, 1865-01-02
Fires-Crixnina1 Reccrd~-7
The Rebel Raii.

[lECkAOUb-~ w 0hL I1hS 0sEu
Dome for the Soldiers
and their Families,
&C., &C., &c.
The evc..moyiag machinery of tho universe has
perfected smother cycle, and dropped 1t out Of all
save The reckoning. The slow moving mills OF the
gods have completed one more revolution, and the
solemn, measured tick Of the relret1al pendulum
recorded the aieht of apo her great unit OF time.
Une more wave In the*ast tidal ocean Of eternity
has rolled under und through the arches OF the
bridge Of life on which ne tot1es along for few
brief Steps. nnd then sink into its plncd depths to
be no more seen, aud which, as we sink deeper
and deeper into ite measurcless profundity, loses
even tie ripple on the surfacc produced by ourpres-
enee there, retaiuing no trace Of that which to us
was Of all absorbing Interest; The year 1861 has
sunk thus into the hoson Of the eternides; its
deeds are passed into history; it remains for us
10 chant its SUCCESSES to monrn over it, failures
to sing it, requiem. The Incidents which
marked its course yet vivid In the recollection
Of many, alrcsdy finding from IT,. memory Of
others they will gradually die away into tho Lcthe
OF the buried past 1ss events now flown tnto the
stream Of hietory will gradually merge into the
realms Of tradition, and even those faint traces
will ultimately bc lost in the strengthened lines
persedcd md forgotten. In the course Of few
short years the under current Of our individual
and social existence during 1864 Will hare been
ignored, aud still fewer centuries will have traced
their course crc even The most remarkable crises In
itA history-all siat has marked 1t 20 terribly
important to ourselves and 10 future generations
will be crowded into halt page Of the school
book OF perchance he even thought unworthy OF
special mention. Shn 3 few more ticks Of the
majestic pendulum, and our nation, the race, even
the continent on which We now dwell, with Ill ITS
historic treasures, will have passed away in some
great convulsion Of nature, and our bones be
found among the polar fossils Of a subsequent
era, the sole rsznaintng records Of cur existence,
from which the post Adamic history nball be
studied by new and pcrhaps, superior race oi
mortnlA.
The history Of the past gear Is Of surprising
importance it has not vet reacledthe oblvinns
stage. We are DOW Just merged deep in the cur
rent Of COZ eeQnenrcs due TO the actions OF the Pc
riod. and 1nay proftably rest while from the
stern chase, to hook back at what hns been donc-
Apart from the satisfaction induced by retrospec-
ton, there Is the positive advantage OF wisdom,
which is learned only by experience. Onr reasou-
Ing powers are exceedingly limited In their scope:
the most VIC can do Is judge Of the future by the
past We view current already In motion, and
mine its subsequent flow. Whether Individually,
socially, muuicipaly or nationally. We must ever
study tho future By the light Of the past For
30 far ne We cau ind former men or peoples, act
ing from the sa1nc stimuli, and under the same
external circumstances a. ourselves. We can trace
In their obedience our conrss. So, Ion, from the
gains Or loescs Of the immediare past may hoee Of
the suceedeut he inferred admitting the existence
Of the eame OF similar progressive causes.
r. tnAAl.
the year has been one Of unexamrled prosperity.
Willie the thunders Of war have rolled around
ps, and great portion Of the vast area Of our
common Country been the theater Of war, we
have had The halcyun horcring over Ms. Except
that the tread OF martial hosta going to return
inc from the fight has resounded in our streets,
we have had no note Of WIZ, and but for the ad-
vent Of few fcbel raiders here, We could cay
that the foot Of the foe has not pressed our eoil
We have proapered and grown and thIivcn apace.
Our merchants have extended the,r circle ofacton.
classce heve BEEN actively employed. We have
Increased our substance and hare been able to do
much in aid Of our brethren IN distress tn South,
ern bells. Mercifully loo, We hare been delivered
from the hana4 Q. the spofler who sought our
overthrow. The gunpowder mine in cur midst
was not exploded. The danger Of future attempts
During no ono Of the few short years Of her his
tory has Chicago made greater step forward than
III 1861. We have not extended onr borders, but
We have uacFiultg enhanced the value Of that con-
tained within them. We hare not SO much busted
ourselves in weaving the new web, a. In strength.
entng the old and fitting It to beaE any additional
weight that may be brought upon It We have So
lidihed, filled In, beauttaed. The Chicago OF TO-.
day has ceaaed the rou.h-and-tnmb2e process. Of
money r'alinE; che has set9ed ~ down to the Tork X
simply the brnwnE arm, hut the delicate fingers.
We are erudyinc the beautiful as well as the use~
fnl, the humanitarian as well as TIE seiash Though
fsr ys VIC arc able to gather. the track is open
ahead, and nothing can arise to sctlouss oostract
our forward march.
We have much of progress 70 record; tor Chi-
cago Is yet growing city, and there will be much
opmena 1s aes e p'c over % siry years Of essence
a. city VIC have sprung up almost like the palace
brought 70 Wow by the power Of tue magician.
to make orr eity glitter with jewels, hut II is
fair jewel IN itself il noble settiag-thc wide.
so ep she ali ac Of pon and Be- he
man In Tie ropn possessed et q TELESCOPES OF ordi-
pury terrestrial power, be will find ample cause
1p5 t',a st chrerless tSact PERHAPS
be- nnv lava to shold bis nose" butho will siraln
his eyes ali tho mure III Chicago passes under haa
T eaensRE Wonaei 5sd} l. aSs
fpet;tnte comparisons, or unbiased enough to he
willing to make them! between the shining IN
nF0CctnEGt&
own region, and II SO whether or not 1t makes hi1
Whatever he" or any other nan"-may thin1
of us, We look upon ourselves Us - some OF an IN
etttutjou. md as destined to be e1ili more,
70 people In our condition 1t Is especially salts
factofy - look iacf over the past, to noe The p
Of III future. 70 that talk We address ourselves
cursorily Of vcry necessity; were We to note n'
lint has bern done worthy (una unworthy Of men
ton, fwould ill Volumes Irocecd VIC tnea-a
1usincss f14flanCN-tQ - lake EtUck.
BUILDINGS. ...-
The year. though hesst ~ WIZ unea,aes iH t,. ~
IN huiidinc 1nntesial, and ncoErespondthgiy q grea
Ct nusnhcr Of handsome edlnees IN onr s,tf ma
eaSSstusat S Ii ~ Of the builder hare 'sone up" in VA
nc abont rs rapidly ~ money has gone down.
but still every street corner pas oeen niockaqea
icnTths Of ttu,bcr Laborers hive daily wake
more ipdcpcndent and risen In their own eenn'
tjop until ihc .hed.carricr" demands INC sa'al
Of half q dozen gentlemanly clerks or nc%1Papt
sernb,ers But tic increased price Of labor ht
nnt prevented the ring OF the hammer from oci1
Heard Ia every corner Of our vast city. And 81
rnom refuee. to be silcnred. Boarding honsce q,
full from basement to attic and fheif Keepers ies
inr thcir growing importance. have lost the
former Characteristic submissivcnesa and. assoc
atinr fo- ..tbeir own protection, ipcrcase the
board bills with every decrease Ia gold.
Never Wns there Rach demand for rssldenS
IS during t1e paft yca[. ta4 W - as,s
1aresr nuulber Of dwellings suitable Tor the mi
dlc c!asses,' {if such term may be pafooneoJ
the euhnrEs of the city. Snch an 1nVeatmc
would have proved good epeculatou and "o1
have materially enhanced the good pfoaecco
the sections Of the year. As tits, residences
all held at c1orbltan: rentals, when they can
obtatned, though generally the stranger finds
fir casief 10 obtain employment than to and 81
able dorntcle- .-....
The buildings which have loen crectcd durl1
the yer arc all Of very superior character, o.
reflect great credit both upon the skill Of our q
architects and tue enterprise of our men Of mont
The city buildings propsr-the business bloc
and stnree-arc especially excellent. They
all though bold nud imposing, In keeping vi
their intended uses, elegant aud handsome In {
lcrtor NJ well as cou1modious fn their internal
The eegidenCcs arc also elegant structures. su
able to the growing importance Of the comnlun
bciag superior, IL anything, 10 eFectons OF I;
mcr ycars. Taken individually, each one dtsers
com1nendation, though VIXEN retrieved collecty
II, one fault 4 visible. and that is their want
tnCs Of 1854, hut may he seen In the whole Of {
city reside4ces on the principal ayenues or
bufhan streets. By the tucongrutty Of group
detached ediGces, though all may be bcau1
k.4ctmens Of architectural skill, the harmony
tie whole ia oiten impaired. An elegant mar
architecture, loecs Its beauty and almost descct
from the sublime TO the ridiculous, WHEN e.andl
btsldc d NnaHttyc brick cifidcc towering into
air in aolid dignity. while the latter, though
tansivc and probably In ITSELF work Of bean
looks By compsr]- On huge aud nnga1aly.
city residences. Variety 1. pleasing, Gnd adde
the general effect produced BY individual dlsp'
OF grace and elegance; Int there are tew who '