Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-11-23
CITY AND COUNTY
THANKSGIVING DAY.

ANASGlNING DAY.
The festival Of New England though falling
a week earlier than usual in Massachusetts,
was observed in this city i'll the usual manner,
without any sensible abatement of interest
We give below sketches of some of the dis
courses which were preached, as extended as
our limits will allow =
CENTRAL CHURCH.
Rev. DIR. Sweetser preached at the Central
church, from Deut 30: 9. "The Lord, thy
God, will make thee plenteous in every work
OF thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in
the fruit of thy cattle and in the fruit of thy
land for good for the Lord will again rejoice
over thee for good, as lie r,joIced over thy
fathers" Circumstances give lin unusual
character to this occasion. War RACES on all
our coasts, great calamity is casting its huge
shadow over all the land. We can no longer
look upon united country, smiling in its
prosperity and consolidating the sectional into
the national by the ron bonds of trade and
commerce. The high career of hope has been
arrested, and such change must modify our
feelings. Yet we have many causes Of graft
tude. We have an ample harvest. Strait
ness OF bread is not added to our apprehension.
The grain crops OF England have been re-
markedly small, making Europe dependent on
US at the very time when they would be most
liable to exemption. We have not been
scourged with pestilence, either in our houses
or our families. We are blest with good de-
gree Of unanimity. Yet with many other
causes of rejoicing, we almost shut our
eyes to the great cause If the war
In the events OF providence nothing is all
good nothing all bad BrutuS killed Caesar;
a patriotic deed, but opening the prospect of
the Imperial purple 10 every ambitious ty
rant The ~thct OF NautZ RUNE d Protestant
ism in France, but aid il in England So
every temporary evil gives place TO greater
good We think much of tine present genera
ton when it vanisheS think The loss ir-
reparable. But one generation passes away
and another comes and each is an improve
Ineut on its predecessor, At certain times pc
RODS are marked by retrogression. The prn-
cipls OF resusciiation appears 10 be suspended.
Hence il Is so difficult to draw differences from
history No man is competent to name the
present from the past, Tor We cannot estimate
the weight Of adverse elements. We have
ere cted temple OF freedom but the evil gen
Jus Of slavery has entered there and all cur
traffic and all our business is Tor purposes
OF war and even weapons are forging to
crimson our soil with the blood Of her
own sons. Thus in this land the good aud the
bad tile tlres and the wheat grow together,
and the great question Of the day is how to
eliminate the good from the bad. Sickness is
not always an evil, Tor 1t sometimes saves the
system from corruption. So the present crisis
may purge off our national faults. The evils
which caused this quarrel existed in the ma
ton; the war therefore a necessity but
ii may open Il reliet to US. And not the least
of to-day's duty is TO hope for our country.
We have much to be gratitied for; but can we
not conceive of a higher stat of the nation
than the present! Increased education, higher
patriotism, purer religion, and more liberal use
of wealth If not for ourselves, il may be for
our children that this conflict for the great
principles OF government and humanity was
not in vain.
THE UNITARIAN SERVICES.
Rev. Mr.. Shipper preached M the church of
Rev. Dr. Hill, from The 18th Psalm, 1924 =
"rhe stone which the builders rejected is be-
come the head-stone of the corner. This sithe
Lords doings, it is marvellous in cur eyes.
This is the day which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it." We do
not, he said, ignore human agency when we
reyerenlly recognize a divine Providence over
ruling man S plans and bring issues which he
never foresaw, with retribution for sin and
fresh opportunities To- duty. The troubles of
to-day furnish abundant grounds Of fasting,
but regarded in its prOvidential aspects let us
rather say This IS the day the Lord hath
made we will rejoice and be glad in it. After
speaking Of several reasons Tor gratitude, the
duties were cODsileIed which tiis day OF the
Lord involves. The duty of feeling that the
burdens OF the war belong to us ail,-the duty
of economy and Of charity,-the duty of a.
maguanimous confidence in the government
the duty OF candid inquiry and forming intel
ligent opinion as TO the new issues which the
rapid current of events is opening, SO as to
form healthy public sentiment to guide or
support the government.
The planting Of the flag upon Carolina soil
and every advancing step Of our army takes
out Of the r aim of abstraction and brings
the practical issue which must be met by gov
eminent and peOple-what shall we do with
the slave 2 After attempting to give fair
statement of the complications that embarrass
the subject, in the fact that the administration
went into power pledged to interfere with no
private state affairs, and pledged TO obey all
constitutional requirements, and in the fact
that there is supposed TO lie large body yet
loyal in the south who must be concated and
not oilended-the speaker argued that liberty
should be made an open ally by accepting the
help of the slave. First, because slavery is re-
| spOnsibe for the war, why shall we
save the serpeut warmed in our bosom
| that would sting us TO death! Sec
ond, because constitutional guarantees only
| 20 with obedience. When rebels spurn the
one they forfeit the other. War creates its
! own methods, which no constitution can write
out The constitution is peace document
Self defense justifes methods that no constitu-
ton can provide for. II is unlawful to take
another's life. But the common law OF all
lands iustifies any one IN taking an assassin's
life TO save his own. Third 1t was argued
to be good policy, as a blow at the rebels most
vulnerable spot, and as adding to our cause
the help OF the slave. On this ground the
people are fast learning to echo and applaud
the doctrines Of Butler, Bancroft, Burnside,
Cochane, aud Cameron, saying perish slavery,
but preserve The Union and inviting liberty
to perch upon our banners and lead US to
| speedy victory and lasting peace.
SALEM STREET CHURCH.
Rev Mr.. Richardson preached 10 large
! Congregation on the Blessings of Civil Liber-