Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-01-23
Foreign Events In ISIS.

Across the Atlantic momentous events
have crowded fast upon one another. By
a series Of victories Russia brought Tur-
key to the last extremity, and compelled
a treaty which the British Cabinet could
not prevent, but of which it sought to
conceal the true importance by diverting
the public attention to the negotiations
held at Berlin and the acquisition of Cy-
prus. Hardly was this much boosted tri-
unph of diplomacy achieved than dam
ger was perceived near the northern
frontier of the Asiatic possessions of the
newly constituted Empress of India. A
Russian envoy was welcomed to the At
CHAN Capital, Cabul, while entrance was
refused to the British ambassador depu-
ted TO watch the newly arrived Musco-
vite. War was therefore declared on At
ghanistan. The Emir, Shere Ali, was
compelled to flee from his Capital, and
Russia, instfgated, it is thought, by Bis
marck, withdrew her representative from
Cabul. The worst fighting is probably
over, but the details of the British settle
ment with Afghanistan have yet to be
settled. The times have been hard all
over Europe, but the suffering has been
peculiarly great in British agricultural
and manufacturing circles. The foreign
markets have diverted much of their pat
rOnage to the United States, while large
strikes have resulted from inability of
employers and employed to agree on rates
of wages. The recent death of the Queen s
much-loved daughter, Alice, has borne
gloom to the palace, while numerous
heavy bank and other failures have
shaken the public confidence.
Ali over the continent Socialism has
reared its head. The lives of the Kings
of Italy and Spain have been attempted,
and the octogenarian Emperor of Ger
many has been twice attacked by assas-
sins, on one occasion receiving severe
wounds. As a result very stringent
law has been passed by the German Par
lament, from the provisions of which
not only Socialist agitators, but many
loyal men of liberal tendencies, have been
made to suffer. Indeed, it has been en-
forced i'll regard to SO many trif1ing of
fenses that its workings would be deemed
ludicrous, if they were not so vexatious.
The double headed empire of Austria has
been troubled by lack of harmony be-
tween the Hungarian and Austrian Par
liaments, and by stubborn resistance on
the part of the Bosnians to the Austrian
rule provided for them at the Berlin Con +.
gress. Conservative republicanism seems
to be growing stronger in France, much
to the benefit of the country, so long torn
by dissensions, and made to pay odearly
to her German conquerors. The contin-
uance of peace will confer more perma-
nent benefit, if less eelat, than the great
Exposition at Paris, which closed Few
weeks ago.
In Italy Pope and King have died,
both of whom have successors who will
not depart from the policy of their pre-
decessors. Spain, nominally constitu-
tional monarchy, seems leaning rather
far toward absolutism. Moncasi's at
tempt on the young Kings life is a par
tial excuse for this. The death of Queen
Mercedes was sad blow to the sexpecta-
tions of both her husband and his sub
jects, for she was credited with good
| sense and good heart as we'll as with
| youth and pleasant face. Russia is dis
| turbed by rumors of Socialist plots and
by Outcroppings of free thoughtand de-
| sire for more liberal government, upon
which the authorities place the worst con-
structiOn. The Scandinavian monarchies
and the minor States of Portugal, Bel
GUM aud Holland havemoyedq quietl on.
If stagnant any Where it has been in their
politicalrelations to the greater powers,
for all are improving in educational mat
ters and doing fairly well in a coinmer-
rial way. Little Greece has natur-
ally enough been shaken by the concus-
sion which proved so stunning to her
neighbor, Turkey.
Asir, as we have seen, has been the
theater of the Afghan dispute. Would
this were the sum of her troubles! The
terrible famine in China has swept off not
only thousands, but millions of victims OF
starvation, and it is not to the credit of
| America that the Chinese in California
gave as much to the yellow fever suffer
ers as the people of all the United States
to the famine stricken. Great Britain did
much better. In Africa the British have
been fighting the KaffirswitlI general but
no decisive success. There have been nc
such brilliant discoveries as those an
nouneed by Stanley in August, 1877, but
several expeditions are penetrating its
unknown depths from different sections
Of both coasts, and rich fruits may be ex-
pected. -=--.
British America has exehanged its very
popular GOvernOr-General, the Earl OF
Dutferin, for the Queens son-in-law, the
Marquis of Lorne, who is likely to oppose,
from bis .free-trade views, protective
tariff now urged upon the Dominion Par
lament. The brilliant demonstrations
attending his arrival and that of his royal
wife have been checked by the death OF
her sisterseAlice. The West. Indies. and
the South American States are -noEaaally Y
lin respect to most of the latter we
should say bnormaFy-qu uiet, and Mex
leo is free enough of revolution to well
come an American delegation to her Ma
tionaI Exposition. Such is the situation
at the close of 1873.
The outlookzin England must be dark
indeed when SO sanguine and hopeful a
free trader as John Bright acknowledges
that the commercial policy ofGreat E.Bri-
tain has been practically failure and con-
fesses the ineficiency of all remedies thus
farJsuggested. In every such crisis labor
| is, of course, the first to suffer, and dur