Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-09
GIVING.
IT WAS GENERALLY OBSERVED
Words from Cleveland PuIpits.

Business was suspended. The attendance
on religious services in the churches was
larger than ever known before, although
the weather was decidedly Indictment. There
were religious exercises in the Second and
Third. Presbyterian churches, in Trinity,
st. Paul's, First Baptist, the Methodist
church on Erie street, the Congregational
church, West Side, and in several of the
Catholic churches, sermons being delivered
in the above by Revs. DIR. T. II. Hawks, DR..
S. Wolcott, DR.. 7. A. Starkey, J.. H. Ry-
lance, A. II. Strong. Mr.. Warner, and j. A.
Thome, respectively. We lay before our
readers this morning abstracts of several of
these discoursss, regretting that the unus-
ual crowd of other matter compels such
stevedore pressure in the reports Of the ser
mons.
sERAuN BY DIR. woLCoTT.
Rev. DIR. Wolcott, of plymouth Church,
preached the Thanksgiving sermon. Text,
|. Kings, 10th chapter, 18th verse: " And
he said, Is 1T not good, if peace and truth be
in my days?" The text refers plainly TO
the public tranquility Of a kingdom, and is
therefore an appropriate theme for this
days celebration. We do not overlook the
historic character of this annual observance,
as a time-honOred religious festival. For
b0utitlful harvests, and for all the b~enefac-
tions, temporal and spiritual, which a kind
Providence has bestowed upon us with lib
eral hand, we enter the sanctuary to-day,
as our fathers did, and offer our united trib-
ute of praise TO the Giver Of all good. Nor
do we lose sight of the day, as linked with
family Reunions, and of this service as
specially dedicated to the sweet charities of
home. But the one sentiment which pre-
dominates in this celebration, and over
shadows all others, is PeGce-national peace
peace succeeding the desolatlohs aud dis
tresses of war. 1t is in thankful aeknowl-
edgement Of this great blessing that the
President to-day summoned the people of
this land-in every part of which his au-
thority is again recOgnized-to come up to the
altar of Jehovah with their votive offerings,
precious, but not costly, the incense of low
ing and grateful hearts. Our thoughts, then,
should turn to national topics, and we may
well be grateful for g peace, which, with
Gods blessing, will be abiding.
There are three cardinal elements of ma
tional prosperity, viz: Peace, Stability, and
Equity. A state of peace, favorable to the
natural development and growth of the ma
ton the security of a government which
faithfully ~enforces its laws, and is upheld
by the loyalty Of its subjects, and a constant
recognition of the principles of justice and
liberty in the national policy.
The discourse was mainly devoted to the
consideration of these Fundamental princi-
piles:
/. PEACE. We sre to be thankful for
public tranquility. No blessing can be COM
plete without it it is the natural condition
of man. We are commanded tn love one
another This lesson is impressed in child
hood. in the mothers smile and the answer
ing look Of love. Its power and beauty are
freshly impressed upon it in the endear-
ments Of domestic life. Society, which is
but a collection of families, is knit together
BY reciprocal offices of kindness. The com
monwealth is framed of numberless commu-
mites, and the wide world is but a collection
of nations, on whom rests the law of univor-
sal brotherhood. In all relations, from the
nartowest to the broadcast, our intercourse
should be prompted not by ehmity but by
love. Actually, however, mankind has sub
verted this system, and placed the world Oh
a footing of distrust and war. No branch of
mechanical arts has called forth greater re-
search, skill and ingenuity han in the con-
~struction OF Weapons for the taking
of human life. The principal epochs of
history have been battles, and the people of
sl leading countries are now bearing the
burden oftaxation entailed by war.
The immense debt and heavy taxation in
this country were referred to. But ours was
a righteous war, and the peace we celebrate
to-day ia the result of the heroic efforts of
our brave soldiers. War is a great evil, but
peace secured by the surrender of principle
is the greatest possible curse. We have not
yet felt the evil effects of the war on our
industry we are apparently more prosper
Gus than ever; but our prosperity is not
real. We hOUe not paid the bill, except in
promises. Our wealth has not increased.
The President is right In saying that we
should look at the national debt Just as 1t
is-not as a national blessing, but az a
heavy burden To be discharged without I'M
necessary delay. But the teaee wa have
gained is cheap at the price. The speaker
referred e%loquently to the great go d that
might nave been accomplished if even a
third of the amount expended in the war
had been thrown into peaceful channels.
II. STABILITY. We ought to be
thankful for a stable government,
which e%nforces its laws and is up
held by the loyalty of the people. The duty
of citizens to yield obedience to the laws was
enforced in an able manner and at some
length, as in conformity with the New
Testament platform of civil government.
The stability of our Government will
be augmented by the execution of the laws
against treason. Treason, combined with
murder, has received its just doom but
treason alone, unmitigated and responsible
for the thousands slain, still awaits the pen
atty of the law. We can afford TO be mag
unanimous to the mass of deluded traitors,
but we cannot afford-the thousands thous-
and martyr graves forbid ito suffer the
leaders of this atrocious and bloody rebel
lion, to go " unwhipt of Justice"
III. EQUALtTY. We are to be thankful to
God for a national policy, which recognized
the principles of justice and liberty. The
emancipation of four millions of slaves is
the greatest work of modern history. 1t
inaugurates in this nation a new policy of
justice and liberty. The denial of some
of the rights of the freedmen in large pOr-
tons of the land is still practiced. 1t
springs from the spirit of slavery,
and is alike unrepublican, unjust and
unchristian, and thoroughly detestable.
To withhold from any human being, on ac-
count of the complexion which God has
given him, any personal or civil right,
which belongs TO man as.man, or as a mem
Der of civil society, is q denial and desc
Grafton of our common humanity, and an
afiront to our common Father.
The speaker paid a beautiful and affect
ing tribute to the memory of President Lin
coin, considering it providential that he who
was SO peaceful and affectionate in charae-
ter, should be called upon to lead the coun-
try through a great conflict. Referring to
President johnson he said that he could not
have a truthful peace without justice hat
he must plant himself immoveably on the
doctrine of equal rights and rally the coun-
try to its support,and he would be gloriously
sustained. Let US hasten to perform this
act of justice, and present to the family of
nations the Great Republic, having passed
through the ordeal Of battle, as not only
without fear" but also without reproach.'
ERNON BY REV. J. H. RYLANCE.
-Rylauas-ReGtn of ST. PauIs
church, delivered an able discourse on the
words found in Psalms Goth chapter, Sth to
18th verses:
bless our God, We people, and make the voice Of
his praise to be heard which holdetl our soul in
life. and suhereth our feet to he moved For thou
God hast proved us thou hast tried us as silver il
tried. Thou broughest Us into the net thou lay
edst affection upon our lOins. Thou hast caused
men to ride over our heads we went through fire
and water; but thou broushtest us out into a
wealthy place.
The preacher remarked that the Hebrew
poets and prophets knew nothing of our
modern refinement between an active and
a permissive providence. To them God was
the great DispOser of all events. They ac-
cordinglv take but little heed of secondary
causes, TIL human element in history is