The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-07
From The Baltimore Patriot.
THANKSGIVING DAY.

The following circular on this subject has been Is
sued by the most reverend Archbishop Eceies'oh' OF
this city;
Avcu Dooy,sr or BALrrMoRE.-Circuar to the
Catholic Clergy and Laity Of Maryland.-lhe Chief
Magistrate of this State having recommended
as that on Wednesday, the fourteenth day oil De-
cember next ensuing, the people OF Maryland
abstain from all secular employment, and pub
Lcly engage in thanksgiving, praise, and pray
err to the Almighty, because of the manifold bles-
sings enjoyed by them under Divine protection"
il IS for me most pleasing duty to inform YOU vene
rable and beloved brethren, to comply with the en-
Iybtened and edifying suggestion of his Exceliency
Amidst the vicisstudes of te its corrodng care and
eorupng pleasures too prone to lose the sense
of our entire dependence the great Author and Dis
poser Of all earthly events and thus, by our ingra-
Jude forfeit claim on his more special protection
In the privacy OF your medtations, you VIII call 10
mind the blessings which have been layshed OH you,
the merciful dispensations by which you have been
not unlrequently rescued from spiritual or temporal
disasters and the unmerited nterpositon OF Divine
Goodness, by which even your own indiscretion and
inhdeities may have been converted into occasions
of self-recoliecton, of sautary CONSCIOUSNESS OF
the vanity Of seeking happiness IN sources not recog-
nized by the maxims Of your holy religion, and per-
haps of return the paths of peace and piey with
an humble and contrite heart.
But whilst as individuals we bow in grateful homage
10 our Heavenly Father, owe him still more sol
emn if not deeper debt of gratitude as great aud
highly favored nation We may have abused the
magnificent inheritance that has fallen TO us we
may in the wantonness OF impatient prosperity, nave
too often sought shorter TO wealth. IMAM those
of industry and ability and have thus justified Di-
vine Providence in cntailing on us the saulary al
though humiliating, consequences oil our aDsorDhg'
| had almost said our national passion But, even
in this retrbution gratefully recognize the inter
vention of a Merciful Father. by memorable les
son he taught us that it is more for our happiness
and responsibility to seek competency by indus
trious and frugal habits, than to hazard conscience
and character the precarlous issue OF extraVa-
giant and unscrupulous schemes OF seii-aggrahoiAe'
ment -
But whilst even the Christening discipline OF heaven
claims our feryent gratitude, with what ettusion OF
feeling should we not acknowledge the countless
blessings that are strewn along our path III COM
mercjaI enterprise has been confined within mar
rover and perhaps more wholesome limits
a new impulse has been necessarily given to the
more stable and secure operations oil agriculture
if causes which it is not for to investigate, have
oppressed the country with pecunlary embarrass-
mcnts has not the earth poured forth her general IA
vors with more than proportionate munihcence, and
placed them within the reach OF even the more needy
among our fellow-citizens' If we are occasion
ally startled by the detection OF revolving frauds
or other baeful enormtes OF human depravity; are
we not also refreshed BY the than counervailng
examples of virtue and morality' Religion is rear
ing her temples and scattering her hallowed fruits
throughout the land temperance points to the count
less haggard victims of vice and misery now re-
claimed to usefulness and selfrespect education IS
more and more literally dtusng its purifying and
ennobling influences peace, which had been threat
ened by serious differences with mighty nation,
again smiles within borders. Have we not,
them cause magnify the praises OF the glyer OIL all
good gifts and to proptate the continuance of his IA
Sors by laying the foot of his affairs the homage OF
hearts glowing with gratitude and love szsS
To comply with this sacred obligation The rever-
ed pastors Of the several congregations and the d.
recors of Catholic Institutions in this State are re-
ouested to have far as practicable, solemn services
on the morning of Wednesday, the l4th December,
and the TIE Deum sung recited after Mass. They
will read this circular to their congregations on some
day previous to that of thanksgiving.
SAMUEL, Archbishop OF Baltimore
Given at BALTIMORE, Nov. 26th, 1912.