The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-01-26
EVENTS OF 1871.

In summing up, and relegation Il
the past, such events as may be con
sidered most notable in the history o.
the year 1871, the close of the Franco
Prussian war, and the sudden and
startling rise OF the Paris Commune,
with Its savage atrocities and its ulti-
mate suppression in blood and fame,
occupy the most prominent place.
In Cuba the revolution still con-
tinues and, of late, has attracted re-
newed attention from the fact that
Valmaseda threatens to carry on the
war in future with mere than usually
horrible atrocities.
Elsewhere, there has been peace
between the nations. Russia, Aus
tria, and Prussia, maintain friendly
relations, while closely watching, and
manifestly distrusting each other.
France is slowly recovering from
her late losses, and amid divided
counsels and conflicting parties, is
striving, as best she may, to heal the
wounds inflicted by the recent war.
1t Is a hopeful sign that, among her
people, there is less talk than former
ly of retaliating her humiliation; of
rearing up children for vengeance,
and of keeping aloof forever from the
victors, and that more attention
promises to be given to home govern
ment and re-establishment of trade.
England, true to her declared policy
of non-interventiOn in foreign af-
fairs, has confined herself exclusive
ly to domestic politics. Windy gusts
of radical oratOry have occasionally
disturbed her peace, but otherwise
she has been but little affected by
passing events.
the Alps to the Adriatic by annexing
the remaining temporalities of the
Papal See, and occupying Rome as
the Capital of the new Itatian King.
dom. Nothing now remains to the
Pope but the possession, bysufferance,
of that small quarter of Rome which
lies across the Tiber, and is known
as the "LeOnine City"
In the United States there has been
less than the usual activity and COM
parative prosperity in commercial
affairs. AS to our domestic politics,
our opinions have been so often and
so freely expressed during the con-
test that has been waged between lib
erty and unlimited despotic power,
that it is hardly necessary to say any,
thing more now. 1t behOOves us,
nevertheless, to fully understand that
We are farther to-day from the old
landmark of the Constitution more
accustomed to unrebuked violations
of law, the exercise of arbitrary
power, and the degradation of public
morals and political honesty, than
we were twelve months ago. The
decadence has been steady and un-
checked, and all the guards that were
framed to protect our liberties in the
better days of the Republic, with
pride in their strength to resist tyran-
meal power, and with confidence in
their ability to repel the storms of
political passions, are being grad
ually broken down.
In material Progress and industrial
activity, the year has been remarka-
BILE for the completion of the Mount
Gems tunnel, the establishment of
the United States weather reports,
the extension of railroad and tele-
graphic communications, and the
Use of the Pacific Railroad,
and of the SueZ Canal as short routes
to China and India respectively.
In science il is difficult for those
outside Of the magic circle of its vO-
taries to tell what advance has been
made. 1t has often seemed. in the
hands of some of It's acutest followers,
such as Huxley, Darwin and others,
q maze OF wild spscuiations and dog
matte deductions from scanty and
vague premises. The loss, therefore,
OF some older men OF SaJHicr Judge
meIt, such IS MrJclison. H-r-chel
and Babbage, VIII be severely iclr.
Literature, also, loses in the death
OF GTOte. GcTyigss G.i Dumas. The
name of General p i.I is The only one
we miss among foreign lcaie.s Orl
III America bilssr5. Ma
son, SiiIcll, Ns.i1a5iHgham and
Ewing have died tig--e.t and dra-
matte art loses AJuer, aiarcIjou,e,
ThalbeTg, SaudcEslu and DeisAr,e.