The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-28
The Easter Hold u vs..

should have q gracious welcome This is o
joyous festival to all who accept the story OF
Christianity. Even those who find comfort in
sterner forms of theology cannot fail to re-
joice in day that brings with it the budding
glory and breezy life of spring, the unfolding
of a thousand forms of life, the new year of the
harvest time and all the hallowed memories
that cluster around the resurrection of our
Lord and the fulflment of the holy mission OF
mediation and salvation. These are the
thoughts that crowd upon US on an ami
versary like this, and they come with more
than ordinary welcome after the penance of
the Lenten days and the hardships which
came with it.
Looking at them in practical light our
Easter holidays open with roster anticipations
than those which came with Christmas. Tha {
season of "peace and good will to all men,
was especially dreary. We had business de-
preston, anarchy in the South, prostration of
the commercial and manufacturing interests,
uneasy rumors on the Continent, military
usurpaton in SPAIN followed by the long win
ter, more cruel and harsh than any we have
| known for many years. But our Easter finds
the world at peace There are no clouds pre-
saying immediate war In France the Re-
public has been proclaimed. If it is not as
good government as we should wish, still it
preserves the germ of democracy in itself
precious thing and to be treasured. In England
the government floats along upon the wave Of
triumphant and emphatic majority; as yet
no one has challenged the supremacy of
Disrael or the integrity of his govern
ment. His old rival has gone into ecclesi-
astical controversies and the liberals have
abandoned the contest to the astute and re-
markahle man who now, by the extraordinary
changes Of fortune, rules the English nation.
The Pope is too good Catholic not to share
the beneicent and peaceful influences Of this
blessed time and one day will probably pass
without an anathema against Victor Emmanuel
and Prince Bismarck Victor Emmanuel has
so far controlled the radical aims of his re-
publican subjects that even General Garibaldi
is busy about bitches and canals, and thinks
more of draining the Campagna and opening
the Tiber than ''the universal republic" or the
federation of the peoples" Bismarck, hav-
ing risen to the supreme height of
German nobility, is about be be invited
into the charmed circle of royal dukes and
princes. Germany impatiently continues to
do the only work she has done for many
years-to arm, drill and sharpen her spears
and prime her muskets, ever waiting for war.
Congress has adjourned, after doing as
much mischief as was possible, leaving moth
ing to regret in its absence. Many things
have been left undone. Our finances, which
should have been put upon substantial foun-
dation, still drift hither and thither like the
masses Of ice in the Northern Atlantic seas
If we were not sanguine elastic people, We
should suffer from this apathy on the part of
Congress. We should be even now drifting
hard times. But what our representa-
/ tiyes will not do we do ourselves. Con-
sequenty all over the country there
is an awakening, q lifting up of spirit.
an evidence of resolute, ambitious, representa-
tive American temper asserting itself at last
These cheerful, bright prospects represent the
energy of our people and the resolution not
to be utterly cast down and stamped into the
dust. These may be accepted as the augurs
of brilliant future. Here in New York all
the signs point TO prosperous spring and
busy summer. Our readers can find no bet
ter indication of this than the seventy nine
columns of advertisements which to-day fill
the NEW YORK HERALD. This Easter tide of
prosperity, which marks itself in these col
umns as accurately as the barometer and ther-
mometer mark the temperature, is striking
evidence of the change that has come upon us
during the last few weeks We are as people
no richer, perhaps we are no wiser in many
respects many Of Us are doing foolish things,
especially those who buy Big Bonanza stocks
in Wall street, and who clutch gold as though
it had an immortal quality. But all have en-
tered upon this work of business RECONSTRUCT
ton with zeal. We have seen the worst. Un-
less we give way to a spirit of madness and
become victims to stock gamblers and specu-
lators there is no reason why this should not
continue in full fruitful tide.
We shall make good Easter in a business
sense if we do not forget the lessons of the
past few months Until December we shall
be free from irritating legislation. The Presi-
dent has it in his power to do many mischiev-
GUS things, but we have the gratifying an
nouncemens that he proposes to spend the
summer in visiting battlefelds and
watering places and his stock farm
ON the Mississippi. But what we need
IN our business life are enterprise, industry,
economy, retrenchment and reform. This
''gold clique, about which so much is written,
/ is only an illustration Of our business folly
If we did our business on sound principles, if
! our merchants bought and sold shares as they
I buy and sell lumber or cloth or hay, II they
/ did not deal in what they could not deliver,
and speculate upon what they hope to own a