The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-01
THE OLD AND THE NEW.

THE OLD AND THE NEW.
Another year closed last night at ~ anoth-
er was simultaneously ushered in. So say
men. A year closes and year begins every
time the clocks strike u at night The arbi-
trary New Years of the calendar has no sig
nifcance; it is simply convenience. To-day
is the last day of a year as much as was yes
terday. The eternal ages roll on and ever, with
no break or sign for IL o'clock on the night of
Dec. 81. The elements and consultations
move onward in their several ways and pur-
poses without regard to man and his affairs.
Outside of the earth, in the depths of space,
the eternal year has no beginning and no end,
no dawn and no nightfall. The man who
might take stand on Mercury would see
year less than lightweight days long. If he
were resident of Jupiter New Years would
come but once in 4, 1872 days, while the chill
dren of Neptune, away out yonder, nearly
three thousand million miles from
and birth of years but once
in 60, 127 of our days, OF nearly 10 of years
as measured on the earth As men live and
die on this planet no one would live to see the
rising of the sun of a second year on Neptune.
A nonogenarian born ON New Years would die
on Neptunes fourth of July, while centena-
rian would not hold out until August 1t is
only on the little atom called earth among the
stars that the solar year is 800 IA days in
length. 1t is pitiful measure of time, after
all, compared with the sweep made by the
planet most remote within range of telescope
vision. According to Neptune's calendar, if
this be New Years day, Washington was born
early last February, and died last July Such
comparisons are simply ridiculous, but they
serve to show how small thing is man, how
insignificant the broadcast span of human ex-
istence. There are points in the solar system
where terrestrial years are but as days, and
mundane centuries but seasons.
There are greater years even among men
than are measured by the flight of twelve
months The greatest year that ever dawned
on earth was ushered in 1,SS4 years ago. 1t
has not yet reached the heat of midsummer,
and the ripening harvest is not ready to be
gathered There was a new year in the
Christian religion when Luther burned the
Papal bull. There was new year in political
liberty when the men at Philadelphia dared
sign the Declaration of Independence 1t
was the twilight of a new year when John
Brown dared to die for human liberty. The
sun arose above the horizon of that year when
Lincoln wrote and put forth the proclamation
of emancipation. Napoleon's year dawned on
him in the narrow Rue st. Honore, when he
shot away the barricade from the steps Of the
church of st. Roche, and strewed the streets
of Paris with dead bodies. 1t came near clos
ing after the disaster at Leipsic, and
did end at Waterloo and Quatre
Bras Englands great year dates from
the signing of magma charta; Americas from
the surrender at Appomattox.
AS in the history of events so in science
and discovery. The worlds great year of ter
rtorial discovery began in 1892, when CONT
nent, as large in extent as the planet Mercury,
was opened to the sons of men. Isaac Watts
drew back the curtain from the era of steam,
and George Stephenson from the age of rail
ways. Robert Fulton stood on the threshold
Of steam navigation, and Samuel Morse was in
at the birth of the telegraph. The years, as
the years of mems lives, lap over and over
There is no end of years to all the universe.
The insignificant measure of time that men
have denominated year is but as a moment
in the age of spheres. To each man there is
but one year. 1t breaks upon him when he is
ushered into the world, and its eclipse settles
about him when he is taken out Of the world.
The races of men come and go, the earth rolls
on and over, and time is no nearer an end
than it was at the problematical beginning.
THE reappointment of Mr. John W. Murphy
as police commissioner is to be most heartily
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