Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-11-24
Thanksgiving.

Gov Downey has appointed Thursday next,
Nov. 29th, as a day of general thanksgiving for
the people of California. We hope The day will
be observed throughout the entire State with
that degree of respect and gratitude which we
owe 10 a wise and benifcent Providence.
What Land has so many reasons for being
thankful as our own? Three fOurtbs Of a century
ago we were thirteen dependent and enslaved
colonies, subject to the caprice and will of a
halEcrazed king, aud numbering scarce three
millions of thralls TO the British crown. Now
we are thirty three independent soverelgntles,
bound together in one glorious, prosperous, happy
Union, with population of over thirty millions
of intelligent freemen What a magnificent
subject for the future historian Does the 81 Il
thousand years of the worlds history furnish
parallel to our own beloved country in prOgres
wealth and power? Does any reasoning, think
ing man, claim that this great success in govern
ment has been brought about by chance or bin
Fate? If there does, let us commend him to tn
words of the immortal poet
"There is a Divinity that doth shape
Our ends, rough hew them as We will ~
c., does not remember with pride the iron me
who first braved the dangers and vicissitudes d
this then almost unknown and wholly uneXplore
land who, acre by acre, reclaimed from th
wild savage this fair heritage? Think you tina
chance drove upon these wild shores those ster
moralsis Of Plymouth Rock, prosecuted at HON
r their peculiar austerity of christian faith
the Huguenots of the Carolinas-the Catholics oI
Maryland the followers of Vim. Penn To thd
tkcptic it must seem marvellous Fate thai
pointed out the wild, untamed forests of AmeriI
ca, the asylum for all the oppressed and perse1
cutcd followers of Christ, of all denominations
in Europe Stranger it must seem to him, thai
the very first act of these exiles upon settin 4
foot in these new found homes that of one acl
cord, they should reverenuy bow the knee, and
thank God for their safe arrival, and ask hid
blessing, care and goodness to be extended owed
all their future acts and enterprises. What 4
singular chance, moreover, that in accordance
with the askngs and prayers Of these zealots
the colonies prospered, and became models o.
civil government, to be copied by the very ma
lions whose arbitrary laws had driven them fror
their midst, and that they built up government
upon firm reliance and faith in Divine Provi
deDce, that should be the glory and wonder q
the civilized world.
TO the immutable faith in Deity, held by on
forefathers, do we owe all our national greatness
Upon christian faith are based all our laws d
morals. 'Ts duty we owe to the memory II
the great dead, as we'll as TO ourselves as chris
tans to keep national holiday for thanksgiving
to an all wise Providence, who has showered th
blessings Of liberty and prosperity munihcent
ly upon us. We hope to see the time when thd
President shall issue his proclamation, instead
The Governors of the various States, for day O
general Thanksgiving and rejoicing, thereby ma
king it truly an American aud national instituN
ton.
Rev. Mr.. Kellen will preach a Thanksgiving
sermon in the Union church, on next Thursday
and we ask for him full attendance.