Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-01-06
THE MINING JOURNAL.
FROSTBURG, MD, JAN. 6, 1877.
New Year.

AhC SCitCHiildi cal ioo uiIl'Ou
into the past. Tn history it holds in
many respects an enviable position
among its predecessors. The Inter
national Exposition, with its wonder
full array Of foreign and home produc-
tons, its agricultural, mineral, me-
chanical and artistic display of our re-
sources of material and mind, and an
Unexpectedly great success, made a
memorable epoch in our annals. But
for the national squabble over the is
sue of the Presidential election, the
year 1876, beginning with centennial
intorchanges of restored amity at
Bunker Hill, would have gone out
dscked with the christian halo OF
"Psace and Good Will" The great
strife Of partisans, however, filed the
closing months with elimination and
recrimination, until many patriotic
people of both parties fear the tension
to which popular government is thus
subjected.
The New Year opens not so auspic-
iously, therefore, as We could wish.
Politically, the prospect is not unmix-
ed with forebodings of trouble, while,
locally, there arc signs of prosperous
trade, if no great disturbance inter
venss Hence, We are much concern
cd in the Issue before the nation
much Of business success here hinges
upon a peacoable and just solution OF
the great problem.
Many good people lay great stress
upon and draw comfort from the some
times mythical idea that at last there
is large reserve Of good sense and
love of law and order residing in the
unwritten constitution of the average
American citizen. With this and kim
dred notions paramount, there is little
or no room for hopelessness, and that
there are other bases for "hattering
functions" probably strongcrand more
durabls, 10 apparent in the appended
eloquent saying of the Baltimore Eut
letin:
We put 1876 behind US now, ring out the
old, ring in the new. We stand upon til,
Threshold of smother year, and we know
that this land which our fathers gave to Us
is not dead yet, nor rotten No! By the
soil II which they e buried, fertile and
kindly as ,vtr--hy the forests yet towering
with trees OF primcyal growth--by the
great plains never serricd by pl'w nor
spade and the mountain masses unframed
by any foot save that of ibeX or panther
this land shall not die so soon nor so mcnnly
We are fallen upon sad times, but not hope
less. The day of .,ur national Emission
is past aud the time, too, when the Amer
lean eagle flaps his lordly wings and goes
squawking out his barbaric yawp over the
roofs of tie world. We lave cutertd the
family OF nations, through the usual narrow
doorway Of griets, teuds, cold times debt
war, lusts and passions. We have come
sadly lntoa premature manhood, and must
now fit ourselves for our new station us
grayely and sobclly as may be- lnstcadoi
teaching others, W. must 20 TO school our
selves. Instead OF scttln. examples to eth
ers, to learn how TO conduct ourselves. In
political economy, in finance, in state craft,
we are TIVE generations behind the more in
structed nations. NNhat VIC have done in
the way Of roads aud bridges, with plow
and axe, forge and loom, we must now rc.
peat with the subtlpr forces Of the intellect
and the moral and aesthetic impulses, which
have an equal share in moulding our life,
whether national or individual
a QUESTION ANsWERED.-A
correspondent, "Cephas," referring to
the inquiry in the following item from
the Al(ego,son, ''thinks the decision
wrong Doubtless. lie oyerlooks the |
fact that ii is based upon the merits .
OF arguments
There was large attendance Of mem
Der. at the Lyccum last evening II addi-
ton TO two admirable essays 10y Mcs,rs.
Cox and Mcdonald, the dc5atc was very
entertaining the question being DO cir.
cumKtances control men, or men control
circumstances: The Affirmative or first
proposition was advocated by Mcssrs
Richmond and McI!cnry, and the negative
by M"ssrs. Cox and Eve, and was decided
in the negative
Since "Cephas" asks US to coincide
with him, We must partially decline
ON the ground Thai raurL -Ln1unLn Il