Year: 1872

| \ you've had enough for once of the horrors of a sewer.

 The Year A. D. 1872.

 It is time, says g. New York paper, that we began to accustom ourselves to the ap- pearance of the figures which together indicate the year now before us, and which must now be inscribed at the head of every letter, borne on the front of each newspaper, and printed on the cover of ev- Lery monthly or quarterly. So let us, for a few moments, look ahead and see what the New Year is likely to bring us. We are to choose President in 1872 so much IS certain-unless, indeed, there should be more than two candidates, and no one receive majority of the electoral votes in which case, the President would be chosen by the House of Representa- tives in February, 1873.

 Tho year just before us is not the cen- tenary of any great event in modern his- tory. A hundred years ago, our fathers were still somewhat angrily resisting the arrogant claim of the British Grown and Parliament of unlimited, unbalanced power to tax them. without even the for mality of asking their leave but only the discerning few as yet foresaw the bloody struggle that was then imminent. One hundred years ago, peace was very general throughout both hemispheres, except that the Partition of Poland among her three powerful neighbors had been decreed and initiated.

 France seems 6 smothered but not sleeping volcano, just ready to vomit flame and ashes, yet not likely very soon to trouble the repose of her neighbors That her present government cannot out last the coming year, is a safe prediction :; but who shall tell what fashion of mon archy shall supplant the doomed Repub- lie ? The priests and ruder peasantry would have Henry V. if they could the army officers prefer Napoleon II. the manufacturers and shopkeepers lean to- ward the House of Orleans the workers for wages constitute the main strength of the Republic. That Thiers will soon cease to be President. few doubt; beyond that, all is blind conjecture.

 Great Britain seems to be gravitating toward 8 republic in fact if not in name :; but the obstacles to be encountered are gigantic. Among Christian countries, there remains no other whose social structure is so essentially arirtocratic as hers. A hundred families own half her immense wealth 1; the greater portion of her soil belongs to much smaller num- Der. A social revolution in tho British Isles may be the bloodiest and most de- structive that the world has yet seen. II can hardly be initiated while the Nation al Finances remain as sound and hopeful as they now are, and majority of the rural tenantry continue attached to the feudal lords by tie of common interest. Yet the day of strenuous effort for rad ioal upturning in Britain cannot be far distant. The union of Church and State is probably the next bulwark of aristoc- racy to be assailed and subverteG

 Spain has made more progress toward daylight within the last ten years than any other country. Till lately thralI of bigotry and imbecile despomsm, she has to-day 8 liberal constitution and a parliamentary regime, and is rapidly gaining in popular intelligence and pop ular power. Her fearfully disordered fl. nances and her enormously over-general- ed army are the chief remaining obsta- cles to her complete renovation.

 Italy is no longer 8 chaos of nominally independent but impotent states and o1 foreign provinces, but 8 liberal kingdom of twenty-five millions, rapidly growing in intelligence, cohesion, and strength. More newspapers are issued weekly in any quarter of her arena than in the pe- ninsula twenty years ago. She needs but peace and policK which shall serve to develop her material resources to ren. der her, by the close of this century, one of the Great Powers of Europe.

 Germany to-day is the strongest and most influential among those Powers bat her Emperor and Prime Minister are both old men so is his military brain, Yon Moltke. When these pass away, az in the order. of nature they soon must, the prestige of the monarch will fade, and the Empire enter upon that work of social melioration which has already been delayed too long, allowing Austria, and even Russia, to take the lead of her. These two great military monarchies are likely to be involved in deadly strife at no distant day but Germany will stand aloof if the voice of her people shall be heard.

 Mexico and all Spanish America seem to us 8 continual anarchy, when in fact they are in most respects what Europe and Christendom were ten to twelve cen turies ago. A far wider expanse and a sparser population are the most essential points of difference

 On the whole, we hope to be obliged to chronicle little or no carnage in 1872 1; yet the bloodiest years of the past have been ushered in as peacefully as this now promises to be. Let us reverently trust that whatever of agony and woe the New Year may bear in it's bosom may be over- ruled for good, and that the human race may visibly, palpably profit by all its guferings and sorrows.