Year: 1873

reiauon TO the present condition OF political
affairs. We have no doubt, if we had access
to the newspapers of the time, we should find
that Jeremiah was an unpopular person, who
found pleasure in frightening people and
dwelling upon their sins. It is SO much more
delightful to look up at the blue, bending
skies, and bask in the sunshine, and drink the
bracing air, blowing fresh from pine tree
forests, and lap the cooling waters, and shout
in the ecstasy of animal exaltatiOn, as our
boat speeds merrily on, needless of wind and
weather. Nothing more delightful, we re-
peat, if we did not know that Niagara was
beyond.


If any nation can leap political Niagara it
is the United States of America. We are so
young, 80 fresh, 80 joyous, 80 abounding IN
resources, 30 rich; the blood of May is in our
veins, and we have dared and achieved 30
many things, and are so far ahead of the old
and decrepit nations that we fear nothing. 1t
is the charm of youth that every day has its
sunshine and that it feels it will live forever
and forever. It has no tomorrow, and scorns
yesterday. And we-why, we are only hun
dred years Of age this coming 1876 To a
nation this period is only sweet, bright seven
teen. A century old in our national morning
time, and look at us We are the fifth in
population, the third in territorial size of all
the nations of the earth. Above all, when we
are as populous as China we shall
have over one thousand millions of souls
When we reach the density of Belgium we
shall actually have one thousand six hundred
millions, while even the average population of
poor wretched Spain would give us over three
hundred millions. Think Of it And then our
possessions our gold and silver, and iron and
In railways alone four times as many miles as
England, three times as many as Germany,
six times as many as France more than four
times as many as Russia and Austria COM
bined. Was there ever such prosperity, 80
much sunshine, SO much cir, such fatness in
our fields, so much gold in our treasury? And
yet this moaning, uncomfortable HERALD in
sists that we are all going to the devil in full
steam and tide and no one to say "Beware!"


Even so! We have no doubt, if we had
known jeremiah, we should have skipped him
at the club and descended from the omnibus
when we saw him mounting the steps. We
need not be reminded of the thanklessness of
the task of criticising Grant and his party,
and calling attention to a state Of public and
private morals resembling those in France
after Austerlitz, and in the Roman Empire be-
fore the accession of Augustus But let us
suppose historical parable or two, and see
where it's consideration brings us. We are
reading the history of the United States. We
learn that George Washington has been elected
to the Presidency. His Secretary of State is
Thomas Jefferson, his Secretary of the Treas
ury is Alexander Hamilton. The other
Ministers are colleagues worthy Of these Illus
trious men. Washington begins his work
with the love and admiration of the people as
great and successful soldier, even as Grant
began his work. All promises well, but in
time we read that Aaron Burr and other
politicians are dissatisfied with the adminis-
tration. They do not like the manners of
MIR. Jefferson or the measures of Mr. Hamil-
ton. They pou then conspire, then compel
Jeffersons retirement. The President nomi-
mates him to the Bench and they reject his
nomination, and there is great joy in every
barroom of the capital. Then Hamilton
goes out and the joy is complete. The men
who take their places are so obscure that the
historian spells their names incorrectly. In
time it is alleged that Mr.. Burr received
without pay and avowedly to influence his
votes in Congress, certain shares of stock
from corporation which divides eight
hundred per cent profit per annum, by
appropriating money and lands generously
voted by Congress to build national railroad.
Mr.. Burr swears this is untrue, but he also
swears, to account for the possession Of certain
money, that it was present from govern
ment contractor made to him, sworn legis-
lator! In other words, in endeavoring to
avoid the suspicion of perjury, he admits he
was bribed. We read further that there was
great indignation in the country and motion
in Congress for the impeachment of Mr. Burr,
and that to console him under these censures,
Washington wrote him letter expressing his
satisfaction and affection. AS if to emphasize
these professions he appointed another Con-
gressman who had taken part in the illegal
appropriation of money to be a Minister to a
foreign court.


We continue our studies and read that
Washington made an effort to reform the
civil service; that the effort continued until q
New York politician craved larger pay, when
the President suddenly abandoned the scheme,
IN the great ioy of Mr. Burr and his friends
Moreover, we read that there was fondness
for money and speculation in those days;
that large fortunes were made out of revolu-
tionary bonds and supplies to the patriotic
army and from the imitation of currency and
appreciation of gold, so that it become COM
mon for corporations to employ agents at the
Capitol whose profession was the purchase of
legislative votes. So widely was this profess
sion extended that shrewd business men