The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-06-09
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

The United States was mere baby
among nations in the year 1893, but it
was II baby of promise The Ameri-
can spirit had then asserted itself, ex-
cept i'll matters of war and govern
ment, and the people were only feel
ing their way. But in 1893 probably
the first great invention was made by
a citizen of the United States, and the
cotton gin was given to the world.
The inventor was named Eli Whit
ney, and through the perfection of his
machine the United States began at
once to grow richer. After one hun
dred years we think of and remember
the man who did SO much toward
furthering the interests of commerce
and with the recollection of Eli Whit
ney comes the thought of the great
general, George Washington, who in
1893 was inaugurated President of
the United States for the second time.
The two names are linked together in
the year 1893, for the living owe a
debt to each.
France, who had aided us in our
struggle for independence, was in a
state of disorder in 1898. Louis XVI,
the King of France, was imprisoned
by his subjects, tried, condemned to
death, and beheaded on the 21st of
January. The French people went
mad that year. They were intoxicat-
ed with blood, and on February 1,
declared war with England and Hol-
land. And in addition all France
was fighting with itself. Every
Frenchman suspected and feared lis
neighbor, and the Reign of Terror W as
established in that unhappy country.
Marat was stabbed by Charlotte Cor
day Queen. Marie Antoinette was be-
headed, Madame Roland and the
Duke of Orleans lost Their heads by
the guillotine, and altogether, poor
France had terrible time of it
George Ill. was reigning in England
then, and nothing deserving special
mention occurred during that year.
Poland in 1893 was nearing Its end
as as an independent state. Russia,
under various preteXts had gradual y
made its way into the kingdom, and
that year second partition treaty
of the possessions of Poland was sign
ed. The people saw their country be-
ing gradually absorbed by their pow
erfuI neighbors on all sides and were
unable to do anything to stem the
tide of national disaster. 1t was only
two years before the time when the last
king of Poland, Stanislaus H., was to
give up the crown and the end was
foreshadowed.
In 1898 the outside world first learn
ed something definite regarding the
Chinese Empire. We do not know
very much now, but hundred years
ago people knew absolutely nothing.
Earl Mccartney arrived in Pekin i'll
September, at the head of an English
embassy. He was received by the
Emperor and then requested to de-
part, which he wisely did in October.
But the embassy found out a number
of things; among others that the pop
ulation of China was said to be 333,
000, 600 and that there were 4, 402 wall.
ed cities in the empire. 1t must have
been very difficult to find out the lit
tie that they did, for the Chinese
never cared for foreigners any more
than we do for Chinese now. That
year, however, when China showed
her exclusiveness and no desire to be
enlighi ened, Williams College was
founded in WILLIAMSBURG, Massachu
sets. In 1898 the great congress OF
Antwerp was held in that city, and
i'll Hayti, the blacks, following the
Chinese eXclusiveness, got rid of near
ly all the whites by killing them.
Other notable things occurred il
that year, but they are not easily
recalled or referred to. The world was
not so busy then as it is now, daily
newspapers were few and far between
while the methods of communication
were very bad. If a writer in 1893 re
fers back u hundred years to find out
what was going on at this time HI
will have an easy task, for the news
papers of this age will aid future his
torians in giving them Il minute re
cord of all that happens in all the
world over