The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-12-01


unto the Lord
Thus spoke that noble servant of God
as his fingers touched his harp which was
attuned to the melod dy of Heaven, and
he attempted to strike the strains which
Angels sing in that upper better world.
1t is good thing to give thanks unto
the Lord. Since then a countless
throng have caught the strain until
there's not a star which looks through
the frmameut can find nation or peo-
pie where the song of praise to the
Lord is not sung. Another year has
rolled away and with seventeen States
(in the Eastern world they would be
called Kingdonas,) we to-day write IN
celebrating our time honored Festival
of Thanksgiving to the Ruler of Rulers,
The King of Kings and the Lord of
the Universe. During the year that is
past we have rs nation and rs commu-
mites had many things for the moment
to excite and alarm our apprehension,
but the clouds dispersed and we have
been made glad. 1t is we'll that as a
people we unite in giving public thanks
givings, for our public and national
prosperity, and as communities and in
dividuals, we come up together and
bow our hearts in humble acknowledge
ment to the Author and giver of all
good. / have somewhere learned that
the Thanksgiving Festival originated
in New England on this wise. The
crops of the farmers were cut off.
Famine that most terrible of all trials
stared them in the face. A day of
fasting was appointed for humiliation
and prayer. They confessed their sins.
They passed long aud dreary winter
and planted again. And yet again
their hopes were frustrated and again
in sadness more drear than before they
held their day of fasting and Prayer.
And even the third year their crops
failed them, and their poor hearts sank
within them as they wondered what
it meant and again they deliberated
upon day of fasting and prayer But
in the midst of their deliberations one
of those noble sons of the Puritan.
more hopeful or more wise than the
rest, rising in the assembly proposed
that instead of a day of fasting, they
should have day of Thanksgiving, fol
the blessings that remained. His coun
selprevailed and thus if thisstory betrut
this beautiful hallowed Festival ha.
come down to us. And surely if oul
puritan Fathers had reason for thank
fnlness when despair had we'll nigl
swallowed them up. Next day shil
arrived laden with provisions. Have W.
not reaon Thousand fold? Let III
look. A brilliant past of our country
is reflected as clearly as the stars from
the bosom of its placid waters. A his
tory of glorious deeds, has been painted
upon ourhorizon which many Niagara
could never wash out. The record i.
acknowledged and repeated, inhaled
and exhaled throughout the world. A
the outset no nation can boast noble
| Origin. Our Fathers were no NEAR
marauders set on despicable and des
perate adventures but noblemen, cho
sen of God, out of the best kingdom
of the old world, and appointed to seel
in the new. sFaiths pure Shrine.
The marauders had tried their hand a
colonizing in Mexico and South Amer
lea. They wrote their history in bloot
and crime, and left in their pathwa.
perpetual disolation. They first en-
riched, then debauched and impover
ished their mother country, and LET
their own names disgrace, hissin!
and by-word to succeeding ages
} They turned the garden of the New
World into wasteful desert. Our Faith
ers converted the rocks and ice cliff
,, of N. E. into paradise. That peopl
ought to be, they are rich, to the en-,
OF time that has such an ancestry
They were Gods noblest workmanshi
men of Faith, men of Courage, men O
) selfdenial, men of wisdom, men G
perseverance amid difficulties, and dar
gers, and trial which would have ar
lpalled and discouraged any but th