Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-11-25
TO-DAY is Amer.

States and wherever the stars and
stripes float, on sea and land, We,
as a nation and as individuals,
acknowledge our dependence on
God. There is a personal element
in the observance OF Gay OF
thanksgiving. We, as a nation
and as individuals, live in. respect
TO God. We recognize him as the
source of all our blessings, as the
"giver of every good and every
perfect gift" We are the recipi-
ents of many blessed things. We
have temporal blessings poured
out upon us in great abundance.
Home, shelter, food and clothing,
and the ten thousand unseen mer-
cies that come to us unsought and
unnoticed, and not unfrequently
unappreciated.
This dayis the sign-manual that
we are a Christian nation, and as
such we are recognized by the ma
tions of the earth. Carlyle says
that the protestant reformation
started by Martin Luther was for
all nations and for all time, and
the nations that have refused to
accept its edicts have mostly gone
down in anarchy and ruin, with
all the nations that forget God. !"
Our nation, in the broadest and
best sense, is a Christian nation.
We are in possession of the infiu-
ences and the institutions that pro-
ceed from the gospel of Christ.
Our beloved American government
lives in a Christian life and atmos-
phere. Life is immeasurably diff
ferent from what it is in heather
countries where the Bible has no
effect upon the laws of the land
and the lives of the people. Life
and property are safe here because
we are nation of worshippers of
Jehovah. "Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord"
The custom of assembling at the
call of the President of the United
States is a most beautiful one, and
is getting to be almost universally
observed, from the Atlantic on the
east to the surging waves of the
Pacific on the west; from the great
lakes on the north to the gulf of
Mexico on the south. But it is
not enough that we attend the SER
vice on Thanksgiving day and join
our hearts in the songs of praise
and th thanksgiving. True, it is fit
ting that we all thus announce our
acquiescence in the observance of
the occasion. If we are truly
grateful, we will feel it in our
hearts, lovingly and tenderly, and
then our lips will lose no oppor-
tunity to speak forth His praise,
for we cannot help but speak forth
the things that we believe and
know. The best evidence of a
truly grateful heart is a responsive
life. We should show that we are
in happy and hearty accord with
the will of the giver of all good.
To-day THE CHIEFTAIN desires
to join the great throng of Ameri-
can citizens who assemble in thou
sands of sanctuaries throughout
the land, in recognizing the benig-
nant hand that has led this people
on, step by step, to the very crest
Of the worlds civilization. We
rejoice that in all those ways in
which men find their true strength
and dignity God is found reward
ing day by day. To-day may the
whole American people. scattered
abroad upon the bosom of this
mighty continent, unite in one
great, resounding service. The
season has been propitious. The
earth has yielded up a bountiful
harvest. The mountain sides and
the fertile plains have brought
forth a mighty harvest of fruit and
grain, and surely there is abun-
iant reason for all of Gods crea-
lures to be thankful. But there is
a tendency in man to be continu-
ally asking blessings, but seldom
thankful for those already re-
There is a beautiful le-
gend somewhere told Of how Saint
Peter sent two angels down from
heaven once to earth, each with a
basket. One was to gather up the
petitions of men, the other the |
.hanksgivings. The one who came
or petitions carried a small bas-
zet; the one who was to gather
,hanksgivings brought a very large |
,ne. When they returned to
heaven the angel with the petit
ions had a basket full and a large |
bundle strapped to his back, and
,aid that he had gathered only a
small portion of the countless mil
ions of petitions men were asking. |
The angel with the Thanksgiving |
aad almost an empty basket, hav-
ng found in all the world only a |
,andful of fhankspivinps