The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-18
Aaaessda | ,gatelIiasasey,
The Year which issEude&

The Year Which 4sssEnde& ( y s' III
The year. 1876 Mil b. u,c;',or..,!e i.
the frat Genie Mn &rS ofSthe great Ameri'
can Repnhlic. aHtl a!sesI year OF mcnlcn-
tous political complications which threat:
ened the stability ui the Republic snd
tested theIintegrity and patriotism ot the
people. For the first time in on. history;
we are threatened wi eli a conflict between
the citizens of the country and the ser
wants they have intrusted with. the ad-
ministration Of. their affairs; apd l., 4c,
enter upon the second. century OF the Re
public with this grave conflict undecided.
The year has been darkened blythe I'M
parchment of Cabinet Minister for
brib...y y. by universal business reycrses,
by al Administration of low moral tone
and reckless partixanship, and. by FRANC.
and trickery in canvassing the votes st
our national election. At the same tirae
the Centennial Exposition has exhibited
the exhatistless' resources Of our national
domain, and the industry, skill and in 4
ventiyeness Of the people. It, was .
splendid demonstration of the material
growth Of g. nation (which eontrasted its
bare century Of existence with the thou.
sand years Of the peoples whS competed
with it p,the exhibition Of the products
ofskill. (: ri J.,. ;......., y1:,,
Our neighboring republic of Mexico
teaches US the;lesson,, and: affords as the
warning that no government is stable and
no national prosperity safe unless the
law is kept supreme over individual am
bition and partisan intrigues. President
Lerdo, who was about to enter on his
second term of Office, after due lelecfion,
has been driven from his capital by the
revolutionary chieftain Diaz; and Igle-
sias, Lerdo's contestant for the place, now,
opposes the usurpation Of the soldier who
has proclaimed himself dictator over the
ten millions Of Mexicans. .a~
To the north of us the Dominion Of
Canada prospers under o Democratic rep
resentatiye government, in all essential
respects, independent Of the: control Of
the British throne: Canada is still, In
population, less than one-tenth the size
of the United States, but it bears the evi-
dences of growth in material strength
and moral power.
In South America the only really sue.
cessful and prosperous States are Brazil
and Chill. Both have stable govern
ments, Iai,d are growing, ,inapopnlatioh,
wealth aud dntexnaf improY oYemehts. Dom
Pedro II is monarch Of Similar disin-
terestedness and zeal, and his spirit ami
mates the administration Of the empire,
whichsextends a. large hospitality to fog;
elm ifnniiera6bn. The curse of slaye1y
islinshs waS of being removed BIZ wise
laws, which give freedom to all children
born of slave parents, lessen the difficulty
of the slaves purchase of his own free
dom, and ameliorate the condition of ex-
isting seryitude,, The contest is contip7
ued between the Emperor aud the Roman
Catholic clergy ss to whether the Papai
DEGREES shall be communicated to the
people through the State of the Bishops,
bit it Is not provocative of serious trou-
bic. Brazil is weli-ordered aud healthy
State, and its eleven millions. Of inAabi-
tants constitute the -batsooHe4 81. Tie
South American popuiasioa.S. GitiA has
maintained peace, and ls g5o@;ng in
riches aud resources. Tue. Argeu:iae
Republic is still suffering ron tae con-
sequences ofa, sudden and an undue in
crease of the currency.
Europe is-agitated by the fears of 8
war between Russia and Turkey. Eng
land suffers commercially and financially
by reason of the incersitudeof Continen.
tai politics, but, though vigorously as
sailed BY the opposition, the Government
of Lord BeaconsGeld maintains itself.
The wear has witnessed no very marked
political changes in that kingdom. Its
chief event, perhaps more significant in
its appeal to the imagination than its
practical consequences, has been the as
Sumption by Queen Victoria of the title
of Empress of India. To-day, at Delhi
and throughout India, she j.. to be pro-
claimed the imperial mistress of the
ancient; people who already enjoyed 8
proud civilization, had enriched their
country with enduring monuments of
art, had highly developed religion, and
had letters and sciences when her ances.
tors were rude barbarians, incapable Of
an abstract thought. The gorgeous cere:
monies Of this first of January at Delhi
will make the day memorable, and the
Oriental. imagination Of the English
statesman, who conceived the idea of
adding 10 his sovereign's royal dignity
the glamour of an imperial title, must be
satisfied.
In France the year has seen the further
eutrenchment of the republic in the con-
fidence of the nation. It has become the
symbol of conservatism, and, with Gam
beta listening to the counsels of modera.
ton and decrying extreme opinions and
politics, it seems firmly seated. The
elasticity of France in its recovery from
disastrous and humiliating war has
been one of the most wonderful events Of
modern history. It is due to the energy,
industry, thrift and ingenuity of the peo-
ple, and mastery management Of the
problems of national finance. We re-
ioice at the prosperity OF the French Re-
public and the nation which has been the
teacher of the world in matters of human
rights and social emancipation-the fer.
tie and much Land whence ideas
were obtained which nourished the pur-
pose of the founders Of this republic:
Germany has not 80 wisely reaped the
material fruits of victory as France has
used the lessons of adversity. The great
indemnity she wrung from her conquered
adversary has proved rather source Of
evil than help to real prosperity, by
stimulating reckless speculation, and di-
yerting thought and enterprise from
actual industry. But Germany has con-,
solidated herself as political entity, and
holds a dominant place among European
powers.
Russia is in the turmoil of preparation
for war, the people evidently desiring the
conflict, and ,sanguine ofsuccess in con-
quering union of the Slayonic races.
though Russia has the most centralized
and most imperial Of governments, yet
Russian society is active with the yesst
of political and social radicalism, which
will one day exhibit its ferment more,
conspicueusly. Italy grows more and.
more consolidated as . kingdom, the