The Portland daily press., 1864-01-02
nEy. MIR. srruuINs, GRAFTON.

seasons, has ripened her fruits, and turns again
from the Southern solstice! With devout graft
tude to Almighty God, let us own the year of
His providence! that benignant power that ri
pens events, and rolls on the world Of human
affairs!
This happy anniversary with its mutual salu-
tations, this unusual gathering at high noon of
the first day of the year, these signals of public
JOY: banners flying from balcony and tower and
hill-top; the ringing of bells, the roar of can
non, this general acclaim, attests what nature
and Providence declare, that the subject of deep
est interest on this earth is Man. Indeed, for
him this globe was made. In him all its types
and forms eliminate, find their highest express
sion, and reach onward to the completion and
fulhlment of universe over which presides
an Almighty Power of intelligence and good
ness.
What that power and providence may be in
other worlds, in systems revolving around other
suns, we cannot tell. Nature and revelation
unite in the suggestion that intellectual and
moral beings are the crownof creation, and that
in all realms the same Almighty purpose is put
forth for the guidance and perfection Of spirit
ual natures. But So grand theme, can be
only contemplated 1t yields not to our thought
or question. The mind indeed is exalted and
lifted up by the suggestion, and catches hint
of the unearthly glories of moral being, but it
cannot sustain that large discourse OF reason,
and turns back overcome by excess of light
The round globe on which we tread, is chiefly
distinguished as the theatre of Mans life and
fortunes. For him its foundations were laid,
for him it was aired and summed through mighty
geologic eras: and to him it was entrusted fair,
complete, and beautiful, as gift to delight his
soul, and challenge his powers to noble activity,
virtue, and immortal honor. The world and
nature eliminate in Man. His interests and
perils, his thoughts and aspirations, his agonies
and triumphs, his hopes and joys: the yearning
of his nature, for higher highest and better
best: that seed of noble discomfort, forever own
Ing the attraction of unattained good: races and
nations coming forward in grand procession and
taking their places in the ascending way of
ever-rising destiny: these hold us with fascina-
ton from which no power can persuade u.s.
I,,;..- those periods in which the fortunes of
mankind have n,,,., modified or enhanced, in
which principles have been sses, OF events
unfolded, giving q new aspect to the life OF
tons and races, are the great emphatic days Of
history. There is persuasion deep, ineradi-
cable in the human breast, that the great events
which mark the course of humanity are the sig
nails of an Almighty power presiding over mans
life on earth, and leading him onward to nobler
conditions of voluntary accountable being.
Evil is indeed the oyerhanging mystery of exs-
tence, but man holds the key to that secret when
he has gained the conception, that it is the acci-
dent Of all finite being. and that to struggle and
overcome is the glory of his frame. In the
and all great acts, all signal events, which have
opened new hopes TO mankind, have seemed
mysteriously mingled of the human and the Dir
vine. Whenever great principles have been es-
tablshed, or achieved new triumphs, whenever
the boundaries of mans dwelling-place have
been enlarged, the rights and immunities of hu-
man nature made more secure, by the protection
of the individual man against society, by the
establishment of government upon q more COM
plete and comprehensive justice: whenever this
has been done, though the passions of men have
mingled in the result, and many shortsighted
plans have been heightened out to nobler pur-
pose than their first intent, it has seemed to the
heart of man q victory of good over evil, and
such events have passed into history as the to-
kens of n proyidential guidance still youeh-
saved to mankind.
Standing here then in the noontide glory of
an immortal date, | turn from all the wrath of
man. the folly of his wisdom and the weakness
of his passions, with grateful acknowledgment
to the religious spirit Of history which has given
to periods like this the crown of proyidental
honorsi will allow no personal views of mine
concerning this or that expedieney or policy,
no intelligent opinion or blind prejudice of the
past concerning principles or methods. to shut
my mind to the fact too vast for contemporary
appreciation that the present date is emphatic
as if understood by the recording Angels pen,
and that let come what will, our government
torn and divided among the four quarters of the
earth, we ourselves forgotten and lost, this date
will rise in the sky of history and stand bright
particular star in the.galaxy of ef6s. In so aa-
gust presence, what are men, What are WEI
Above all the rage of man, the noise of war,
and pains of death, farther down the ranks Of
time than diplomacy dare think, see the ma
tons joined in consent with that Almighty pur-
pose which bends all things and times and
periods to the glory of God, and the good of
man.
Tie historic fact is this--the American peo-
pie after policy of forbearance and generosi-
ty unparalleled in the conduct of States, and run
ming over period of more than half century,
were at length confronted in open insult of in
surrection, by dark power proelaimng that
human slavery was the chief corner stone of
society, and demanding on that assertion of
principles that the Republic should be torn
asunder. The demand was made by men who
affirmed that the government had never injured
them, and was the most benefoieEt under Heav-
en-. The people looked upon this mad ambition
as o romance at once too absurd and ridiculous
to become the purpose of intelligent men. But
that illusion was soon TO be dispelled. The
government was insultei IN its own house
plans were laid to assassinate the servant of the
people AS he went up to lay his hand upon the
be, eyangelists of Almighty God and swear
before heaven and earth his fealty TO the Con-
stiution. The tag, immortal thing, was dragged
down from its place in tbs heavens. and trodden
under foot, or pierced with rebel bullets. The
citadel built frowning toward the sea, was bonn
bsr.led from the very coast it defended and the
little garrison, after hopeless but immortal
struggle, yielded TO band Of parricides and as
sassins. All tbis before the people arose to
ayenge themselves, OF preserve their dwelling
place. And even then many wise and good, as
they looked at the pillars and yaulted ceiling,
and dome and tower, said, let it fall and We will
build anew: with less magnifcence ii may be,
but more secure. But that counsel was the