The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-01-23
THE STRIFES OF 1896
THE WARS THAT TOOK PLACE DUR
ING THE PAST YEAR.

- Great War, but Several Small Ones.
Most OF the Uprisings Took Place Is
tie Struggles.
No sword las been drawn by one
great civilized state against another
through the whole of 1896, but the gates
Of the temple OF Janus have by no
means been shut. BY far the most blood
stained portion OF the worlds surface,
30 far as 1895 is concerned, is the Otto
man empire.
There has been actual fighting in
Crete, while the tale Of massacres Of
Armenians in all parts of the empire is
still far from complete. "The shadow
Of God" in Constantinople is haunted
by a perpetual fear, and he imagines,
like most men in panic, that he can best
SECURE his own safety by striking terror
Abdul Hamid smbodies in his reign and
in the massacres by which its closing
days are being marked great object
lesson as to the real nature of Turkish
rule. Without some such demonstration
it would have been impossible for us to
conceive the popular enthusiasm which
launched medieval Europe on the series
Of enterprises that we call crusades.
There are many persons today who
\ would be very glad to see new crusade
NDreached for the determination OF the
. "infidel," not because he is an intidel,
but because he has established assas-
sination az all instrument Of government
and replied by massacre to the protests
OF the conscience of Europe and Amer
lea.
Casting rapid glance over the world,
it is curious to note how much fighting
has gone on in the islands. On the con-
tinents there has been little war, but
man has faced man in deadly wrath in
Crete, in Cuba, in Madagascar and in
the Philippine islands. In fact, with the
exception of the continent of Africa and
certain of these islands, 1896 has been
year of peace. These, however, are
considerable exceptions, and neither in
Cuba nor the Philippine islands did
1896 bring any prospect of peace. The
struggle on both sides is marked by
atrocities Of which the civilized world
hears little from Cuba. but nothing
much from the Philippines
In Madagascar French expedition tt
Antananarivo has placed the French il
nominal possession Of the island. 1t il
4 only nominal. for outside the capita
the French appear to be obeyed only a.
far as their guns will carry and unit
such time as their guns are removed.
nr tho frioan thoro ha,
been more serious fighting. Italy suffer
cd q great defeat in Abyssinia, which
however, has been blessing in dis
guise, in that it has led to the abandon
ment of the ambitious scheme of estab
fishing All Ethiopian empire raised upol
the colony of Erythraa. The defeat il
Africa shook dewn the Crispi ministr.
and crippled Italy in the estimation O
Europe. 1t was also the means O
launching the long expected expedition
for the recovery of the Sudan The An
glo-Egyptian force, under the sirdar
Sir Herbert Kitchener, achieved all al
most bloodless success when it marche
southwark along the Nile valley an
cleared the soldiers of the mahdi out c
the fertile provinces of Dongola.
1t is understood that this year, whe
the Nile is high, Dongola will be used {;
base for the reconquest of khartum.
But for the unfortunate issue c
Jameson's raid Cecil Rhodes woul
probably have realized his ideal of join
ing the Cape to Cairo before the end {
the century. Matabeleland has risen
revolt and has been reconquered. Tt
Transvaal has been the scene of fightin
which could hardly be dignifed by til
title of war.
On the other side the Ashanti powe
has been broken by an English exped
tion, which has opened up one Of tt
dark places Of the world. full Of frigh
- full cruelty, to the milder influences
+ commerce and civilization.
AS the year closed Sir George Tau
man Goldie was departing for the Mig
in order to strike blow at one Of I'll
slave trading tribes which still live ar
thrive under the nominal protectorate
the Niger company.-Review OF r