The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-12-04
SYNOPSIS OF THANKSGIVING
uiSsOtRSES.
Delivered in St. Paul, November
26th, 1863.
Az CRxISr OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

spasmodcally, or by sudden and convulsive move
ments Their rejoicing was to be erermore; their
prayers ,cihout ceasig and Isl esentling they were
TO give thanks.
You observe. also that prayer, rejoicing and
Thanksgiving were recommended to go together. A
popular idea is that prayer is appropriate in adver
Mty, aid Thanksgiving In prosperity. Not so In
the moment of their greatest rejoicing the duty of
prayer remained; and in the moment of their most
struggling earnest and agonizng pra ers there was
occasion for their great Joy and their most devout
thanksgiving.
Have we occasion for all this at the present time
let u.see
Never since the gloomy and stormy days of '76'
did 70 heavy clo',d hang the political and
social horizon of country, as at this time we
almost realize the poetic idea Of "Great Xerxes'
scorld in ams " More than million of our most
able and effective men have been called, within three
years. from the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, COM
merce, mechanics and the professions, to minge in
the mortal strife of brother with brother. Almost
half that number have already found the sold er's
grave or been physically or morally untitled for the
duties of civil life Thousands of millions worth of
property have BEEN worse than destroyed. Cities
spread their pail dsricts and States where but
recently the gorgeous mantle of successful agricu-
ture was spread out to attract the gaze of admir-
ing world" Ships Of commerce are now scarcely
safe under our flag on any ocean or sea and from
every mountain-tOp go uD the blazing beacOns of
war. Amest half the families in the land clad in
MORNINGS and few are the hearts that bleed not I'M
der some sad bereavement. and what is If possible,
Still worse our social system is deranged Friends,
neighbors and brothers look upon each other with
cold dstrust and turn aside aud seek friendships
quarters where they have hitherto been strangers
Society is, shaken from its base to its urret and
from centre TO circumference Schools and colleges,
and churches have been closed Literally, 1.-THE
church going bell has been melted down and cast
into cannon Reversing the order of prophecy, our
plOw shares have been beaten into swords. and our
pruning-hooks into spears; and instead of useful
science. our SONS eara only war.
And the end is not yet: and whereunto it will
come, is known only to the infinite mind.
Can We rejoice amid all this! Yes For the devou'
believer there is cause for rejoicing even amid all
the wretchedness and ruin which reign in our stricken
country. Still, we enjoy the smiles of benefcent
Providence Our rivers still flow in their wOnted
courses Amid the tumult Of war the throbbing of
Natures pulse is still heard, calm and healthiul
ever. Day and night, and winter and Summer, and
seed-time and harvest succeed each other. as they
have ever done. Labor has flown into our loyal
States from the Old World, so that the breadth of
cultivated fields is scarcely less than formerly Our
barns are full and onr gamers overflow with pentv.
Our staple commodities are not only sufficient for
home consumption but seek foreign Earkets, and
subsist the hungry millions Of the Old World Our
rlcars and lordly steamers still carry their pre-
eious freghts Our lightning messengers still whis-
per along the Highway of thought" and our for
eign commerce lie barely interrupted by the pirates
of the ocean.
Every prospect pleases and only is vile"
With 70 eign powers, our nation remains at peace,
and all the world seems to sympahze with us in our
internal trouble The immediate danger of foreign
interference has sappeared. We have. a 50, cause
for rejoicing that amid all the din and turmoil of
war Law is yet supreme. All the former experience
of the wo Id has gone to show that state of war is
incompatible with law. There has, perhaps never
been war, in any country. during which civil and
municipal law little interrupted as in this. In
what called the loyal States our courts still
by violence has been foiled. 1t is of thanks
giving, moreover th.t the sanguinasy teMper has
not been awakened to any considerable extent Pri-
have 5een toierated Seyond ali precedent Prsoners
of war have, generally the feeling Of security, as
much as in their own ranks The savage has not Jet
civilized war; and is marked by the humanities that
belong 70 civilized nations. Even an INVASION Of
this character ia nothing compered with the horror
awakened by the report of savage incursion on our
borders. In this, we may well rejoice.
Bat inthe midst Of our rejoicing, we cannot cease
to frap:-to pray that these ealamities NAV soon
cease u, could everv heart go out in earnest prayer
and one universal voice OF prayer ascend to God az
IN the DAYS of the repentance OF ancient Nineveh
might not hope that these calamities would soon
be Overpast Were there no God to hear, or to an
ewer such prayer even then, am sare, its effect
would be happy for the spirit OF prayer is the spirit
Of Justice, Of love- and of peace. This is day APP
pointed for national Thanksgiving. 1t Is well but
trust our "cup Of thanksgiving" will be largely
mingled with penitent tears +"
With even the worst in prospect, we may etill give
\ thanks: for, Christians We must believe that
.afll ton comeh not forth of the dust neither doth
trouble spring out of the ground" We firmly be.
lieve that every affection that Details people has
benevolent object, and benevolent tendency. Ma
tons like individuals are liable to fall into sin and
sin is most effectuay corrected by affection Be-
fore was afflicted exclaimed the Psalmist 81 went
astray; but now have kept thy word:-lt is good
for me- that have been afflicted that might learn
thy statutes = know, o Lord that thu judgment :.
are right and that thou, In faithfuness hast afflicted
me-" In truth, there has never been any reason for
believing that we could always or very long, 60 on
with the unexampled peace and prosperity which
have marked our national history unto the present
time. Philosophy and history forbade it, I he child
that is never corrected must come to shame; and It
seems to be the order of nature tina. nations like
men, shall learn wisdom by severe experience Great
prosperity engenders pride. and selfsuficiency and
fawlessness; and this, when it has reached certain
Enthusiastically the stupendOus height reached in
our nation naturally calls for correction and tends
to it. lido most firmly believe to-day that war
is the result Of philosophical and moral necessity,
and that the check which we are now receiving is
likely, under God, to save US from a still greater
Had we continued unchecked in our career for fifty
wears more increasing in wealth and power in the
same ratio as in the last half century, there il no
telling the giddy heights of wckedness and AFRO
ganoe which we should have reached nor the depths
Of ruin to which we should have been hurled. In
this view of the matter we may all give thanks fol-
the providence which has thus timely checked us in
onr mad career of prosperity, and power, and wick
AdneSS. Like the OVerSTOWH uOy VIC nay ucNSlOpSO
too fast for perfect health and soundness. The
American swagger and tone of defiance has lons
heen offensive to all the civilized world and had nc
Calamity come upon us at home there is nothing i'm
nrobabie in the idea that coalition might at NJ
Sistant day, have been formed among the powers o
Europe to compel more courteous demeanor towart
our neighbOre.
| Int grieyous nevertheless, afterward, firmly be
eve it will yield the peaceable fruits Of righteous
ness and in the ages yet to come our children ma
thank God, more sincerely than we can to DAY, to
the timely chastising that brought us to repentance
and q better mind. -.
Tor a time the scourge Of war may rest on GU
land and 1.-THE abomination of desOlation" pa
over. but there is God that rules IN rghteousnes
and in mercy, and out of the present evil Will CON-
n.rmanent good As the thunder that rends tn
Reovens puri6es the atmosphere and eliminates tn
dssTIv malaria SO the thunder of our artillery VII
nurify our moral and political atmosphere. The ma
tionai blood letting viii reduce the fever and phrens
Of onr morbid life, and send the thrill Of healthie
life thronoh a healthier system. .--.
! When he tumult Of war Is hushed, our people
dropping this disgusting boast of power, 90 long on
dserace viii return with fresh gusto to the arts
r,eace. The sword will be beaten into the p!ow
share and the spear into the hook; and ID