Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-01
coon NrGHr-eoOD mORNINa.


This day was held in almost reverential
respect by the ancient Romans. Janus was
highly honored divinity, being identified
with the Sun. He presided over every
thing and was invoked before any other
deity. He opened the year and was re-
garded as the "ianitor of heaven and the
guardian of gates aud doors on earth" In
times Of war he went out to battle with
the Roman armies in times of peace he
remained in his temple presiding over the
destinies Of the people. He received the
supplications of the people at the dawn Of
every day, and on the first day of every
year sacrifices Of corn and wine were Of
fered to him on twelve affairs" The wor-
ship of Janus was Introduced by Romulus,
and Numa named the first month in the
year, January, after him, and erected
temple for him in the Forum. This tens
pie Of Janus was open in time of war and
closed in peace. 1t was closed but once
during the existence Of The Roman COM
monwealth, Just after the second war with
Carthage. The great deity, Janus, was
represented with two faces holding a scep-
ter in his right hand and key in his left.
From the best authorities and encyclo-
pedias, our January or first annual month
was 80 named in honor Of this two-faced
god, and was added, with February, TO the
old Roman year by Numa Pompilius
before the days of the Tarquins. To this
titular tWo-faced god the first day of each
January was sacred-one face looking TO
the year past and the other looking for
ward. Since the beginning the eighteenth
century, among the Latin Christian ma
tions, the first day of January has been
the uniform commencement of the year
Thus we are to-dsy-easling fond hopes
into the new year, and lingering with some
sadness over the memories of the year that
has Just closed.
The year 1867 has passed from the cal
endar and dropped into history. Its re-
cords alone are left, and they are replete
with change and chance, and mighty men,
Dries. The year that has passed by has
left its lasting impress upon history in
turbulence and revolution, and upon the
tablets of human hearts in broken VOWS
and hopes crushed to earth. Beneath the
stately tread of Time, as he made his
annual step in the march of centuries,
heroes and sages and poets have been laid
low, and the roses and lilies of affection
withered and biighted. The year went
out in storms and clouds, carrying in the
abysmal leap to his obliVious home many
withered hopes and fond expectations, that
bloomed like dew lit violets at his early
coming. Though he glided past us last
night, holding his remorseless sythe
over the waters of the mysterious River,
we will not mourn. The year tha. has
gone bore along upon his heaving breast
relics Of glory and of beauty ;" yet we will
not mourn that such ia human destiny"
Other hopes will have birth, and other
aspirations will kindle in the breast.
Another year succeeds to the past" and
Is day by day its unread leaves are opened,
we can hope that each page may be a
bright one. GIN their bright rounds the
seasons come and 60" If dark serpents
should coil amid our spring flowers, we
may look forward to summer, 10 autumn
and snowy winter "The same blue
arch that hath hung Ger US will hang
Ger us yet, and the same pure stars
we've loved to watch will blossom
still at tWihghPs gentle hour like liz
lies on the tomb of day" And along in
the march of years Love, hope and am
bition, will rise up as they have risen from
the lone tomb of old affections" Then at
the grave of the buried year, and at the
cradle of the new born, with strong arms
and stronger hearts, let us keep manly
pace with the new and leave no tracks be-
hind that we would have obliterated at its
close.
Ii was a solemn hour last night when
the old year died, taking to his tomb so
many hopes and joys and dreams that had
their awakenings with his birth. The
eleven monthly milestones of his eventful
march had been sped-with his conquered
trophies he approached the twelfth. On
passed the mighty conqueror-the great
tomb. builder" hoary with age and laden
with unnumbered spoils. But a step more
and the twelfth milestone is reached. The
great heart of Nature almost stills into
iEaudible beats-slow, and even ticks the
forever never, never forever" Of the old
clock on the stairs-as back-ferward,
swings the pendulum-toll, toll, sad belle,
a slow, solemn dirge-the year is dying.
Fer the "iron tongue of midnight" speaks,
he is gone. Ring out ye joyous bells
Peal on with happy peans, for the glad New
Year IL born. Tine does not pause-the
old is dead sAd the new is born, but not a
second is lost for tear over the one or a
smile for the other. He speeds on in his
wrecking work, nor stops when an age or
a cycle is run.
"The proud bird Of the Andes" that
" scars aloft to battle his plumage far
above the thundeT's home, at nightfal
goes back TO rest upon his mountain crag.
Not so with Time. On, on, and forever
on" he wings his relentless flight, labelling
the word "DECAY" upon all that is hu-
man, upon all that lie mortal and all that
is of earth. None have ever followed his
wanderings; the past is sealed up to rs,
and the fntare is far hidden in deep re-
cesses. The living present is ours, and not
the atom of a moment more can We
claim.
Thus we stand this New Years morning,
the tomb Of the old year closed up and the
gates aiar for us to enter with time the
fields ofthe future. We know
not what fortunes he may make, what |
hearts he may heal or break, or what hopes
he NAV destroy. All submit alike to his |
sway.
- The tower that long had stood
The crush ofthunder and the warning winds,
Now hangs in doubtful ruins DER its base,
And iinty pyramids and walls Of brass
Descend the Babylonif spires are sunk,
Achaia Romeand Egyp, mOulder down.
Time shakes the stable y fanny of thrones,
Aad lettering empires crush by their own |
weight
But insatiate a. is the great monarch |
in the winning of his mournful victories.
Time brings soothing paneceas TO wounded |
bosoms, and healing 5alms to bleeding
hearts Aye, Time is
The beautfer Of the dead,
Adorner of the ruin, comforter
nd only healer where the heart hath bied-
The great eOrrecter when our Judgments err,
The test Of truth love-sOle philosopher
COR all besides are sophists.'
On this happy New Year let us remem-
Der that war as we will, to Time belong
he spoils and the victory. Let Us hope
that fhe gloom that has hung about MS for
he past few years may be lifted, and that
the sunlight of happiness may beam upon
IA az a nation, from one end of our broad |
land TO the other. Let US aim TO pass the /
year in the performance Of duty, that each
year may shower upon us the
richest blessings. And finally, let-us so
live that after life's fitful fever is over, /
ID sCothed and sustained by an untaltering |
trust, we can approach our graves like one
who wraps the drapery of his couch about |
him and lies down TO pleasant dreams" /