Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1850-01-25
gbe Cele9rapb.
Friday, January %, 1850.
ARE WE LIVING IN THE LAST. HALF
OF THE 18th CENTURY"
c. l.. SHOLES. EDITOR.

VT IJlf1 lCtu ItJlN UNI
This question is receiving so much notice in
our public prints without any apparent cogn-
sance of the reasons which would settle it, that
deem 1t almost desideratum to express what
consider fair solution of all difficulties.
The birth of Christ was not considered as an
epoch until after his death Hence the year in
which he was born was not and could not be cOun
ted as the year one. Under this explanation
alone, the advocates of the other side of this ques-
ton are entitled to moments consideration.
But this explanation does not agree with fact.
AT the death OF our Saviour, his birth was dated
from as an epoch He had lived 33 years when
he was crucfed. If the curious on this subject
will look into a book of chronology, they will
see that the crucfiXion took place in the year 49,
S.
Our correspondent is right in the opinion that
we are in the first year Of he last half of the 9th
century, and if any should fail to be convinced by
his statement, we think we can make the matter
so clear that it cannot be misunderstood. The
mistake olthose who contend for the opposite po-
siton, arises from the fact that they coniound the
terms 'frs'," and :'one;" making no difference
between them, when in reality there is a very
great difference. When Time commenced it
was not the year on, but the year first. If the
creator of time had seen fit to close time at the
end of six months of the .frst year, there would
never have been such thing known as the year
one, for the term ''ono, so far as years are con-
cerncd, would never have fallen upon human
counted:
first seed third forth fifth -ivth sevh7
Thus you can have the year frS' but you can
BY 10 possibility have the year one, nor will the
term one be known to human cognizance until
II months of time have elapsed. To illustrate:
Suppose you design to accumulate ten dollars by
pennies If after getting % pennies you arc
asked how you are getting along, can You say,
am accommodating my nae dollar or my dollar one.
No, you would say my first dollar; and if you
should never get farther than the 25 in your ac-
emulation, you could never have used the term
onc dollar, with any truthful Specification. So
it will Be perceived that as one dollar is an az
gregatc of one hundred pennies, and You can
not by any possibility have or say one with ref
erence TO the dollar Until you have one hundred
pennies, 50 one ycaris an aggregate # II months
and you cJn by no possibility have one or say
one with reference to the year until You get the
II months. Thus then stands the fact: when
twelve months had elapsed tho term g the year
on" first fell on human ears, because one year
not having before existed the world of course
could have knownnothng of any term sgnilying
such an event. So it will be seen that although
we may say first with reference to year which
has just commenced, we cannot say One until we
get one; and so we may say second when we com
mcnce the second, but we cannot say flcO until
We &c; ttco. So we may say .Gfie when we
commence the fftieth, but we cannot say f1y I'M
I'll we get fifty, nor can we say 1850 until that
time has existed, for such designation as 1850
would not be known to the world until all the
time necessary to make it up had actually exist
cd. Thus when the world was authorized to
use the term 1850, (not 50h) then 1850 years
fad just expired, and we entered upon (not SD
but 5lst, and when on that unimaginablc point Of
time between the close of the present and the
commencement of the next year, the great clock
of Time pcals out 1851, then all time necessary
TO make up 1851 years has existed and we en,ec
on the 52nd year Thus, we are now on the OH
century, because eighteen hundred year had ac-
tually elapsed when the term 1900, was first used
and we entered at once on the l900th Bat no
such word or term as 1900" with reference to
years is yet used by the world or known to the
world, for the simple reason that no such number
of years has existed, The minute that number
of years docs exist, the throat of the world will
peal out nineteen hundred. and We shall enter on
| the Goth. Ii then we cannot say d" 1900 until
that number has existed, how can we say 2" 1857
until we have 1850, and is it not clear as sun
light that the moment the notes 1850, were rung
out, then all the parts, days months, and years
necessary to make mp 1850 had been completed.
! This cannot be the 50th year Of the century, as
may be readily seen. Thus we arc in the nine
tenth century. but we know nothing about nine
teen hundred, until that number exists, which it
does not vet 80 we must have the lS50th year
before we can know any thing about or use the
term 1850 because the 5Oth wear is last as neces-
sary 10 make up such combination as 1850, as
the 9;h century is to make up sucE combina-
hon as 10. The moment such dcsi gnation as
/ 1900 is known TO the world, then 900 exists,
and we enter on the 10th; and so when 1850 is
known to the world it exists, and we enter on
the 5lst, where we now are.
Bat says the Director, if this is the 5lst, why
do you write it 1850" For the simple reason
that you cannot say 81 until you get it any more
than you say 80 until you get it. THUS letter
dated, list February, 1850" would mean that
1850 years and one month hal expired, because
the figures which denote years can have reference
only to years which have existed and the desig-
nation OF months has reference to the time which
has elapsed on the progress in another year.
1t will be seen on a moments reflection that
the terms l, ,, 5, are not mere arbitrary terms 10
be used according to the popular pleasure, but
are absolute terms having an absolute signtca-
ton. Thus all things are composed of atoms
and where q combination of atoms are necessary
to complete thing or substance, then the word
one can not be applied 10 that thing or substance
until all the atoms necessary to 1t have entered
; into and composed it. Thus, a second is the
smallest division Of time. Sixty are required
to make a minute, and there was not such thing
as one minute known or conceived until sixty Sc
conds had elapsed; 50, no such term as one car
be known with reference to any thing until thai
! thing has complete existence by the combina
49,, - all tho M rtS narpSSarv tn mako Tins