Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-12-29
CHIEF EyENTs OF 1894.

Inc year 1871, says I0uthS COM
panion, has made itself memorable for
many events of large Importance. No
doubt, as we see objects larger in the
physical world when we are near them,
so recent events appear to us in exag-
gerated proportions. Yet some of the
occurrences of the past year are GER
tainly great enough to affect the worlds
history.
A change of rulers is always an event
that may make the situation of q ma
ton distinctly better or worse. The
death of the Russian Emperor, the as
sassination of President Carnot, of
France, and the accession of Monsieur
Casimir-Perier, the retirement of MIR.
Gladstone from leadership in British
politics, the resignation of Caprivi in
Germany, the death of the Sultan of
Morocco and President Nunez, Of
Columbia, and the inauguration Of the
first popularly elected President of
Brazil-these events have affected more
or less the destinies Of q large part of
the human race.
Moreover, a great war has been, and
at the time we write is still, waged be-
tween two countries-one the most
populous in the world, even exceeding
the numbers of the British Empire with
all its colonies, the other larger thin
France. True, a war between Asiatic
powers does not involve the most No
mentous consequences. but the present
war will surely bring a whole continent
more intimately into relations with the
rest of the world.
We pass by with the merest mention
many other noteworthy occurrences
abroad; the adoption of a revised Con-
stitution, with universal suffrage, in
Belgium; the formation of constitu-
tional republic in Hawaii; the general
election i'll Norway; the rev val
of the federation movement in the Aus
tralian colonies; the completion and
opening of the great Manchester ship
canal; the terrible tax riots in Sicily;
the outrages in Armenia; the bomb
throwing by anarchists in Spain, France
aud Italy.
At home, the greatest political events
of the year were the passage OF new
tariff act and the overturn at the No
vembcr elections; the most serious po-
litical-social event, the extensive dis
order that accompanied the Pullman
strike.
The year has not been prosperous
one for merchants and for the people
generally in any part of the world.
The crops have been, on the whole,
above the average, but not sufficiently
good to put an end to the stagnation in
manufactures and trade. The signs,
nevertheless, are more hopeful at the
end of the year than they were at the
beginning.
Death has reaped rich harvest in
1894. We have already mentioned four
of its most conspicuous victims, but
even in the higher walks of life there
were many others Louis Kossuth, the
veteran Hungarian patriot; the Comte
de Paris, Legitimate" as well as Or
leanist claimant of the crown of
France; and in our own country Sena-
tors Colquitt, Vance and Stockbridge,
Governor Curtin, General Banks and
Robert G. Winthrop.
Science mourns the loss of some of its
greatest men, foremost among them
Herr and Helmholtz, of Germany.
Rossi, the great Roman arch@ologist;
Brugsch Bey, the Psychologist, and
Doctor Brown-Sequard were each in
his own field without rivals. Better
known than any of these is Count Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps, the creator of the Suez
Canal.
To music and art have been lost Ru-
binstein, the composer; Hans Won Bulow,
pianist; Madame Alboni, once great
singer; Philip Gilbert Hamerton and
others.
Literature has suffered by the death
of Oliver Wendell Homes, James An
thony Froude, Henry Morley, Edmund
Yates and George Ticknor Curtis. The
law has lost Lord Chief Justice Cole,
ridge and David Dudley Field. Of en-
inent cIergymen we mention Archbish.
op Tache, of Canada; David Swing, of
Chicago: the Rev. DR.. McCosh. And
we close the list with three great names
which do not fall within either of the
lists already given: Miss Shaier, presi-
dent of Wellesley College; Professor w.
D. Whitney, of Yale College, and George
w. Childs, of Philadelphia.