Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-12-20
be merry at midoigbtG =" Was not that your

occasion of human need some comfort for the
saddest soul some Strengthening for the weakest
saint; some wisdom for the last perplexities
some promise, large and ustious, for the darkest
hour this wise and Wondrous word tells here
Of one who rises even at midnight to give thanks,
and suggests that not only is there no inoonsis-
tency in joy in the midst OF sorrow, but that
there may be n very special reason why just
then,-just at mdnight-may be most proper
time for giving thanks. Nay, indeed, know
not whether we shall not seem to see that it is
the best of times for that and as that fire
which under the full light of the noon hour is
nothing but some blackened wood, and some
grey ashes, and little smoke, and the merest
remnant of a ftfnl flame, becomes in the noon
Of night flashing and roaring blaze, leaping up
from furnace of red hot Goals, and springng
out of that fierce heat towards the clouds, and
far into the surrot nding epaee,-so our thanks
giving fires, that in the full day of prosperity
had been burning low now, in the night Of
tribuaton, taking strength and brightness by
their contrast with the darkness, shall Hash
into purer, aud warmer, and more splendid
praise.
Oh, indeed, l think, that to him who rises at
midnight, there is no lack Of cause for grateful
giving Of thanks. And the first reason see is
that, notwithstanding the present gloom, the
past day has been 80 glorious. That in the
morning the sun rose, and scattered the Clouds
ANU Mufueu the cOlu ehTln, anu Wuheu W ilAo
and happiness each various form OF natures
handiwork That the morning marched into
the magnilicence Of noon; and like right royal
and right lavish prince, there sitting for n
while showered down such store of light and
heat, and quickening power, that not only was
the cup OF blessing full, but surplus enough
remained to keep away the cold and cruel frost
Of night. That while the day lasted, the man
had strength to do his appointed work; and the
providential mercy 30 assisted him that his labor,
Intellectual otherwise, had covered his fair fields
with growing crops OF corn. That having
wrought well in the daylight, he might afford to
let night come, persuaded that it would go
again
And in our midnight, o friends, is it not
cause of Thanksgiving that dark as this hour may
seem, our past history has been SO glorious ?
That the bright and blazing sun of liberty rising
out of the Eastern despotisms, three hundred
years ago, famed upon this new Western world
OF ours, drove away the clouds of ignorant oh.
scurity that had settled through so many ages
down upon the land, and warmed what seemed
cold and dead world into life That the glorious
morning climbed into still more glorious noon,
and sat there SO long, as it had been some nigh
ty monarch OF liberal heart and lavish hand,
scattering such store Of rich blessings upon ns,
| that there wns very much more than we could
use then 80 much more, that 1t is treasure,
| and means of vital power to us even now, in
the darkness and the cruel tyranny Of cold
| While the day continued we did our woodwork
well. We protested against the oppression Of
the English King We knded the first fires of
that French Revolution, which, in spite OF its
excesses was good To burn up thrones, and
vile old traditions of despotism, and gray and
| grim abuses that were crushing out the liberties
aud the souls of the people. And, more than
that atill, we lifted up our voices on the side Of
Freedom, and showed the old nations such fair
example, and inspired them so by the sight, that
revolutions by the score might be counted in
North and in South America, and in Europe, and
wherever there was n necessity that right should
strike down wrong. We proved it possible for
n great state to exist without enormous expense
Of royal puppets, and huge armies, and all the
weight Of war; and for pure church to stand,
of itself, unhelped, not leaning on the arm of IA
corrupted state. We entered, single-handed,
into the greAt enterprise of doing away with the
old distinctions of society which sunk the whole
mass of men into degradation that some might
seem Of lofty place; and proposed to ourselves
the more noble, and magnanmous, and demo-
cratic plan of lifting all together,-the whole
mass-so high, that the mere name of man
should be counted of the highest rank and il
any one could climb beyond that he should be
counted of greater dignity than Kings Shall il
not be matter of thanksgiving 10 us, even al
midnight, that God has been 80 evidently, and sc
grandly writing our American history for US, ai
with his own finger of iireY
And again. To him rising at midnight, ant
remembering gratefully the mercies of the pas
day, il il not also Il reason of Thanksgiving tha
though the sun has gone, and darkness has hid
, den from him all his wide domain Of farm Ian,
and forest; yet, after all, it is only hiding, nnt
not destruction? Though as he lies there il
his lonely chamber, and listens to the wild wiut
without and sees the black robes of night fallnl
J like some iunereal pail across the windows, ant
hears perchanoe, in some of the farhest fields O
{ his possession the bowling of some fierce beas
that has broken through the enclosures and i
making sad havoc in the hocks nevertheless
/ the meadow, and the pasture, and the grown
= corn, and the waving forests have just as rea
= existence in the midnight as Mt noon; an
0 whether he can see them or not, they are sti
a there, and they are still his and though th
@ bowling Of the wild beast may be very terribi
q sound, and its ravages may be in the morning
sad sight to see, yet it cannot, by reason OF ih
4 largenpss of the flock, and the shortnesa of th
= night, effect u complete destruction.
J. And in our midnight o friends, is it not
v cause of thanksgiving that though in the dark
- ness of this hour we are, as it were, lying
d some lonely chamber and listening to the storm
d and looking out into the gloom, and so canu
i see the fair aud broad extent Of our inherite
it possessions yet il is only the hiding Of the nig
D. not destruction of our inheritance itself?-
Stretching in its ample scope, by river and
e sea- and beneath the mountain shadow, it
e lying still in all its rich fertility and all its mob
r beauty. And though there is indeed in the n
" the roar Of some wild and fierce beast despoilil
J. the distant flocks, yet by reason Of Gods goC
+ providence, the time of his havoc shall NOT
l. long.
ID And yet again. 10 him rising AT midnigl
ID is it not reason of thanksgiving that while h
st labor is ended. and Lot by even hia utmost sru
n giles can he longer control the forces of that N
a. ture he was guiding through the day, yet natu
herself does not tire so easily, nor so soon; al
l. while he has been sleeping, the light that
Ill noon-tide had sunk into the ground has be
I'd running swiftly through the cold corridors Al
ur dark chambers of the soil, and miuster
or warmth and life to the grateful roots of I
We grain and, above, the showers have been tn
IS, ing, and the dews descending, and the gre
ho crops of corn still growing, and ripening for I
ms harvest
ho Aud in our midnight, o, friends, is ii not
all cause of thanksgiving. that. through it nll, VIII
We our feeble hands seemed unable fUr their VOL
ect tue good providence of our God, working thrOu
I'd, NATURE has been blessing US with such uncoui
Ia ed and uumerited merciea? Have you not n
,n- ticed how the whole land has seemed to lab
We for u.s. and our barns are filled; filled so that
20 have no room for more, aud are enabled to 81
of great surplus for the supply of other and nee
sa- nations Have you not noticed, too, how OtE
,ur things have been growing for US through
we night Things that we might have thouG
of would wither at once, as soon as the sunlil
Jan was gone? Our various industries, though
deed, at the first coming of the darkness, Ii
lge bowed their heads and seemed about to peri
ize have got back again almost their wonted vigt
ust and though here and there you will find i
ght mills aud silent hammers, yet the hum of a
1t ried, and busy, and happy labor, is max
lite, continual music in the land. Our social BILE
t is ings, too-dear, domestic joys vigorous heal
nth preserved life undimlnished strength Of IN
the and body the happy intercourse Of sympath'
rue souls the continuance OF lie TO those we 10