Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-13
Letter rom an Old C~IeYeIand PASTOR.

Providence r. L. Dec. Z, 1865.
CLEVELAND LEADER-Dear Old Friend
1t is a long time since 1 have heard
from you or yours. 1 write hoping to see
your smiling face once more, and to learn
through you of the dear old friends in
Cleveland and thereabouts. How it seems
to say old friends of those we left but lit
tie more than four years agoi and yet
have we not all grown old in four or five
years as much so as our fathers in forty
or fifty? What a stride the nation has
taken! How much have we all learned,
seen and experienced Where are we
now, as a people, as compared with four
years ago! Where is that mighty system
of slavery, so rampant then, and threaten
ing to override both Constitution and ter
ritory from end to endt Where now that
widespread rebellion of aristocratic slave
holders which threatened to overthrow
our Republican government and annihi-
late our glorious old lagl Where now
the din Of battle and garments rolled in
blood with which we have been so famil-
lar during these years of civil war! Sure
ly we wake as from a horrid dream, and
rub our eyes with wondering amazement
as did old Rip Van Wrinkle himself No
wonder that we hardly know what to do
first, or how to do ii, in the way of recon-
structiOn.
Well, have we net seen a good begin
ming in the high-toned and manly unity
Of the Republican members of Congress;
and in the stand and spirit of the Presi-
dents Message? Now for a strong pull,
and a pull altogether, and we stand upon
a new and higher platform of national
life and political integrity. Thanks be to
the Giver of all Good, for to-day we are
not only older, but wiser and better bv |
many years than we were four years ago.
Such a day of National Thanksgiving we |
never before observed.
By the way, we in Rhode Island have |
had two regular and public days Of social
festivity and religious observance. Orr |
Governor would not give way even to the
President OF the United States! But old
Massachusetts is so thoroughly loyal and
obedient, that, hard as it was, she relin-
pushed her tim -honoredd ay. and wheeled
into line. Vermont is the only New Eng
land State which in years past has OBJ
served the LIST Thursday of December. |
OF course she is all right to-day. There
was quite a general Observance last week
in those families which conld observe
both,-but the mills and manufactures
accepted the Presidents proclamation, and
the religious services came to-day. And
with this ancient festival has come winter,
,1a1 -, onorr-tha q ref AnIa mo b,ro,o.z /
Our autumn has been delightful, now the
ground is covered with snow. But the
ground is too warm for it to last.
So Cleveland has walked up and started
anew with us in the race with other cities
Well, We are ahead of you yet. And not
in numbers only, but in manufactures,
industry, capital and education. Among
other things, our street railroads, which
sprang into existence after your own, are
SO well equipped and so successful that it
would do you good to see them. One ON
pany, of which one of the Spragues is at
the head, own them all-except the one to
Pawtucket. And the Spragues love good
horses-so we have fine ones on the street
roads. And they are men of the People.
we have public accommodations of which
we are proud. Fifteen to twenty thOus-
and a week the passengers number, and
sometimes as many a day. A five cent
ticket takes you way around, and from
end TO end, some four miles.
The manufacturing establishments are
in full tide of prosperity; and what do we
manufacture here? So numerous and
important are these establishments that
the Tunisian Ambassadors and suite were
on the go here for nearly t0o aoesks, to see
and learn. Boston was done in less
than one week. l know OF a number of
legitimate stocks, that nave gone up from
70 cents to 81, so, and from 70 cents to ST.
sol and that in from two to six monthsl
But l weary you, and so "good bye
until l see you here. j.. c.. W.