The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-02-16
who are jealous of the Chancellor than
among his friends and supporters.

is reported as altogether miserable. The
period Of stimulation and feVerish excite
ment which followed the war of 1870 has
passed away, leaving q prostration which the
| country feels mere decidedly than Americans
can realize. The social suppression Of the
military laws is growing constantly more in
tolerable, and large immigration to our own
| country and Brazil is q natural consequence.
That this great military establishment may
be needed at q moments notice is quite true.
1t is not many years since a renewal Of the
invasion Of France was seriously comtem-
plated, and was only prevented, Or shall we
say postponed, by the intervention Of the
Gar. All Central Europe is armed to the
teeth, in the expectation of a great continent
tai war and such expectations often bring
about their own realization.
In Russia the year opened most gloomily,
and it closes most gloomily, although in
some important respects the auspices are
more favorable. The change Of the methods
of government, represented by the accession
Of General Loris Melikoff to 9 power all but
despotic, has removed the danger Of social
anarchy through the success of the Nihilists.
The Armenian dictator, by doing away with
the oppression exercised by the secret police,
rallied the people of the great cities to the
support Of the government, and made the ex-
cesses Of Nihilism no longer possible, il fact,
by removing many Of the motives which
prompted them. On the other hand, the fail
ure Of the crops in considerable districts of
the empire has caused q degree Of distress
little short of famine, and effecting millions
Of people. But this is q temporary evil,
which the government can alleviate and one
good harvest will correct, while the plague of
Nihilism might have lasted for ages. The
credit Of the reforms effected by Melikof is
due in the first instance to the CzaroWitch,
whose accession to poWer-probably early in
1881-Win open q new era for the empire.
Indeed, it is notable that the three principal
heirs apparent to European thrones are all
much more liberal in sympathy than the
| present occupants Of those thrones.
The Eastern question has not advanced
much nearer to q solution during the year.
Bulgaria has settled down under a regular
government, but has not abandoned its pur-
pose of securing the addition to its territories
Of the province created at Berlin, and named
Eastern Roumelia. Montenegro has secured
through the aid of the European Concert,
the tiny addition to her tiny territory which
the Berlin Congress promised and Greece
/ 49,. loJ E,;n ~ro ~; ~ -. 4bo+ rha4nuor Che rotc
Of the territory awarded her BY the late Der
lin conference she must take by the sword.
Within the Turkish territories there is no i'm
provement upon the disorder and prostration
produced BY bad government. The Turks
suffer, and the Christians are oppressed al
most beyond endurance, SO that the Armeni-
ans have leagued together for the common
defence.
In northern Europe, the uneyentful history
Of the Scandinavian peninsula is enllVened
by something like q crisis in the chronic disa-
greement between Norway and her Swedish
king. and it seems not impossible that the
most democratic Of the kingdoms Of Europe
will soon seek for independence, if not for a
4 E~EGDuDlICAu1 OIN u RCfGtuAlGll.
Thedefeat of the BeacOnsfeld Ministry pnt
a period to alarge plan for the Encouragement
of England's relations to her colonies. Pro-
posals were under discussion for making the
British empire a vast ZollVerein, with a tariff
upon both raw materials Gncluding food and
manufactured goods brought from other
countries into any part OF the empire. In
this way it was hoped that Canada would be
given the English market for grain, and Aus
traliat that for wool, while these and other
colonies would procure their manufactures
exclusively from the British Islands. There
is no reason to believe that Mr.. Gladstone
will listen to such proposals, although they
seem to have dazzled his predecessor in
Office. But the promoters Of the scheme have
not ceased their agitation for it, and Q con-
yention in its interest is to meet in London
next month. The history Of the colonies, if
d colony can be said to have history, is IN
eventful. In the Dominion there has been
q steady growth of dissatisfaction IN the
coast provinces on each side Of the Continent,
and the effort making to have the Canadian
Pacific railroad finished is meant to remove
this dissatisfaction in British Columbia. On
the whole, the year has not been one Of great
events abroad, while it has been one rather
of gains than of losses for mankind. The
reign Of fright, reason and the will Of God"
while not visibly and swiftly FASTENED during
its course, has made advances enough to
cheer us with hone for the future.