Newbern weekly progress., 1861-01-01
" EEKLY PROGRESS
The old anfl NEW wear,
TUESDAY MORNING.. Jan. /. 1851,


Yesterday mid gloom and darkness the old
year, 1885, took its leave, and row sleeps
quietly IN the eternity of departed years
The future historian will find the year just
closed an important one in the world history
especially so as far as the American continent
is concerned. It dawned on over thirty mill
lions of our species in most prosperous, con-
tented and blissful condition; it closes over
the same people in the throes of desperate
Revolution whose future can only be known to
Him who takes no note of the lapse of years.
And, if politicians and wiscacres are to be
believed, the year 1860 is to be the last of the
continuance of the great American Union !
Before the close of the opening year the light
of liberty and free institutions is to go out for
ever and the problem of mans ability for self
government is to be settled by our failure
During the present year despots throughout
Europe are to rejoice at our calamity while we
are to be engaged in deadly conflict with each
other! After being the greatest and most
prosperous nation the earth we to be-
come the most imbecile and degraded, and
though possessed of the power and patriotism
to defy world in arms, we are to fall victims
WV OA1
not being able to govern ourselves Oh is
there escape from such fate? Have we
none of the wisdom, bravery, long-suffering
and self-sacrihcing patriotism that actuated our
fathers in the struggle for independence Will
not Omnipotent wisdom whose special bles-
sings have ever rested upon this people raise
up another WASHINGTON to stay the storm of
fanaticism which now RACES scattering its de-
structive poison through the land Can we
not project some compromise by which we may
thwart the Vaccinations of those who now
revel in exstacies at the probability of our fall,
and reconstruct our Government upon a more
enduring basis? Let this Union finally be
broken up and even our posterity will never
see another like i: : and as to the present gen
Grafton ray of light will be likely ever to light
up our pathway. If we have not patriotism to
preserve the present Union as our fathers made
it with the matchless Constitution upon which
it rests, it is very that have neither
the virtue, wisdom or patriotism to construct
another; and so when once destroyed it is
gone forever,
The year 1860 has been full of stirring events,
not only in our own but in other lands. In
the East and the West revolution has followed
revolution and the sword has been busy in it's
work of destruction! Garbaldi like brilliant
meteor has shot across the eastern sky, pulling
down and building up as he went but though
he has created for himself NAME, and may,
probably, to some extent, be considered a bene
factor, his pathway strewn with the dead
and dying whose warm hearts had ceased to
beat and the music that followed in his wake
was the widows vail and the orphans moan :
War has no sunny side, and human butchery, |
though it may give what the world calls a !
name, never brings quiet to the conscience or !
peace to the soul. He that taketh the sword !
shall perish by the sword was not intended !
as figure of speech.
England that great christian nation, whose !
ycopl. arc filled with the horrors of slavery as
1t exists in the United States, has been busy !
during the year Just Closed. They have con-
tinucd their work of SuhiHgation and the last !
grand exploit which has crowned their efforts |
- the caoturl q, Pehin. While the . Estab-
lis.,sf Church at home Is praying for pleas
alnt drea sa@ sRs lOn lie for the Queen, the
sI'rince Consort ana the prince Imperial
her Maje~ty's army Is wagine a: unhoiy and
pire and plundering its palaces. Surely her
Majesty's dreams should be as placid and
sweet as those of born babe.
What need we care, however, for the wars
and troubles of other nations? The year
dawning decides our political salvation; we
must either march straig ght forward in our
great work of civilization, or must fall to
rise DO more That all sections have sinned
and fs4sea far short in their duty citizens
and pa4afl&ts is apparent to every unpreudieed
mind, Why not then in the spirit of eeneiliation
and trRe patriotiSn come together as brethren
of one common country and make whatever
conceSSioES may be necessary for final set
tlemest of all matters of difference upon prn-
ciples that shall give to each State ITS
RIGHTS under the Constitution and in q manner
that shall guarantee perpetual peace to the
country? If there be patriots in the North,
and we know there are, let them come up de-
termined to settle this matter upon the princi-
pies of JUSTICE. If they will do that the Union
yet be saved, bat if they do it not in our
humble Judgment the year 1861 will be charac-
terized by such Revolution in this eou1try as
the world never say It is folly for the peo ;'le
OF the NoFt4 &c say OF anect TO beileVe that tne
South is pct in earnest, for we have determin-
ed to have rights fight to the bitter end
and if the Republicans in Congress do not agree
to some settlement of the slavery question be-
fore the 1st of March, which shall be honorable
to all parties and satisfactory to the South, we
do not believe that the South will ever permit
Lincoln to be inaugurated in the city of Wash
ington: certain it is they will never submit to
his government. Have they then patriotism
for the OCCASION? If they have let them mani
fest it at once.
This is sad time for greetings and re-
jocings nevertheless we wsh our readers and
all Others abolitionistE and horse thieves excep-
ted, a happy New YEAR.
zyIr- L.,