Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-01-03
From the National Iatellieencer.

The Birth of New Year has ever been deemed
season OF Joyful conRratuaton save by some OF those
ascec philosophers who consider added years but as go
many added grieis and burdens to load already nsup-
portable. We profess allegiance to school so me-
anchoy and, though our bundle of years be conessedy
somewhat onerous, we take leave to congratulate our
readers and ourselves on the prospect should life SPAR
ed, OF adding one more to the number. To them NAV
it bring whatever they most desire when their desires
the purest to ourselves useful labor contentmept
and the happy reflection Of having conducted public
or1,a in such give readers no cause
blush for that lib ra patronage by which ,heyhave SO
long SUSTAINED It. The last the feth year since this
paper founded respectable longlevty certainly
for political paper amid the storms OF free Republic
and under unf1inching maintenance of unchanged
aud uncompromsng political creed. We behold, IN
deed, wrecks on every hand and find ourselves much
in the position of who stands in the midst of CO.
metery, with the names Of many friend and many an
early acquaintance written the tombs around That
the lNTELLIGENGER yet survives-hat it has seen one
venerated proprietor gathered TO his fathers and has
passed, unmpared, into the possession of his success.
sors attribute not to any special amount of talent in
the conducting OF it, certainly not to its INSCRIPTIONS
allegiance 10 any political party, but simply to
uniform adherence to decency and TO truth land candid
admission oeXcellence whether found friend or foe
Many trying tempest has whsted through its branch
es and threatened at times shake its roofs; but
through the benigny of protecting Pro videice it vet
enjoys green old age, and cheering amount of sun
sunshine OF public tavor and when it falls, be this our
consolation, that not fragment of the tree has evar
lent torch to political incendiary.
The present year closes the first half of the vent
tu nineteenth century; portion OF the worlds duration
distinguished bv many great and thrilling events az
were ever crowded into the same space of time The
retrospect seems like some strange tumutuous dream
in which the change with rapidly and are fill
ed with succession OF wonders unlike the sober reali
ties of waking existence. Almost the entire first
French Revolution las well the second and the
momeptons third,) with the commissions 10 which it
gave ri in Almost every kingdom OF the civilized world
has fallen within this stirring period, ia which
Napoleon shoots athwart the sky, drawing after him
tail that fills the heavens, from the frozen the
pillars OF Hercules. While, in our ow hemisphere the
great political epoch OF Mr. Jeesons accession to the
Presidency the rise OF the Jackson dynasty, the
OF two victorious wars the disastrous deaths OF
TWO Chief Magistrates; the doubling OF our territory;
the more than doubling OF our commerce, income and
population; last though scarce least, the rising from
hell of the spirit of disunon combine to mark the era
one OF intensest interest TO every friend OF rational
law abiding Constitutional Republicansm.
Nor has the progress OF science and discovery in in
vsstgatlng the suace and the structure OF our planet,
enl8rgng the bound oil the solar system annihating
space and time. and diminishing by more than hall the
burdens OF human labor; above ALL by applying the
whole resources OF advancing knowledge to augment
the comfort, facilitate the tasks and adorn the leisure
OF domestic life, been whit less remarkable than the
revolutions OF empires, and the struggles and the march
of power While last and highest in the SCALE the
progress OF education the multiplication OF schools the
diffusion obopks, the civilization OF savage, and the
enlightenment and mitigation OF semi barbarous society,"
the extensive translation and distribution OF the Sacred
Scriptures nd the progressive trumphs OF its pure and
humanizng truth, connspre to render the first halt OF
the present century as emnenty the Of light
and the dawn OF brighter day.
On the com pleon OF such period we may with just
reasons congratulate every reader fsuch be the be-
ginnngs of the century, what may'we not looks in its
close If such be the drawn what will not be its
ridian splendor2 The prospect might almost make
wish to survive that we might view the swelling scene
May we not congratulate infant children that they
have fallen on such an epoch for the Of
their careerl May they prove worth OF their age, live
illustrate it, and yield their latest breath amidst
the brightness ai its risen day