PREFACE. No recent period of time has witnessed events of so much importance to mankind generally as those which occurred in Europe during the year 1870, of which this volume of the ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA treats. The overwhelming march of the combined German forces into the heart of France, and the rapid capture of her fortified cities and surrender of her vast armies, thereby casting her down from her preeminent position, to the feet of the conqueror; the occupation of Rome by the Italian Government, and the overthrow of the temporal sovereignty of the Pope, by which liberalism and authority have been brought to a final issue before the world, are some of the chief events. The great public questions of Europe, such as the Baltic and the Eastern, the relations of the various nationalities, such as those of race, population, military strength, financial ability, or national resources, and the new forms which public interests have begun to assume on that Continent, are herein stated and explained more fully and completely than is to be found elsewhere in any single volume. Nor were the affairs of the United States of less interest or importance than in previous years. The census of 1870, completed during the year, for the States, counties, and principal cities of the Union, shows the rapid growth and spread of the population, and is herein contained. The new departure of the Federal Government under its National aspect has made rapid advances. All the States were restored to the Union, under constitutions approved by Congress, and the conduct of their affairs transferred to civil officers elected by the citizens. The ballot has been cast at all elections by every citizen, without distinction of race, color, or previous condition, who was exempt from the restraints imposed upon those active in the late hostilities. The progress of all the States, and especially the Southern, under the joint rule of the white and the colored man, as a citizen, a legislator, and a judicial officer, the struggles of factions, the local disturbances of citizens, with the rapid improvement of the people in general, socially and financially, are herein presented, and also the measures adopted by Congress under the altered condition of affairs, the debates on the same, the numerous aspects of the incidental questions raised and discussed, with the final action of that body. The details of the internal affairs of the United States comprise the finances of the Federal Government; its receipts and expenditures; the sources whence those receipts are obtained, and the principles upon which are based the mode and degree of taxation; the management of the public debt, and the steps taken to reduce it, or to diminish its burden; the modifications of the currency, its fluctuations; the changes in the system of taxation, with its effects upon the industrial interests and prosperity of the people; the banking system, with its expansions and contractions; the products of agriculture, and the extension of internal trade and commerce; the proceedings of the Southern States to improve and establish their social and financial affairs; the various political conventions of the year; the results of elections; the acts of State Legislatures; the rapid improvement of educational and charitable institutions under the care of the State governments; the rapid extension of the facilities for transportation, especially railroads; the resources and population of the several States, and all those facts which determine their rapid progress. The Diplomatic Correspondence of the Federal Government, derived from the most authentic sources, is very fully presented in these pages, and the existing relations with all foreign nations clearly shown. The progress of Mechanical Industry, although indicated by works less extensive and important than in the previous year, has been no less marked and useful. The advance in the various branches of Astronomical, Chemical, and other sciences, with new and valuable applications to various purposes, is extensively described.. Geographical Discoveries have been actively pushed forward, in various quarters of the globe, with interesting results. The record of Literature and Literary Progress is as interesting as during any previous year. The title of each of the more important works of various classes has been stated, with some remarks on the nature of its contents. The history of the religious denominations of the country, with the results of their conventions, their branches, membership, views on public affairs, and progress of opinions, and numbers, are here given from official sources. The proceedings of the Ecumenical Council at Rome are fully narrated, and all the decrees adopted previous to its suspension, inserted. The memory of deceased persons of note, in every department of society, is briefly noticed. All important documents, messages, orders, treaties, and letters from official persons, have been inserted entire. An Index, at the end of this volume, contains a list of all the subjects treated in the volumes of the ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA, with a statement of the volume and page where each may be found. THE ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA. A AFRICA. The year 1870 has been one of remarkable quiet, which forms a striking contrast to the excitement produced in 1869 by the opening of the canal of Suez, and the difficulty between the Khedive of Egypt and the Sultan, and in 1868 and 1867 by the AngloAbyssinian War. The relations between Egypt and Turkey remained undisturbed, and even the serious complication which, in November, arose between Russia and Turkey, did not elicit from the Khedive of Egypt any intimation of a new movement in behalf of the independence of Egypt. The Suez Canal increased the commerce of Egypt, but failed altogether to fulfil the expectations of the shareholders. Abyssinia relapsed into entire obscurity, neither its relations to foreign countries nor its internal condition attracting the least attention. Only occasional reports from Christian missionaries or travelling naturalists succeeded from time to time in keeping alive a religious or scientific interest in a country which a few years ago seemed on the point of being drawn into more intimate connections with the civilized world. One of the most notable facts in the history of Africa during the past year is the rapid progress of Christianity in Madagascar. The collapse of paganism, as far as political power and influence are concerned, is complete, and the Christianization of the whole people only a question of time. The spread of popular education encourages the hope that, among the native states, Madagascar will soon occupy a front rank in point of civilization. On the western coast of Africa, the AfroAmerican republic of Liberia continues to enjoy the blessings of peace, but its leading men appeal to the United States for further aid in the development of their country. During the summer months the President of the Republic himself made a visit to the United States. One of the most important events for the VOL. X.-1 A South of Africa was, the discovery of the diamond-fields on the banks of the Vaal River. Soon after their discovery, in May, 1870, the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free States both claimed the territory as their own, and a war about its occupation and possession appeared inevitable. The diggers, then on the fields, remained neutral, however, and, as their number was daily increasing by new arrivals of well-armed men from all quarters, they soon became sufficiently strong to defy any attempt on the part of either of the above-mentioned governments to interfere with the pursuit of their labors. The diamond-fields may therefore be considered neutral territory. In the beginning, diamonds were found on the surface in goodly numbers and of various sizes. This, of course, did not last long, and the pickaxe and shovel were soon resorted to for regular digging. The yield of diamonds has, so far, been extremely liberal, and though some parties have been unfortunate, and returned from the diggings disappointed and in disgust, the majority of the diggers are doing well, while in some exceptional cases they have realized an independent fortune from the sale of their diamonds. In the commencement, during the months of June and July, there were about 500 white men at work on both banks of the Vaal River. The majority of the diggers were engaged on the northern bank, the southern bank being owned by the German missionary establishment at Pniel. The missionaries were unwilling to admit of any digging on their grounds, unless they could share in the proceeds of the labor to the extent of at least one-fourth. The feeling among the miners was, consequently, any thing but friendly toward the missionaries. During the quarter from June 1st to August 31st, considerably more than 1,000 diamonds were found, varying in value from 30 shillings to £1,000 sterling. Two steamers, which left Cape Town for Europe during the latter part of August, took out diamonds valued at more than £10,000 sterling. The arrivals at the fields have continually increased ever since, the new-comers averaging about 1,000 per week. A regularly organized community of diggers has been formed at a short distance from the mission station at Pniel. A set of regulations has been drawn up, and is enforced by a vigilance committee elected by the white community located there. It is believed diamonds to the value of £500,000 sterling were found during September and October.* The diggers were all well-armed, and although some extensive Kaffre raids had been threatened, nothing of any serious consequence had transpired up to the latest dates. Official papers, respecting the establishment of a responsible government for the Cape Colony and the withdrawal of troops from the colony, were issued in London on June 13th. Earl Granville, in reply to an address from the House of Assembly sent to him by Sir Philip Wodehouse, holds out no hope that the English Government will sanction any further delay in the removal of the troops beyond that already determined upon, and he earnestly hopes that the Cape Parliament will address itself seriously to the task of placing the finances on a proper footing, and making further provision for the defence of the colony. Several attempts at insurrection were made in the French possessions in Algeria, as well as in the Senegal settlements; but all of them were quelled without difficulty. The King of Combo entered a formal protest against the proposed transfer of the Gambia by England to the French, urging that the land does not belong to the English Government, but to himself, and that it was only rented to the English Government by his ancestors. Simultaneous with this protest, numerous and earnest manifestations of the dislike of the English colonists to a transfer to the French reached the home Government, and a petition was sent to Lord Granville, embodying the views of the prominent settlers in the country. It appears that some fifty years ago the English Government commenced to send discharged soldiers from the West-India regiments to the Island of St. Mary, and to that part of the main-land known as British Combo. These people, living under English laws and protection, have brought up their families in feelings of loyalty to England and liking for her institutions. By their quiet habits and steady industry they have set an example to the surrounding natives, which has not been * Late advices from England and Holland, it is but just to state, throw considerable doubt on the genuineness of these diamonds. Some of the most eminent experts pronounce them quartz crystals, of remarkable perfection and beauty, but still only quartz. The fact probably is, that a few genuine diamonds have been found, though for the most part not of the first water, but that the greater part of the supposed gems were in reality only quartz crystals, which are often found in the vicinity of diamond deposits. lost on them; they have thus directly and indirectly contributed to the present prosperity of the settlement. They are unacquainted with French institutions, and would submit to almost any taxation in order to remain under the British flag. The population of Morocco is variously estimated at from two and a half to five millions. According to the French consul in Mogador, M. A. Baumier, it is from four to five millions. M. Baumier is satisfied that the country is very thinly populated. During a six-days' journey on the main road connecting the principal seaport with the capital of the country, he did not meet over two hundred people. In Algeria, by an imperial decree of December 10, 1868, thirty-nine districts of the province of Constantine, which had been previously separated from the same and incorporated with the military district, were reunited with the province, increasing its area to 2,074 English square miles, with a population of 150,056, of which 55,056 were Europeans and 95,000 natives. The Catholic missionaries, in their "Annals of the Propagation of the Christian Faith," compute the population of Tunis at 15,553 Roman, and 300 Greek Catholics, 25 Protestants, 400,000 Jews, and 2,000,000 Mohammedans, making a total of 2,415,878. It is evident however, that the figures concerning the Jews and Mohammedans are vague estimates. Mr. Amos Perry, consul of the United States at Tunis until September, 1867, is of opinion that the population is not below 1,500,000 and not above 2,000,000. The population of Egypt proper was stated by the Sanitary Commission, on April 21, 1868, to be 4,976,230. The Year-Book of Senegal and its dependencies for 1869 states the population of the French possessions in Senegambia at 201,012, exclusive of 45,000 inhabitants in two provinces under French protection, and of the population of Bandon, Kamera and a part of Casamance, which, although not exactly under French rule, are governed by native chiefs selected by the French Government. The population of the Portuguese possessions, actually under Portuguese rule, is officially reported in 1870 at 8,500. The Journal of the Statistical Society of London (March, 1869) reports the population of Natal at 250,808, of whom 17,971 were whites, and 232,837 colored; the colored population comprised 6,298 Indian coolies. Since 1855 no census has been taken in the Orange Free State. The Friend of the Free State and Bloemfontein Gazette of August 14, 1868, estimates the white population at 37,000, of which 2,000 are British subjects, while the remainder consist of Boers, Germans, and Dutch. According to the Geographisches Jahrbuch of Behm (vol. iii., Gotha, 1870), a standard work on geography and statistics, the population and area of the divisions and subdivisions of Africa* were in 1869 as follows: The indented names indicate subdivisions. |