The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-12-02
THANKSGIVING ~ BRISTOL
AND PARIS.

OOM IL.
THANKSGITING IN BRISTOL
AND PARIS.
| Thanksgiving ser vices were held Oh
Thursday morning at the C0ngrega.
tional church Of Bristol and Paris
AS has been the custom. the sermon
was preached by the pastor Of AsbuTy
ME-. church of Bristol. These have
been called union services, both con.
gregations participating, and the ser
mon being preached alternately in the
Congregational and Methodist church
es. This year it could hardly be called
union service, as not single Meth
odist put in an appearance. 1t is diff
hcult to divine the cause of this. 1t
may be the Methodists were all out OF
turkey, and so had nothing to
thanksgive on after public worship.
The speaker, Rev. George Parsons,
took for his text sentence of the sec
ond Psalm: Rejoice with trembling
The text had not a good sound.
Everybody is willing to rejoice on
Thanksgiving, but who wants to trem-
BILE? The two feelings do not harmon
ize. However, the speaker handled
both thoughts satisfactorily, and to
the pleasure and profit Of his audience.
BE commenced his discourse By re-
marking that the appointment of this
festival by the authorities was an ex-
preston of the Nations faith in God
and our observance was a personal ex-
preston of our faith in and our obliga-
lions to our Heavenly Father. During
the year a cloud of gloom had been
cast over the nation by the assassina-
ton of its loved and honored Chief
Magistrate. But while we sorrow, we
can see much to rejoice and to be
| thankful for. We do rejoice that the
people of these United States chose q
man Of avowed christian principles to
fill the highest place in the nation
We are glad, too, that this great ma
tional calamity will arouse the people
as they have never before been aroused
to the evils growing out of official
patronage, and to the necessity Of q
thorough civil service reform. The
tender thoughtfulness, the manlinesS
and heroism of the stricken President
during eighty days of suffering brought
the nation in tender solicitude to his
bed Of suffering. The people Of the
North and of the South knelt there
together, and in the intense SORROW
which OvershadoWed them sectional
animosities were softened and dimin
ished, and we may hope for more
hearty union Of the people OF the DIFF
ferent sections.
Severe calamities Of fire and floo(
have fallen on some l. ,alities an(
caused great loss and suffering. But
these have served to show that we arr
all akin by the substantial aid rendered
by those more favored. The dreadful
calamities are partially compensated
by the halt that is called in our selfish
thoughts, and the opportunity givet
| for the action of noble sentiments Of
sympathy and beneYolence.
Among the thugs which arouse oul
gratitude is the abundance of our har
vests and remunerative prices. Al
labor and skill is in demand and wages
are good, so that the industrious
workman is able to fully supply his
wants. The conflict between capita
and labor seems to be abandoned fol
| the present, and both are receiving
fair rewards. The sound and stable
condition of our national finances is
ground fol- our lively gratitude. They
have been administered on the prin
ciples of integrity and honor, and the
nation has reaped a rich reward in its
lunequaled prosperity and it's credit al
home and abroad. The great reduction
in the rates of interest has created {
demand for capital to be used in pro
duction, and its use demands the EN-
ployment Of labor, and both have
wrought out great prosperity.
Our peaceful relations with all the
nations of the world is a cause OF
much gratitude. The salution of the
British flag at the Yorktown centennial
celebration was a significant event
creditable TO us and appreciated by
| Great Britain. England and America
must be friends. They have one Ian
guage, the same religion, united by ties
of blood, with an indivisible comming-
ling of commercial interests. Nothing
could be more calamitous to both and
to the world than war between them.
Both stand as the representatives of
intelligence and virtue in the citizen,
of law based on justice, of liberty
without license.
Our religious privileges are among
the things for which we should be
thankful. Sunday, the Bible and the
sanctuary stand first among the great
est Of our mercies. In reference to re-
ligious interests and work we admit
some humiliating facts. Immediate
results for labors bestowed are not
what could be desired. The attendance
at church is small. The youth seems
to stand aloof, and conversions are
few. The speaker insisted that the
universal church should inquire into
the cause of this and see if a remedy
could not be found. In continuing
he said: We can rejoice that the spirit
of christian unity between the churches
is increasing. The power and infu-
ence of the christian press is growing,
and the supply Of religious literature
is adequate to the increased demand.
The political field and our education
al institutions were descanted upon
by the speaker, and many features
instanced as cause for thankfulness,
but l have not space to note further
in this line.
But, the speaker continued, our text
says: i" Rejoice with trembling" And
why should we tremble? Because of
elements of danger in our midst.
Slavery has left us 3 legacy of ignor-
ance and viciousness in millions of
both blacks and whites. Rum is
carrying on its work of degradation in
the North and in the South. Many
thousand of illiterate citizens of the
old world come to us every year and
grasp the scepter of sovereignty with
out realizing the just obligations that
go with it. Dangers lurk here and
must be watched and provided for, or
we may we'll tremble for the future of
our country. Popery is another dam
ger that menaces us. Rome is always
the same. She may have different
policies and may change them, but her