The Portland daily press., 1864-01-01
Concentrations of the Season.

COMMUNICATIONS OIL the SeasOus
Times great fortune wheel has made
ano Their annual revolution, bringing with 1t
the close of an old and the ushering In Of
new year. The year just departed has wit
messed full share Of the vicissitudes of hui
man life, and so far as our country 10 con-
cerned, has developed an amount Of growth
and progress in that which gives life and
character to nation, seldom witnessed In
half century. Some one has said that human
life is not to be computed by revolving spheres
and circling suns; by diurnal or annual revo-
buttons of the earth, but by the amount Of i'm
pressions made on the brain, the number Of
rich ideas added to the store-house Of the
mind, the richness and quantity Of garniture
hung about the chambers of the memory.
This Is undoubtedly sound philosophy. One
Individual will enjoy more true life In single
hour than another In fourscore years. One
will drink in more of that kind of enjoyment
worthy of Gods GROWING work, with every
inspiration Of the lungs, than another during
the longest period of animal existence. A
brute may outlive the centuries, and In the
menagerie visit all the quarters Of the globe,
but have no knowledge of his origin, design
or destiny. Its lamentable to think that all
brute life is not confined to quadrupeds and
other animals classed by naturalists In the
scale below Man. 1t Is too true that the world
abounds in animals ia human form not simply
brutes but beasts of prey, more fierce than
tho lion moro ,,nfounnhIa than xha t;cra.e
more to be dreaded than all the beasts of the
forest. Surely such persons, those who live
by violating the commandments Of God, by
flching from the widow and orphan, by
grinding the face Of the poor" by poisoning
the fountains Of life, by robbing virgin chas-
tity of Its treasure, BY shedding innocent
blood Though they may outlve the oak and
the cypress, can be said to have had none of
that life which is eternal, and which consists
in noble thoughts, high purposes, benevolent
aims, benefcent works, and knowledge of
God and bis Son, who came to redeem the
world from sin and to guide it to higher and
holier sphere.
Not SO with those whose meat and whose
drink It Is to do the will Of their Creator; who
seek to obey the essence of all the command
ments by loving God and their neighbors, and
who recognize the great fact that "the life Is
more than meat" No matter how early such
are transplanted from earth to heaven, they
know what life is; they drink at Its purest
fountains, and its currents flow through all
their veins and give elasticity and spirit to
THAR hafrn In thaw H.,
but in all that makes up true lite or that Is
really worth living for, they have an expe-
rience to which the mere wording and sensu-
alist never attain.
Our nation has had nearly century of err
istence. In many respects 1t has shown re-
gard for the true ends, aims and elements Of
national life; those great purposes referred to
In the Declaration Of Independence and speci-
fcally mentioned in the preamble to the ma
tional Constitution. But during all the years
of the past some OF the highest elements of life
have been ignored the common brotherhood
Of the race has been trampled upon, the in
alienable right Of man--Universal Man-to
liberty, has been practically denied, while JUS
tice, equity and truth, as the only foundation
OF a true national existence, have not been
recognized Ia fact; but during the last year
how have the people advanced In these things!
How have they come up from the low plane
of policy to the high plane Of principle. How
does the life-current Of nobler existence
throb through every vein and artery, from the
great heart of the nation TO Its utmost extrem-
itiesl The rights Of all receive practical rec
ognition. Eternal justice Is something else
than myth. Inalienable rights are no longer
believed to be the exclusive property Of IA
vored class. Man is coming to be Recognized
as the rightful owner, under God, Of his own
soul, the rightful bead Of his own family, the
proper guardian Of his own child, the only
rightful dlsposer of his own labor. and the
right of mother to her babe IL no longer to
be disputed by a brutal slsve-broker or driver,
armed with whips and manacles.
Who will say the nation Is not now lieing
Who will say we are not progressing and that,
too, upward and onward towards better
state9 Who will say that the new life of to-
day is not superior to the old life OF the pastP
that life OF equal and exact justice to all
men, Of freedom and liberty, Is not preferable
to life of barbarisln, of slavery, Of the con-
temning of all the laws Of God and humanity
We:rejoice that we are permitted to live IN
this day Of our nations advancement, It Is .
day when history is made. 1t Is day when
hope rises. 1t is day when great souls ind