The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-01-25
THANKSGIVING SERMON.
Of Rev. JOhn Chambers, at Phila
81 deIpElia, November n, 1859.

; The speaker read as, Introductory to his ser
mon; from the 9Th chapter of Deuteronomy an
the End chapter Of Fist Timothy. Then afte
prayer, he said
have announced to you my purpose to re
lieve my heart of burden that has oppresse
me for a long time. | am an American citize
An American Minister Of the Gospel low
this Bible. love the God of this Rible.
love my country, its Constitution and laws
lam man of peace. 1 have heart for th'
nation. love it from its extreme Northern
verge to the utmost limits of its Southern
boundary love it from the spot upon whict
first falls the ray of the morning sun, to that
far off West, where lingcr the last beams of the
suns evening retirement. l love it from its
centre to its circumference love it as unit
am ready to live by it as a unit; I am ready
to put the blood of my heart fresh upon its al
tar, rather than see it anything else than unit.
The worth Of this Union to ourselves and the
world ofmankind is infinitely beyond price
No powers of Arithmetic or mathematical ge-
nus, however cultivated, can figure out the in
trinsic value Of this Union to ourselves and to
the race. The eyes Of the civilized world are
upon us to-day. Fixed and steady is that gaze
that comes from every quarter of the globe, it
seems just to hover, in its burning look, upon
this galaxy OF States. The nations of mankind
are watching Us with especial interest, because
we are engaged in working out the great, the
momentous problem of selGgovernment. The
finger ofscorn has been pointed; the pen of the
opponent frepublics has been dipped long and
deep and has dashed rapidly across the page
declaring the impossibility of our success.
1t has long been my fixed opinion that the
monarchies of Europe, and especially England,
were jealous Of us. 1t is possible that in this
we may be mistaken; but the old adage that
actions speak more loudly than words, comes
in to our assistance. When small in size and
young in years, we escaped from under the op.
pressiVe dominion of that government; and in
despite Of her armies, her navy, her wealth. we
moved on with the strength OF an infant giant,
and hurled from our necks, shook from our
hands, burst from our feet, every badge and fet
ter Of political bondage and stood up treemen--
freemen before the Universe. Subsequently,
insult added to injury reused the heart oil the
young giant, and brought him into renewed
conflict with his former oppressor! That at
tempt to crush us failed as had the previous at.
tempt. Why did the first fail? Because the
heart ofour nation was infused with the spirit
of the bible and patriotic unity. Why did the
sarnpI EiI2 ba cd ~; a
States OF this Republic felt that they were bound
together by hooks Of eternal STEEL as one man,
they met the enemy, they conquered, they tri.
umphed. The invading foe, with foIlen crest,
were commanded to return to their own shores
and let us alone.
This spirit ofjealously is, we think, manifest;
and the monarchies, and despotism of Europe
can to day see no hope of triumphing over this
Western Continent IN any other way than by
breaking us to pieces They cannot break US,
but we can break ourselves. The combined ar
mics and naves Of the whole three continents
are not equal to the task Of fsevering this Union,
five be true to ourselves.
Seeing then, no hope, only by dividing Us a.
ganst ourselves, our adversaries are apt as a
matter Of course, to seize hold of that whereby
they may most readily engender strlfe-mak.
us sectonal-lift the heart from the great ark
of the covenant of the union, and put it down in
litsle spot there. Here it is you find England
particularly, most mpertinently officious in at
tempting to interfere with our institutions -
Her press, her pdlpits, her forum, her Senate
chamber roll out anathemas upon us, and en-
deayor to stretch forth the hand to lay it upon
that which belongs to us, with which they
have no business. And as the Lord lives, III
they are not careful. that arm will one day be
smtten from the shoulder in its ntermeddling
attempts. We are long suffering people; but,
brethren there was point at which we found
encroachment unendurabe; and there may be
another. If we are capable of working out the
great problem selfgowrnment, we are capa-
BILE OF taking care OF our own institutions, what
ever they may be-commercial, agricultural, do
mestc civil, religious; we are capable Of taking
care Of our institutions, and we must be let a.
lone. ....
II, however, the enemies of republics can, by
the utmost stretch Of their cunning and their
power, urge on to a spirit of mutual jealousy,
ofanarchy, OF confusion; if they can discover,
(and they think they have discovernd it, the
means by which an entering wedge Of separa-
ton may be introduced between these States
now bound together by ten thousand legq ments
of the human heart and cemented by oceans orI
holy and patriotic blood-if they can discoyer
how they may divide and disrupt this Union,
they will do it and when it shall be done. thew
will put the iron heel of despotism upon the
scattered fragments as may suit their pleasure
or their interest. But, o God! that day can
not come, that day will never come, if we be
true to ourselves
have no apprehensions from the malignant
influence of any power, unless it be seconded
by our own folly. Sometimes men tell me
If we should have war with England our enc
mics would burn Boston, and burn New York.
and burn Philadelphia, and burn Baltimore;
they will burn every city on the Atlantic Shore
I do not believe word oft. That is not the
kind Of stuff that we are made OF. to be thus
burned. But we may burn ourselves. While
M othpr ha nd do ra oro or, that hall.