The Arizona sentinel., 1876-08-05
HOPE


 theme is not exhausted nor can it ever be. Of all the faculties that a benificent creator has i'm planted in the bosom of man there are none of such inestimable va- lue as that of hope. Ever since the dawn of creation it has been the day-star of man, down through all the mutations of the ages. By its inspiration all the achieve ments that have ever been made in the grand course of human pro- gress, have been wrought. It has nerved the arm of the patriot, the philosopher, the navigator, the discoverer and the citizen, in all the walks of life. It is this that makes men bear to live or dare to die" It has navigated unknown seas, discovered new continents and peopled new worlds. Without the inspiration of hope where would the civilized world be to-day, with all our proud advancement in the arts, in the sciences, in refinement and everything that makes life desira- ble or tOIerabIe ? Nowhere The earth would be a deSsOlate waste and existence a curse What is the condition of those men and women who lose all hope ? De- plorable indeed They are the unfortunate creatures who, des' pairing of there being any good for them in the world, raShly deS- troy their own lives and rush un- called for. into the presence of the eternal judge !! The most mis- erabIe beings imaginable are those without hope. No aspirations, no expectations, nothing attainable or unattainable to look forward to! No wonder they commit sui eide, and that in their utter deS- pair they do not heed the idea contained in those warning words of Shakespeare, "'tis better t0 endure awhile the ills we have, than fly to those we know not of. <" Hope has been the guiding-star and sheet-anchor of all men who have ever accomplished any good for themselves or their race, in the world. And what do not the American people owe to the in- spiration of hope |? The bound less hope that animated the bO- sOms of the patriots of '76 when they dared to beard the British lion, led them on during that most unequal struggle and led them to victory. In every step across the continent the pioneers were led on by the star of hope, They never lost sight of it, and though they endured untold sui ferings and privatiOns, though thousands of them were slain by the hostile savages, they still pressed on, until the Atlantic and Pacific bounded the American Union.
 And the people of Arizona were led here by the star of hope, and though the Territory was cursed by a long and desolating Indian war, in which hundreds of our brave pioneers fell, and those who survived met many discOurag- ments and disappOintments, yet comparatively few left the Terri tory, but worked and hoped on, and they are working and hop ing still. Many of them now, are through their energy and per. severance, meeting fruition of their hopes. All cannot be suc- cessfuI in any country. and never were. But let no man lose sight of hope, for when that is gone everything is gone, for him.
 In our darkest hours let US still cling to that sheet-anchOr, and if we should never realize our ex- pectations in this world, it will be better for us that we hoped to the end. Hope does not end with this fitful existence. A we'll grounded hope and trust will bear ,,, ,o foJx, nd IIoHiSDnaUp0 fh rOIlOI