New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-03
SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS,

| tldCiS Oll1SS1o duLiCulSIltU W DC FjSltLLts
| SEAsONABLE SUGGESTIONS.
At this annual turning point Of time. tn
beginning OF the year, hope and memor,
struggle for ascendency in every thoughtful
mind. The Young. whether in years o.
character, look chiefly forward, the old o.
timid backward; but there are none, ex
cept in childhood, SO young as not to CAS-
a loving, lingering look on some event 0.
scene in the bygone year which memor.
would not willingly lose from the tablet
Or some unhappy one which she would
fam erase: none so old as to be utterly
Indifferent to what the future may have il
| store if not for themselves, at least FOL
those they love, if not for their own family
or friends then for their country or hui
manitys Looking forward, even to the
least hopeful is comparatively pleasant
looking backward, especially on one owns
conduct even to the happiest, most vir-
tuous OF self-complecento can hardly be
otherwise Juan painful
''Vain was that man. and false as yails.
Who said, were he ordained to
! Ills long career of life agan,
i He would do all that he had Gone.''
Who, indeed. could truthfully make
such boastful assertion even of one year,
much less Of a life? The youth thrown
| for the first time upon himself, and con-
| stantly led aside from the dusty path of
duty to the fiowery fields of pleasure: the
mature man, to whom selfish ambition or
the greed Of gain has proved frequent
and overpowering temptation to sacrifice
principle or to overlook the claims of his
neighbor; the young girl on the threshold
of womanhood, whose every act is link
in the chain which goes TO form character.
that is destiny: the matron, harrassed by
household cares. and yielding often to
selfish repinings; which of them can
critically review the record of the by-gone
year. and not exclaim ''Wo,,Al that had
done otherwise y
Nor are such regrets altogether worth
less, for though the word spoken and the
act done have forever passed beyond our
CONTROL though no remorsefu1 afterthought
can blot out the one or undo the other, yet
the perusal Of the notifying and self
condemning record may serve a good
purpose. The glazing letters that set
forth our shortcomings, our faults, our
sins, flaming ous from the dark back.
ground OF the past, and paining the eye
that gazes on them, preach to each one of
US a sermon. such as no pulpit. even
though filed by one inspired, could ever
send forth-'-a sermon whose lesson no self
excusing ingenuity can apply to our neigh
Dor. but which, after each burning accuse.
ton, thrusts home the unparryablestroke-
Thou art the man" Needful and morally
healthfui. however. as such self-accusing
thoughts may be at this season. they
should not be morbidly prolonged. Their
use is simply hortator melting to re.
formation. Regrets that do no. have this
stimulating effect are weakening and dis.
couraging to the mind. Once having re-
called and repented Of past errors OF even
sins, let them be forgotten. The healthy
character presses forward to new endeay.
ors. He does not ceaselessly repent, he
atones: does some new and good thing
which drives the old and bad one from
mems minds. and, better still, from his
own. Having sat in sackcloth and ashes
long enough to express his heartfelt: con-
triton for the wrong done. and his sub.
mission to the penalty incurred. he rises
up. bathes and anoints himself. and.
putting on fine raiment, goes forth to re.
newed activity. letting the dead past
bury its dead.
The beginning of a new year is always
8 fitting time for such new moral de-
parture. It is not a prejudice. it is an
instinct, which dictates the yearly review
ing of the past. the consequent: resolving
for the future. Moral advancement, like
advancement Of every other kind, is the |
result OF continued exercise in the right |
direction: OF errors recognized as such
and corrected: o: duties discovered and
cultivated.
To-day. therefore. the first Sunday OF
the new year, as on every former one since
moral cultivation has been an objec: with
every reflective man and wo.
and even child-in the civilized
world vii! give some time to retrospect:
If the acts OF the year gone by: some TO
resolves. wishes and aspirations for the
u:ure. The trying se!f.Guesi;on vii! be
,u!. "Am I ;;t;ey to die, am / filter to
i've" than was year ago: and men:a!
formed suitable 20 the
occasion. For these se!!.search;n:s. the
rs: Sunday Of the year is more app:cp:;.
Re than New FEARS day Itself. devoted as
Ia: has been b: custom 90 soc:a! duties
.:.a pleasures. AID tie indispensable pre-
,ara!ic:s FOR them.
GOD II THE CONSTITUTIONS.