Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-12-24

that place. The sermon has been printed
upon the request OF the citizens OF OXFORD
and students of the college, who heard it.
and copy is before us.
After considering the duty Of observing
the day of Thanksgiving in accordance will
the procamations of the President of tho
United States and of the Governor oI
Georgia, Doctor IIaygood mentioned a;
among the general causes for gratitude to
God. the facts that this is 4 Christian Ma.
ton that our country is at peace; that the
election of President has taken place Sc
quietly and that the result was 50 pronounced
that mo sane man can doubt that Gen. Gar
field has been elected President; that we
have had so clean ana able an administration
during the past four years; and that the
whole country is so prosperous.
He next considered some of the special
reasons why ''the South" should thank God
and take courage. Recalling the condition
Of the Southern States fifteen years ago and
the prospect before them after Appomatox,
he asserted that their present condition is
''maryellously good" In proof of this he
mentioned these facts;
Our tax returns will show that there is life
and progress in the South. But statistical Ia
bles are not the only witnesses in such case
Let people use their own eyes. Here is tins
one fact-the cotton crop, rs an exponent OF
| the power of our industrial system. In 1879
we made nearly five million bales in 1850
it is believed that we will make nearly six
million bales. We never made so much un-
der the old system. There are more people
at work in the South to day than were ever
at work before and they are raising not only
more cotton. but more of everything else.
And no wonder, for the farming of to-day
is better than the farming of the old days
and in two grand particulars: First, better
culture; second, the ever increasing ten
dency TO break up the great plantations into
small farms. Our present system is more
than restoring what the old system de
stroyed.
The great body of our people not only
make more than they did before the war,
but they make a better use of it-they get
unspeakably more comfort out of it. | am
willing to make the comparison on any line
of things that you may suggest, for | know
| both periods Remember that ! am speak
ing of the great mass of the people, and not
of the few great Shareholders, some of whom
lived like princes, not forgetting meantime
that the majority of our people never owned
slaves at all.
For one illustration, take, if you please,
the homc-life of our people. There is ten
times the comfort there was twenty years
ago. Compare the old and new houses.
The houses built recently are better every
way than those built before the war. | do
I IL.
in the old times lifted itself proudly
among a score of cabins but of the thou
sands of decent farm-houses, comcly cot
tages that have been built in the last ten
years. know scores whose new barns are
better than their old residences. Our pco-
pie have better furniture. Good mattresses
have largely driven out the old-time feathers.
Cook stoves sewing machines with all snch
comforts and convenienccs may be seen in a
dozen homes to-day where You could hardly
have found them in one in 1850. Lamps
that make reading agreeable have driven out
tallow-dips, by whose glmmering ne eyes
could long read and continue 10 scc. Better
taste asserts itself the new houses are
painted they have not only glass, but
blinds. There Is more comfort inside.
| There are luXuries where once there were
not cOnvenenccs. Carpets are getting to be
common among the middle classes. There
are parlor organs, pianos, and pictures,
where we never saw them before. And 50
on, to the end of 4 long chapter.
Test the question of our better condition
by the receipts of benevolent institutions
the support of the ministry, the building
improvement, or furnishing of churches, we
have the same answer-uur people are better
off now than in 1860.
Next DIR. IIaygood instanced as cause for
gratitude the social and civil order existing
at the South Without defending admitted
acts of viole nee. he insisted that the con-
trolling sentiment of the Southern pcoflc in
city and hamlet, among white and black,
has been religious and to this he attributed
the fact that the scenes of llayti and san
Domingo have not been repeated in the
Southern States.
We copy the remainder of the discourse
almost entire, condensed only by the omission
of few unimportant paragraphs, and we
ask the attention of Northern men to its
sentiments:
Thirdly, the restoration of our relations TO
the general Government should excite our
gratitude. Possibly some do not 90 with me
here Then must 20 without them, but
shall not lack for company and AS the
years pass. it will be an ever-incrcasing
throng. We must distinguish between Il
party we have. for the most part, an,agn-
nized and the Government it has for So long
Il time controlled Whatever may be the
faults of the party in power, or OF the party
out of power, ois Is. nevertheless 81 far rs
] I alt tb..,. Yl..r
desirable Government IN the world and ]
am thankful to God, the disposer of the af-
fairs of nations and of men, that our States
are again in relations with the general Gov
crnment.
Should We be surprised or discouraged be
cause our section does not control the Gov
ernmcnt. History. if not reason. should
teach us better Is there Il parallel 10 our
history since lS60-war, bitter, continued,
and destructive, defeat utter and ovcrwhclni-
ing, and all followed ST. soon by 50 great ro-
litcal influence and consideration as We now
enjoy? When did defeated and conquered
minority ever before, in the short space of
fifteen years, regain such power and influence
in any age or nation And tins is the more
wonderful when we consider the immcasur-
able capacity for blundering which the lead
ers of the dominant party in our section have
conflict And il is the more wonderful still
when we consider how ready th' dominant
party of the other section has been To re-
ceve as the expression of the fixed though
secret sentiment of the mass of the southern
people, the wild uttcrancrs ot Il lew extreme
impracticublcs, who have never trguilcn,
and have never learned. tell ynu tn day
the sobcr-mindcd people who had rad his
tory did not. IN lS,ij expect thai our rcla-
tiunS with the general Government would he,
by 1850. as good ms they are But they
would have been better than they are II the
real sentiment of the massfS IN both si'lrs
could have gotten itself lalrly expressed
for these masses wish to he lricn,.s, and be
fore very long they will sweep from their
way those who seek 10 hinder them
Measured by any {, sts, it is one of the won
ders of history that our people have, IN So
short a time Fifteen wears is 4 very short
time in the lifetime of nation, So far
overcome the evil effects of one OF the moSt
bloody and desolating and tNaspcratln I
wars ever waged in this world. And the
facts speak worlds for our Constitution, lnr
our form of Government, and, above all, ior
our Protestant rclglon-a religion which
will vet show itself To- he the best healer Of
the national wounds and the best rcconcilcr
Of estrangcd brethren.
But, my congregation, there IS one great
historic fact which should, III my sober
Judgment, above all things, excite every
where in the South profound gratitude 10
Almighty God: in,edH The i5ottioH@f ~
ricdH skireJy.
II speak only Tor myself, (and am per
s,ia,led that do not, y then be- it 81. But l.,
for one, thank God that there is No longer
slavery in these United States am per
suadcd that | only say what the vast major
ity of our peopl. feel and believe. do not
forget the better characteristics OF African
slavery as It existed among us Tor So long Il
time under the sanction ot national law ami
under the protection of the Constitution ni
the nited States do not forget that It's
worst features were often cruelty exaSgrra-
ted. and that its best were unfairly mlnIicd ;
more than all. | do not forget that, IN the
providence of God, awork that ls without Il
parallel in history was done ON the Southern
III IL, llN 1fIaslt