Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-04-07

PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


Whcrsas, The Senate Of the United States de-
rouIly recognising The suprem. authority and just
Government OF Almighty God in all the affairs
OF man and OF nations, ha'by s''resoluton, request
ed the President to designate aud set apart day
for National prayer and humiliation; and,
UheredS, Ii ia the duty Of nations, Is vol 81 NJ
men, to own their dependence upon the ovetru-
INK power Of God, to confess THAR sins snd trans
gr0"Ioni, IN humbls sorrow, yet with assured
hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy
and pardon, and 10 recognize the sublime truths
announced in the Holy Scripture and proven by
All history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord.
And, lnaSmuch As We know that, by His divine
law, nations ike indpvdusl,, ara Iublscted to
punDhments and Establishments in this world may
We not justly fear that the Awful calamity Of
civil war, which now desclales the land, may be
buta punishment inflicted upon Us for our pre-.
sumpIuoua sins, to the nsedu end Of our national
reformation asa whole people : We h,Vs bsen
the recipients Of the choicest bountiss OF heaven
We have been preserved, these many years, in
peace and prosperity We have grown 10 mum
bsr', wealth, and power as no other nation has
ever grown. But We havs forgotten God. We
have forgotten the gneiouI hand which preserved
"a 10 peace and multiplied and enriched and
strengthened ui and We have vainly imagined,
IN tho dsceiIfuIntm Of our hearts, that all these
blessings were produced by soma superior wisdom
and virtue Of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken
success, We have become TOO sslf,ufcient 10 feel
the Necessity OF rsdeemlng and preserving grace,
ieo proud 10 pray 10 the God that made US
IL behooves US, then, to humble ourselves be-
lore thu offended Power, 10 confess our national
sins, and to pray for clenency and forgiveness.
Now therefore, in compliance with the request
and fully concurrng in the views OF the Senate,
DO by this my proclamation designate and set
apart Thursday, the 30th day Of April, 1868, a, a
day Of national humiliation, fasting and prayer
And Go hereby request all the people TO ABB
stain on that day from their ordinary secular pur-
suits, and to unl'e at their several places ri pub
lic worship and their respective homes in keeping
the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the
humble discharge Of the religious duIe, proper
to that solemn occasion.
All this being DONE IN sincerity and truth, lot
u' then rest hunbly in the hope authorized by
the Divine tsschng', that the united cry Of the
Nation will be heard on high, and an.wered with
blessing, no less Than the pardon Of our national
sins, snd restoration of our now divided and suffer-
ing country to its former hipPy condition Of unity
and ps,ce
In vitns" whereof, have hsreunto set my
hand and caused the seal OF the Un.ed State, to
be affixed
Done at the City d Washington tha thirtish
day Of March in the year OF our Lord
,rr. 81 one thousand eight hundred and sixty
three and ofthe Independents Of the
United StAtss the sighly-ssv,nth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the Pres.den,
WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Ser. Of STATE.