Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-18
Troubled Rulers.

In Europe after all the talk about the
ickleness of the French people in govern
mental affairs that country appears to be
going along with as much stability under
republican system as any of the mon
archical states. With Grevy as'president
the only disturbances that take place are
those of noisy orators in the assembly.
Germany it is true is exceptionally quiet
because it has not yet recovered from the
delight over its great victory over the
French and the substantial unilication of
the German-speaking peoples. Further
more the emporer who has just celebrated
his golden wedding with the beloved
Empress Augusta has personally the re-
spect Of his subjects and is the hero of the
great war that put Germany at the head
of European nations.
Yet there are governmental troubles
that perplex Bismarck and his chief: and
the emperor himself while going through
the ceremonies attendant on the ceebra-
ton of half century of married life was
not fully recovered from wounds received
from = would be-assassin's hand, and the
car who was invited to the festivities had
convenient excuse for being absent. The
excuse given was the illness of n member
of his family but the reason generally
assigned is the fear of assassination should
he 60 to Berlin.
Russia itself is disturbed TO its founda-
tions by the nihilists, numbering crowd
of people who have more wit than morals
and whose aim seems not to build up but
merely to destroy. Our astute minister
to St. Petersburgh, Mr.. Stoughton, now at
home on leave of absence, indeed repre-
sents that the nihilsts do not amount to
much but he is not very lively newsgalh-
erer and is II man who prefers high toned
society and its beliefs TO the hard facts OBJ
tainable only by contact with the lower
classes Of society.
Nihism and communism, bad us they
are, are obtaining growth throughout
Europe that troubles the rulers. The
latter may Danish and kill, but they cannot
eXterminate, and it was never truer than
to-day that uneasy lies the head that wears
Il crown. Queen Victoria perhaps makes
the notable exception to this unhappy old
saw; she last month celebrated her
siXtieth birthday and next Tuesday sees
the close Of the forty-second year Of her
reign and herself as popular as at any
period of its cXstance perhaps.
These trials and trbulations are things
that Americans will do well to think
about when they get heated and angry
wi h each ather about the army bill or the
little judicial bill. If we have our irri-
tations other folks are worse off and
uncomfortably as we seem to get along at
times there are others in hotter water
than we. Sunset Cox does low comedy,
Blackburn high tragedy and lack Chand-
Ter gives a touch of melo-drama now and
then to the disturbance of American politics
but after all it isn't so bad rs might be.
Besides congress will 90 home sometime
hut the heather nihilsls and communists
across the Atlantic will continue to rage.
Some earnest politicians would class the
greenbackers rs destructionists also. This
is wrong; they do indeed imagine Il vain
thing but come 10 get at the bottom of the
matter all three of the parties in this
country taken as whole desire the per-
pctuity of our institutions and the pros
perity of the people.