Year: 1876

| CAUSES OF THANKFULNEss.
j propose to speak of some among our
/ countless blessings for which we should


be thankful, of some perils which beset
us. and some things which we ought as a
/ Nation to do, and must do, or as Nation
we shall perish.


We should be thankful for this day Of
National religious observance, for a rec
ognitIon by an official National act. OF


the being and supreme authority Of God,
and our dependence upon Him for every


blessing we enjoy. Ii is not a thanks
giving Of States, but the thanksgiving of
a Nation.


It seems to me that this is more i'm
portant now than ever before. False sci
ence is striving nightly to prove that
there is no God. and some theologians
are trying to show that the Republic
knows no God. and no religion, and has
no need of either. and the old rebel doc
trine of secession denying our nationality
is deiaDtly reasserted, and the elements
OF that fierce and reckless power which
assaulted the Union before, is reorgani-
zing itself, and arming itself anew. and
shouting for blood and war. Amid such
scenes it strengthens our hope and
courage to see our Chief Magistrate calm
ly asserting, by the issuing of his procla-
nation, that this Republic is a Nation.
not a loose unmanageable association OF
States. any one OF which may rush off
into secession and rebellion whenever il
feels lin spiteiul mood; that the fruit OF
a great war has not been surrendered
and that this Nation. in its official capa-
city. will recognize the Nations God.


And this calm, almost silent man. the
man OF many battles and many victories,
the chief figure ine the war which made
Us Nation. " no reasserts that national
ity now, will not fail to defend il against
all comers. North or South. so long ~
power remains in his hands, and it il
now quite evident that if we have escaped
another civil war, it is owing to the cour-
age, energy, and prompt action of the
President and his advisers.


There is reason for great gratitude for
the many and varied temporal blessings
which God has bestowed. One small
city only has been visited with unusual
disease, and inasmuch as science as yet
knows so little OF many fearful diseases.
and has so little power to control them.
we may ascribe our preservation to God,
and give the praise and the glory to Him


We have escaped. in great measure,
those insect plaques that have so often
destroyed the hopes of our farmers, and
the blessings of the earth, the air, and
water have SO abounded, that we are bur
thened, il at all, by the richness Of our
Fathers gift. Cheap food and fuel are
the special blessings of God for the poor


The financial pressure is proving a
blessing to the country by checking
somewhat extravagance and luxury.
teaching by severe lessons the necessity
OF living within the income, while the
numerous cases of real want have ava
kened and strengthened confidence
The year has been one of startling NOR
tifying revelations Of schemes for plum
der on gigantic scale, reaching even
into the highest political circles, first
shocking the whole country, and then
creating a public sentiment which de
maBds at least, with more firmness than
before. that our public men shall BE-
worthy of our confidence We should
be specially thankful that the most eager
scrutiny has fixed no STAN upon the
President. No plunder has been traced
back TO him.


In the crisis which has come, and in
view of the more perilous one that may
come, we should ieel fresh gratitude tor
the abolition of slavery: for though the
colored people are trodden down, abused,
and murdt red now, they are a mighty
power which the South can not afford TO
abuse much longer, which they cannot
trust TO watch over their homes in an
other war Still, the abolition of slavery
lell lar short OF its proper eff-ct. because
the moral sentiment of the North was
not elevated by the consciousness Of hav-
ing done a righteous act in the fear of
! God, and the SOuIh felt that il had COM
mitted no sin, either by its slavery or its
t., ason. Its only regret was that it did
! nOi succeed Aud bpcause the churches
have not done all their duty since, the
| Northern sympathizers with the South
ern sin have neither been properly warn
ed, rebuked. or instructed


THE PERIIs OF THE HOUR
Thus we have driited OH. crime and
outrage multiplying around US, till we
are brought lace TO face with the perils
/ OF the hour. We have failed to work
+, righteousness in some important parts of
/ our National action, and we are reaping


what we sowed. Still God has given US


many blessings and many advantages in


entering into a conflict now, whatever
/ form it may assume, beyond what we
/ had before.


! In spite of the partial paralysis that
| struck the moral sense OF the country at


the close of the war, 10y the wholesale


pardon Of treason and murder, 80 that in


the eyes of thousands there was no lon


ger guilt in SIN, or any respect for gov


trnment or law, and crime can riot, and