EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
47 
the fairest regions of the earth, rich with the wealth of 
Ormus and of Ind; and Commerce, hand in hand with Liberty 
and Truth, entering, will awaken anew the energies of man, 
and extend the domain of each ? Then “ the shield shall 
hang idly in the hall, and the spear be no longer used for the 
purpose of destruction ; then the earth shall be ploughed 
with the sword with which once man slew his fellow-man, 
and the vine be pruned with the spear embrued with his 
blood.” 
But, fortunately, we have not to do with the politics of the 
•world, nor even with those of our own profession. We 
have withdrawn ourselves into a much smaller circle, and it 
is only with the events of the past year in connexion with 
our literary efforts that we are now concerned. 
If in our pages during the year there have appeared some 
controversial communications, we have endeavoured to remove 
from them all unnecessary personalities. It has been well 
observed that, “ not the least difficult, and certainly the most 
delicate of journalistic duties is that of deciding on the publi¬ 
cation of correspondence.” Do what the Editors may, satis¬ 
faction will not be given to both parties. “ The insertion of 
such correspondence is like the letting in of water: the flood 
will stop only when you shut down the sluice gates ; and 
every drop shut out thinks it has just as much right to get 
in as well as that which went before.” 
Unlike the sun-dial, it may have been ours to number other 
than sunny hours, although even these last are marked by a 
shadow, which perchance, such is the perverseness of human 
nature, we are more disposed to notice than the brightest 
sunshine. Hence, reviewing the past editorially, we perceive 
much to exist that we could wish had not been, and much 
that might have been better done, but 
“ Humanum est errare,” 
is the old motto, and only too true. Hope, however, buoys up 
our expectations for even a more auspicious future. There 
are already some green spots in memory’s waste—like oases 
in the desert—and it will ever be to us a source of the highest 
