Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-11-19
Thanksgiving Day.

Governor Bebb of this State, has followed
the example of a dozen of his brother Go
vernors, and appointed the 25th Of November
" as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to Al
mighty God"
If there are those who choose to thank God
by appointment, and pray as per direction of
the State of Ohio, we certainly have no right
to object TO their doing so. But this way of
REFRESHING your thanksgiving, if you have
any, until the Governor sees proper to have
it expressed, and if you are destitute, to try
to find some against a specified day, strikes
us as ridiculous, especially when we remem-
Der to whom the proclamation is addressed.
Instead Of honoring God by these State APP
p%ointments, we believe they rather tend TO
dissipate the spirit oftrue prayer, and substi-
tute a formal outward show of thanksgiving
for that heartfelt thankfulness that maniIosts
itself by deeds of benevolence and acts of
mercy. Sincere prayer and soul-felt thanks
giving don't and can't wait for word of COM
mand from Governor Bebb, or Governor
D'uhh VI any 'hu bNNClHOl d, Nut1 tplhC u
themselves and will not be restrained they
wait for no parade day or day of general re-
view-such as the 25th Of November is de-
signed to be-to be put through regular ex-
ercises, and declare in well turned periods
their actual existence.
Does Governor Bebb imagine that his set
ting aside a day for the purpose designated,
was necessary or desirable Tor those who pray
because they will to be, but because they
can't help it? Or does he suppose that his
Proclamation will bestow the spirit of prayer
upon those who are destitute, or create a feel
ing of thankfulness in those who are govern
ed by selfshness? If it is useless to both
these classes, whom does it benefit unless il
be the State, by making it seem rather more
solemn and rather more 6 ordained of Cod
The Governor says:
"Uniformity in the designation of the day
is esteemed desirable by a Christian people,
that there may be exhibited the sublime spec.
tacle of a great nation in behalf of whom Pro-
violence has wrought wonderful things, in a
signal manner acknowledging Him as theiI
sovereign ruler, and as the magnificent donor
Of all they enjoy" U'
A person unacquaintcd with the infamous
conduct of the q great nation" here referred
to, would be very aptto suppose that we wer'
a people distinguished for our piety and on
obedience to the laws of God; and that ih'
Almighty, by some miraculous agency hat
manifested to an admiTing world that we wer
his peculiar people.
Governor Bebb is hardly so ignorant as no
t to know much Of the vileness and wickednes
} Of this nation. When he penned his Procla
; nation he knew that we were a nation o
man-stealers, and that we were engaged il
wholesale robbery and murder; he knew tina
a portion Of the people of Ohio had organize,
, themselves into a band of marauders and in
5 vaded the territory of a sister Republic, an,
5 he also knew that he had called upon then
> thus to do, and that Wings and Democrat
5 choose to have it so, and bestow most homo
upon such of them as are most Infamous, IL,
further knew that the people of Ohio-thos,
whom he called upon to thank and prais
God-were, at the moment he was writing
his Proclamation, crushing thousands of thei
9 colored brethren into the dust, imposing up
on the,R taxation without representation, re