Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-01-01
The New Year.

This is the first day of the year 1867. We
have all entered upon the duties and response
bilities of another year, having just hidden a
final adieu to the year 1866, which, with all its
hopes and fears. joys and sorrows, triumphs
and defeats, tribulations and blessings, is buried
in the tomb Of the irrevocable past We hope
that our people will be more blessed in the pre-
sent than in the past year. For several years
their trials have been great-their cross has
been heavy We would console them with the
christian reflection that the heavier the cross
the brighter the crown
Though they have been Of property friends
and liberty bereft, we would counsel them not
to yield to the suggestions of Despair, but to
draw fresh inspirations of Hope and "learn to
labor and to watt Nothing can be accom-
plished by folding the arms in listlessness, and
reposing supinely upon the couch of Incidence.
We should have faith that better times are
coming, and that better fortunes await us, but
it should not be the faith that is barren OF works
our faith should be exemplifed by works.
Faith, -unaccompanied by works, never 'remov-
ed mountains" and never will. The noun
tains of oppression now heaped, like Pelion up
on Ossa; upon the bending necks of our people
will never be removed by faith unaceompanied
by appropriate works. A calm serene, steady,
answering faith, accompanied by firm resolves
and persistent, active energy will, IN time,
redeem, regenerate and disenthrall' our peo-
pie from the bonds by which they are at pre-
sent bound-it will yet make them free and
Hyyry, Hpat
ear to the counsels of Despair, and listen not to
the siren voice of Dependency, which lures to
betray, and betrays to ruin.
Patriotism calls upon you to be hopeful, If
not cheerful Commence the New Year with a
hopeful spirit, and resolve to do your whole
duty to your God, your country, your friends,
and yourself, throughout this, and all future
years.
This life is called "a vale of tears, - but it is
also valley Of happiness. In this life, pleas
ure and pain, JOY and sorrow, hope and fear are
blended like the different colors in piece Of
tapestry-light and shade are beautifully and
wisely intermingled. In the language of an
other, on the year which has just passed, and
which was SO full of shadows, shave we not
gathered. here and there, clusters of pleasant
fruit by the way in u hich we journeyed? Have
we not bound leaves of healing with the cypress
wreath and sometimes found pearls in the bot
tom of our cups of sorrow?
All, yes no life is wholly dark-there are
flowers as well as brambles in every garden
there are joys and victories as well as grefs and
defeats In every experience And to-day, look
ing backward, though we see desolate places
here and there, we see also pleasant hooks
where we have loitered, and golden epochs'
whose glory crowned us with a halo. There
fore let us be content.
The days passive grow old-threads of rus
set hue are woven into the woof of life-silvery
hair lies upon our foreheads-staf and crutch
become familiar companions eyes grow
dim and we see but a little way ahead but the
~ days IN passing ripen us for heaven; the russet
thread and sllsel. hair win for us homage and
respect-the crutch and staff help us, weary
pilgrims, to the home that awaits us and on
our dim eyes we know new light shall come,
and behind the narrowing sky there is Better
Land, where staff and crutch, and ills of age
and the soiled vestrre, wherein the immortal
soul was wrapped for brief day, shall all be
put away forever
The military order of Gen. Schofeld requi
ring agents of the Government to take posses
sion of all horses and mules branded ''U. 81
whenthe persons in possession of them fail to
exhibit receipts showing that they boughtthem
of officers of the Government, has been sus
pended. Whether the suspension is permanent
or merely temporary, we are not informed.
The New York Herald joins in the demand
for reduction of the taxes-declaring that they
are ''now double or nearly double what they