Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-08-25
MsrfIlansoas.
BY REV. GEORGE W. PEPPER.

What nstioa h there 80 great Deut ir:7.
The government Of the Most High God has.
amongst other modes, been conducted by the
instrumentality of national communities or
combinations Of men. who have been moulded
under avariety Of circumstances by his direc-
tion. engaged In certain operations. and accom-
pliahing certain designs.
Guch nations have greatly differed in condi-
tiou, in character aad In influence. Some have
been Invested with much privilege and eleva-
tion; while Others have endured comparative
privafion and abasemcnt. Some have exerted
an influence manifcsily desirable and beneficial;
while others hase cxcrted an agency apparently
malignant mad diastrous. But all have been
equally nader the control Of Infinite Wisdom,
and have carried out course Of events which
shall finally Issue In the perfection of The Di-
vine Glory, and the copsummaiion Of the Dni-
verse. In other ages Of His government. God.
In His providential intervention selected and
conferred privileges Of the highest order upon
the nation or people of Israel. No human state
has either received or pariicinaied in some Of
the privileges which they enjoyed. Without
cnumerafiRg other examples, our own country
il isuadoubtedly in the position We have now de-
fined; and It becomes rs TO recognize and to re-
member carefully that fact. with an earnestness
peculiarly adopted to The times in which we
stand and estimate the position of our land was
more momentous than it Is now.
1t is our purpose, with the assistance Of the
Divine Spirit, to present the subject before you;
we propose TO observe: .frk, that as a nation we
enjoy valuable advantages and blessings: and
secondly, that our yalunble advantages and bless
ingt. as nation, place MS under important OBJ
ligat,ons to the God. by whom they We're be-
slowed.
1. weobs.sve thai as nation we enjoy val
uabie advantages and blessings. Reference
may be made to natural and territorial adyan-
tages. This did Moses when he described the
region where the people Of his charge were to
find home. He described it a. good land
a land OF brooks and water; Of fountains and
depths that spring out Of valleys and hills; a
land Of wheat and barley, and vines and fig.
trees md pomegranafes; land of oil, olive and
honey. In like manner we might speak of the
healfhiness of our climate, the purity ofour at
mcsphere snd the almost miraculous vegetation
of our seeds and plants; the beauty and splen-
dor Of our landscapes; the length Of our lakes
and rivers; the magni6cence Of our mountain
seenery, stretching to The clouds in lewless ma
jesty-theee give tone and sublimify TO the mind
contemplating them Columbia is fertile in sol
-ronlantic in loveliness-luxuriant in natural
rescurces-majestic in scencry-the navies o.
empires might ride in her harbors-tbe COM
rnerce Of the world might foat on her lakes and
rivers: and the time is fast approaching wher
she VIII wear the diadem Of the waters, and bt
called the mistress Of the seas.
The sum total Of the area Of the Uuited
States n territory is 3,252, 2,6e4 square miles
Il il esfimsted from this TACT that the terrific.
rial extent IT this republic is nearly ten time,
~ lsrge a that Of France and Britain united
three times a large as the whole of Britain
France, Austria, Prussia, Spain. Portugal, Bel.
GUM, Holland, Denmark combined; one and ,
half times - large q that Of the Russian EN-
pire; one-sixth less only than the area covered
by 50 or 60 empires, states or republics Of Eu
rops; Of equal extent with the Roman empir
OF that Of Alexander, neither Of which is sai'
TO hsve exceeded three millions. Kansas, q vas
country situated 10 the heart Of the continent