. France has pickered with England,
and England has pckered with Russia at
the time we write, preparations are being
made for new conference, out of which
almost anything may grow Naples has
continued to be the prey of one of the most
intolerabe deSpots in the world Spain has
taken retrograde step, and trembes on
the verge of the usual quadrennial revolu
ton. Persia, instigated by Russia, has
broken the treaty with England and laid
seige to Herat thus provoking war, the
beauty of which is that the antagonists can
not possibly get at each other.
Commercially, the year has been an emf
uently prosperous one The cessation of
the drain for the war has greatly relieved
the commercial world. But from the fact
that that drain was mostly supplied by by
pothecations of the future, the severity of
the pressure has not been yet withdrawn -
But 1T has been concealed. The French
government, which is really on the verge of
bankruptcy, has made strenuous efforts to
conceal its condition, and has thus been led
into favoring various financial bubbles, which
in sounder state, it would not have coun-
tenanced for moment In similar man
ner, the remarkable prosperity and wonder
full ex1berance of this country have eucour-
aged the formation of corporate insttu-
tions on basis sometimes quite inadequate,
and on principles ct war with sound fnan-
cial nolin.. inLa rn iIrond srstnun which hos