, 1869-01-01
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na1ufe, that each mother should ,h;nl
her latest born the hapdsomest, brieb,cs
and smartest child in the world. f.,
undoubtedly had the saue feeling ani
with somc show Of reason at the t;me
although her ifs,-born proved to be ,
wretch, ard from EYES time to thi;
morning each birth has been the mos,
wonderful and each child q prodiev
itere Is the same terdency among All
wn'ers and I'll people to Invest the Neg
ear with all The graccs ami BLESSINGS a,
tiwe, TO crown him with garlauJs. sire =
lo"ers in his pathway and sing nc ms in
Ills praise, utterly regardless OF his pretIe.
cesscr' Who Is consigntd with all possible
oespalch to the limbo Of E'crnity, I'VE
tear down the old calendar which has
sept us faithful company SO long. and
put up the Few With q sort OF inb;1a,t
1sellng, although VIC little reck what fat,
mss nave N store for us on some ono of
tue days in its lorg columns.
lite year which has just closed is at
lest certainty. We kcow what it has
/ acce mpt'shcd, and all its results arc 1ca.-
l'cs. It we as individuals hsye male mn
eecictd progress, We may at least con-
graduate ourselves that, as a pcoole. We
arc better otf than we were year ago,
AID that the country at large has made
very decided advancement in the me
chanlcai, isc'entiflc and agricultural
branches Of labor; that trade and cam.
mcrce, influenced by the vagsries of spec-
ulat1e n, have been more firmly established
and have to large degree recovered that
prosperity snd stability which had been
50 seriously disturbed by the reyuision
always consequent upon long war:
mat ed1cation has extended its bepcfi.
cen: agencies throughout the land, and is
ssaln exertipg its potent influence unon
the side Of progress and true civilization:
that art, in all its refining forms. has
hlu1'sted that the Church, under its
variGus banners Of crecds and beliefs.
IS still advancing from victory
TO victory; that tie peonle
hsre guaranteed new life and vieor to
the Republic, and have received for it
thc blessings Of peace in the election of
Gfant and Coltax- All this has been &C.
cemp}ished by ard for the people At Iarse
ou1lrg the year which has Just closed.
afo WITCH We arc so willing to forget IN
CUR hsste to salute the New Year which
DAVIS this morning. WHIST VIC have Ar.
cemp!ishcd as individuals it would nroi,.
ably not he so pleasant to cou.emnlste
ano It Is not our province to speculate ia
'hat direction. Our brethren Of the nul-
p,t will have something to say about that.
tEey will be warranted in cross question.
ing us whether We are better men and
women than We were year aeo.in 1seel.
lal'fg US for what VIC have left undone.
aanon1shltg us Of shc flight and uncer-
tain'y Of tine, and cxhorting US to do
better. 1t will be our duty to obey them
IN all tfesc respects, and see that their
salaries sre promptly paid.
We have few or no speculatiops 10
maze regarding the New Year, and thus
nj the ou,set are enabled to avoid the
rhetorical temptations which beset u,
It is very probable TIM. we shall all move
along in the same old routine; that the
saints will continue to strive for the
moral advancement Of the world, and
hat the sinners will pull just as hard the
cther Way; that children will be born,
that young men and maidens will marry.
multiply and replcrish the earth. and
that old men will die and 70 to their
ta1fe1s; that he who is writing and he
Who is reading this may both take the
same journey; that future Wilkinsons
viii cue tor damages; that men and Wo-
-e faAa1 gill continue to get divorced; that
>. me one viii commit hio frst murder or |
Ine1'; that some one whom VIC suppoae
10 DC our friend will prove our encmy;
'nat ttere will be earthquakes and tor
eaooes; That railroad and steamboat cor-
tora'lons Till continue their licensed
kill'ng Of passengers; that leeis]..
sols ,, Will steal ard parsons
".n 'ail from grace; that |
fashion will be just as foolish in its cdic,s
afo ano plenty Of dcvotecs and that
human nature in 1860 will be lust as
weak or as ncblc, and no more, than It
was in 1865 The arbitrary division of
time may mark epochs, but has little to
10 with man or woman, for whom wear
clcses with each revolution of the Garth
abrut its axis.
But among all the uncertainties of the
New Year, and all the possibilities con.
eeaho IN lis months and days, there arc
ctr'aiusies, ard among them none il
mere assured Than the fact that VIC sha1I
Continue, as usual, to publish the best ~.
per IN the country, that we shall be inde-
perdent ofall secss and creeds and isms,
sno that we shall continue to be the ar.
gan OF 'ile people. We shall expcctto be |
called hsrd names By some, TO be Dc
nounced as ske21ics and ia6dela, to be ex-
postd to the laws delays ; but We shall
pay little heed to the flies which alioht
upon the chariot wheels Of our Grand
progress. We shall continue to labor on
IN INC great cause OF humanity and uni
Vcisal brotherhood ard not ston
~ lInnirc whether man is Methodist or
Buddhist, Homooisian or uomoousian
Congo or Caucasian, So long IS he gives
evidence Of having soul underneath his
skin,
Thus, laborire for the right as against
The might, tor the weak as against the
strong, for the oppressed as against the
irr hor est poverty as against
dishonest weslth, for moral principle as
Ess.nst Political policy, for tile universal !
Gcod as against the Individual prejudice, |
Eor truth as against pretcnslon, We enter
upon another year with ali our colors fi:-
ing, ss unalterably determined rs ever 10 /!
light can't. humbug and hypocrisy to the
|asf-"w with charity to all and malice
'o"etds nore." II wc have any cacuie,
NC forgive them, ard to all our friends, in |
2ity ard country, 10 those who have gvue
with US for years and to these who give
rs their hands today for the first time
. rich and to poor, TO every reader Of
III. 1R'nrsE, We wish Happy New
! eb1 ard the compliments of the scss,n
iHE RIVER IMPROVEMENT coNyer.
TON.
The convention st Peoria on Welpes-
:ey was well attended, and the proceed
res marked with more than ordiusry di.
Fectress. The men who par,ictpatcd in
I VI derstood the subject, and their peo-
oesed plan ofaction Is emiHcntly prac,i.
al Two millions ard a hall Of dollars
Fill raake the Illinois River nayieabte for