The New York herald., 1871-01-02
LYRIC HALL SERVICES.

The Festival Of the New Year-SomcthinG it
Teaches-Its Reminiscences-Thc New and
the Old-Mnn Wills and God Obeys-Ser-
mon by Rev. q. Il. Fr0thingham.
dense audience greeted the Rev. Mr.. Frothing-
ham at Lyric Hall yesterday to hear the first dis.
course of the year. The Rev. MIR. rockingham
said:-New Years Day is the day OF gladness and OF
hope Old things have passed away, and we be.
leve all things will be made new. The gray old
planet comes back nearer the sun, the days
will soon grow warmer the frost Will pass
away, the vegetation will flourish, flowers Will
blossom and birds will sing. The coming OF the
New Year has always been q merry time,
when men and women danced, sang and
made festival. 1t was In old Rome; it was
the DAY Of cheer, of healing Of past wounds, OF
forming better friendships. ALI memories of
Ill were banished on the threshold OF the new
year. and only such omens as spoke Of Joy per-
mitted q hearing. Presents were made among
friends and dacquantances-not ostentatous presents
such as we make, but some
LITTLE SIMPLE THING
OF pleasing signincance-a golden nut or honey
cake or some similar pretty trine. This
new year was not ushered in with q con-
vulsion Of nature any more than were
those OF the dead past. Last night the
watchers heard no unusual sounds from the skies
and felt no unusual trembling OF the earth; all
nature seemed still and sleeping. The clock tlcked
no more loudly than It was wont to do; 1t did not
pause an instant to bid adieu to the old TO well
come the new. Quietly and unseen one glided into
the other The golden wheels OF
THE CAR OF GOD
never make noise as they rev0lve on their axles,
the golden relns or the sun shake rat
M ere or Is no oSa m s nor are nee any
vulsons We talk OF commissions, but nature knows
them not. We cannot tell the moment when the
bad ends or the good begins; both are so closely
that 'n we " can A' find no separating gnu thread. ee
We all remember how calm and peaceful
was last New Years Day. but dark clouds were RS
ing on the horizon, which have since evolved the
drest war and disaster. It came upon us suddenly,
but had long before been written In the book OF
Time. 1t was the elimination OF little, but many,
causes. In the tumuli Of marching armies impe-
the cause, Ill some sense, Of the war. We examine
this French Imperialism and we cannot justly desig
Imperial France was hardly so bad as imperial Rome
You say the country was licentious. There was
not SO much RIGHTEOUSNESS in France under Napo.
leon ILL., as there was under Louis XIV. and Louis
XIV. You say the empire was extravagancs. The
cost OF the the last ten years was not
no more to keep Paris clean than to
KEEP NEW YORK DIRTY.
The empire was peace, order and prosperity You
say the Emperor was tyrant He was elected by
the people You say the election was not a Ialr one
and that the ballot boxes were stuffed. The ballot
OF cavil Napoleon submitted the question Of
imperialism 10 the people four tmes and four times
the people SAID, "Rule over u.s." Tne empire was
splendor. The glory OF Paris was the glory Of the
world. What France lost was thought-freedom OF
thought This was the cost Of her spendor. There
was ephemeral thought-a light fantastical express
sion OF thought. No great school OF philosophers,
no great circle Of poets no great group OF arrests
had an existence under the empire. Works Of
fmsy philosophy were written; strange, spanged,
sOuless music was born, and artists decorated the
costly carpets on which the rich and elegant tr0d.
The French people have achieved a rare excellence
In
PAINTING THE SKIN;
but they have allowed the soul to be consumed;
their exterior was brilliant, but within. were only
rolenness and decay. When the mailed hand
Knocked at the portals OF the nation IL crumbled
France.
The downfall Of that other Imperialism in Italy
was greater Ial from higher pedestal-the fall Of
the Roman Church. II had ruled many countries;