The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-28

tnat IL lS never negative III It's action
is always positive, is ever decided il
effects, one way or the other. 1t eithe
makes better or worse, either brings OH
unknown vices, or arouses dormant vir
tues. In morals its tendency is to max
saints or reprobates in politics, to max
heroes or desperadoes. The first indica
ton of its working good, to which hop
looks anxiously is the manifestation o
full consciousness of its nature ant
extent, and the most promising ground
OF hope for possible good from our pre-
sent troubles, or of things with us get
ting better instead of worse, is the evi
dent general realization on the part @
our people of their present situation, O
the evils now upon them, and of tb
greater ones still impending. 1t is no
my purpose to exaggerate. If L coult
that would be useless; for to lessen o.
extenuate them would be more thar
useless. All fully understand and realize
them. They feel them. 1t is well they
do. Can the evils upon us, the absence
of law, the want of protection and secu.
rity of persons and property be removed;
and can those greater ones which
threaten our very political existence
be averted? These are the questions.
1t is true we have not control OF
all the remedies. Even if these oues-
tions could be satisfactorily answered,
our fortunes and destiny are not entirely
in our own hands. Yet there are some
things which we may, anG can, and
ought, in my Judgment, to do, from
which no harm can come, and from
which some good may follow in better
ing our present condition as States and
communities, as we'll as individuals.
When they have done the best they can
in view of surrounding circumstances,
with all the lights they have before
them, let results be what they may, they
| can at least enjoy the consolation-the
no small recompense-that they have
performed their duty and have con-
science void of offense before God and
man. This, if no more valuable result,
will, trust, attend the doing of what
propose. The first great duty, then, |
would enjOin sat this time, is the first
exercise of the simple, though difficult
and trying, but nevertheless indispensa-
BILE quality of patience. Patience re-
quires of those affected to bear, to suffer
with fortitude, whatever ills may befall
them. This is often the case, and espe-
cially is 1t with us now essential for
their removal by any instrumentalities
whatever. We are in the condition of
man with dislocated limb or broken
leg, and very bad compound fracture,
too at that. How it was broken should
not be with question of so much i'm
portance as how it csn be restored to
health, vigor and strength. This re-
quires of him, as the highest duty to
himself, to wait quietly and patiently in
splints and bandages until nature re-
sumes her active powers, until the
vital functions perform their Office. The
knitting of the bones and the granula
ton of the flesh requires time. Perfect
quiet and repOse, even under the severest
pain, is necessary it will not do to make
too great haste to get well an ATTEMPT
to walk too soon will only make the
matter worse. We must, or ought. now.
therefore, in similar manner, to discj-
pline ourselves to the same or like de-
gree of patience. | know the anxiety
and restlessness of the popular limb to be
fully on our feet, again to walk abroad as
we once did, to enjoy once more the free
outdoor air of heaven. with the perfect
Use of all our limbs. know how irving
it is to be denied representation in Cons
gress while we are paying our proper
ton OF the taxes; how annoying it is to
be even partially under military rule,
and how injurious it is to the general in
terest of business of the country to he
without post offices and mail communi
cations, to say nothing of divers other
matters OH the long list of our present
Inconvenience and privations. All
these, however, we must patiently bear
and endure for season with quiet and
repose. We may get well; and get once
on our feet again. One thing is certain,
that bad humor, ill-temper, exhibited
either in restlessness or grumbling, will
not hasten it. Next to this another
great duty we owe to ourselves is the |
exercise of liberal spirit of forbearance
local or general harmony is the banisl-
ment from our breasts OF every feeling
and sentiment calculated to stir the dis,
cords of the past. Nothing could be
more injurious or mischievOus to the
future of this country than the agita-
ion ut present of questions that divided
he people anterior to or during the ey-
stence of the late war. On no occasion.
md especially in the bestowment OF
,ffice, ought such differences ofOpinion
n the past ever to be mentioned eitherI
or or against any one otherwise EMIT ,
ed to confidence. These ideas or senti.
nents of other times and circumstances &,
re not the germs from which hopeful
EXAMINATIONS can now arise. Lot all
ifferences of opinion touching errors or '
opposed errors of the head or heart on
he part of any in the past, growing out {
t these matters, be at once in the deep [
cean of oblivion forever buried. Let l
here be no elimination or recrimina- Q
on on account of acts of other DAVIS i
o canvassing of past conduct or mo-
YES. Great disasters are upon us and c
pom the whole country, and without
lquiry how these originated, at whose |
Dor the fault should be laid, let us now, c
common sharers of common misfor- +
ines, on all occasions consult as to the | =
est means, under the circumstances as {
e find them, to secure the best ends n
wards future amelioration. Good gov s.
'nment is what We want. This should il
, the leading desire and the controlling a
,ject with all, and need not assure t
VI, If this can be obtained, that our "
ISOLATED fields, our barns our villages h
I'd cities, now in ruins. will soon, like h
g phoenix rise again from their ashes, fl
I'd all our waste places will again, at p
} distant day, blossom as the rose. This il
ew should also be borne in mind that W
hatever differences of opinion existed W
fore the late fury of the war, they 81
rung mainly from differences as oil
the best man to be used and hi
e best line of policy to be pur- W
Ell 10 secure the great controI in