The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-01-01

engineered by the annihilauon OF the
Federaist at the hands OF the Republican
Democratic party. In spite Of a threatened
war with France and an actual war with
England, the republic. definitely founded
in 1850. now exhibited amazing proofs Of
progress and expansion. The population
had more than trebled in forty years. hav-
ing increased from less than four millions
in 1890 TO nearly thirteen millions in 1880.
BY the purchase OF the Louisiana Territory
from France. and Of Florida from Spain,
the area Of he national domain had
been immensely broadened. Manufactures
NJ o which New England had been driven
70 concentrate It's resources by JEFFER-
SONS Embargo. had acquired remarkable
development. and a great political party,
the National Republicans. soon 70 be known
as Wings. already stood committed to
the principle Of protection. Meanwhile,
our ocean carrying trade had recovered
from the depression which It suffered dur
ing the years preceding the War OF 1912,
and was quickly advancing TO rivalry with
England for the profits Of sea-borne traffic.
At the same time. our agricultural inter-
est was swiftly tending to assume the func-
ton Of the chief purveyor Of Europe. Tho
invention OF the cotton gin had impaired an
extraordinary stimulus to our cotton indus
try. and the cultivation OF grain for export
had begun to acquire huge proportions.
The value OF steam as q motor. not only
for machinery. but also for traction pur-
poses. was recognized. and the adaptation
OF electricity 10 commercial Uses was close
at hand. In 1919 the Atlantic had been
crossed by a steamship for the first time:
In 1873 the first railroad in the United States
was opened for travel; the invention OF
the telegraph was only five years distant.
The moral forces which, ultimately, were
to split the Union in twain had already
given portentons signs Of life. In 1920
the heated debates which resulted in the
Missouri Compromise had given clear
premonitions OF an irrepressible conflict
between the principles OF slavery and
freedom, and In this very year, 1890. South
Carolina was asserting the right Of a State
to nulbfy a Federal statute. Through the
patriotic and stalwaIt course pursued
by ANDREW JACKSON, however, the evil
spirit of Secession was temporarily con-
jured. For the moment the skies were
clear, and the United states looked forward
to a long career Of peaceful evolution.
In England the lesson administered by
her Thirteen American Colonies. almost
half a century before. had not, as yet.
taught her to concede self-government to
the Canadians. nor had it taught her TO
reform a Parliament which had ceased
even TO pretend to offer equal representa-
ton to the people. In her Titanic struggle
against the Napoleonic empire tremendous
losses had been offset by colossal gains.
From that contest she had emerged with
a s%tupendous public debt. with her public
credit crippled by the suspension of specie
payments and with the relations OF capital
and labor subjected to a tension from
which they were not entirely relieved until
after the close Of the fourth decade Of the
present century. On the other hand.
she was. as she had never been before 1888,
completely paramount upon the ocean.
and some twenty years were to elapee be-
fore her claim OF maritime and naval SUI
premacy was TO be seriously challenged.
She had kept Gibraltar and secured Malta.
and thus. although in 1880 she had just
ItfOlIlttl tlf lpllldn lSltllNiS, Sll' lu'u
mistress OF the midland sea, She had given
pack lava and other islands in the Far
Fast to the Dutch, but she had retained
the Cape Of Good Hope. Ceylon and the
former Dutch possessions on the mainland
of southern Asia.
In India the Mogul Lord of Delhi was
still permitted to exercise the semblance
Of suzersin authority, but his mighty vassal
the East India Company. was the actual
wielder of power throughout two-thirds
of the peninsula. Part OF Burmah. however.
was still independent. and Lord AMHERsr's
embassy to Pekin had proved futile.
During the fifteen years that followed
Waterloo. Great Britain had obtained a
new and capacious market for her manu-
features by constituting herself protectress
of Portugal and Brazil. and by encouraging
the Spanish-Amerioan colonies In their
revolt against their mother country. She
had truly, a CANNING said. fooled tn re-
dictionary schemes Of the Verona Congress
by calling a new world into existence to
balance the old. During the Wal Of 1872
she had lost a number OF frigates in duels
between vessels Of nearly equal armament;
she had seen her flotillas beaten on Lake
Erie and Lake Champlain, and she had
witnessed the defeat Of her Peninsula
veterans by JACKSON at New Orleans. on
the other hand, she had captured Wash
ington and destroyed its principal public
buildings, and. by the Treaty Of Client.
she had escaped explicitly renouncing a
single one Of the offensive claims on which
she had previously insisted. We observe.
finally. that at home England hoped that
she had healed what had long been an
open sore upon her body polite. first. by
extinguishing the Legislative independence
Of Ireland. and. secondly. by tardily con-
oeding the emancipation OF the Catholics TO
| the agitation headed by O'CoSSELL. In a
word. she occupied before the world In the
year 1880 a position Of august elevation and
Of unparalleled prestige. Moreover, she
was on the eve Of making drastic changes
in the method OF elccting her House Of
| Commons, changes which In their turn
we're destined 10 bear fruit In a multitude
Of political. economical and social reforms.
| until they should eliminate in a close APP
| proach TO universal suffrage.
on the Continent Of Europe few Of the
dreams caressed by philanthropists and
! natuots in the closing years OF the last