, 1865-12-29

The year 1866 is last finding out Of exist
cncc, departing to join its brethren gone
bcforc," !" into tie boundiess ocean Of eternity.
It's busy scenes and strifcs, It's hopes and
fears, and achievements, arc now mere matter
Of history, by which thc natural pervcrsity Of
human nature will allow 1t TO profit but lit
tie. For SO much rs the experience OF the
year has furrowed our memories with its
rough biting friction, We shall profit thereby :;
yet even these most bitter lessons n1e too
oflcn, but as marks In the sand Of the sea
shore, oblitcrated By tho next wave OF joy or
sorrow that rolls on the beach. Still It Is
satisfactory to know that the race in the ag.
gTegate does grow wise. by the lessons of ad-
ycrsity, and this It is which marks our steps
forward In the path of progress; each foot
step In TINT march is stained with the blood
Of those Who have suffered in the advance,
and tho wall Of thelr agonies may yet be heard
Us are the ronriDgs Of the tempest In the
sca-shell, centuries after the storm has been
lu6hcd forever. That aphorism. coined ares
agoto express Astrological fact" The blood
ol martyrs is the seed OF the church us
gIandly true Of everything within the domain
Of human Improvement; the fabric Of social
growth, of intellectual advancement, like the
coral formation, is perfected only thron ,h Tie
death Of the millions of laborers on the struc-
tnre, which thus becomes alike mouum
10 their Efforts, md their death. II is sad
thought that In the past these formations
have uniformly topplcd over from excess of
growth, and the fine, imposing tnbsic, which
lifted its head proudly heavcnward, becomes
but mass Of ruins, over which the waves Of
the immense ocean wash su1leuly mud relrnt-
les6ly. By md by new mass rises from the
debris, and the work OF growth Is succeeded
by ultimate destruction as b:fore. And this
IL the grca1 problem Of human lite, Mt least In
lis ex1ernsl visible aspect Its relations 10
The unseen nre dctcrmtnahle only by revcla-
tion unbiased on experience, aud undchnnblc
bytllc light Of freason-eoth, however, unite in
teaching one trulh-that the universe with
NIL ills iorns shall wax old rs doth gar
meDt-
The past year has been m crcntfM one In q
more than ordinary sense. The stupcudous
current Of cTcnts which during the last twelve
months has crashed through the old pscju-
dlce-worn bed Of national feeling, has swept
nway, in its rcslstless food, the ancient land
maile, and hcNn out new and straiglt
channel In place OF the tortuous course here
toiorc pursued. Not only has the stronghold
If rebellion been swept away, but the PROM
Gntory OF slavery wlercou II stood, has been
washed out Of existence The Wild rush OF
waters which accomplished so much Of good,
las, It Is true, carried desolation into thous-
crty scarcely nntncrable, has caused untold
misery md suffering but in the light OF the
glorious results achieved, VIC Gun now see the
land Of the Lord, permitting great evil for
the accomplishment OF q tnr greater good.
The subsidcuce OF the waters Inns lef1 new
valley, which Is already laughing and singing
under the benignant smile Of the Sun Of Li6-
clty, and the desert, rendered sterile by the
blight OF slavery, Is already b1ossoming IS the
rosc now thai the cur6e Inns hecn removed.
The year closes On the American people, Mt
peace. 1t opened on the deadly fray, tho
scene Of wild carnage. in which the hands of
men were inbrucd In tue blood Of their breth-
rcn. How great the change! Tie cycle now
closed has witnessed changes more stupen-
dous than those Of the first year Of the rebel
lion, Us ii is infinitely more easy to aeyiate
from The right path than to return to It.
The year 1St5 las witnessed the collapse, the
utter extinction Of the most gislntic rebellion
That ever existed since the armed hosts Of tic
failing aaSels sought battle with tue loyal
1cgious Of Heaven; Ii has seen more-lhc
utter alolshmcnt of TINT blot which had till
now from the commencement of our national
existence, bc1ouled our escutcheon. lscbcl-
lion and Slavery; the two hideous forms, one
Death al the gates Of liell, spawned forth
ldeous brood Of other demons, arc both ex-
tiuct. Surely the nDgcls In Heaven will re-
juice nightly over such glorious achieve
Mcnt-the work Of one short yearI
Chicago has BEEN more highly favored than
many other sections Of our broad land: she
has iclt the full force Of the blessing, while
the curse sat lightly upon her. True she has
given Of 1er sons 10 the war, and the money
Of her citizens has been poured out laylshly
In tho defence Of the Union the voice Of the
mournera Inns been heard In her streets, rs the
news came 0ftcn that some loyed one was
sleeping the sleep that knows no waking, on
fsntf {1u1E D.1St
the rebel hordes WIS t1cvcr witnessed on our
streets; i; our houses never giyen up TO plunder
and rapinc; our little oues murdered in cold
blood by the ruthless destroyer We have
EouIncd, and ncycr moro bitterly than when
the body Of the lamenlcd LINCOLN was
bone through the streets of this city to Its
long homo But us city we have grown,
crcn In consequence Of the war, our trade has
Decn stimulated, end enterprise hns -four
with rnpldi'y unprecedented, even
IN INC Iasmy dayS OF peace, and now that that
sMset nessensef haa settled over The land,
hope never 10 rctnIn, that wondcrful imnetns
Inns continued. Stin In our vorlssons Is
heard the sound OF the Implement rs wiaIac1
by the skilled artisan II shapes aud iashions
the useful or the beautiful still aiong our
docks and in our warehouses were seen tbe
busy 1hronE Of workers oil through the year,
and the vessels OF hundred ports bore nway
our precious hci.hts for the feeding OF the
nations. Our houses hare been and Still arc
hiicd with residents, and nothing Of TINT
Ianic, which many expected would follow
1ne close of The war, has visited u.s. As
dtt, we nfc prosperous In the highest degree,
nnd though much u wan: und suffering e1-
Isis among us, In the aggregate, our wealth
az our population, has grown apace during
lAe year now closed, and We can now proudly
FONT back 70 It as one OF the most nrosnef-
ous IN Inc Short term Of orr wonderful mu-
nicipal history. .'1
In accordance with our onnunl custom ,rc
Prcstht nj thc close Of the year a brief review
" our Condition 6 people, under the nora
1fomlhcnt aspects Of social and business M.
Clcsaucns. The exhibit Is a very sa.isfactnFv
gne IN al respects; yet careful scannIn.. of
~! ny several departments reveals mucl, eril
.:N. .nat u T. bc dcplorcd, many and serious de-
iccts WHICH cry aloud for remedy. EsnecI,Ily
Is lntb I've case with two or three denarimrnts
ol OUT SHy government; yet they have fh,.ir
apolosy IN tnc tnet that VIC arc inst naaSnd
out OF the absorling excitement or a sin1,cr.
dous War, and afe yet In The middle nf il ~.
Jcnsc. doubtless we SKULL by and nv ,,c nf1Ia
10 get rid OF some OF the unrnifrcni 3ona,,' Nore
p'etene6s which now marks US ns a r,,r ona
l. at the 6ane TING m evidence Of orr Irns,,.,s
weakness and a prcdicatiou OF our fntn1c
strength.
External Growth.
In Its external growth the civ
shows a mighty Improvement during
the ycar, DotwitAst andfng that the lhun-
ders Of war have scarcely left