The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-04-08
National Fast Day--The Presidents
Proclamation.
By tie President 9fMe United States Of
dmericn.
A PROCLAMATION.


a PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, The Senate of the United
States. devouty recognizing the Supreme
Authority and Just Government of Almighty
God, in all the affairs OF mon and of ma
tons, has, by resolution, requested the
President to designate nd set apart q day
for National prayer and humiliation:
And wheaeas it is the duty of nations,
as we'll as of men. to own their dependence
upon the overruling power of God, to CON
fess their sins and transgTessions, i'll humble
sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine
repentance will lead to mercy aud pardon
and to recognize the sublime truth an
nounccd in the Holy Scriptures and proven
by all history, that those nations only are
blessed whose God is the Lord:
And, insomuch rs we know that by His
divine law, nations, like individuals, are
subject TO punishment in this world, may
we not Justly fear that the awful calamity
of civil war, which now desolates the
land may be but II punishment inflicted up
on MS for our prcsumptueus sins, to the
necdful and of our national reformation
~ whole People We have been the re-
cipients of the choicest bountes Of Heaven.
We have been preserved, these many,
OtillN, III ItuCc ullNl W u navy
grown in numbers, wealth and power as no
other nation has ever grown. But we have
forgotten God. We have forgotten the
gracious hand which preserved us in peace,
and multiplied and enriched and strength
cncd us; and we have vanly imagined, in
the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all
these blessings were produced by some SUI
perior wisdom and virture of our own.
Lat, t,l ,,,itI, m 10
have become too selfsuIlicient to feel the
necessity of rcdeeming and preserving
grace, too proud to pray to the God that
made us
1t bchooves us, then, to humble ourselves
before the offended Power, to confess our
national sins, and to pray ior clemency and
forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the re-
quest and fully cOnCurring i'll the views OF
the Senate, | do by this proclamation des-
ignatc and set apart Thursday, the 30h
day of April, 1868, ,,s II day of national hu-
milation, fasting and prayer. And do
hereby request all tine people to abstain on
that day from their ordinary secular pur-
suits. aud to unite. at their several places
ol public worship nuj their respective
h'mrs. il keeping thr,L,v holy To the Lord,
aul devoted to the humble discharge OF the
reli ,ious duties proper t" that solemn oc-
cas'on.
An this being done. in sincerity and truth,
let us then rest humhy in the hope, author
izcd 10y the Divin" teachings, that the
united cry of the nation will be heard on
high, and answered with blessings. no less
than the pardon OF our national sins and
the restoration of our now divided and sui
icring country to its former happy condi-
ton of unity and peace.
IN witness whereof. have hereunto set
my hand and c,rlscd the seal Of the United
States TO hc affixed.
Done at the City of Washington. on this
thrtieth day of March, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty
three, and OF the Independence of the Uni.
ted States the cighty.scycuth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
by the President:
WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Secretary of State.