Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-01-18
DIVINE AID ACKNOWLEDGE
ED IN SECURING OUR IN
DEPENDENCE.
BY HON. ROBERT c. WINTHROP.

ED IN SECURlNO OOh IN-
DEPENDENCE.
BY HON. ROBERT G. WINTHROP.
From his Grafton at Yorktown, Oct. 10, 1881
It Is matter of record, fellow-citi-
zens, that on the day after the sur
render here had taken place, Washing
ton issued his general order congratu-
lating the army on the glorious event.
That order concludes as follows: Dl-
vine service is to be performed to-mor-
row in the several brigades and divls-
ions. The commander-in-chief recon-
meuds that the troops not on duty
should universally attend, with the
seriousness of department and graft
tude Of heart which the recognition OF
such reiterated and astonishing inter-
positions of Providence demand of us." !"
Accordingly, on Sabbath, the 2lst o.
October. the various divisions were
drawn up in the field to offer "to the
Lord of hosts, the God of battles, !"
says the journalist Thacher, "thelr
grateful homage for the preservation OF
our lives through the dangers OF the
siege, and for the important event with
which Divine Providence has seen mt
to crown our efforts"
The JOY full tidings reached Philadel-
phia by the hand of Col. Tilghman, at
midnight of the 23d, and the, next
morning were formally communicated
to Congress, when resolutions were
passed, on motion of Mr.. Randolph of
Virginia, of which the very first was
as follows: Resolved, That Congress
will, at 9 O'Clock this day, 60 in pro-
cession to the German Lutheran church
and return thanks to Almighty God
for crowning the allied arms of the
United States and France with sue
cess by the surrender Of the whole
British army under command of the
Earl of Cornwallis." Two days only
intervened when, on the 26th, asolemn
proclamation was issued by Congress,
acknowledging '.the influence ofDivine
Providence in raising up for us pow
erful ally" and praying God ito pro
tect and prosper that illustrious ally
and to favor our united exertions fol
the speedy establishment Of safe
honorable, and lasting peace"
In France the tidings were received
with similar recognition of the di
vine aid, and orders were sent out al
once by the king for solemn II
Deum of Thanksgiving by his troops
in America. The king himself wrote
q special letter to Rochambeau, signed
by his own hand and dated at Yer
sailles, 26tb of November, 1871, con
cluding with these impressive words
"in calling these events to the mind
and acknowledging how much the
abilities of Gen. Washington, your
talents, those of the general officers
employed under the orders Of you both
and the vslor Of the troops, have rem.
dered this campaign glorious, my CHIEF
design is to inspire the hearts of all as
we'll as mine with the deepest gratitude
toward the Author of all my prOsperi-
ty, and in the intention of addressing
my supplication to him for the contin-
uation of his divine protection, l have
written to the Archbishops and Bish-
ops of my kingdom to cause Ie Deum1
to be sung in the churches Of their dio-
ceses and / address this letter to in
form you that l desire it may be like
wise sung in the town or camp where
you may be with the corps of troops,
the command of which has been in
trusted to you, and that you would
give orders that the ceremony be per-
formed with all the public rejoicings
used in similar cases, in which l beg
of God to keep you in his holy protec-
tion."
All France, as we'll as all America,
was thus ringing and resounding with
the praise of God tor our great deliv-
erance. "Not unto US, not unto u.s.
was the emotion and utterance of the
whole American people at that day
and mot unto us, not unto US, but
unto thy name be the praise" must
still be the emotion and the utterance
of US all, as we contemplate the COM
pleted century of republican liberty
which that dsy ushered in. Commem-
orative columns and splendid cere-
monials are fit tributes of gratitude to
the mortal or immortal men OF our
own land and of other lands who were
the instruments Of achieving our inde-
pendence. But "Glory to God in the
highest" must swell up from every
true heart and lip at this hour for what
Washington well called "the reiterated
and astonishing interpositions" which
not only carried US through the Revo-
luton triumphantly, but which, during
the century which has succeeded it,
have overruled so wonderfully, to our
permanent welfare, events which to
human eyes seemed fatal to our pros
perity and peace.
The great French historian and
statesman, Guizot, has reminded us, in
that popular history of his own land to
which he devo.ed the last labors of his
life, thatin l776, before the declaration
of Independence, the Virginians had
adopted at the close of their proclama-
tions the proudly significant phrase.
"God save the liberties of America I"