Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-11-22
STATE OF VERMONT.
"A RIO CT "A M Alto NJ
BY THE GOVERNOR.

The homage of grateful con6dng heart, is due to
God from every creature under heaven. He is great
and good, wise and holy, Just and true All His works
praise Him. They proclaim His wisdom and His pow
err; while of His goodness is impressed the
heart of man by every object which meets his eyes,
ministers his wants in the creation which surrounds
him And this impression is deepened when he con-
sders his mental and moral constituton-his ca
pacity ofknowing God of delighng in His perections
reishing the beautiful and sublime of His works. Of
perceivng the excellency of His truth the glory Of His
Justice, and the riches Of His revealed mercy to man.
To these motives OF gratitude which press upon every
individual heart there are suPeraded those which de-
mand an acknowledgement of Gods goodness from us
a community. lie has favored us with a govern
ment founded the great truth, that call
ated equal" He has permitted us the privilege of Sc
ecting rulers from among ourselves. He has
enabled them to enact wise and good laws for govern
mcnt He has given the Bibe--commissioned His
ministers to proclaim its truths and impressed them
upon the hearts of the people, that Of response
blity to Him, the great Lawgyer takes the place of
that force which otherwise could alone secure obedi-
ence to law.
These great blessings with the unvaryinp alienation
Of summer and winter seed time and harvest and the
possession of EARTH yielding to the labors of
uniailng and abundant supply for his wants, the
fruits Of the goodness of our Heavenly Father, who
maketh His to rise the evil aud the good,
and sendeth His rain on the Just and the unjust.
DO therefore, at the close of this year, which has
been sgnay crowned with Gods goodness TO us as a
people, appoint THURSDAY the FIFTH day Of De-
cember next to be observed day Of THASKsGIvING
and PRAISE, throughout this State
their accustomed labors and in their several places OF
worship, and the joyous gatherings of their family
circles pour out the thanksgiving of full hearts TO their
Heavenly Father, for His multiplied and Astounding
mercies to them. Let us praise Him for the general
health He has permitted to enjoy, during the past
year. Let look upon gathered harvest of good
things and surround our tables loaded with His boun-
ties and thank Him for the EARTH the air. the rain and
the sunshine which have produced them. Aud let us
consider the value Of the spiritual blessings He has be-
slowed on that We have the Holy Scriptures able
III
man,the living Ministry, to preach Christ crucifed-
and the example for imitation, of His spotless life
His active goodness, and His sefsacrcng love. Let
give thanks that the truth made mighty, in work
ing the results Of practical reform individual
character, and in the condition Of human society. Let
thank God for the success Of the Temperance Re-
form-for the increasing regard for the Snbbath-for
the growing though too reluctant interest for the OPP
prosecution the advancing spirit Of Peace, and for the
active and successful efforts dispe the darkness OF
herthenism, and substitute for its burdensome and
bloody rites the simple worship of the living and the
true God
And while enjoying the Bible, and the institutions Of
freedom, OF whose continuance the incubation and
growing influence of its truths the only guaranty and
pledge, let us think Of the millions in heather, and
nominally christian land, and in own land,
who are destitute of those blessings-enveoped in the
darkness of ignorance and crushed beneath the foot of
oppression; and let prove gratitude to God by
bearing them hearts to the throne of His grace,
and cheerully and literally ministering Of our abund
ance 10 their wansireey giving as we have freely
ceiyed from the benevolent father of all. And let
the poor whom have with us, be forgotten, but
let excite in their hearts emotions Of gratitude to
God by becoming the almoners of his bounty to them,
in their loneliness and restitution.
And finally, let the JOY of this festive season be chas
ened by the recollection of our mortality, of which the
faded fallen gores of the expiring year impessIvely
remind and let this memenlo of our own dssolu-
ton quicken Of individual responsibility, and
urge to work while the day lasts for the good Of
fellow men-regarding them all our brethren-la-
boring to make them better and happier, and doing
with might what hands find to do, in aiding
ward to its consummaton the cause of peace earth
and good will toward man.
Given under my hand at Mddlebury this 9th day of
November in the year of Lord one thousand
eight hundred and forty-lou and of the independ-
ence OF the United States, the sxty-ninth.
WILLIAM SLADE.
BY the Governor,
GEO. II. BEAMAs, Secretary.