Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-30

THANKSGIVING


and call upon me in the day Of
trouble; will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify me.
But unto the wicked God saith,
What hast thou to do to declare my
statutes, or that thou shouldst take
my covenant in thy mouth. seeing
thou latest instruction and easiest
my words behind thee. When thou
sawest a thief. then thou consent
edest with him, and thou has been
a partaker with adulterers. Thou
givest thy mouth to evil. and thy
tongue framest deceit.--F1fteh
Psalm.
Pausing amid the turmoil and the
labor Of feverish preparation for war
which has for its object the destruc-
ton of Christianity's greatest modern
foe, America sets aside a day to utter
prayers of thanksgiving and praise to
the God of nations.
More than that tradition which has
come down from the colonists bids us
keep Thanksgiving day this year;
more than the personal private for
tunes we may have enjoyed; more
than the favors which have come to
us in the realization of individual
prosperity, or community progress, or
national advancement.
We may give thanks for the oppor-
tunity that Is Americas to justify the
step which the founders Of our gov
eminent took, almost a century and q
half ago, into an untried sphere. We
are firm in the belief, as were they.
that Divine inspiration strengthened
the armies which fought against tho
forces Of oppression that 1t has guided
those whose achievements on battle
fields and in legislative halls have
illumined the pages of American his
tory with records of fact which bring
to the reader thrill Of pride and de-
sire for emulation. We have echoed
the conviction which great American
leaders have voiced at the moment OF
their triumphs for right-that the
work OF their hands was but nantes
tation Of a power which has directed
destinies of the nation that builded Its
foundations on the declaration that
"men are created free and equal; that
they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty and the
pursuit of, happiness"
We have pointed to the closing SEN
tence in that declaration of indepen-
dence, Of faith and liberty: "And for
the support of this declaration, with
a firm reliance on the protection OF
Divine Providence, we mutually pledge
to each other our lives, our fortunes,
and our sacred honor"
And now, after 142 years. the de-
scepdants OF the men whose names
were appended to that document are
given the opportunity to justify their
faith, in the acceptance of challenge
hurled to the world and to the very
heavens by the blasphemous ruler who
rewards his armies for each success
sive crime against Christianity, civil
ization, liberty and right with the sac
religious command. Forward with
God"
Tomorrow. as we give thanks for
the opportunity to- serve which the
present generation of Americans is
given. we will be strengthened by thc
rsalmist's Interpretation of the warn
ing to the evil-doer: what hast thou
to do to declare my statutes. or thst
thou shouldst take my covenant in thy
MOUTH
Years of conflict, of sacrifice. OF
death and sorrow and travail await us,
but the same stauuch confidence in
the majesty of the Creator which has
made an avenging giant of the infant
nation our forefathers founded will
make of this Thanksgiving day an