The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-01
THE CLOS. OF 1878.

Whenrthe Sentinel again greets its thous-
aands of readers it will bear to them wish of
a happy and prosperous new year but now
it bece1es our task, IN the line of our jour-
nalistic- duties, to invite them around the
bedside of 1878, whose morning meridian
and poet meridian days are past, and who in
q few hours more will be numbered with the
years that haze come and gone forever.
In writing the obituary of 1878 we could
recall events that have left their impress SO
deep that centuries will not efface their
memory. There have been wars cad ru-
mers of wars; battle-felds where Chris
tian and infidel measured arms, where
Gress and crescent foated above
tie smoke of the battle, where
lives were sacrificed by thousands to appease
tkeambtion of men who claim to rule by
right divine, but,in this regard the dying
sands. of its predecessors. Peace among the
nations of the -earthsaas been the rule and
wer the exception. There have been fam
snes and epidemics that have carried off their
victims by thousands. but they have awak-
ened such profound sympathies and abund-
antchar1ties as to evidence that the great
heart of humanity, when touched by scenes
of 6istress. responds with such grand pulsa-
eions of beneyolence as makes some atone
meat for the griefs it assuages.
There have been haryests of boundless
abundance as the results of a ful6llment of
theoo7enant, symoolizsd by the bow in the
cloud, that seed time and harvest
shall never fell. Peace has gained its
trluuaphs in every part of the globe, science
has made new discoveries, art has gained
new triumphs, Christianity has built new
oatpes.s in the benighted nations OF the
earth, the terra incogsita of Africa has been
explored, education has kept pace with the
demands of society, books have multiplied,
and fheRrintiug press. the newspaper, the
art peeservative- of all arts have lost none of
civilization.
LIZ 0ur-own loved land, rock-ribbed and
ocesn girt. we have had during the year
Il ,e priceless blessing OF peace, and brave
m en- are still battling for grander achiev-
m, snta, as the result of union of hearts and
a memo of hands We have food in bound
less, abundance, enough and to spare and
we have statesmen and phllanthropists of
exal Ted wisdom, endeavoring to SO
adju. Vt the various interests of the
coun ky that all shall be able to
share in the boundless bene6cence OF provi-
dence. The sun continues 50 shine lovingly
upon t. Ae world, the stars ere as bright as
when t. sey first sang together, the flowers
have bl SOned and faded. the forests have
decked hemselves in holiday attire and dis
robed th snselyes for winter. The North,
with its f. Sgd breath, has hushed the music
of the strs saG and decked its world as if for
a bridal. In all these things 1873 has fol-
lowed the footsteps of its predecessors. 1t
has taken koas mang family circles loved
ones. but it has left sweet memories to be
cherished forever. Taken all in ali, 1873
has been an average yeer, and in taking our
leave Of i, we 1nxulge the hope for ourselves
and GU. readers. that the New Year. whose
advent We hope to chronicle in our next is
sue, will BE more fruitful of felicites and
less productive Of the ills which are the
heritage of humanity.