Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-01-10
HARp TIMES ARR0AD.

The strong and QAking analogy which ex-
SITS between national aud individual charac-
er, though irffiing in itselfis, nevertheless, an
interesting fact, and the history of the world
las fully demonstrated the truth Of the asser-
ion. Large bodies move slowly, aad hence,
unlike individuals, natoualities may require
even the revolution of centuries before giving
practical evidences Of this truth.
Men are short-lived at best, and as general
rule early in life give indications for that
sphere in life for which they are best fitted and
in which they can be of most use to them
side And it may also be said that to great
extent they are not only selfish, not only the
natural enemy of their fellow-man, but they
are the creatures Of circums tances, the play
things of happiness and prejudice, and often
the architects of their own ruin as they are Of
their fortunes.
If they be politicians, they bend with the
popular breeze and 50 shape their opinions as
to crafty the morbid appetite of this fluctuat
ing, restless, raging tide of humanity. If
they be mere Adventures, they sport with the
waves of chance until, as drift wood or stray
leaves, they are lostand swallowed up in the
great maestro ofevents.
If they be statesmen. they not only study the
'lsso4y-o-slle ~ - sasss,s ese.pssa,-
ent that they maybe enaSled to draw an anal
ogy and thus svoid those dangers which have
proved to b, the Scylla and Charybds where
have pershed the hopes and the fortunes OF
millicas.
Pinancers, they grow cold and heartless
rs granite, isolated and conventional in their
habits with the same merciess, concentrated
glare whether the financial curtain rings up
or rings down. They watch with eager anx-
iety the birth ofevery Stale, municipal or pri-
vate enterprise, and like harpies to some loath-
some banquet they gamble around the stock
board or ride upon some huge heartless and
hollow corporations proclaiming to its unsus-
picious victims that there are millions in it,"
Nations, not unlike individuals, grow sell
fish, proud, naughty and overbearing, and are
often the means and instrument of their own
decay. They watch with jealous eye the accu-
mutation of wealth, the acquisition of terrific
ry. the balance of power-they grow restless
over the one, feverish and excited under the
other, whilst at the last they become madden
ed and desperate. The commissions which have
from time to time shaken Europe from centre
to circumference furnish startling evidence of
this sad truth, and the long train of attendant
evils have effected the happiness and prospect.
ty of their people for generations. In their
anxiety to amass wealth, If disaster overtakes
the individual, the blight does not often ex-
tend beyond his own domain; but with ma
lions it strikes at every class of society reaches
every branch Of industry, every commercial
interest, blocks the channels of trade, and
causes countless numbers of spindles to rust
in their sockets.
1t is likewise true that with individuals as
With nations, there are exceptions to the
general rule. From the time of the defeat of
Napoleon at Waterloo England has been COM
prosperous, and she has witnessed
With pride her great city lbecome the worlds
centre she has seen every sea COW
cred with her commerce, her factories finding
l market upon every civilized land the sun
shines upon and however crowded her land, all
classes found employment and consequently
were happy and prosperous. But what a
'hange has burst over her once happy condi-
ion. Want and suffering and hunger, like
some dread disease, pervades her every district
'ity and township; her legislative charitable
Institutions, as well as those institutions which
are the offspring Of noble-hearted philapthro-
pists, are unable to maintain her starving
Door; the bastile Of bankruptcy opens its dark |
chambers with every mornings sun, and in
10 its gloomy cells rush the lean, scant skee-
IONS of individual enterprise; the price of liv-
ng is advancing, wages are being reduced and |
he universal cry is heard from every quarter:
water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink"
Not alone to England has this financial pa
'alysis extended, so whitening to every indus. |
ny and so freighted with suffering and dis
ress. Scotland is in en- equally deplorable
and the cry of want comes up from
very country and from every department of
rade. Every avenue to business is closed, |
md the grim spectre Of apprehension attends
It every feast. AS in our country, the con-
ractcn Of the currency and the daily failures
If large corporations and private capitalists
rave effected the general prosperity of the
country and thrown thousands of honest, hard |
oilng men and women out of employment |
So the failure Of the Bank of Glasgow is a |
cling incident Of the times, and behind it and |
'ther financial troubles comes up this endless |
rain of want and misery. How this sad con- |
liton Of things is TO be remedied is yet |
problem with statesmen, but as the Great |
Ruler of the universe $50 tempers the wind to |
he shorn lamb" SO may He direct the foot
teps of the hungered and roohess-whose
lame is legion whose portion, wretcheduess;
whose clansaip, the great outcast--nto paths
II peace-''into fields of contentment and
plenty"
II some newspapers we know of were TO
-N"SN SS""'nb TUG" VAcuhhses ior que "eeh W
regular exchanges 10 blink detection In copy
ing lengthy, able editorials without credit, to
save mental strain, well they could have
holiday after the type-setting was over.
The marvellous midgets, Gen. Mite and Lucia
Larate, aged fourteen AMI fifteen respectively,
are on exhibition at Washington. The former
weighs nine pounds, the latter four aud three
quarters