New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-29
IN Ell or RE1CTTON

Looking at the present condition OF the
principal civilized nations OF the earth, the
question may well be asked, Are we in the
midst of period of political reactionf Rus-
STA has relapsed into an iron absoutism, and
the bayonet has taken the place of the civil
law. I'm Austria a coalition of FcudaliSts,
Clericals and Bohemian Separatsts has de-
feated the party which gave to the people OF
that Empire representative rights, free
press and a responsible ministry. In Ger
many, Prince Bismarck, who may be said to
be himself tho Government, has abandoned
the Liberals and Joined the Ultramon-
tanes; and for the sake of securing the
means of increasing his already enOr-
nous military force, he seems ready to
to change his entire civil policy. In Italy
the party which looks back with regret
upon the times of the petty tyrannical duke
doms and principalities seems to be growing
in power. Spain some years ago shook off the
Republic like an ill-ftting garment, and re-
sumed the tinseled robes of monarchy. In
Great Britain the Beaconsfeld Government
has tricked out the Queen with the incongru-
Gus title of Empress, and has more than once
violated the constitutional principle that makes
the Ministry the servant of the Commons in
all matters of National Importance. France is
the only conspicuous exception to the rule of
reaction. Republican government is taking
firmer root every day in that cOun-
try, and is bearing fruits of content
ment, education and progress. On this
side of the Atlantic we have not been
able to escape the retrograde movement.
Our Congress has passed into the control of
the party which opposed the whole work of
National unity, enfranchisement and equal
rights, accomplished at the cost of four years
of war and four more of strenuous political
effort. The party which sustained slavery,
aided the rebellion, defended race distinctions
and supported unequal suffrage is now in
possession of the law-making branch of the
Government, and is planning to capture the
Executive next year.
At first glance all this looks discOuraging.
But from philosophic point of view the re-
action appears only as necessary feature of
the law of progress. There is always a slip
ming back after an important advance, and
the retrograde movement goes on until it
awakens alarm and causes fresh effort to
rescue society or government from its in
fluence. General Garfield once illustrated the
Der of perpendicular lines connected by lines
sloping downward. The perpendicular lines
represented the great efforts of humanity to
reach higher plane. and the descending
lines the falling away from the standards thus
attained. The descent, however, never went
to as low level as that from which the up
ward movement began, and each successive
advance reached a higher elevation than the
one before it.
If the civilized world is sliding down hill
from the height of liberty, justice and nation
ality which it lately reached after such severe
struggles, we may be sure that the movement
will be sharply checked before long. and will
be followed by fresh impulse of progress
that will carry it up TO still loftier plane.
Europe will not return to absolntsm, nor will
the destinies of America be long controlled
by the men who sought TO divide the country
in order to perpetuate human slavery.