Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-08
I . Z O..

NhTIhtlhna look FORWARD conn.
denuy to the grand contamination
when Time will be no more. Even
now, Time was and IL not. Fleet
ing, ileeting, too Aeeting for The
accomplishment Of mans finite
purposes. We look forward
through long series of years, as
one looks down a lengthy aisle, or
ont away over the advancing waves
Of old ocean and secs them melt
into rippIes upon the far, far dis
tant horizon. Then looking about
him as II expecting to see them
pass BY aud become lost In lessen
ing gradatiOns, he secs only the
fnality--the end--lLe eyer-present
Now. .
Time is not, but Is to be. So
judges humanity. The Now is for
preparation; the FUTURE is for &C.
ton. But fat", or necessity, or
Gods will, as we may deem II, for.
bids that men shall ever be prepar-
Ing to do. The hours are fed by
events. They crave accomplish
menls, and the demand must be
satisfied.
But Time that was has been
| glutted. Accomplishments succeed.
ed each other in quick succession.
Event followed event. The NAV
of Time became crammed, and yet
more was craVed.
War followed pestilenCC, famine
war, and bankruptcy famine, until
Time satiated sinks into o lethargy,
and the sixth decade Of the nine.
teenth century closes over sOcial
and political chaos.
The Future became tho Now, the
Now the Past, and the Past-Eter.
nity's tomb-swsllOwed up in itS
bOttOmlesS vaults the woes that
shOuld belong To century.
Please God they are buried never
to be resuFrectsd.
Upon CHAT q decade is the year
1859 ClOSiRgi
RetrOspecliOn ,shrinks froIn ito
lAbors.
Ten years ago peace aud plenty
reigned. There was Joy in every
household. To-day poverty and
want, hearthstOnes desecrated,
households robbed Oftheir flowers,
graves accumulated, hearts broken.
i And whyF Oh, 70 Of the East,
the West, the North Ye may con-
demn the South and exult In your
victory aud tell US our ruin is upon
our own heads, but you cannot feel
the proud self.COnsCiOusness Of
Right the self-abncgatiOn of spirit,
the willing devotedness, which en-
thusOd the breasts Of Southern
Rebels, aye, robels-we are proud
of it-and who, as the result Of that
grand sincerity, must ever feel an
unutterable sorrow for the "Lost
Cause"
But we do not repiuo because Of
the inevitable. With 3 solemn and
earnest spirit Of reIlgnatiOn we
address ourselves 10 the duties that
press upon US. The Past, its VIC
tories and defeats, its martyred
heroes and dead hopes, all are EN-.
balmeu in our heart of hearts for
ever.
Aye, the dead Past must bury
Its dead" and we, the people Of the
South, though inSulted, cOntemned
and degraded the regnant power
would have us, must brace our
selves for great efforts in the build
ing up Of domestic prosperity. The
SouthrOn's noble pride is q shield
against the assaults Of his relentless
prosecutors. Let US live for our
selves, within and unto ourselves.
Let US use every effort to be inde-
pendent-not only in name-but In
fact and deed. This is our true
policy.
The nearer we approach the ac-
complement Of this object the
farther We recede from our present
unhappy dependence. To effect this
purpose VIC must develOpe our in-
ternal resources by railroads, man.
ufactures, and improved farm Cul-
ture, If we cannot recognize our
Government as o Republican
, Democracy and engage in its pO-
,, litical affairs, let us-if we will
consider 1t q monarchy or an em-
pire, and, eschewing politics, attend
! solely to our own domestic con-
Germs of agriculture, manufacture
: internal improvements aud COM
, merce. May the New Year close
upon peace and prosperity, and the
/; decade upon which VIC are now
j entering be fraught with rich bless
j. ings to our long suffering people.