The Portland daily press., 1874-01-01

1Hdt PIotuiSou w Piostidtc UuSiASSS tAiouSu-
out the country. Every body who could get a
few dollarsin greenbacks boarded them away !;
bank deposits fell off alarmingly; there was
no sale for goods; parties having paper out
could not make payments and the factories
which could not sell goods found it very diff
ficult to pay, their operatives. There was talk
of suspensions~bu fortunately the greater
part of the industries of the country reduced
the amount reproduction somewhat and con-
tinued their work. At present confidence is
slowly returning and the future is hopeful.
The panic came from the overtrading and
speculation induced by the spirit of reckless
venture left in the country by the war and by
the curse of an irredeemable paper currency.
Early in November the steamer Virginius
sailing on the high seas under the flag Of the
United States, near Santiago de Cuba, was
seized by a Spanish man-ofwar, taken to
that port, the crew and passengers tried and
condemned as pirates and number of them
shot. There is not shadow of doubt bnt
that the Virginius had on board
part of 6libustering expedition against
Cuba. Nevertheless, our Government
demanded and received the surrender of the
vessel to the United States. The surviving
prisoners were also surrendered. The offend
ing steamer has now gone to the bottom of
the ocean. The wisdom, firmness and states
manship of our government, in dealing with
this threatening question and saving the ma
ton from the horr ors of war without deroga-
ton of dignity, strengthens its position in the
confidence and good will of the people.
May 10th Capt. Tyson with eighteen of the
survivors of Capt. Halls Arctic expedition
arrived at Newfoundland. The party had
been landed from the Poaris, which left
them in storm Oct. Is, 1872. They brought
the intelligence Of the death of Capt. Hall OF
paralysis Nov. 8, 1871. Capt. Tyson's party
drifted 1900 miles on an ice foe from which
they were taken by the Tigress. The Polaris
reached the latitude of so degrees and 16
minutes. The balance of the Polaris crew
was rescued by a whaling ship July Goth,
1872, near Cape York and taken to Scotland.
This party were in boats made of the rem
nants of the Polaris.
After twenty years effort the Hoosac Tun.
mel pierced the mountain, Nov. 9th.
The growth of our manufactures and the
wonderful change that has taken place during
the past year in the trade between this country
and England is important enough to be called
a notable event. Our imports from that
country have fallen off nearly fifty per cent.
while our exports to the same have increased
in greater ratio, thus entirely changing the
balance of trade.
A session of the Worlds Evangelical ALI
ance was held in New York during tie month
of October. The assembly embraced many
of the leading so called Evangelical clergy
men in the world, and its meetings were OF
great interest.
During the year the Supreme Court of the
State of New York has declared that mu-
nicipal loans to railroads are unconstitution-
al.
Early in the season the appearance Of
Asiatic cholera in the Southwest created
wide spread alarm. It did not however,
spread beyond towns where it made its
first appearance and was in no case epidemic.
The yellow fever scourged several towns
along the Mississippi river and in Texas, dur
ing the months of August and September.
In Memphis and Shreveport the suffering
and panic have hardly been parallsled in this
country.
LITERATURE.
Our hook makers have been very active
during the past year and have produced an
infinite quantity of matter-good, bad and
Indifferent. The year is signalized by no
great literary triumph with the exception of
''Middlemarch," which came to us early in
the year and is great enough to rescue any
year from the dead level of commonplace.
Religious books have been unusually nu-
merous and varied-orthodox, heterodox and
mixed. Chief among these may be mention
ed James Freeman Clarke's "Common Sense
in Religion" John Stuart Blackie's "Four
Phases of Morals" Prof. Geo. P. Fishers
History of the Reformation" Frothing-
hams "Religion of Humanity" Henry
Ward Beecher's Sermons and ''Yale Lee
tures," Mr.. Tyermap's 1.-The Oxford Meth
odists," Mr.. Samuel Johnson's Oriental Re-
ligions," and the "Rising FAITH by C. A.
Bartol.
The scientists have also been busy and have
Herbert Spencer is always interesting and in
structive and his principles Of Psychology"
and Study of Sociology" do justice to his
fame. Emile Saigley's "Unity of Natural
Phenomena is translated from the French
and published in this country and receives
much favor. Tyndall has continued his la
bors in magazines, reviews and compilations,
and Darwin gives us "The Expression Of
Emotions inMan and Animals" A very elab-
crate and finely executed work is Flamma-
rion's Atmosphere"
In the way Of fiction there is the usual
flood of stuff, mostly very fabby. There are
some exceptions to the general worthlessness
Of this class of literature. Besides the won
derful ''Middlemarch," we have the extrava-
CANT but entertaining tales of Jules Verne,
the hest of which, Ground the World in
Eighty Days." we have published in the
PRESS; two or three good stories by Edward
Everett Hale, who is always sprightly; Miss
Alcott's "Work," which is not so good as we
had reason to expect; some commendable
books by Mrs. Oliphant; Wilkie Collins
characteristic "New Magdalen," and Charles
Reade's "a Simpleton;' Miss Thackeray's
sold Kensington," and Mrs A. D. T. Whit
ney's very pleasant "Other Girls" Perhaps
the highest favor of the year was given to
Mr.. HowelPs novel, "a Chance Acquaint-
ance," which ran through the Atlantic
Monthly and was afterward published in book
form. DR.. Hollands "Arthur Bonnicastle,''
after running Though Scribner, attained a
great sale in book form, slowing that the
author is the favorite of large constituency
despite the attacks made upon him in many
quarters. Bllwer's "Kenelm Chillingly''
has also found many readers. Harriet W.
Pr.ston and SAKE Holm have done some
creditable work. M&
Of Poetry the account is beggarly. 1t is
very fortunate for our great. American poet,
whom we all admire and love, that his fame
is not dependent on his aftermath" Bay
ard Taylor does himself no credit in Glars,