New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-31
A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

The old year dies to-day, and to-mor-
row commences another year of Christian
time. The books of the past close when
the midnight chimes ring out tonight
"Ring out the old; ring in the new" We
write 1877 on the title page and turn over
a new leaf of new book on which no
acts are written, no deeds recorded. The
book of the future is blank, and we must
write our lives day by day as time turns
the leaves. No man can make his life
perfect; he is only expected to do the
best he can do under the circumstances.
To judge fairly of mans failures or sins
committed we must lnow of his tempta-
tions and of the power given him to re-
sist evil. Few missiles are thrown when
it is left for him without sin to cast the
first stone at the sinner. Life and death
are not optional. We are born without
being consulted, and We die because we
must. There are those born under such
adverse circumstances, and start in life
with so much against them that they be-
come warped before they know the beau
ties of holiness. The sweet young life
wearing the robes Of purity shuns the
frail sister on whose cheek is painted
shame. Who can say what might have
been the result had the conditions of each
been reversed? The one, hedged about
by happy home, and all safeguards of
honor, thanks heaven she is not as others
are. The other, dying in q howell,
goes out from life crying, 81 would
have been good. Ny God, I have never
had fair chance in this world" To
strengthen the weak, and not sit in judy
ment, is tie Christians work. In quiet
burial place in France is marble shaft
over the remains of one who went to her
grave without the benediction of the
church. A white hand points upward,
and beneath it is written the last words of
the Menken, and all that need be said of
her. whose childhood was in our city,
'Thou knowest."
They do we'll who do the best they
know. The book of the year that is to
be written will not all be fair, for it must
be filed with human nature. There will
be pages blotted with errors, and some
blistered with tears. It must be so; it
has been so in the past. Tomorrow will
be exchanged the wishful salutations, "a
happy new year" They are not mean
ingless as they come and go. They will
prove full of virtue if each wisher will do
all he can to make the coming year happy
for all. The sun shines on no fairer land
than our own. 1t teens with fruits and
flowers and songs of birds, and the earth |
is ready to yield wealth and plenty to all |
who court its favor. Thrift and content |
ment follow peace and industry as readily
as poverty, anarchy and destruction fol-
lows strife and crime. Louisiana is |
covered with shame when it should |
be the brightest jewel in the
crown of the Union. The cause
II our States disgrace need not
20 rewritten here; it is going out to the
world in the records of lawless acts. The
'emedy is possible in the future conduct
# every citizen. 'Peace on earth and
,ood will to men," was written before
men were divided by factions or political
'arties. It stands to-day as the first prin-
iple of human happiness. Where men
re denied the simplest of their rights, to
i've, to speak, to act within the bounds Of
be laws of the land, there can be but
tile of peace or good will. As this