Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-07-11

in the present; and what our worl
> must be as preparatory to the Flu
ture, that our glorious, blood
bought, priceless Institutions may
be preserved, perfected and perpet
a uated.
= l am one of those who believe
: that in this nation all the nations Of
: the earth are to be blessed. And ]
= think, that in Gods prOvidences
g we are the chosen nation through
l whose instrumentality, chiefly, the
l blessings of Christianity are to be,
and will be, spread all over the
earth-not only on the Western but
: on the Eastern continent; and, as
| is admitted on all hands, l believe,
l wherever the Gospel goes in its
power, there is Liberty-the latter
, being the necessary offspring of the
former. Il But
let us see if we cannot trace the
hand of High Heaven, not only in
the first planting Of our nation, but
all the way down to the present. l
deem this as being the most impor-
tant idea to which l can possibly
call your attention-one in which
we are more deeply interested than
any or all others, as it includes all
others; or rather, is the grand fun
damental principle underlying the
whole fabric of our Republican In
stitutions. Well may our coins pro
claim to the world, and carry down
to all coming generations, that "In
God we trust" for BLESSED is that
people whose God is the Lord" -
Safe is that nation which is exalted
by Righteousness, and which is un-
der the protection of Him who
reigneth in Heaven and ruleth
among the children Of men.
But we agree that a Providential
influence, or rather, manifest de-
sign on the part of the Almighty, in
establishing and protecting our Re-
public, may be traced clearly upon
every important page of our Histo-
ry. Out of a multitude of these we
call your attention to q few only,
presuming you are all more or less
familiar with all the main points of
our National History.
l. We see the work of an AL
mighty Hand in the singular train
of events which gradually prepared
the Puritans, our Pilgrim Fathers,
for the great work which lay be-
fore them.
2. II is equally plain that they were
conducted to the American shores
by the same Hand-that America
had been discovered, indeed, for
this very purpose. Why did they
come here? They could have pass
ed to the other lands, and been safe
from their aggressors. Other coun-
tries much nearer home would glad
ly have welcomed and sheltered
them. "But q mysterious influence
rested upon their minds; and, al
though it was a hazardous enter
prise, teeming with untold danger,
they rallied their broken spirits,
braved the winds of heaven, the
storms of the angry deep, and, in
hope against hope, in the very
depth of winter, sprang upon the
rugged rock of Plymouth, bearing
with them the seeds of Holy Re
ligion and a vast Empire" Whence
came this mysterious, soul-nerying,
influence?
3. The hand of God can be trac-
ed in the origin and national char
acter of the Fathers-a striking cir
cumstance in the history of our |
country, and one which shows that |
God is no respector of PERSONS '
The Pilgrim Fathers were neither {
all plebian nor all patrician, but q
came from the middle classes, which s
n their native land constitutes the f
very best and most enterprising of v
ler citizens, Is there no signif- n
,ance in this fact? They were in L
iexible, brave and true. The char d
lcteristics by which they were dis z
were independence of o
mind, a fearless spirit, and an un- s
strength and unity of pur- Ii
pose. Have you ever thought that a a
ar different race might have been a
'ur Fathers :? But God, having high n
# and important purposes in view, L
elected those who possessed the q
,ower and were furnished with the I
materials to lay, broad and deep, G
he foundations of a nation, destin- Il
d in His providence to be unex- v
implied and glorious; without tt
lodel and without a shadow" ii
4. And very strikingly is Gods o
ver-ruling hand to be seen in the v
onstitution and laws framed and rt
dopted by the Pilgrim Fathers fl
heir moral tendencies, and the d.
trictness of their religious senti- p.
lents. 1t is easily seen, that had d,
leir laws been less rigid and Sc d,
ere, their morals more pliable, and
leir rugged faith cast in a more th
OJtshed mold, their children would at
OF have retained, for so long a tr
eriod, customs and manners, odd de
8 they may appear to be, which st
ave so greatly contributed to pre- ay
erve Americans from most of the to
laring absurdities and extravagant 70
otions of their brethren across the Sc
.tlantic. Indeed, let refined skep- to
cism say what it may, and let it W
leer at their "antiquated" charac- OF
l., -