The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-04-09
OFFICIAL.
Blythe President cfths United States Of america
A PROCLAMATION.


WHEREAS the Senate of the United States,
devoutly recognising the Supreme Au-
thority and just Government of Almighty
God, in all the affairs of men and If ma
tions, has, by resolution, requested the
President to designate and set apart day
for National prayer and humiliation:
And whereas it is the duty of nations, as
we'll as of men, to own their dependence up
on the overriding power of God, to confess
their sins and transgressicps, in humble sor-
row, vet with assured hope that genuine re-
pentauce will lead to mercy and pardon,
and to recognise the sublime truth, announ-
ced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by ali
history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord:
And, inasmuch as we know that, by His
divine law, natiaus, like individuals, are
subjected to punishments and chastisements
in this world, may we not justly fear that aw-
full calamity of civil war which now desolates
the land, may be but a punishmentinhicted
upon us,for our presumptious sins, to the
needful end of our national reformation as
whole People. We have been the recipients
of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We
have been preserved, these many years, in
peace and prosperity. We have grown in
numbers. wealth, and power as no other ma
ton has ever grown. But we have forgot
ten God. We have forgotten the gracious
hand which preserved US in peace, and null
tiplied and enriched ard strengthened us;
and we have vainly imagined, in the deceit
fulness of our hearts, that all these blessings
were produced by some superior wisdom or
virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbro-
ken success, we have become too self-sufi :
Gent to feel the necessity of redeeming and
preserving grace. too proud to pray to the
God that made US!
It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves
before the offended Power, to confess our
national sins, and 70 pray for clemency and
| forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the
request, and fully concurring in the views
of the Senate, / do, by this my proclaim alton,
designate and set apart Thursday, the Both
day of April, 1868, as day of national hu-
initiation, fasting, and prayer. And l do
hereby request all the People to abstain on
that day from their ordinary secular pur-
suits, and TO unite, at their several places OF
public worship and their respective homes,
in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and
devoted to the humble discharge of the re-
ligious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth ,
let US then rest humbly in the hope, author
lied By the Divine teachings, that the uni
ted cry OF the Nation VIII De Hearo on nlgu,
and answered with blessings, no less than
the pardon of our national sins, and restora-
ton of our now divided and suffering coun-
try to its former happy condition of unity
and peace.
| In witness whereof, have hereunto set
my hand, and caused the seal of the United
States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington this thir-
tieth day OF March, in the year of
r.. g. our Lord one thousand eight hun
drsd and sixty three, and of the
independence of the United
.~--< States the eighty-seventh.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.