Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-11-30
THANKSGIVING.


our readers ard wish them many re-
turns of a season, when there shall be
snelf substantial grounds for gratitude
as the present year has brought us. Be-
| cause labor has received bountifuf.
reward, because the fruits of the earth
have been lavished to an extent which
the sons of men have rarely had the
privilege Of seeing, because health and
peace have been within our borders,
it becomes all who believe in great
disposer to thank Him for his good
ness to the children of men. We de-
voutly and heartily respond to the
suggestion of the President, in prais-
ing the mercy that has descended
FROM the fathers to us, the children.
The observance of days of thanksgiv-
ing dates from far off time in the
earlJ history of the race, when as yet
the sites of London, Paris, and other
European capitals were wild and un-
troddcn forests, when as yet the
smoke wreaths had not curled above
the huts of early Rome, when as yet
the great Dorean invasion Of the Pc
loponnesus was IN the future andMin-
erva had not, as the story goes, pre-
sided over the founding of ancient
Athens. When Israel stood before
Sinai, law was given them that once
every year, when they gathered the
first fruits of the harvest, there should
be a feast of thanksgiving before the
Lord, who was thus recognized as the
giver of all. In the modern habit of
appointing days of thanksgiving we
are recurring to practice as old as the
pyramids. 4
If there was ever a time when an
adoriag nation should give attterance
to grateful praise, if there has ever been
a year in our own national history
when we should glorify the mercy that
has been from everlasting, the present
is such a season. The twelve month
began with heavy pressure bequeatil-
ed to it from the failure of the last
crop. 1t was known that second
failure would involve far-reachine
ruin; it was known that such failure
would mean famine in many districts,
and .incalculable suffering everywhere.
1t was known that financial crash
could hardly have been averted, and
that multiplied bankruptcies, the fall
of old houses, and the ruin of colossal
fortunes might occur in most all
the commercial centers. No thought
full man felt safe until the result of an
| abundant harvest was secured. There
/ was many supplicatlon which went
fup to the. Skies asking that the pos
lsihle evil should be averted and that
the Lord would visit his people in
giving them bread. The answer has
been sent in such a harvest as has
never before been gathered on this
continent. P p. ts
It is additional reason for thank
fulness that these mercies have not
been confined to our own country.
The vast proportion of dry land is in
| the northern hemisphere. The hu-
man race, it may be said, dwells in
that same hemisphere. Through its
whole extent there has been this year
such return of the fruits of the earth
as has never occurred in human his
tory. From. every nation and every.
cline the same glad sound of abun-
dance is heard. At home and abroad
this means stimulus to all kinds of
business, activity in every branch of
human. industry. The prices of the
necessaries of life low, and those for
all other things high, trade active,
money easy and prosperity abounding
In well nigh every town and city over
the earth the showers of last summer
IMe redistilling themselves in blessing
and are bringing Joy alike to the man
] sions of the rich and the cottages of
the poor. It is meet and right to
bless the Giver Of all for these mer
cies.
Wherever we look we see addition
al reason for thankfulness. This No.
yember finds world at peace. No
war nor battle sound is heard any,
where, no hostile chiefs ride to furious
combat, no man is seeking to slay his
brother, national questions have been
arranged, armies are returning home,
and all things seem favorable to long
continuance of quiet among nations.
On such day as this, writing neither
for Republicans nor Democrats, but
for citizens Of our common country,
we hail, in the results of the late cleo
tons, less the triumph of any special
measures, than the Inauguration of a
era of good will between the different
sections of the land. The warning of
Washington, that sectional troubles
should be Stunned, was regarded by
neither of the great divisions of the
Union. Sectionalism eliminated in
a horror of war which deluged the
whole land in blood and resulted in
the financial ruin of a large part of
the national domain. The close of
the war did not see the end of the
evil. The hearts of the conquorers
were hardened against those they con-
quored, and the wrongs which were
heaped on the helpless and ruined,
awakened for the South the I,ity