Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-06-12
ICOMMUNICATED.


mr. .tuu tCttS bHtu bftflHSE me GkH HuL u
mind to Work."
The Bonk of Nehemiah is an interesting
study It gives striking illustration of the
truth of the adage, "Whcre there is will
there is Il way" 1t tells us what energy, in
dusry aud perseverance will accomplish. 1t
commcnds itscll't to the Christian, the civilian,
and the politician.
The destruction Of Jerusalem and captivity
Of the Jews is familiar to every reader OF the
Bible How the walls were levccd to the
ground The gates destroyed by fire, and deSol,-
ton ruled supreme. Fortunate for the Jews
they had leader, in the person OF Nehemiah,
equal to their emergencies; the right man in
the right place. Instead OF sitting down and
calling the people around him to tell them of
the fiery ordeal through which they had
passed; how the war had stripped them OF their
property, their man servants and their maid
servants their oxen and asses therefore, they
must clothc themselves in sack cloth and ashes,
and with piUus submission, hang their harps on
the willows and do nothing except weep over
their great misiortuncs. Instead Of all this, he
said "Up boys, and let us go to work and re-
build the city We have the nronisc-'God
helps those who first strive to help them
selves
The people accepted the situation and the
good mans advice. Every tribe had a duty to
perform, aud ''ecc,y nun ,rorhnl nppnsite his
orn house, OF course, in this case, as III all
other efforts OF improvements, both in modern
and ancient times, there was strong and
united opposition. We arc told the Jews had
to hold the spear in one hand, and the working
implement in the othcr-fght and work at the
| .,,,,,o ,;,,, H. ia ,1,v, Rohp,o tbn NL,p
ccor, and Schimshai, the scribe, wrote let
ter against Jerusalem to Artaxcrxcs, the King
setting forth, ''that if thi. city be buildcd,
and the walls set up again, then will they
not pay toll, tribute, and custom, Nc
The result Of this injunction was that Re
hum aud his companions were sent up IN haste
To Jerusalem unto the Jews, land made them
cease By force and power
What striking similarity of events in COM
pairing the past with the present. Ii shows
that human nature in Nobcmiah's day and
the present day is precisely the same, aud that
progress has to contend against the same OPP
position to improvements. Let suggestion
be made to create Board of Public Works to
Improve streets and avenues, and what a howl
of indignation is raised, and how rapidly our
modern Rchums beg in to shoot their missiles
at the effort; lei an energetic company pro-
pose street cars. and how quick the same
protest against infriDgements OF streets; let
capitalists seek to invest in railways, ship-yards,
and improve commerce, and how sudden elligl-
ble sites are raised up to high prices, and thus
cripple the progress Of improvements. But
there is nothing alarming in all such efforts
Energy and perseverance will prevail so We
built the WALL and all the wall was joined to-
gcthcr unto the half thereof, FOR THE PEOPLE
HAD A MIND TO WORK.
How insignificant is the election of Mayor,
and a City Council, to the building of railroads,
iron works. factories, and ship-yards. 1t makes
not the difference of two aud sixpence 10 the
wealth and finances OF our city whether John
Doe or Richard Roe is elected Mayor, or
whether John Smith or Paul Jones goes to the
City Council yet, what conmotion is raised
within the Corporation limits. Six mouths in
advance parties beg lin to marshal their hosts,
and meetings are held almost every night
rcaus Of paper and floods Of ink wasted in dis
cusSion; the best and wiscst men are denounced.
| repeat, as general thing, it don't amount to
nd-sixpence which party gets init is a
"pcnny-wisc pound foolish strife.
But make the attempt to get up IN interest
III behalf of the w. Il o. f. r., a question
OF vast importancc-the completion Of which
would benefit Alexandria thousands, il not mil
lions Of dollars within the next ten years, and
you could not get up the interest usually mani
tested in the election OF Ward constable Call
a mass meeting to discuss and advance the
great work, and not bakers dozen would at
tend. In this way our goolly city will never
be built up.
When will the business and solid mon Of
Alexandria wake up to matters that pertain to
their growth and wealth, and not follow a
shadow in preference to Il real and substantial
substance? PROGRESS.