The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-01-03
HAIL, 1851
AT last, thank God, we are through
with the dismal year of 1894.

Il lCOls
Like then, il seemed at times as if tn
whole fabric of Law, Order, and Govern
ment had been built upon unstable sands
and vicious, weak, and incompetent hand
were to topple the noble edifce int
cureless ruin.
The opening months Of 1861 saw
State after State seeding, Senators and
Representatives Withdrawing from Con.
gress, officers resigning from the Army
and Navy TO take up arms against the
Government, forts, arsenals, and Custom.
houses seized, troops surrendered, the
Treasury bankrupt, the Federal authority
condemned and despised in all States,
a powerful rebel Government organized
within our borders, and impudent Com
missioners from seeding States arriv-
ing In Washington, TO arrange the de-
tails of the Nations funeral and dis
tribute its estate. April saw the firing
on Fort Sumter July the humiliating
defeat Of Bull Run; August, the battle
Of Wilson's Creek and the death of
Lyon, September the surrender of
Mulligan at Lexington October, the
slaughter at Balls Bluff, and November
the fruit.ess fight at Belmont. The
year closed with the Potomac River
blockaded below Washington and the
rebel flag flying in sight of the National
Capitol. The most encouraging feature
Of the gloomy situation was the splendid
response made to the Presidents call
for volunteers to defend the National
life, and the fact that 575,917 men were
already in camp, ready for service
against the country's enemies
The year 1894 opened with Con-
gress in session completely dominated in
both its branches by the element which
had plotted and precipitated the re-
bellion. The apathy Of the people had
permitted the minority to regain control.
The old element appeared determined to
avenge its defeat on the field of battle
by a campaign Of destruction against the
prosperity Of the victors. Its accession
to power, and the known viciousness Of,
its designs had already cost the country
more than had been expended in putting
down the rebellion. Everywhere the
skies lowered darkly. Factories were
closing down, worl1ingmen were being
deprived Of work and wages, merchants
were falling, and gloom settled down
upon the country like a pail. In Con-
gress wild-eyed impracticables and
vicious wreckers We'd with each other in
urging measures Of EXTREMIST hurtfulness.
AS the year advanced, extensive
strikes among the Disconnected working
men aggravated the situation, and help
ed to further paralyze business. These
eliminated in July with the instruction
led by Debs, who at the head of newly
created organization seized a large por-
ton Of the railroad system, and by the
aid of mob mainly made up Of ignor-
ant Poles Russians, Bohemians, and the
like, took possession Of the second larg-
est city in the country, inaugurated a
reign Of terror, with wholesale murder,
robbery and arson as his agents. An
unprincipled Governor and despicable
Mayor connived at and assisted his
wiclledness.
Then, at last, the outraged American
people began to wake up and assert
themselves, as they did in 1861. The
instruction WAS suppressed, the male
factors arrested, and at the elections
which came on in the course Of weeks,
the indignant voters expressed their senti-
ments and buried the whole wretched
aggregation Of evil-doers under ma
jority the like Of which had never be-
fore been seen. Then the atmosphere
began TO clear, as it did in 1861, when
men by the hundred thousand responded
to President Lincoln's appeal for volun-
teers. The morning after the election
people everywhere took fresh heart, and
for the first time in two years began to
speak hopefully Of the future. They
felt that the worst was past, and things
must now 90 on steadily improving.
Since then the clouds have constantly