The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-12-10

very fcSpcclIullS, yours,
J. O. HOUGu.
Mcssrs Hunter, Herr, Foster, ant
others
"Know ye that the Lord lie is God: il is ht
that hath made us and not we ourselves; W.
are his people and the sheep of his pasture
Psalm 100 3.
Whether the President of tho Uni.
ted States, and tho Governor of the
State Of Ohio, aro pious, God fearing
men, or the contrary, 1 do not know
Onc thing however, is very evident
in affiXing their names in their ollicia
capacities TO tho Proclamations that
have called US together to day, they
have acted wisely. They have not
appointed this merely as u day o.
recreation, and invited us to indulge
in the qualification Of our scnsuoue
appettes, but they have set it apart
as holy day-not nero holiday in
the popular acccptation of that word
but n holy dag, sacred day-a day
in which wo are invited to assemble
in the sanctuary and return the sin
ccrc thank offerings Of our hearts tc
Almighty God, for his guardian care
over US during another year.
1t is qualification to know that,
whilst our Executive rulers may, in
their hearts, dory tho existence OF
God, or at least deny that they arc
under any obligations to Him; yet,
the moral and religious sentiments OF
this nation are so powerful and SO
positive in their character, that these
men, occupying for the timc thoir
high positions, aro compelled thus
officially to recognize God, and also
to recognize the nations obligation
to Him. - =.
These procamations for days Of
national thanksgiving, tell us plainly
and without cquivocation, that we are
not yet nation Of infidcls. They tell
us there is still enough of religious
power in the nation to bow this
mighty people, as one man, before
the throne Of God And, as remarked
in the beginning, our President and
Governor have acted wisely in rocog,
nizing the religious sentiment of the
country in this public and official
manner.
There appears to be a necessity for
occasions Of this kind. We find that
necessity recognized in the laws and
institutions Of all the nations of an
tiquity, AS far back as authentic
history will carry US, wo find that
nations have held certain days in
special reverence; certain days were
set apart and devoted to sacred pur-
poses. Some of these days were in,
tended to commemorate important
events in their national history, othors
were exclusively devoted to religious
services.
We, 0s nation, have, in a certain
degree, followed this Same custom
Wo celebrate tho day on which our
independence was declared Christ>
mas and New Years day are observed
the ono as tho anniversary of tho
giving Of Rcdoemer to n lost world,
tho other as tho ushering in of an.
other year; and, for somo timo past,
wo havc adopted tho good New Eng.
land custom Of observing day of
thanksgiving. 1t is right that we
should d. so. When We have gather
ed tho fruit Of tho ground, when the
rich harvcsts Of tho summer and au.
tumn have been safely garnorcd,
whom peace and prosperity have
smiled upon us and mado our hearts
to rcioico, there is not only propri>
ETY. in doing 80, but there is an obi.
CATION resting on us to return thanks
to tho Great Giver Of all our merces.
1t is comparatively an easy thing
to induce an individual, when in
to think of God, and to pray
to Him; but when that same man
ia in tho midst of prosperity, when
health and wealth and happiness vie
with each other in their blessings, it
is not quito so easy to dead him to
recognize Gcd's claims upon him.
Tho same is true of nations rs it is of
individuals. When in prosperity We
arc apt to forget tho source of our
prosperity, and to regard it all as the
result OF our own peculiar wisdom,
torethought or power, We forget
that thcro is Ono in whose hands are
tho dcstinics Of nations, as well as the
destinicG Of individuals This tenden.
cy Of man to look to God in times of
advcrsity and trial, and to forget Him
in times of prosperity, was exempliiied
during and since tho lato war. Such
frequent recurrence of days Of fast.
ing, humiliation and prayer, wcrc
never known, as during tho five years
OF tho rebellion. Whom tho fiery war
cloud was surging in its mad fury
over tho land, consigEing many of
our loved ones to tho grave; whom
every power was taxed to it's utmost
capacity to ward off tho destroyer,
when tho nation heart stood still with
terror amid tho thunder and crash of
battle, it was not an uncommon thing
to havcdays of humiliation and prayer.
During that dark period of our his-
tory, both in public and in private, in
tho sanctuary and at tho lonely fire.
side, tho most heartfelt prayers were
offered to tho Great Ruler of nations
that wo might bo spared, that this
last, best hopc ofliberty might not DC
bIoltcd from tho family of nations.
But since that calamity has passed
by and wo have been delivered from
robollious foes, how has it becn2 Arc
wo as earnest in thanking God for
deIIverance ns wo were in our prayer
Tor delivcranco? Lot our actions re-
ply. The tendency has been, and is