The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-03-03
What Interested
When Lincoln
Age Of Reform In Many Ways
Had Begun In Germany. Italy.
Russia and England. A.
ready Threatening
Napoleon III.
By JAMES A. HDcERToN.

ham Lincoln as president &C.
CURED fifty years ago the 4th
of March. We have had ten
presidents since and not a Lincoln in
the lot
Fifty years ago there was not as
much happening as now. or at least
there was not the same revealing light
of publicity on 1t, which made 1t seem
less. The cable did not then suck
Europe dry of the previous days news
and leave it on our front porches the
next morning Instead we had to wait
two weeks or longer to find out what
France, Germany or England was do
ing or thinking about. As for Asia,
It was practically out of the reckon
ing. while Australia did not count at
all. and Africa was known only as a
big and vague darkness out Of which
slaves. had originally come.
On March 3, 1861. the very day be-
fore Lincoln began his term, the car
Of Russia, Alexander H., emancipated
the serfs throughout his empire. The
event, which would almost seem pro-
phetic of what was to happen so soon
in our own land, was not known in
America until weeks later.
On Feb. 20. or six days before Lin
coins inauguration, Victor Emmanuel
was crowned king of united Italy, sue
ceeding a long struggle by Garibaldi
and others to that end. The new Ital-
ian parliament, with Cavour as its
dominant spirit, was then but getting
under way, practically its first act be-
ing the elevation of the king.
Many Reform Struggles Then.
1t is somewhat significant that the
struggle for union, reform and consti-
tutonal government in several Euro
pean countries was practically con-
temporaneous with our own civil war.
Two months before Lincoln went
into Office William l.. who was after
ward to become the first emperor of
united Germany. was crowned king of
Prussia Bismarck was then minister
to Russia, and II was not till nearly
two years later that he was placed at
the head of Prussian affairs and be-
gan his "blood and iron" policy of
forming the north German confedera-
ton and whipping Austria.
AS for the remainder of Europe, 1t
was for the most part quiet. France
was in the middle Of the second
empire under Napoleon the Little. and
England was talking about reforms,
but not working at them very much
The sunrise over the new Italy was
still clouded by threats of Interference
from Austria and by the fact that Ma
poleon's soldiers were stationed In
Rome and kept the Italian king and
parliament out Of the capital.
Now note how poetic justice some
times works out In history. King VIII.
liam and Bismarck were seeking the
same sort of union In Germany as
had already been achieved among the
italian states. A working alliance be-
tween the two was made. BY smash
ing victory over the Austrians the Ger
mans not only put that country out Of
their own way, but made her impo-
tent to hurt Italy. Then Germany
pricked the inflated bubble of Napoleon
the Little and by winning the Franco
Prussian war accomplished three tri-
umphs for progress and liberty.
First.-She completed her own work
of uniting Germany.
SecOnd.-She forced Napoleon to with
draw his soldiers from Rome and thus
made 1t possible for Victor Emmanuel
and the Italian parliament to carry out
their cherished purpose Of moving into
the Eternal City.
Third.-She ended the Napoleonic
fetish in France, with the immediate
result that the empire was overthrown
and the third and final French repub-
lie was established.
elimination Was Slower.
All of this eliminated after our own
civil war. however, and Is mentioned
here only because the beginnings OF
this European transformation coincid-
ed In general way with the start of
our own great struggle for liberty and
union, Reform also marched forward
In England. 1t was In 1867 that the
second reform bill was adopted.
In America on March T., 1861, the
impending conflict overshadowed all
else. Six states had already left the
Union and others were on the eve
of doing so. Jefferson Davis had been
elected president Of the Confederate
States of America and had been in
augurated at Montgomery on Feb. 1S.
People In both sections. while not yet
expecting actual war or at least war
of such magnitude as afterward oc-
CURED, were profoundly disquleted.
Small wonder that the newspapers of
that day contained little news except
such as related to the coming strug-
gle.
The population of 1860 was a trifie
more than 100000 and was mostly
on the farms The movement city
ward had scarcely yet started. New
York, the largest city. was under
100000. as Brooklyn was then a sep
arate municipality. Chicago was far
dorup tho Ifot Kopoao and Nabra s,L N