Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-07
THANKSGIVING.

To-Day the people oil Onlo are cdlleu
upon by proclamation of their Governor,
and the entire nation is called upon by
proclamation of its President, to lay aside
ordinary avocations and pursuits, and
unite in giving thanks and praise to God.
1t is noticeable that Thanksgiving, by
tradition and precedent a State institu-
ton, Will be celebrated this year as a
national festival, in accordance with the
proclamation of tho Chief Magistrate OF
the United States. We are glad of this,
not only on general grounds, because
Thanksgiving should be a national and
not a State or sectional holiday, but in
this year particularly, on account OF the
especial grace of God to us as a nation
Great as have been the causes for thanks
giving among individuals, localities or
States, during the year, our national bless
ings have been so signal and wonderful
that they will, as they should, overshadow
all other topics in the public services of
the dav. 1t is therefore a national
Thanksgiving which we unite in to-day,
in a. its public ceremonies and duties;
though we hope, indeed, that in the fami-
w circle, around the heavily-loaded
Thanksgiving table, and by the cracking
fireplace, the day will be kept in the
good, old, fashioned, ancestral way, with
all the old New England traditions and
customs remembered and observed.
% In order that we may appreciate what
God has wrought for u as anation during
the last year, let us throw off 1865, and re-
call the surroundings and circumstances in
which we celebrated the Thanksgiving of
1894. A mighty rebellion at the South,
organized into a so-called Government,
and defended by a powerful army, held
possession of one-third of the national
territory and threatened the life of the
nation. Robert E. Lee lay entrenched
in ~impregnable positions around Peters
burg and Richmond Hood, at the
head of another rebel army, was
northward into Tennessee,
and our forces were falling back before
him; a powerful army, under Kirby
threatened Arkansas and Missouri;
Sherman was struggling in the mOrasses
of Georgia, and half the world looked
on expecting to see his destruction.
The chief seaports of the rebel States were
strongly garrisoned and fortified, while
Confederate pirates roamed the seas des-
our commerce, Confederate robbers
and murderers were organizing piratical
expeditions on u lakes, planning to burn
our cities, and plotting murder against the
In the It'll our debt was rapid
" increasing, the war seemed interminable,
goldwas up in the two hundreds, the Chi
cago Democracy had demonstrated their
cowardice and by declaring the
war a failure, and the constitutional
Amendments had not been proposed by Con-
gress. The contrast of those days with
is sufficiently significant. For war We
have peace; for slavery we have universal
liberty; for a nation imperiIled we have
a nation triumphant; for ~extravagant
necessary government expenses we
D marvellous reduction and retrench-
ment; for a people bathed in blood and
sweat, anguished with grief and strug-
Cling desperately for very life, we have a
redeemed republic, spreading its unmo-
Tested sails to every wind, and rejoicing
in the merriment of happy harvest homes
Next after national preservation, in the
of our thanksgiving, we should re-
member the triumph of liberty. By the
success of u arms the shackles were
stricken from the limbs of four millions
of slaves. The thought should bring with
it warming as well as Thanksgiving
Throughout the war Gods favor has been
with Us precisely in proportion as we have
done justice TO the blacks; and his provi-
dence has made our national triumph de-
pendent upon. the assistance of this, despis-
ed and oppressed class. We should bear
IN mind to-day our obligations and duties
to them, for as we do by them God will
do by us. If we are true TO Liberty and
Justice our future is secure. Our only
danger lies in being false, our safety in
being faithful, to them. Let us have couF-
to do e6uA justice without fear and
without prejudice, to all our people. white
and black. Let US remember to-day that;
"RIGHTEoUsNEss ExALTETH A NATION
BUE-SYHA REPBoAcH TO ANY. PEOPLE.
~ 81 -rA--=
miShway Robbery ihfhs OIL Region.
Mr.. Anderson, the superintendent of the
Ocean Oil, Company, while on his way pc
tween Petroleum Center and Ttusyille, on
satn1AgY last to pay the Government'ta tax,
was Shot and Sabbed of 81 900 in money
and drafts, butts considered not mOrtally
wounded. The. payments of the drafts
has been Stopped As yet there Is no clue
TO the assassin, ~ III