Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-02-26
AN EyENrFuL YEAR.

eragc OF the last half century. ABROAD,
marked changes have taken place both
in Church and State. Europe has been
remapped; second.class Powers have
gone to the front, and to the rca ranks
among nations. Tho Greek subjects Of
the Sultan have wrung from him con-
~eessions long refused, and though but o
small minority of his subjects, have
rendered his footing among sovereigns
insecure. Garibaldi, at the head of n
small force Of Italians, has invested
Rome itself; and though defeated by
French troops, and driven from Italy,
has shortened the life Of the Romish
Hierarchy many yeaes. Even as we
write, the news flashes over the ocean
cable that Austria forbids recruiting for
the Papal army in its dominious. Italy
appears to be vcrging upon some event
which shall close the period Of its tram
sition from a country of petty principal
tiles to United Italy, owning but n
ruler and converting its Senate in Rome,
its proper Capital.
Franco, though quiet, is not ut case.
Louis Napoleon has been checkmnted by
| Bismarck in the East, and by Fate in
the West. The representative OF his
imperious will, Macmillan, has met the
fate of an usurper in Mexico. At home
he has failed to widen the boundaries of
France, and the formation Of a new
Ministry In Italy bodies no good to his
ambitious designs in that direction.
Britain has been rudoly disturbed by the
spasmodic and i'll advised movements of
the Feniau Brotherhood, and to-day sets
about righting some Of the woful wrongs
out Of which Feuianism sprung. or all
the nations Of Europe, Russia and Swift
erland alone have been spared material
shock BY passing events. But the for
mer is edging slowly toward the Bos-
phorus, and it may be that, before the
present year shall be numbered with the
past, "Turkey in Europe" may exist
only in name.
But the most significant tidings which
reach US relate to that terra ineognitd,
Japan. The report is that the Tycoon
has a~bdicated, and devolved his duties
upon the Mikado-hitherto tho eccle-
siastical ruler Of the Empirc-and q
Senate composed Of the best men. New
ports are to be thrown open to com
merce of the world, including the sacred
Capital, Yeddo. Thus slowly, but GER
tainly, Japan is assuming new and
strange relations with the outside
world, and there is little doubt Of the
final modification Of its form Of govern
ment to correspond with our own, MS
we'll as the admission of the leaven Of
Christianity into the creed of its people
The changes which have marked
events on the Asiatic mainland during
the past year, are varied and significant
The Chinese rulers appear to be prepar-
ing for a thorough revolution in the for
eign policy of that Empire. From all
| that can be known to the "outside bar
barians," it seems safe enough to pre-
dict that the ports of the Empire will
| SCOT be thrown open to the world, un.
der no more illiberal restrictions than
exist in u own ports, or in those o.
Europe. The effect of this will be
benefcent to China as we'll as to trade.
Tho internal economy Of that Empire
cannot escape essential notifications by
contact with a higher civilization. The
dream Of its great philosopher ant
teacher will be realized, though not in
the way he marked out as desirable
and China must become the richest, n
it is the most populous Of all the M
tons Of the earth. Its policy of partia
dealing with traders, persisted in for 81
many years, was based upon thu
basest two Of all human motivet
I-selfshness and fear. Under it
baleful influence internal disorders
sprang up and degenerated int
chronic civil war. The more intelligen
Of the people grew to dispisc the EN-
peror and his weak rule; and it is to b,
doubted il China has been at peace will
herself for the last two centuries. Will
the new policy which seems inevitable
the farthcst parts Of that vast country
will DO brought to market, and with thu
new incentives to labor thus furnished
ambitious leaders cannot longer recruit
their little bands Of robbers, and per
manept peace must result. Of course
for this hope, we have but the progress
of 1867 as q foundation. As before re-
marked, the notable changes in national
policies and governmental progress re-
late to the East, rather than to the
West. But it must be remembered thai
this nation set out very near the goal,
The nations alluded to rs showing most
significant signs of progress are those
which have most improvement to mako.
Germany has travelled from o point cor.
responding to this country under the
confederation, to n much nearer our
own under tho Constitution, in less time
than we took to make the distance.
But Germany is not quite ready to dis.
pense with the trappings Of royal state.
She will outgrow that in good time
and doubtless that nation is as well pre-.
pared to maintain republican %institu.
tons to-day as any nation on the globe,
Education is almost universal-intelli,
gence tho rule among her people. Giver
free institutions on the first day of the
current year, she would showed a better