The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-01-03


The New YEAR.-There are certain
periods of our lives when we feel admon-
ished of the necessity for pausing in our
worldly career, that we may SO digest
and arrange our plans for the future, as
to insure success and attainhappincss. A.
mong these the recurrence of the New
Years day presents itselfas the most inn
portant. Day and night, seed time and
harvest, are not more uniform in their re-
ciprocal succession, than the revolution
of the years of time. The day which
marks the beginningof a New Year, does
not owe its importance, more than its ex-
istence to the arbitrary rules of men.
Whether it begin on the first of January
or the first of March, is Of but little con-
sequence, so long as we know the fact,
that it indicates that point in the course
of time, marked out by the God of Nature,
as the goal or limit beyond which timeit-
self cannot pass. The seasons form the
grand division Of that period by which
we regulate tire affairs of human life, and
according to which human hfe itself is
regulated. In surveying time we do not
survey ages, or that space which has
passed away since the creation of the
world, but our minds dwell on success
sion of those periods which are known
by the name of years. As the geogra'
pher when he takes general survey OF
the globe, first marks its grand division
into land and water, so when at the com
mencement of New Year, we attempt
to look into futurity, our view seems
limited by that quadripartitc period COM
prising the different seasons of the year.
To this our plans are adapted, by it our
hopes are cherished, and in it our fond
est expectations ofhappiness are center
ed. 1t has been truly said, there is no
person SO aged who does not hope to live
another year, and with equal truth it may
be asserted that there is no person SO
young as to be sure Of living another
year. In its course, the past year has,
according to probable calculation, been
witness to the mortality Of more than
three millions Of our fellow beings. A.
mother year will doubtless tell as melan-
choly tale. What are the considera-
tions which occupy our mind in contem-
plating such scenes. With most of us
they probably make but little impression.
We continue to live on from year to year
needless of the havoc among our fellow
men, our minds busted in the grovelling
scenes of the world, gathering its toys
revelling in its pleasures, chasing its hon.
ors, and yainly seeking for happiness in
the pursuit Of its varieties. The man
who lives to the age of 80 years, is an
actor in the great tragedy of human life
which has consigned two hundred and
fifty millions of his fellows to the tomb
Thevery earth on which we tread may
in some earlier age of the world have
been the bodies of kings and conqusrors
and the fuel which now warns and
renovates our bodies, may, ages age
have formed animated beings deriving
the same comfort from the matter Of
which we are composed. Who can con.
.tradict it with certainty Who can say
il is not truel What then are we tc
think of ourselves and what should be
our object Why simply this, live tc
number as many new years days as Pro
videnco has ordained, do all the good we
can to our fellow men, regulating ouI
conduct by true wisdom, which will no,
fail to secure us as large portion oI
happiness as our Creutor designed TO be