The workingman's advocate., 1870-04-16
Written for tbs ADvocATR.
Month and Day Names.

ing attention to points thus far not touched
upon by the reiormatory spirit Of the day,
to array the hosts Of progress against anti
quated structures still remaining among us,
as taPers Of darkness only, where the spiri-
tual sun of the nineteenth century ought to
shine in the fullness Of its glory; as stumb-
ling g-blOcks in the highway Of humanity, and
as bastions in the battlements Of a morbid
conservatism. And while we hereby in
vite the friends Of progress to look around,
Searchingly, and bring before the people
other forms that ought to be obsolete among
US, We beg leave here to present the imprO-l
Priety Of the nomenclature applied to the
days Of the week and to the months of our
year-and substitution BY names in bari
mony with the light and living spirit Of to-
day, and conducive to the further ard easier
development Of progressive humanity.
To the Julian Calendar" and it'd
names, as originally conceived, we are mo-
in opposition. 1t was undoubtedly masl
terPiece Of its time, and proper, not only
but beneficial to those of those days, or to-
the Roman Empire with its peculiar martial
religious, political. and hygienic ideas and
feelings but, sPringing from merely nation
al, ever-changing characteristics, and frOui
a narrow view, that apparently did not ID
far beyond the latitude Of Italy and carl
rying on its pages the names Of gods o.
demi-gods, and those Of leaders of armies
or statesmen, illustriOus among those ar
clients as representatives Of their ideas ana
principles, but Obscure and without signifl.
canoe to other and more enlightened nations
Of the G glObe-that calendar was unfit for !,
universal adoption by the civilized nations
The Church, nevertheless, adopted thssS.
calendar, with its heathenish spirit anA
dress, undoubtedly from policy and tbe
change, made in the adoptee by its admit
sion into Christian society, seems Indicative
Of the care eessness, if not Of the ignorancq,
with which the priesthood of that day wcrk
gifted or, did also that semi-change sprink
from mere policy? However it be, we do
not feel like blaming the ecclesiastical al
tors in that drama-although, through manR
centuries, humanity may bave suffered
thereby, positively and negatively; they
undoubtedly acted up to their highe3t i
knowledge, or to their belief and policy
view
But, in order to come directly to OR
purpose, let US examine what light aid
what moral benefit, if any, the peoples DE-
rive from those ancient, to US obscure, CAL
endar names. Look at them. There is,
Jdnuary--How many know or care any
thing about Janus, the double-faced god
and, if they did, Of what benefit? "a
name, obscure, and not conveying any id1a
or vitality to the mind and action Of the
people, stands among us destitute of lifes a
corpse, dead as a mere milestone on tue
years highway.
February-A name. sprung from the
same root as fe6riS, fever-indicative of
the month wherein the ancient Romans eeh-
brated their Februa" by expurging from
their physical systems the malarious eie-
ments that, during their indulgence in w;h-
ter habits, had accumulated and otherwise
would have threatened to culminate in a
consuming fever. Could this name have
conveyed. to the multitude, the duty iof
their exOnerating the physical system, pie
paratory to labOrious exertions, hardshfps
and exposures commencing at the opening
Of spring time, it might, by its annual Ee-
mentO, have been also to US living beAe-
factor, though not teaching the more correct
idea of keeping "Februa" all the war
round, by always excluding, from witgin
and around our bodies and minds, whateker
might b obnoxious to health. As it is, the
name of February stands another spiritAss
form, dead pointer TO time in the yea rs
circuit. Among the Romans it was meIbly
as temporary physical baptism that helped
10 keep the nation in vigor, and mainly Hre-
pared for the warfares, initiated by ihe
month OF
March.-The month of Mars. the god
Of war. As far as the name of March dbn-
veys any idea, it must be detrimentaH to
true civilization and to universal brot3 fer
hood" To what extent this very name
has contributed toward the keeping uE Of
the spirit of wranghng and warfare, natbn-
ally, sectionally, socially and personally 3-
to what extent it has acted antagonistict to
that noble Christ principle, we must leavf to
each reader u judge for himself hut
most certainly, we need no stimulus in that
direction-our social system has bAlen
reared and maintained, on the basis Of hel-
fish warfare, and, wherever some bone is be
coming visible among us, we flock snarlAg-
ly around it, and my hand must be against
all, for all hands are against me. Oh, ye
who glory in the name Of Christ! is shat
Roman warfare, the warfare you feel called
upon to inculcate? Is that the warfare for
which he came to bring the sword I?
Take up his sword; fight the holy battles
for truth and right against the ants sgonistic,
warlike spirit Of our civilized" society,
and thrust from the should-be- heaven of
our calendar the demon name of war, that
b. that sword you may conquer the Ro-
man sword and war-spirit, and achieve 1.-The
spirit Of peace and universal social brother
hood
ApriI-From the Roman apeyIre. to
0pen-the month in which Italy opened her
buds, and labored to dress in foliage Of
Green' and beautify with flowery ornaments,
her groves, her bills and daIes. Tbisia an
lebanon however beautiful and apprqpr-
ate to Italy and its latitude, is also dimb
and mystic to other nations and toncl,os
and not appropriate to more nor,bers or
southern lands where this 4" openineY Of
Nature might naturally take place mostbs
later or earlier, while in the southern bctn;S'
Phere the budding and opening of the ,vsr.
dure is going on between September and
November.
Nay" What beautiful name ri Il
is well that it speaks to our hearts; would
that it spoke to the general understanding