Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-01-14
AN EvENTFUL YEAR.
The year 1891 and a few of its NOta-
BILE Events.
From the New York Tribune. !

Dfc ENcutS.
From the New York Tribune.l
Two events of supreme importance
stand out in the perspective of the old
year. One is hideous aud portentous,
casting n shadow across the open gate
way of the future. The other is benig-
nant, shedding n gracious effulgence
over the dull levels of Anglo. Saxon civ
ilization. These commanding facts are
the assassinations in two capitals and
the revision of the New Testament. The
assassinations have occurred in opposite
quarters of the worlds horizon,
under the most conflicting con-
ditions of political progress. Long
before his reign was cut short all
the "uses" of reform had grown 'stale,
flat and Improbable to Alexander H.,
yet in view of the crowning achieve
ments of his reign-emancipation and
agrarian revolution-he must be re-
garded as the highest type of Russian
autocracy; and, certainly in self-devel-
opment, civic virtue, intellectual vigor,
practical sagacity and moral conscious
ness, James Abram Garfield was thor
oughly equipped for public service
was, in fact, the ideal American Presi-
dent. Yet despotic Car and the liberty
loving President of free and progress
sive republic have shared the ignoble
fate of assassination.
Passing now to a brighter topic, this
has been year of Bible study, as well
as of assassination. The translation of
the New Testament has been brought
to a close after nearly eleven years of
critical study. and the English-spsaking
world has had the best text presented
to it as nearly as possible in its true
meaning, so far as the original Greek
was concerned. The work has repre-
sented the best scholarship of the day.
and may be looked upon as the most
conspicuous achievement of modern
textual criticism. Enormous editions
of it have been sold, and unquestion-
ably powerful impulse has been given
to biblical study. But has the outcome
been commensurate with the expecta-
tions excited in religious circles? We
fear not. Public curiosity was salts
fled only too easily. When the world
found out that the revised version had
not touched the fundamental doctrines
of Christianity, and that the accepted
text was substantially accurate, and far
more natural and rhythmical, it appar-
emily ceased thinking about it. When
King James's version was published 1t
converted frivolous nation into Sc
date and serious race of God-fearing,
tyranily-hating colonists. In this gen
Grafton the seed falls on stony ground.
lano .lnc-
tined to make an overmastering i'm
preston on the Anglo-Saxon world.
1t will leave it very much as 1T found 1T.
II we cannot find in the promise af-
forded by Biblical criticism full CON-
pensation for the warning of the assas
sinations, we must take up the parable
of political progress as evinced IN the
chronicles of the great nations of the
world. We do not refer necessarily to
material progress. Statistics are often
times misleading. Essential progress
Is not implied by the fact that the pop
ulation of the United Kingdom ex-
ceeds 1000, 900, or that the subjects of
the Empress of India are increasing at
the rate of 13, 100000 in a decade, or
that an army of $4,000 volunteers can
be massed at Windsor on few hours
notice: nor, again, by the most start
ling disclosures of the immigration fig
ures at Castle Garden, or the enormous
weight of the masses of capital stored
in our own country. Pressure OF pop
ulation, facility of military organiza-
ton and the weight of material re-
sources are not of themselves conclu-
sive evidence of progress. What is of
crucial importance is manly citizenship,
progressive tendencies III adminlstra-
tion and parliamentary government,
and sens;tiveness or moral conscious
ness.
What, then, does the retrospect of
1881 yield, besides the portents of assas
sinatlon and the doubtful promise of
the Revised Version? ? In nearly all
the European States general elections
have been held and the common move
ment is in the direction of liberal ideas
and institutions. In Hungary and Spain,
the most progressive political organlza-
tions have been sustained on an appeal
to the people. In Austria the constitu-
tional factions, alarmed by the decen-
tralizing tendencies of fantastic coali-
ton, have suddenly presented united
front. In the Fatherland Bismarck has
utterly failed in his attempt to crush
the Liberal movement. In France Re-
publicanism has met with no internal
reverses, albeit it has Haunted its re-
sources with unbecoming zeal in the
Mediterranean. In England what moral
triumphs have been scored by states
man who has had the courage to abandon
Candahar and to make peace with VIC
torious rebels in the Transvaal, and
also the unwearied patience and abso-
lutte will to force great remedial
measure through Parliament in the face
of obstacles seemingly insurmountable
And is 1t small matter the American
people have passed through the fiery
trials of faction and assassination with
out losing their self-control or their
faith in the permanence of their institu-
tions Viewed by the highest standards,
it has been a thoroughly progressive
year, and We need not be appalled, by
the abysmal horrors of assassination.
4 Generous Government.