New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-01
yUK IE tR

When sc glance over the amsd'e Of the year
on the last day OF December it Is common
delusion to fancy that the twelve months just
completed will mark an important epoch in
history. But events which look big to us while
we are near them dwindle to slight proportions
in the course Of few revolving moons, and
are soon forgotten. TO the greater part of the
world the year 1875 will certainly not be -
memorable period. The political changes in
Europe have been comparatively slight. The
consolidation of the Republic has gone on in
France with only such flashes Of excite
ment and quick succession OF harmless
crises as always lend Yiyacity and color
10 the public affairs Of that interesting land.
The struggle in Spain fingers without marked
incident. The insmmrtiO,. in the disafcctcd
provinces Of Turkey may lead to great re-
suits, but they viii belong to the period just
opening rather than TO the ono that mas closed.
Tho Great Powers interested in tho distIibu
ton OF the Sultan's estate si'l watch their OPP
portunity in peace and the sudden importance
which the attitude of Great Britain has as
sumed in consequence OF the purchase of the
Suez Canal shares relates "athor to her action
III possibly remote contingency than to any
complication which has + been created. The
great occurrences Of 10 IN the Old World
promise 10 make no permanent impression on
tho fortunes Of any race Jr country. There have
been gigantic commercial di-aetcrs, like the col
lapse of the Strousberg bubble, the dciacation
of tho COies, the failure of I'm Thurm & Co..
there have been catastrOpbos Oh land, like The
Rroussa earthquake oud the Swaitho cOlliery
explosion; there ha becn great accidents at
seattle loss of the Schiller and the Deutsch-
land the destruction Of the Magenta, the sink
ing OF the Vanguard the burning Of Che Co
Hath; there have been terrible Hoods in France
and England; Brcmerhavep has been the
scene of massacre almost unparalleled in its
mysterious and awful circumstances; and tho
Prince of Wales, tray cling with great state
through the ancient eli 'es of India, has been
riding on painted elephants, sticking pigs,
looking at the combats of lid beasts and
giving oilense to newspaper correspondents and
secOnd-class rajahs But there is nothing in
all these incidents to which the most dliiuso
historian will devote more than n few lines.
On this side of the ocean we have had our
share of disasters; fires in the silver mines,
cyclones in tho Gulf, sudden death on the
stormy deep, crashes among the banks and tho
merchants; but the scar of such wounds is
soon effaced. We have lad orr nine days
wonders,-the tibulations Of Mr.. Beecher, and
the trials and translation OF Mr.. Tweed; but
these will soon cease to edify or amuse. Our
celebrations at Concord and Lexington and
Bunker Hill have been only the prelude to the
greater festival of 1876. But in politics the
year has been prolific of good things, which
may cause it to be gratefully remembered.
With the close of the first century of our ma
tiOnal existence the last traces of the great
blot on American history seem to be fading
out Slavery left behind it after it was re-
moved long train of evils A debased cur