Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1885-01-15
The Year.

The English.Speaking race Is gener-
ally credited with the possession of
political capacity. This is its distin-
gushing characteristic, and by virtue
OF this endowment it is justly entitled
to prc-emincncc in Christendom for
civilization when critically analysed
implies progress in the art Of political
government The retrospect of the
year reveals such constant snd inordi-
nate displays of political activity as to
create suspicion that the English
speaking race has been iEdulging a
passion for politics rather than exer-
cising its genius. Sober reflection
tends to correct this impression.
Rancorous and embittercd as the
American presidential canvass has
been, il has afforded conspicuous evil
dence of the stability of republican
government and of the steadiness and
self-possession of Il people alive to the
duties and responsibilities of citizen
ship. No French statesman has the
courage to propose presidential cleo
tiOns by the people. 1t is generally
conceded that it would not be impru-
dent to allow the electors there to
choose their chief magistrate by su-
preme act of popular sovereignty, for
the simple reason that the country
could not endure or survive the excite
mcnt and passion of an American pres
idential election. What n signal
proof of the self. control and steadi.
ness of law.abiding citizens has been
given here! An election exceeding in
intensity of excitement and in excesses
of malcvolence, scurrility and defama-
tiOn any previous contest was decided
by something over a thousand votes.
The margin was so narrow that q shift
ing of six hundred votes would have
reversed the result, and a clergyman
could be charged with inadvertently
changing the course of empire by a
careless phrase. Yet how tranquil and
patient the country remained in this
crisis of its political fortunes In
France there would have been barrl-
cades in the streets and the great army
would have been on guard. Here
there was only 4 common-sense recOg-
milton Of the sanctity of public law.
In the United Kingdom another
branch of the English-speaking race
has also passed through II critical
period of agitation and excitement,
and given tokens of civic courage, self
restraint and practical wisdom. A
conflict between the houses of parlia-
mcnt has been averted, and peaceful
revolution has been wrought through
a compromise which has opened an era
of good feeling between hostile par
ties. No year since that which record
ed tho passage of the great reform bill
has witnessed legislative action of such
magnitude. Two millions of the
Queens subjects have been armed with
the ballot, and by the redistribution
scheme the electoral system has been
lecast from the bottom. English de-
mocracy has suddenly awakened from
dreams of future agitation and contin-
uous campaigning to find itself already
supreme. Two landmarks in the en-
frauchisement of the English people
have been established within the com
pass Of single year; and now that
the work has been done, the cOnstitu-
cncies are fairly startled with the mag
nitude of the results effected in sin
gle week by the joint efforts of rival
leaders. The compromise is rccog-
nizcd as more radical measure than
either party would have ycntured to
propose when acting alone. 1t is
triumph of practical wisdom and sterl-
ing English sense, and democracy is
sobercd by its new responsibilities.
Where on the continent is similar
capacity for political government dis
played? Certainly neither in France
nor in Germany. In one ccountry there
is so little confidence in the perman-
once of republican institutions that it
is thought necessary in revising the
constitution to invent phrases against
monarchical uSurpation. In the other
an irresponsible chancellor despises
parliamentary institutions and Is pur-
sued with mean aifronts by the help
less representatives of the German
people.
There is one aspect of the year, how
ever, which can be considered equally
well either in London, Paris or Berlin,
This Is the increasing tendency to en-
large colonial domains. The German
chancellor himself has become infected
with this fcverish desire for foreign
annexation. He has acquired long
strip of territory near Angra Pequena,
has raised the German flag in the
south seas, and has been dissecting the
heart of Africa in the operating-rooms
of the Congo conference. France, like
wise, has been converting Tunis into
province, betraying none of the hesita-
ton and sentiveness shown by the
English in Egypt; and on the borders
of China war of menace and reprisals
has been recklessly carried on. Eng
land itself, after making persistent ef-
forts to evade the responsibilities of
conquest, and abandoning cowardly
garrisons and hordes of brave Arabs to
the cruel fate of massacre, has been
drawn into the Soudan. Even Italy is
planning new colonies on the lower
coast of the Red Sea, and intriguing
for a protcctorate Of Abyssinia,
Scarcely single section of the barren
African coast remains to be occupied,
orat least claimed, by civilized state,
and the high seas are secured for new
possessions. 1t is the Gordon which
Europe is drawing about the semi
civilized anil barbarous races Of the
world. .--NeU York Tribune.