The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1899-01-06
1899.

landmark on a moln-
tain height, where the Traveller
rests awhile tn cast q lonk backward
over the route he has come, and
look forward into the unknown future.
Some of ourfellow-tr travellers in life's
pilgrimage, from the cradle to the
grave, are tagging behind us, some
have fallen by the wayside, and some
have got away ahead Of us, stimnlat-
ingus to new Efforts to catch up with
them. AS individuals, we have little
to brag about, but as component
parts OF great whole, as free citizens
Of vast Republic, we may well feel
proud and congratulate ourselves that
we live in a land of promise and des-
tiny.
If as a nation, we are true to our
mission--"t proclaim liberty through
out all the land to all the inhabitants
thereof"--a glorious future lies before
us, and before another century rolls
around we may be able to realize the
dcsircof all nations and join In the
celebration Of an universal Peace
Jubilee in spirit and in truth, such as
the world has as yet never seen.
MEANWHILE. it bchOoves us TO keep
our powder dry and keen.edge on our
swords, at all times prepared for the
impending final struggle for suprema-
cy preceding the millennial reign of
Peace. Z
Our recent Peace Jubilees were pre-
imaturc. There is not, and there can
not be permanent peace while as yet
SO many wrongs remain to be righted,
so many public and private grievances
to be redrcssed, so many clashing in
tcrests to be rcconciled, so many DIFF
ferences to be equalized. Even the
Christian world lacks common cal
endar, to say nothing Of general sys-
TEN of uniform weights and meas
urcs, moral as well as material.
| In America, England, Germany and
other countries this New Year 1899
has already begun, while in Russia,
Rumania, Servia and other countries
under the sway of the Greek church
1t does not begin until the 18th.
The deliyerance of the children of
Israel from Egyptian bondage was
preceded by change in the beginning
of the year from autumn to spring
The civil year $500 Of the Jewish era
begins at sunset September 4, 1859, OF
our calendar, but ever since Moses and
Aaron, the Jewish ecclesiastical year
begins with the first new moon after
the vcrnal equinox in commemoration
of the institution of the Passover
and all'0ther memorial fcasts are reg
uatcd thereby.
The advent Of Christ was preceded
by the introduction OF new calendar
into the Roman Empire by Julius
Caesar, since known as the Julian cal
endar, which still prevails in Russia
and the Greek church unchanged.
Pope Gregory XIII, in order to
oqualize tho difference between the
civil and solar year, dropped ten days
from the year 1882 and suppressed 3
of 4 secular leap years Of the Julian
calendar, which accounts for the pres
ent differences Of l3 days, and Of IA
days in the next century between the
Julian and the Gregorian calendars.
In 1892 revolutionary France, dis
satisfied with both, promulgated a
new Republican calendar, together
with the metric system of weights
and measures, which Napolean !
afterwards sought to force upon the
world with fire and sword. But the
republican calendar pcrished at Wa.
terloo, and the metric system also is
doomed because of itsdnhcrent de-
fccts, and will probably not survive
the coming new century. W.
In the fateful year 1881 Gar Alcxan
der | called convention at st. Pet.
crsburg to discuss a proposed new cal
endar and other reforms for the Rus
sian empire, but unfortunately lie was
assassinated before that convention
met. And now the gigantic shadow
Of new Trinity looms up from thr
horizon of the @th century which
alone seems powerful enough to Sc
cure sthe world at large all reform.
and cEditions precedent to new era
OF unkcrsal peace so fervently loDged
for byfffi nations. 1t is the proposed
Anglo-Saxon Triple Alliance ol
America, Great Britain and Ger.
many.
Our recent war with Spain was only
a faint, and not very edifying prelude
to the great general conflict, which is
bound to follow sooner or later. That
much dreaded final war will put the
mettle of our Statesmen and of the
heroes OF our armies and navies to Sc
vercr tests, and afford them opportu
mites for far greater victories.
Whatever new complications and
combinations the new year may dcvel.
sQp, conscious of our strength and love
Nc LIN we can look the new year
b face and welcome il
good cheer and best