The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-30
TIE MEM YEAR

lti, tAo won. to make the new year I'm OCCASION
to review it, predecessor, now gone int0 The past OF
ctynUyj to say what great thing, daring thu year
-llu art- and sciences hu1u arhje}od What nations
have hc.l born or have died. who of :hc learned OF
uuble hat loved IF one'4 own circle, have passed
lVpN. SOM other luru 1t as kaleidoscope, to BE-
u0d br Il, brilliant. many-coiored hue, the good
tmc coming, when all from the least to The greatest
shall ha0 cynry thing the human heart can desire:
when ,haJl De accomplished lhat great fact which
stands a- lAg entrance To the cmillcniunl-woman'S
ight~
iet our humble pan say, rather, plid means the
u.W wear. WAX placed at JANUARY I. more than
ANY other Of the 3Gl days.
Far back in remote antiquity, thousands OF wears
brluge Christ, the world had many excellent astron-
ainel7, especially among the Chadean>, Egyptians
Ac. lhu, it j, a Wcll-pyOyod fact that famous
jtreci:m astronomer of those remote tnes-IIip
accurately calculated ecljpe, for rhundreds
ol years to coDle,--Nhich fact ht, been Of the
greatest benefit in liking the date, of certain other
great co0teuporaneoas events IN history,
But to fix the true year in its causes, its length
thp proper measure of time, &e.,-thi, The irst
gesat ghjeel and required the constant labors, OBJ
--rqatian- ,nd discoveries Of the greatest minds for
u3n4 8r'-. EarlN il was observed that once every
spring time, which W. call the 23d OF March, tho
itys Hi nights were equal in duration: and it was
.l~p Observed that in ON northern latitude jd~t
then was the time oi All the yeaG when al nature
W,t, building, and ready to put fortb into new litt
after the rep0~e Of winter What then appro-
pirate Is 10 cd this yelnIl e,luinoN, th> 22d of
March, NEW YEARS DAY. For Il long tinie that
jlta was really new ycarS lay, and ought to bc 50
-iiIl. t,,nu IN lI,t. n4turp of things.
iu tune new doctrines in philosophy, new Sects
ii religion arose. each then. rs now, eager to take
TAD Itself every thing that seemed 10 promise power
lnd prestige. Thus the early churches. with their
countless cist~ and flSts, their calendars and
,ptell.. an -troFe to magnify their little onehorse
riage by htrtinE to it this new years engine;
-5 That one time or another, about every one of the
saints days" took charge of the new year as its
ovu exclusively. 80 it Went travelling round all
me way from luly 10 March, like Noah@ dove,
seeking place and finding none
But il was given to old pagan Rome in the days
# lis power both to give the name and fix the date
pf new year. forever. They had Deity Worship
r.i with great pomp and reverence at Rome, call
81 JANUS. He was the guardian dely Of the gate,
ol heaven and stood perpeualy at the entrance Of
the Temple of War, H. had two faces, looking
inward and outward the temple at the SAM time.
Hence the phrase l." ianu>faced person. SO ofte II
used, titly describes tho~e WoGtecd. deecitful peo
ll, who are far too many. And as new years day
m4y wen he drawn with iwo Iacos-ona looking
,wards the old, the other towards the uew year,
'lrrc seems something appropriate 10 u,ye This
ui,t month ot the year take and bear tue mann Of
th hl, two-faced God-.Danus. january.
Yet it WAS Il great and sore scandal TO carly
4 +la fri. tirst ,;lI try.a+asf date in