The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-12-08
WASHINGTON HALL.

BY REV. CHARLES HOWARD MALCOLM.
1.-THE present twin duties OF our Nation
ThankfulneSS and Courage" -
28-15.
History repeats itself. One are re-
fleets the spirit and character Of an
other. Periods of history bear to one
another the relationship of parentape
and childhood. So general is the oper-
alton of this law that it is apparent in
minute as we'll as in great affairs, OF
fashion in costume, style in utensils
and furniture, and Of the reproduction
of great eras in civil and religious
matters. The State or the Christian
lighting over the old battles. Even in
the processes of natural events. Day
and night alternate, the sens succeed
each other in circuit; the earth reyolyes:
the moon wheels in its orbit; the planets
revolye, and there is progress as well
repetition.
History has revolved and brought to
US the lesson fought in the text: thanks
glU1f9 and courage, and what was an
piled to an individual is now applied to
a nation. st. Paul, after dangerous
voyage, and having escaped many per-
lis, and found himself among his
friends, thanked God and took cour-
age"
What a lesson does this afford. We
What in the year sixty-two was per-
sonal Is now national. History has re-
peated itself.
The words of Gods providences and
judgments written over our national
experiences to-day, say "thank God
and take courage"
The present twin duties OF our ma
Observation-Disclosures and courage. y They
are present duties, because it Is the ap-
pointed and specific object of this day
to give thanks to God. They are tiUiS,
duties, because God himself causes
their birth of one providential event.
We should thank God and take cour-
age, because He has crowned this year
with an unbundant fruitage and har-
vests. He has crowned the labor of
our working men in every department
of industry with abundant reward. {"
We should give thanks for the "abun-
dance that has crowned the labors of
the huSbandman.n
We should be thankful for no tenn
poral blessings morOthan for that of our
daily food. The Lord has taught us to
pray for our daily bread. The ancients
offered up some of the first fruits of the
field as token of gratitude. We
should be grateful that the horrors of
famine have not been added to the ter
ror of war during the past year. For
months 1t seemed that famine might
come upon us. The draught extended
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Walls
of fear went mp from all. PRAYERS as
cended to God for rain, the thirsty val
leys were watered, and we now thank
God for the abundant fruits of-the land.
Statistics from the national govern
ment show an increased cause for graf
ttude. The national Bureau of Aprfcul-
ture shows that in the loyal States last
year there were raised l9l 600 900 BUSH
els of wheat; 175,000, 900 bushels of oats;
q ,OO0,O 600 bushels of rye; 1900. 600
bushels of barley; 49,, 900, 900 bushels of
corn; lOl, 600, 600 bushels of botates 20
100000 tons of hay. These figures maxi
ing an encouraging exhibit, and should
again have cause to "thAnk God and
take courage.n
During the past year we have been
blessed with great health. Our citizens
in their homes, our sailors on the seas,
and our soldiers intheir camp, have had
usual health. We thank God for the
absence OF pestilence. We have been
spared from the cholera which has rag
ed in Europe. 40" @
We should indeed praise God for
having largely augmented our free pop-
ulation by emancipation and emiHra-
ton. In this country last year we re-
cord the arrival of 800, OOO-752, 900 have
arrived since the war commenced.
1900, 900 in the last 20 years.
Lips stand dumb in the person of the
stupendOus and magnificent fact of the
emancipation. The smoke and din of
battle has worked it out. The enslayed
and enthralled disappears, and freed
man, peer, rises in his place, with the
sunlight of Gods freedom baptizing
his newborn brow. The words of de9
liverances were spoken by President
Lincoln-a second Washfngton-God
bless him! Gods mercy is apparent in
the grand emancipation, and for it we
should "thank God and take courage. :"
Progress and advancement have every
where been developed. Our war has
been successfully concluded, and our
country stands forth to-day redeemed.
For all the many blessings of kind
Providence we should "thank God and
take courage"