Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-07
When | witness

and not the servant Of labor That spirit
that softens the hand that should he cal
loused with work, and teaches our sons
and daughters 10 place pleasure before
business, and ease before toll; when
witness that spirit that is the offspring of
soft head and hard heart, then feel
like clothing these noble laborers with
regal power. Nay. rather God has cloth
ed them thus. and through His word He
teaches us that "be that wcrketh not let
him not eat" but "the diligent shall eat
of the fat of the land. Go on We work
ers of the republic, a sensible people will
see to it, that they who quarry the stones,
shall have them for their own building
1t was stslwart men with robust forms
and brawny arms that reared the world
renowned pyramids of Egypt,that formed
the colossal structures of Rome and
made her mistress of the world, that
made Athens the wonder of the whole
earth, that builded the temple upon
Mount Moriab, and circled an empire
With granite walls. They were men un-
der whose tread the earth trembled. and
whose footprints are not effaced by the
lapse of centuries.
Let us thank God to day for the Hus-
6andmen of our land Ye that turn the
wilderness into fruitful fialds, aud
make the barren and desolate places
blossom like the rose. Ye that cause
the fields to laugh with plenty, and to
bend under the weight Of the golden
harvest, We that fill the storehouses Of
the land, and bring riches up on, of the
ground. Ye that multiply the seattle
upon a thousand hills" and causelh flocks
and herds TO increase. Ye that foot the
bills for all classes of industry, whether
of the arts and sciences, or professions.
May the Lord make you a thousand
times greater than YOU are Thank God
for the good old farmer, with bis plain
attire aud rustic appearance, he looks as
though he had come to stay. And we
thank God for the moral societies among
us. that work for the extirpation of the
evil of intempcrance, and that cares for
the widow and orphan, and the friendless
and homeless. Aud If aIy of them have
learned the excellent art Of doing their
work well and keeping a secret. before
we haste to condemn them let US be sure
that we are doing as well. Let US thank
God for all these, for they are all from,
God. He has created these offices, +" The
powers that be are ordained of God"
He knew what we needed fer tho perftc.
ton of r.civl BODY. He has estab
lshed n system of dependencies running
through them all, with one Office Deepen
d ent upon another rs all are dependen;
upon Him. AS we look over this net
work of civil and social life, and see how
God has formed it into one great nation
al system, the pulsatiOns of life be at fas
ter, our emotion rise at the thought of
the ties that bind us together into one
vast system of national life. And as we
gather around our affairs to day We re
member that the whole nation is con
vened. 1t psuses to day, and waits
around her affairs to remember God
who has so kindly remembered us. No
W. are not all here, we see some vacant
places, the monuments in our cemeteries
mark the resting places of their bodies,
their spirits have gone on high, and the
upper sanctuary is fuller to day than ev-
er before, aud may we not expect that
those angels who who are ministering
spirits to such "a shall be heirs Of saliva
ton" and broodiug over our assemblies
to day and re echoing our anthems of
praise throughout the realms Of glory.
And we thank Cod for the noble in
heritance which lie has given us. With
the sweet singer of Israel we can say
The lines have fallen uato me in pleas
ant places. yea | have goodly heri
tage." 1t has pleased Col to separate
our land from our neighbors by the
great Deep" And this fact is not &C
cidental, it has been great help to US
in the past to have three thousand miles
of great waves between us and our
neighbours. Our independents was helped
more from this cause than any other
one. Civil liberty and republican form
of government which have been so feared
and hated by the monarchies of the old
world, found here.an asylum where op
posing powers could not we'll MODEST or
prevent their development God has
providentlally placed us on the great
highway of nations, where their COM
merce must to,a great extent seek our
shores and pass through our dominions.
He has also bound US together by na
lures bands, by mountain chains and
river courses. so that we could be bro
ken into no north or no south. Infinite
wisdom nticipated the point where the
strain was to come, and made it secure
Iron bands and mutual interest must
forever prevent any separate east or
west God evidently designed that we
should be united people one and In
sepero5te, now and foreVer.
And what !" heritage" He has given
US! What lovely valleys, what noble
mountains, what majestic rivers. what
wealth Of soil what variety of climate
and productions. what other nation u1
de, the heavens has been so
bountifully dealt with, The Jews in
their land of promise, when in their
pristine glory were ''ii,tIe Benjamin"
in comparison. There can be no exager-
alton of this great new world. You may
add figure to figure, and heap hyperboie
to hyperbole. and after all, it Will appear
- H. obsa.y.. n. HI - ,ion,oos. -