The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-02


LoNuoN. Feb /.
The skctchin1 of the annals Of Europe
the past year is analogous to an attempt 20
trace the separate points of a varied land
>,ope, where dale is interrupted by swelling
hill. and mountaiis break the curved de-
scent of valleys. indeed. as one stands
apon an emincnce and views the out.trclch-
ri panorama. it is the landmarks Of the
scene the peaks, the rocky bouldcrs. the
sharply defined lid gcs. and iha naked trees
standing dark against lie sky-which at
tract his attention. so is it with the ain
nual retrospect Of which clone the wars.
the casualties Of states. the disasters. the
uiumphs and the woes are prominent in
relief against the horizon of days grown
nameless through multiplicity. \ scribe
must have resource to records and remcm-
brances, which shall shake off the fast
accommodating ashes of oblivion from the
daily events Of the past If he would haye
his treatise exhaustive; bnt for tine present
with the existing limitations OF time and
space. il must suffice to make AN etching OF
the mountain tips, from some Of which
rises the volcanic smoke Of war and dis
sension. while others lie bashing in The
sunshine of peace and concord.
The political life of England during the
year 1878 has been one Of purely domestic
importance. This appears peculiarly the
tNbnn Jsp
contests with the commissions and death
struggles of her neighborng powers: while
the even tenor of her way has been unro-
mantle and prosaic enough.
There has been ministerial defeat, a
crisis, resignation, and return to office,
and then ministerial reconstruction. Dur
ing the session Of parliament great plans
were laid which, like the arrow of our ma
tons bard, fell to earth ! know not
where 70 attempt to discuss the various
claims and achievements of this same SEES
sion, would remind one OF Gratianos rca-
sons for much speaking, which were, "as
two grains of wheat hid in two bushels Of
chaif You shall seek all day ere you find
them and when you have them, they are
not worth the search" Still something
was done towards the settlement of great
question in the aboishing of tests IN Trim
ity College, Dublin, as brought forward by
Mr.. Farvetts noted bill and again the
failure of Mr.. Gladstone's attempt to satisfy
the Roman Catholic clergy in the matter Of
Irish university education, is said not to be
devoid of good effects According to the
English press, the passing Of the judicd-
ture bill was an achievement while the
return of Mr. Bright to Office Is considered
an event of unquestionablc importance
The conservative reaction, rs il is called.
has given several signs of its existence. but
the country seems to make little account of
it, Indeed, it is stated, that no tory even
processes that he believes in legislative re-
action and, whatever the cause, no one is
greatly concerned about the effect Tories
are tolerated in office only on condition
that they shall never attempt to act as
torres, and the first great political question
that arises concerning the difference OF lib
eral ana tory principles will put mn end to
The existence of the party.
Meanwhile England has had her share
of strikes, of agricultural discontcnts. and
OF railway disasters there is the Ashantce
war in hand the dolnrous prospect Of u
famine IN Bengal and certain accusations
and manifestations in Canada as regards
the late ministry and the Pacific railroad
Still these irregularities sink into in,icrih-
canoe beside the woful yicissitudcs Of other
nations, an many a member of the 6eap
mon0e considers the year solely memorable
as the era Of the ShaI's visit.
LOi What a change Is 10 be mnrI,eJ in
the fate Of that state whose frontier is Sep
Hated but by few miles of water from
prosperous England
Twice or thrice during the past year has
France seemed on the very brink of revolt
tion and anarchy. Never in modern times
nave legislative assemblies been entrusted
WIN such nomentous business and never
perhaps. has there been SO unique man
age ncnt Of state affairs. NJ Thieis has been
dnven out Of office, Marshal McAIahon has
been elected p esident with a seven years
lease of power, and the Comte de Cham
bora has had his foot on the very stem Of
the hereditary throne. while his retreat can
only be llkened 10 thai Of a former tKiup
OF France, who with forty thousand men
went up hill, and 50 came down anain. "
The conservative republic rcigns Marshal
Bazine if degraded and condemned. The
two branches of the house of Bourbon
nave had sort Of fusion of claims. while
the Banapartsts seem to have divided their
claims INTO two branches. Although the
sessions OF the National Assembly have
"'uH i"htiolsIy tHiOllc, YET II Is but lar
to state that the republican party have.
under their many trials, given evidence Of
self-control and discipline such.as French
political party have rarely shown. Then
too, remnescence of the past twelve
months exists in the evacuation of French
soil by the Germans-"last scene of all
which ends this strange, eventful history. 50
1t is somewhat curious to note, III recording
the cause Of the invasion, that the crown
OF SPAIN the ostcnsible cause of the war,
disappeared at the beginning of the year
why did we not let Bismarck put the Ho-
henzollern Prince on the Spanish throne
and make no complaint p wrote Edmund
About, when King Aamadeus's dedication
was announced. Now, we should have
been laughing at the fall of his protege,
instead OF" all that has happened.
Yes, Spain, too, has had year of al
most unparalleled struggle and turmoil
unparalleled at least in the annals of her
scanty history. She too has passed from
one republic and from one leader to anoth-
er and has been obliged to contend against
the Carlists in the north and the Commun-
lists in the south No chapter of warfare
since the fantastic episodes of the Middle
Ages can equal the popularity of the re-