The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-12-08

at length military necessity, which
God suffered to come upon us to
wheel our ranks into the ways of
righteousness, achieved for us what
nothing else could dot sent forth
the proclamation of liberty to the op-
pressed. And from that memorable
hour: that it took effect ut midnight,
with the ushering in of 1868, the
whole tide of battle was turned. From
that hour God girded himself with
shield ana buclller, and went before
our armies for glorions triumph. From
that hour disaster was abated. From
that hour our march was triumphant,
until our lines closed in upon the re-
bellion, and the monster was doomed
to die,
Grant held the heart at Richmond,
and clutched the throat at Peters
burg; Sherman took out the life at
Atlanta, and laid his hand on Charles
ton; Farragut at Mobile held the feet
already chilled in the waters of the
gulf; Sheridan in the Shenandoah laid
over the right arm upon the expiring
body. Every limb of the rebellion
quivered, its pulse grew feeble, its
blood stagnant, Lee surrendered, slav-
cry died, freedom triumphed; and the
doxologies of free nation and free
people went up to the very footsteps
of the eternal throne:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above yc heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Nearly twenty years have elapsed
since these scenes were enacted, and
we have merged into free and pros
porous nation of -, 100000 of people;
our national treasury is overlooking;
the rose of health is upon the nation
al cheek; the peace and the bounty of
God has blessed us, as never before in
the past; the government stands Sc
cure; peace reigns; public sentiment
controls; public conscience is enthron-
ed, and an invisible omnipresent pow
er is controlling the intellect, control
ling the passions, and controlling the
will Of the American people. Never
before in the history Of this nation, has
the Almighty so smiled upon the
husbandman; never was the shout Of
the harvesters more gleeful; never was
the harvest moon 50 large and so rich
as in this year; our granaries are
bursting with the golden product; I'M
mense freight trains on hundred
roads, are grooming beneath the weight
of the farmers industry as they roll to-
wards the seaboard. | say then, that
a people that has been thus favored
and thus blessed, should shout the
Harvest home; They should recognize
Him who is God Of the harvest; re-
cognize Him who holds in his fists the
winds; who calls forth the clouds, and
waters the earth; who brings out the
genial and inyigorating sun to shine
upon its latent energies; that these
harvcsts shall shine in glory before the
face Of God, and the face of man.
And now ! ask the question: Mer-
chants, Mechanics, Bankers, and arti-
zans: What is all your business worth
without the farmer? Is it not the farm
er that stands back ofall prosperity? If
the farmer fails, you fail, therefore Is it
not your duty TO join hands with the
farmer and shout the harvest home.
mad return thanks to God, saying; He
hath done great things for us, whereof
we are glad"
But again:-Another reason why
we should give thanks to God today
is, that we are, Speaking in general
terms) a moral, and intellectual pco-
pie. This is Il Christian nation, and
in proof Of this let us look at the facts.
Our population is now about $4,000,
600. We have over 10000 churches
under our flag, worth over 100000
900. We expend annually S60,OO0,-
600 for churches, and have the money
to do it. We have over 10000 minis
tiers who weekly feed the flock food.
Does this Indicate barbarism or inf
deity? We have over 10000 lawyers,
and $4,000 physicians.
And then to indicate our intellect
uaI advancement we have $4,000
school teachers, 0,OO0publIc schools,
ana support the same aC coaC o.
S10O,O00,000 a year. We have be
tween 5000 and 1000 newspapers,
which have IA circulation of nearly
25,000,000, and for which our people
pay about $50, 100000 year. What
Il comment this Is upon the average
intelligence of the American people,
no such an average can be found any
where else, no such an array Of facts
and figures, as to churches, ministers,
lawyers, physicians, school teachers,
newspapers; and especially, no such
an array of facts as to public schools,
which are the glory of this Republic,
and may God preserve unto us our
public schools, whcih stand hard by
the churches Of the living God.