Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-01-06

From the Daily Journal Of Saturday last
The Old Year.

Wehope to be excused for devoting few thoughts
to the past year. preference to that which about
to come IN. We know not what day or an hour
may bring forth, and we do know how vain arc /
speeulations upon the future, when, for US, there
may be no future But the past, at least is ours
It's joys and It's sorrows are ours-its good and its
evil ours,-and while memory holds It's place, no
earthly power can deprive us of the treasures to
Which it holds the key. Let us then turn to the old
year, and take short retrospect of its current
history.
1t has been. we are happy to believe season of
general commercial prosperity, in which own
community has fully participated. The revenues of
the country have been more than adequate to the
requirements of the public service ard the desider
atm sought for has been means of preventing
the accumulation of too great surplus the plan
found most efficient has been the buying up of tie
stock of the public debt, at a considerable pre-
MUM. Some temporary stringency in the money
market during the Fall created small uneasiness,
nearly approaching to a panic, which, however,
proved to be totally groundless. No commercial
vulsion ensucd and few if any failures. Perhaps
it was useful in checking reckless speculation in
stocks, and also in putting stop, for time, at
least, to unnecessary and Improbable schemes for
Railroads, and all sorts of public improvements not
demanded by the requirements of the country, nor
justified by her accumulated capital applicable to
such purposes However, produce still keeps high,
especially in the great staples of the country,
the has blown over leaving the face of things
as bright as before.
1853 has heen, with truth, denominated the year
of accident and epidemics. Perhaps larger
Der of persons to their death by Railroad and
steamboat disasters than ever before in single
year; and, certainly, no such terrible visitation has
ever been known in America, the yellow fever
in the lower country the Gulf and the lower
Mississippi and tributaries. In Alabama Mississip
pi, Louisiana and Texas, persons persisted from
this cause than from all the causes connected with
the Mexican war, from first to last. 1t may have
been that the immense and unusual number of tray
oilers, flying North for safety, attracted by plea
sure may have helped 10 swell the list of sufferers
by casualty.
Even more than the &c Hards " and g Softs " in New
York, the difficulties in the East of Europe have
attracted attention and been the topic Of remark
throughout great part of the year At last the
peaceful solution much talked of has been render
ed impossible by actual hostties, in which Russia
has not been uniformly successful, had been pre-
dicted-the naval at Sinope, being the only
CLEAN of triumph to Tighten up pretty long series of
defeats; and even that, it appears was much less
serious matter Than had been represented so far as
the Turkish navy is concerned The thirteen vessels
destroyed being chiefly transports, with very few
frigates and steamers. The Russian naval force &C
tualy suffered quite much loss as the Turks
What renders serious is the fact that considera-
bile reinforcement of men for the army in the eau
causes, as well military stores and money was on
board the transports and Of course destroyed
Russia appears TO be disappointed: LIST by the firm
ness of the Turks in resisting her demands and 2nd
by the attitude of the Western powers, especially
France. The Gar can neither advance retreat
without risk of loss and humiliation. In these
negotiations, as in many other ways Louis Napoleon
has proved how foolish have been the representations
of those who held him up imbecile. He is the
abest ruler in Europe 1t is TO he hoped that this
affair may be settled before it involves the rest of
Europe. A general war might make market fo
breadstuffs, of which the South is purchaser. but il
would certainly check manufacturing in Europe, ant
depress the price of the great staples of which she is
a producer.
At home in our own town and State, health anC
general prosperity have prevailed. Produce has
brought remuEerative prices and labor secured
fair reward. If the copper and other mining spec
ulationS have not yet realized all that san
guine spectators might expect, they still bid fail
to be the sources of future wealth and revenue Pc
litically, we have had comparative quiet, with al
average Demonstrate @scendercy The coming sum
mer will witness another Struggfein which VIC hope
to do whole duty, for the success of those prin
ciples in which we believe. By the way, hat
almost forgotten Bar ; in good truth, we know
not what to say about appropriation. The sign
not propitious.
Last and least-ourselves. With the usual num-
Der of difficulties and crosses, have not beer
without corresponding successes; and upon the whole
the year that has passed has been the most pros
porous in the various branches of our business sine
its first commencement We hope to escape thu
imputation of vanity if we take the liberty of re
marking that have at least endeaUored to deserv
fair share of public patronage. How far our en-
deavors have met the public wishes it is not for u
to say. OF our mistakes and shortcomings we ar
as conscious anybody can be but we some
what like the poor preacher, who informed his con
gregation that if any of them thought they cou
preach better sermon, they had better come u
any try it, and they would find preaching cas-
promises, further than to say that we will do GU
best and no one can do more What impro cement
we may introduce will, of course, depend upon GU
facilities for doing None of them within til
reach of our ability will be neglected.
Finally, it remains for us to bid our readers goo