Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-04-15
B, the President of the United States Of Americ
A Proclamation.

WHEREAS, tke Senate of the United States
devoutls recognizing the supreme Authority
and just Government Of Almighty God, in all
the affairs of men and nations, has, by res
olation, 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 upon
the overriding power of God, to confess their
sirs and transg, essions in humble sorrow, yet
with assured hope that genuine repentance
will lead to mercy and pardon and to recog-
nize the sublime truth, announced in thu Ho-
iv Scriptures and proven by all history, that
those nations only are blessed whose God ia
the Lord
And. inasmuch as know that, by His
divine law, nations, like individuals, are sub
jected to punishments and chastisements in
this world, may we not Justly fear The awful
calamity of civil war, which now desolates
the land, may be but punishment inflicted
upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the
needful end of our natio..al reformation as a
whole People? We have been the recipient
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 nation mas ev-
e. grown. But We have forgotten God. We
have forgotten the gracious hand which pre-
served us in peace. and multiplied and en-
r'ched and strengthened US !; and We have
vainiy imagined i'll the deceitfuiness of our
hearts, that all these blessings were produced
by some superior wisdom and virtue of our
own Intoxicated with uubroken success we
have become too self-suficent to feel the ue-
cessity of redeeming and preserving grace,
too proud to pray to the God that made US
1t behooves us, then. to hum BILE ourselves
before the offended Power, 70 confess our l.
tional sins, and to pray for elemency and for
giveness
New, therefore, in compliance with the re-
quest, and fully concurring in the views oi
the Senate / do, by this my proclamation,
designate and set .part Thursday, the 30th
dav Of April, 1863, rs day of national hu-
initiation, fasting and prayer. And do here
by request all the People to abstain on that
day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and
to unite, at heir several places of pulic wor
ship and their respective hom 5, in keeping
the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to tn.
humble discharge Of the religious duties prop
to that solemn occasi n.
All this being dome in sincerity end truth
let us then rest .umbly in the hope, author
lied by the Divine teachings, that the united
crv of the Nation will be heard or high
and answered witt blessings, ne less than the
pardon of our national sins. and restoration
! of our now divided and suffering country &c
its former happy condition of units and peace
In witness whereof, have hereunto set my
hand and caused the seal of the United States
to be xed
| Done at the CITY of Washington, this thir
tieth dav of March, in the YEAR o
our Lord, one thousand eight hun
! l. drcd and sixty-three, and of the in
dependence Of the United States the
eighty-seventh.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Secretar, of State.