Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-12-27
Eighteen Fifty.


comes quite natural to put 1850 at the head of let
ter It seems like an old friend-a familiar acquain-
tance-and now that we are on the eve of parting
with it forever feel like lingering little longer
over its vanished scenes, and recalling yet once more
the features of the past before they fade into the dim
shadows of forgetfulness.
1t seems to US but yesterday--if even so long ago
that we sat in nearly the place, On the same
seat, with the selfsame pen in hand, to perform
similar duty at the close of 849 Yet in that brief
space-brief at least, in the retrospect-how much
of the history of human life has been compressed
We have only to look at our own list to how
ny there are who then glanced columns,
whose eyes are now sealed in death How many
hearts that then beat high with hope stilled
forever or only throb to the wild pulses of anguish
and bereavement. Still the years roll on ever
crushing beneath their revolving circle the best hopes
and warmest feelings of the human heart, and leav
ing us poor wrecks upon the shore of time, hopeless
save in Him whose advent hallows this day; who
came to give rest to the weary and heavy laden, and
to point to another and better world, where the
wicked cease from troubling and where the weary
are at rest.
During the year which is now about to close our
country has been agitated by the most dscordant
elements but it would at last the storm
really about to break away and period of quiet and
tranquility to come. We think it not at all likely
that the slavery question will be agitated to any
siderable extent during the ensuing year-nor, per-
haps, for several years to 1t takes some little
time for the people to understand themselves and
each other but having once definitely settled down,
they are not to be moved as easily as some dema
gogues appear to think. The North and the South
have arrived at that mutual understanding, and,
without laying any peculiar claims to prescience we
may add, upon precisely the basis and in precisely
the manner which we all along predicted they
would.
The excitement is visibly subsiding at the South
The North is gradually coming round to due obser-
vance of the laws of the last session. Or at least
acknowledgement of the necessity of so doing. Even
Vermont, the Wing star that never sets,'' will take
the first opportunity to back out from her ridiculous
position. A point has been reached in the supply
and demand of cotton where the control of the mar
ke thrown into the hands of the producers and cot
ton must range higher rather than lower. This fact
together with the rapid increase of manufacturing at
the South, will render this section actually more
really powerful and independent than she has ever
before been and must and will attract and retain
vastly increased population Even California bids
fair to become slayeholding State and with cot
ton crop which, in few years, must reach one hun
dred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty mil
lions of dollars and gold crop of fortyve to sixty
millions, the commercial supremacy of the United
States is inevitable. Croakers may predict gloon
and misery, and all that sort of thing, to the Soutl
and to the Union. Such predictions old as tn
country they always have existed and always will
exist-but if we had lease life until they could
fulfilled, we would certainly expect to be the odes
inhabitant" for several centuries yet to come. TIL
South is too strong in herself and in her natural re
sources and capabilities, to have any reason to fea
the +" unnumbered woes " which are threatened her
AS people, enter upon the New Year wit
brighter prospects than ever before
The old world seems convulsed in very strang
sort of way. It is positive fact that there are nov
duringa time of profound peace, men under arm
in Europe, than there was at any time during til
wars of NAPOLEON. Such state of things cannc
exist without producing its legitimate result whic
is beginning to deveope itself in the belgerent att
. tude of Austria and Prussia between which power
collision is almost inevitable. Such occurrenc
would involve all the other powers, and war
which three million men would be brought into tn
field would be magnificent, but somewhat unfavors
BILE to longevity. 1t would give interest to fo
eign news which it sadly lacks just now.
We have overrun space and must stop shor
having only to wish all the world and " the RET
of mankind" merry Christmas and happy Ne
Year.
Foreign News.