Chapter 23

State

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TOPICS - click to expand or collapse: THANKSGIVING FESTIVALS - PURITAN ORIGIN - BECAME NATIONAL - THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE FAMILY - ON THE CHURCH - ON THE STATE - RELATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE STATE - AMERICAN POLICY TO SECURE HOMESTEADS SIMILAR TO THE HEBREW POLICY - DR. BEECHER'S STATEMENT - VIEW OF THE EARLY NEW ENGLAND FAMILIES - BANCROFT'S PICTURE OF NEW ENGLAND FAMILIES - THANKSGIVING-DAY OF 1862 - PROCLAMATIONS OF THE VARIOUS GOVERNORS - OF THE MAYOR OF WASHINGTON CITY - ABSTRACT OF PROCLAMATIONS BY DIFFERENT GOVERNORS - THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER OF THE GOVERNMENT DECLARED BY THESE STATE PAPERS - THE MARRIAGE INSTITUTION - ACT OF CONGRESS TO PROTECT IT - PUNISHES POLYGAMY - VINDICATES A CHRISTIAN ORDINANCE - THE RECOGNITION OF GOD'S GOVERNMENT AND OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGES - THE STATEMENT OF AN AMERICAN JURIST THAT THE GOSPEL IS THE GLORY OF A STATE.

THE annual festival of Thanksgiving originated in New England, and was the fruit of Puritan faith and piety. It has become national, and is commemorated with devout demonstrations of Christian worship and of social and family remembrances and reunions. It is a day canonized in the Christian and civil annals of the various State Governments, and carries with it the authority of legislative and executive action as well as the sanctions and solemnities of religion.

The influences of this festival are wide-spread and beneficent. It affords to the ministers of religion a favorable opportunity for the discussion of the great principles of civil and religious liberty which underlie our system of government, to review the Christian history which has marked the origin and progress of civilization and the civil and political institutes of the nation, and to inculcate the fundamental fact that the Christian faith and principles of the founders of the republic alone can preserve its life and perpetuity. Its social and family scenes and Christian services cultivate the best affections of human nature, and give fresher and purer tone and strength to the three great organic institutions of God, - the Family, the Church, and the State.

These institutions are divinely united, and must live or perish together. The family, first in the order of its institution, is the source of growth and perpetuity to the Church, and of purity and moral strength and beauty to the State. The State covers with its shield of legislation the family and the Church, and thus fosters and diffuses those Christian virtues and influences that are the only durable pillars of civil society and the only true and lasting glory of States. These three institutions, Divine in their origin and authority, are designed to be perpetual, and alone can work out the social, moral, political, and spiritual regeneration of nations and the race.

As the family is the foundation of the civil state and the germ of its life and growth and source of its strength and glory, the republic of North America has not only been distinguished for the best types of the family organization, but the legislation of the national and State Governments has given the easiest facilities for the acquisition of family homesteads, out of which might flow the best and strongest influences to support and bless the State.

Congress, by an act "to secure Homesteads to actual settlers on the Public Domain," passed May 20, 1862, and approved by the President, secures a free homestead "to any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the naturalization laws of the United States, and who has never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies." It was also required in that Act that the person making application for such homestead must declare that "the said entry is made for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation, and not, either directly or indirectly, for the use or benefit of any person or persons whomsoever."

This national policy in reference to securing a home and an ownership in the soil has a beneficent influence in the culture of all the virtues, and gives to the people who support the Government a deeper and a stronger love of country. This feature of our Government and institutions has a striking analogy to the republican institutions of the Hebrew commonwealth, which were established under the immediate direction and authority of God.

Dr. Lyman Beecher, an American divine of great eminence, eloquence, and piety, whose long life and talents were devoted to the defence and diffusion of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and to the true welfare of the American republic, in his lecture on the republican elements of the Old Testament, says, -

"The most admirable trait in the republican system of the Jews is the distribution of land, which made every adult male a land-holder, - not a tenant, but the owner himself of the soil on which he lived. This is the great spring of civil liberty, industry, and virtue. By this simple arrangement the great body of the nation were elevated from the pastoral to the agricultural state, and were at once exempted from the two extremes most dangerous to liberty, an aristocracy of wealth and a sordid vicious poverty. It was the design of Heaven to secure a state of society eminently adapted to virtue and liberty; and, by this distribution of the soil to each individual and family, he made the whole nation agricultural. The single principle of universal ownership, in fee simple, of the soil, secured at once intense and universal patriotism, indomitable courage, untiring industry, and purity of morals: neither an hereditary nobility, nor a dependent peasantry, nor abject poverty, could exist. While the sun shone, or the streams flowed, or the hills remained, liberty and equality must exist among them. The whole land was kept in the line of family descent: no poverty or vice on the part of a man could deprive his family of the privilege of inheriting its portion of the soil, - thus attaching them to the community as independent members, with all those inducements to freedom and intelligence and virtue which appertain to the owners and cultivators of the soil."

These results which were wrought out by the policy of the Hebrew commonwealth have been in some good measure gained under the republican institutions of the United States. The loyalty and love of country, and the settled and solemn purpose of the American people to maintain the unity of their nationality and the integrity of their civil institutions, which have had a new and sublime development in the great conflict arising out of the Southern rebellion, have their origin and fruitfulness in the fact that the Government, in its past and present policy, secures, on the easiest terms, ownership in the soil and a homestead for every family. It is a recognition of the vital need of the family, in its best estate, to the prosperity and perpetuity of the republic.

What, then, can make the families of this great nation happy, pure, moral, and orderly? Certainly nothing else but the power and resources of piety, and the cultivation of family religion. Here, in the sacred sanctuary of home, must virtue and piety exert their holy influences in the purification of these original fountains, and then every stream that flows from them on society and Government will be eminently healthy and saving. For the cultivation of family religion, and the Christian education and training of children, involve the whole issues of human happiness and the well-being of all civil Governments.

Let family religion flourish, - let the children who are to occupy this glorious domain, and to wield the civil and political destinies of this great republic, be trained and educated under Christian influences, and all fear of danger to the integrity and perpetuation of our free institutions will be removed. This will plant the fear of God in every heart, it will give right principles of moral action to every citizen, and send forth those pious and refreshing influences that will water the tree of American liberty, cause its roots to fix themselves deep in the rich soil, send the sap of a virtuous and a vigorous life through all its parts, and preserve in their purity and integrity the civil institutions of the country, and bless every interest of the nation.

"The family," says a modern divine, "is God's first institution. It was founded in Eden, and will last to the end of time. All other institutions come after it, cluster round it, grow out of it, and have the deepest roots both of their strength and weakness in it. The school is what the family makes it. The state is what the family makes it. So it is with communities and nations. So it is with universal human society, and with the whole race of man. They are all but so many streams of which the family is the fountain, circles of which it is the centre, superstructures of which it is the foundation, branches of which it is the root. What it is they are and must be. Its spirit makes their life; its fibres shape their boughs ; its juices feed their leaves and fill their fruits. All other institutions of society are to be formed and reformed, generated and regenerated, only through the family itself."

New England has ever been distinguished for its lovely pictures of home-life and the comforts and independence of its families. Before the century in which the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth had expired, it was said of New England, by Rev. John Wise, that "Religion is placed and exercised in its principles, virtues, and governments, through the families of the country, as so many little sanctuaries. There is no such spot of earth on the earthly globe so belabored with family devotion, reading God's word, catechizing and well-instructing youth, with neat and virtuous examples, and divine prayers, non ex codice, sed ex corde, not out of books, but out of hearts, the solemnizing Sabbaths and family attendance on public means, as in New England.

Bancroft bears a similar testimony. "A lovely picture," says he, "of prosperity, piety, and domestic happiness was presented. Every family was taught to look up to God, as to the fountain of all good; yet life was not sombre. The spirit of frolic mingled with innocence ; religion itself sometimes wore the garb of gayety, and the annual thanksgiving to God was, from primitive times, as joyous as it was sincere."

The festival of Thanksgiving - the symbol of family religion and love, and the fountain of beneficent and extensive good to the Church and the State - mingles its songs of praise and joy from ocean to ocean, filling the continent with the incense of a Christian sacrifice precious to the American citizen and acceptable to God.

The annual Thanksgiving of 1862, in the loyal States, was observed with more than usual interest and attention. In the midst of a great rebellion, the people paused from worldly pursuits, went up to the temples of God, and "entered into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." Not a sanctuary, scarcely, in all the land but was vocal with praise and prayer, and in them the ministers of God reviewed the manifold blessings with which God had crowned the year, and especially dwelt upon the blessings of our civil institutions, and the duty of preserving the Union and perpetuating the integrity of the Government against the rebellion of the Southern States. The capital of the nation - the city founded by Washington and bearing his name, the seat of civil power, and the home of the President of the United States, his Cabinet, and of Congress - observed with great unanimity and appropriateness the Thanksgiving of the year 1862.

A peculiar feature of the Thanksgiving of the year 1862 was its observance on the tented fields and in the numerous hospitals of the Government, in different parts of the country. The loyal States, in order to arrest and subdue the rebellion and to maintain the unity of the republic and vindicate the majesty and integrity of the Government, had, when the Thanksgiving of 1862 was observed, eight hundred thousand armed soldiers in the field. Thousands of these heroic men were accustomed to observe Thanksgiving-day in their own quiet homes; and now, amidst the scenes of war, in the camp, or in hospitals, they recalled the home-pictures of former days, and under the happy auspices of the day, and with loyal hearts, consecrated themselves anew to the cause of liberty and religion and to the salvation of the imperilled republic.

This chapter will be devoted to the official recognition of the Christian religion by the Governors of most of the States of the Union, in their annual proclamations for thanksgiving. Those of the year 1862, from all the loyal States except California, are given in full, as they are not only state papers of a high Christian tone,but relate also to the great rebellion of the Southern portion of the republic. The proclamation of Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, for 1861, is inserted, as it is a noble Christian paper and a model of its kind. The proclamations of several of the Southern States for 1858 are also given. Other proclamations by the Governors of various States are given in brief. They will all be found interesting and cumulative in reference to the Christian life and character of the civil institutions of the United States.

1) NEW YORK.

The first appointment of a Thanksgiving day in the State of New York, after the General Government went into operation, was made by John Jay, Governor and commander-in-chief of the State. He was among the most eminent Christian states- men of the Revolutionary and constitutional eras of the republic, and had largely contributed to give the civil and political institutions of New York and the nation a Christian impress ; and among his first official acts when elected Governor was to appoint a day for thanksgiving unto God. In his proclamation for that year, 1794, he says,-

Whereas the great Creator and Preserver of the Universe is the Supreme Sovereign of nations, and does, when and as he pleases, reward or punish them by temporal blessings or calamities, according as their national conduct recommends them to his favor and beneficence or excites his displeasure and indignation;

And whereas in the course of his government he hath graciously been pleased to show singular kindness to the people and nation of which this State is a constituent member, by protecting our ancestors in their first establishment in this then savage wilderness, by defending them against their enemies, by blessing them with an uncommon degree of peace, liberty, and safety, and with the civilizing light and influence of his holy gospel, by leading us, as it were by the hand, through the various scenes of the late revolution, and crowning it with success, by giving us wisdom and opportunity to establish governments and institutions auspicious to order, security, and national liberty, by constantly favoring us with fruitful seasons, and, in general, by giving us a greater portion of public welfare and prosperity than to any other people; it appears to me to be the public duty of this State, collectively considered, to render unto God their sincere and humble thanks for all these his great and unmerited mercies and blessings, and also to offer to him their fervent petitions to continue to us his protection and favor ; to preserve to us the undisturbed enjoyment of our civil and religious rights and privileges, and the valuable life and usefulness of the President [Washington] of the United States; to enable all our rulers, councils, and people, to do the duties incumbent on them respectively, with wisdom and fidelity, to promote the extension of true religion, virtue, and learning, to give us grace to cultivate national unity, concord, and good will, and generally to bless our nation, and all other nations, in the manner and measure most conducive to our and their best interests and real welfare; being perfectly convinced that national prosperity depends, and ought to depend, on national gratitude and obedience to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

1.1) PROCLAMATION

By Daniel D. Tompkins, Governor of the State of New York, General and Commander-in-Chief of all the Militia, and Admiral of the Navy of the same, on the Restoration of Peace, in 1815.

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate and Assembly of this State, I do hereby set apart the second Thursday of April next, to be devoted to public prayer, thanksgiving, and praise; and I do most earnestly recommend to the good people of this State, of every denomination, to abstain from all kinds of labor and business on that day, to meet in their respective places of worship, and there unite their hearts in fervent prayer to the Most High, in humble acknowledgment of his all-protecting influence, and in consideration of his goodness manifested to us, a nation, in that he has been pleased to signalize our arms by so many splendid victories, to conduct our country successfully through the perils of the late war, to restore to us the blessings of peace, and to preserve unimpaired our civil and religious institutions.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the privy seal of the State of New York to be hereunto affixed [L.S.] at the city of Albany, the seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.

DANIEL D. TOMPKINS.

By his Excellency the Governor:

ROBERT TILLOTSON, Private Secretary.

De Witt Clinton, as the Governor of the State of New York, appointed Thanksgiving-day in 1817-22, 1825, 1826, and 1827. In these proclamations he declares it

"An obvious and solemn duty to render the obligations of devout and grateful hearts to Almighty God for the manifold blessings conferred upon us at all times by the gracious dispensations of his providence." In the enumeration of the blessings for which "the State had been greatly distinguished by the dispensation of a benign Providence" in the various years of his administration, the Governor designates an augmentation of the lights of religion and knowledge." He states as his "solemn conviction that private happiness and public prosperity are indissolubly connected with the cultivation of religion, and a deep solicitude to endeavor to merit the favor of Divine Providence;" and that, in view of the "Divine pleasure in promoting the diffusion of religion, advancing the interests of knowledge, prospering internal improvements, and vouchsafing the enjoyment of liberty, peace, and plenty," "demonstrations of gratitude are enjoined by the most impressive considerations of patriotism and the most solemn obligations of religion."

Joseph C. Yates, as Governor of New York, in his proclamations of 1823-4, says, -

"The people of this State have been highly favored with unmerited blessing, from the protecting hand of the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe, signally manifested by continuing to promote the cause of religion in our land, the diffusion of it abroad, and the dissemination of useful knowledge among all classes of citizens;" and "by enabling the constituted authorities, under his superintending care and guidance, peacefully to organize a government according to a constitution formed and adopted by the people; securing to them the blessings of liberty, and the undisturbed fruition of their own labor and exertions."

New York, in 1821, formed a new Constitution, which was adopted by a popular vote in February, 1822, and went into full operation on the 1st day of January, 1823; and for this Divine blessing the Governor calls upon the people to render special thanksgiving to God.

Nathaniel Pitcher, the acting Governor of the State of New York after the death of De Witt Clinton, in his proclamation of 1828, calls upon the people to render thanksgiving unto Almighty God.

"In permitting us to enjoy the blessings of republican institutions, in the diffusion of moral instruction and science, by sustaining our colleges, academies, and Sabbath and common school institutions; in continuing to us the light of revelation and the consolation and toleration of religious profession and worship."

Enos T. Throop, acting as Governor after the resignation of Governor Van Buren, in his proclamations of 1829-30, says, –

"It has pleased Almighty God to give us strength and wisdom, and by his guidance we have become members of a national and State Government which secures to each of us our due civil rights and freedom of religious opinion. By his great goodness our hearts have been disposed to cultivate the growth of knowledge and virtue by the instrumentality of public worship, of schools, and of benevolent and charitable institutions, and to consider them as means of individual happiness and national prosperity."

"Whereas," he continues, "the wisdom of man is but a small light shining around his footsteps, showing the things that are near, while all beyond is shrouded in darkness, manifesting our dependence upon a God of infinite wisdom, the Creator and Guide of all things, who directs our path through the dark and unseen places, and to ends which human wisdom foresees not, and evincing that our condition here, whether of good or evil, is according to his good pleasure, operating upon our hearts and minds, and not according to our own wills." "Deeply impressed with these truths," he recommends the people of New York to render praise to Almighty God "for the general diffusion of knowledge and learning, to the enlightenment of our minds, and fitting us for the enjoyment of our social advantages, and the prosecution of our inestimable privileges as a nation ; for having cultivated in us a spirit of charity and an enlightened sense of religious and moral duties, and preserved to us an unrestrained religious worship.

"And in our aspirations let us beseech God to banish from among us superstition, contention, ignorance, and ill will, and hasten that era which we hope is within the plan of his providence, and now dawns upon us, when the human understanding shall be so enlarged, and the passions of men so chastened, that war shall cease, that civil institutions, founded on the principles of equality, shall be adopted by all nations, and that the love of man for his fellow-creatures shall be manifested in deeds of kindness and benevolence;" and with united hearts renew to God our acknowledgments of gratitude for his "remarkable interposition in staying the desolating moral pestilence of intemperate drinking."

William L. Marcy, Governor of New York, issued thanksgiving proclamations for 1833-38, in which he says,-

To acknowledge the bounties of the Giver of all good, and to cherish grateful recollections of his beneficence, is eminently worthy of an intelligent and highly favored people. In view of the numerous favors and blessings with which the past year has been crowned, our thoughts should be naturally directed to our munificent Benefactor, and our hearts moved to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving. The same almighty arm which protected and sustained our forefathers has also been our shield of defence; the same bountiful hand which administered temporal and spiritual blessings to them has been more abundant in good gifts to us. Our civil and religious rights have been enjoyed without molestation; moral and intellectual improvement has rapidly advanced; the spirit of enterprise has been active in multiplying the means of social happiness; and industry, in all its various branches, has received appropriate rewards. All things essential to our prosperity have been graciously offered for our acceptance. Surrounded as we are by numerous and signal manifestations of the Divine goodness towards us, as individuals, and in our social and political relations, it behooves us to render to our beneficent Benefactor the tribute of our love and gratitude.

William H. Seward, Secretary of State during the administration of President Lincoln, when Governor of the State of New York, issued his proclamation for a day of thanksgiving in 1839, in which he says, -

Let us also beseech God to deliver the oppressed throughout the world, and vouchsafe to all mankind the privileges of civil and religious liberty, and the knowledge, influences, and blessed hopes of the gospel of his Son our Saviour.

In 1840, his proclamation said, -

However much we may be separated by opinions or associations, all the citizens of the republic have equal political rights, and have the same motives to desire its peace, happiness, and perpetual prosperity. The Church of the living God is one, and embraces all those who in humility of spirit receive his holy faith and through Divine aid seek to keep his commandments. Let us, therefore, in perfect harmony and charity one with another, as patriots and Christians, implore him to sustain and bless all our civil and religious institutions, and to dispense to us abundantly that heavenly grace which, with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, leads, through the ways of virtue here, to the blessed society of the redeemed in his everlasting kingdom.

Governor William C. Bouck, in his proclamation of 1844, declared that

The blessed gospel has been gradually but surely extending its benign influence. Actuated by its diffusive benevolence, Christian missionaries have not only labored among the waste and desolate places at home, but have gone forth to proclaim "Christ and him crucified" to the dark and benighted regions of the earth. With our thanksgiving let us mingle our prayers for a continuance of the numerous blessings we enjoy, and especially that there may be an outpouring of the Spirit of God, to revive pure and undefiled religion among us, the best security of our civil and political institutions. We should always remember that "righteousness exalteth a nation."

Silas Wright, as Governor of the State of New York, in his proclamation for 1845, makes this official statement with respect to the Christian religion: -

A Christian people should unite in a tribute of thanksgiving to Him who tempers the seasons and blesses the earth and makes it fruitful. Exercises such as these, entered into in the spirit and with the feelings which these considerations should excite, cannot fail to turn the mind to the lively remembrance of the immeasurably greater blessings of the redemption through a Saviour, and the revelation to fallen man of the way of salvation, - blessings for which the human heart cannot be sufficiently thankful.

"The gift of a Saviour," he says, in his proclamation for 1846, "and the full light of Divine revelation, are spiritual blessings which should awaken to expressions of devout thankfulness the hearts and voices of a Christian people."

John Young, Governor of New York, in proclamations for 1847, '48, says, -

A day of public thanksgiving is due to Almighty God for blessings bestowed upon the people of this State. The State of New York presents a gladsome picture of universal happiness and prosperity. The blessings of free government, the means of universal education, and the supremacy of law and order have been vouchsafed to us in an eminent degree. As a Christian people, we are admonished that these blessings are the gifts of a beneficent God, and, while we thus rejoice in his bounty, we should not forget the homage due from grateful hearts.

Hamilton Fish, Governor of the State of New York, in proclamations for 1849, '50, refers to Christianity in these words: -

Civil and religious liberty continue to be vouchsafed to all within our borders, and the blessings of the gospel are extended to all who desire to enjoy its comforts and consolations.

And on this occasion we should not forget that, while an inscrutable Providence has seen fit to remove the Chief Magistrate of our Union [President Taylor died July 9, 1850], that same Providence has preserved us under the trial a free and a united people, has saved us from anarchy or civil commotion, and has continued to us the mild operation of a Government of our own adoption and rulers of our own choice.

Washington Hunt, Governor of New York, in his proclamations for 1851, '52, says, -

The maintenance of social order and free institutions, imparting fresh vigor to the cause of civil liberty, the diffusion of religion and learning, and the innumerable benefits which have been conferred upon our commonwealth, proclaim the infinite goodness and protecting care of the Creator and Supreme Ruler of the universe.

Horatio Seymour, Governor of New York, in proclamations for 1853, '54, declares, -

An acknowledgment of our dependence upon God and our obligations to him is at all times the duty of a Christian people. Let us mingle prayers for a continuance of the numerous blessings we as a people enjoy, remembering that his wisdom alone can rightly direct, his power support, and his goodness give strength and security.

Governor Myron H. Clark, of New York, in his proclamations for 1855, '56, made the following declaration: -

Every department of honorable human culture has advanced. The arts that adorn a republican state have not languished. The love of freedom has burned with a brighter flame. Our political rights have remained safe in the care of an enlightened and order-loving people. The public morals have not degenerated; and Religion has not failed to cheer us by her consolations, to warn us by her solemn admonitions, and to inspire us by her eternal hopes.

And while we pray for forgiveness of our sins, as citizens of the State and subjects of the Divine government, let us consecrate ourselves anew on that [Thanksgiving] day to a religious life,which neglects no private or public obligation on earth, while it confides in the grace of God for the hope of an immortal life in heaven.

John A. King, Governor of New York, in his proclamations for 1857, '58, says,-

The promise that seed-time and harvest shall never fail has been most signally manifested during the past season. The people of this State have been permitted to witness and enjoy during another year the noble works of God's hands,-the fostering care of his goodness and mercy. We are called upon to acknowledge the power and goodness of our Almighty Father, the Lord and Giver of life, that we have received his merciful care, and beheld the wonderful works of his providence, and enjoyed the advantages and security which freedom, the public schools, and equal laws have established for ourselves and posterity.

1.2) PROCLAMATION BY EDWIN D. MORGAN, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, 1862.

From the depth of national affliction we come, with stricken hearts and chastened spirits, to own our dependence upon the Most High, and to render, with grateful sense, our thanksgivings for his mercies, countless in number and infinite in extent. A year fraught with the heaviest sorrows has yet, in the merciful plan of Providence, been distinguished by the most conspicuous blessings. Although it is numbered among the dark periods of history, and its sorrowful records graven on many hearth-stones, yet the precious blood shed in the cause of our country will hallow and strengthen our love and our reverence for it and its institutions, while the bitter sorrows of the year will discipline us into humility. Whatever was passionate in the earlier period of the war has given way to a deep and subdued conviction of duty in defending the integrity of the Union. Reflection has made clear our obligations, and the issues of the momentous struggle present themselves in more definite form. Our national aims have been elevated, and our sacrifices have made us less selfish; our Government and institutions placed in jeopardy have brought us to a more just appreciation of their value. Looking beyond the wicked leaders who have precipitated this terrible calamity of civil war upon us, we see that the people in arms against the Government possess the higher qualities of our national character; and though their minds have been perverted by passion and prejudice, yet on many occasions their prowess and devotion to their cause have been such as to win our respect. We are permitted to see that the war is developing the man- hood of the nation; and, when peace shall return, we have faith that the American republic will be more powerful, the Government more permanent, the elements of society more perfectly blended, and the people more firmly united than ever.

We have other causes for gratitude. Disease has been averted at home; the unacclimated armies have been protected from pestilences which it was feared would follow them in distant latitudes. Earth's best fruits have been lavishly bestowed, the arts have prospered, the employments of peace have been rewarded, and the good order of society has been fully maintained. Reverses to our arms have been followed by successes on land and sea which specially call for thanks- giving, and justify the most sanguine expectations as to the final result of the contest.

That we may publicly signify our deep thankfulness for these, and countless other blessings of the past, and for the promise that his mercies endure forever; that we may fully acknowledge our dependence upon the Supreme Being, and hear anew from his specially chosen servants that judgments follow those nations wherein his prerogatives are usurped, and who give not God the glory in all things; and that, in proper spirit, we may ask that victory shall attend our armies and prosperity our dwellings, that peace may be restored, and that we may have strength to meet the trials of the future, I do appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to Almighty God; and I do recommend that, suspending all ordinary business pursuits, the people of this State do meet together, in their own chosen places of worship, and that the said day, throughout, be appropriately observed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the privy seal of the State, at the city of Albany, this first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

EDWIN D. MORGAN.

By the Governor:

LOCKWOOD L. DOTY, Private Secretary.

2) MASSACHUSETTS.

The proclamation of Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, for 1861, is an important Christian state paper, and is a model of its kind for Christian rulers: -

2.1) PROCLAMATION FOR A DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE, NOVEMBER 21, 1861.

The example of the fathers, and the dictates of piety and gratitude, summon the people of Massachusetts at this, the harvest-season, crowning the year with the rich proofs of the wisdom and love of God, to join in a solemn and joyful act of united praise and thanksgiving to the bountiful Giver of every good and perfect gift.

I do, therefore, with the advice and consent of the Council, appoint Thursday, the twenty-first day of November next,-the same being the anniversary of that day, in the year of our Lord sixteen hundred and twenty, on which the Pilgrims of Massachusetts, on board the Mayflower, united themselves in a solemn and written compact of government, to be observed by the people of Massachusetts as a day of public thanksgiving and praise. And I invoke its observance by all the people with devout and religious joy.

"Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

"Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

"Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

"For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob." - Ps. lxxxi. 1-4.

"O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

"Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

"For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried." Ps. lxvi. 8-10.

Let us rejoice in God and be thankful for the fulness with which he has blessed us in our basket and in our store, giving large reward to the toil of the husbandman, so that "our paths drop fatness;"

For the many and gentle alleviations of the hardships which, in the present time of public disorder, have afflicted the various pursuits of agriculture;

For the early evidences of the reviving energies of the business of the people;

For the measure of success which has attended the enterprise of those who go down to the sea in ships, of those who search the depths of the ocean to add to the food of man, and of those whose busy skill and handicraft combine to prepare for various uses the crops of the earth and the sea;

For the advantages of sound learning, placed within the reach of all the children of the people, and the freedom and alacrity with which those advantages are embraced and improved;

For the opportunities of religious instruction and worship universally enjoyed by consciences untrammelled by any human authority;

For the "redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and the hope of glory."

And, with one accord, let us bless and praise God for the oneness of heart, mind, and purpose in which he has united the people of this ancient commonwealth for the defence of the rights, liberties, and honor of our beloved country.

May we stand forever in the same mind, remembering the devoted lives of our fathers, the precious inheritance of freedom received at their hands, the weight of glory which awaits the faithful, and the infinity of blessing which it is our privilege, if we will, to transmit to the countless generations of the future.

And while our tears flow in a stream of cordial sympathy with the daughters of our people, just now bereft, by the violence of the wicked and rebellious, of the fathers and husbands and brothers and sons, whose heroic blood has made sacred the soil of Virginia, and, mingling with the waters of the Potomac, has made the river now and forever ours, let our souls arise to God, on the wings of praise, in thanksgiving that he has again granted us the privilege of living unselfishly and of dying nobly in a grand and righteous cause;

For the precious and rare possession of so much devoted valor and manly heroism;

For the sentiment of pious duty which distinguished our fallen in the camp and in the field;

And for the sweet and blessed consolations which accompany the memories of these dear sons of Massachusetts on to immortality. And in our praise let us also be penitent. Let us "seek the truth and pursue it," and prepare our minds for whatever duty shall be manifested hereafter.

May the controversy in which we stand be found worthy, in its consummation, of the heroic sacrifices of the people and the precious blood of their sons, of the doctrine and faith of the fathers, and consistent with the honor of God, and with justice to all men. And -

"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

"As smoke is driven away, so drive them away." Ps. Ixviii. 1, 2.

"Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, our shield." Ps. lix. 11.

Given at the Council-Chamber, this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and the eighty-sixth of the independence of the United States of America.

JOHN A. ANDREW.

By his Excellency the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Council.

OLIVER WARNER, Secretary.

GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

2.2) A PROCLAMATION FOR A DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE IN 1862.

By and with the advice and consent of the Council, I do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November current, to be observed throughout this Commonwealth as a day of public thanksgiving and praise. And I do earnestly invite and request all the people of Massachusetts to set apart that day for the grateful and happy remembrance of the boundless mercies and loving-kindness of Him in whose name our fathers planted our commonwealth, and to whose service they consecrated their lives and devoted their posterity.

"The Lord hath established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all." He is the "Sovereign Commander of all the world, in whose hand is power and might, which none is able to withstand;" and to him only belong ascriptions of glory, who is "the only Giver of victory." Let our hearts, therefore, ascend higher than all the interests that entangle, all the doubts that bewilder, the passions that ensnare, and the prejudices that obscure, consenting to be led, illumined, and governed by his infinite intelligence and love.

In the meditations of the house of praise, let us take comfort and be thankful for the numberless manifestations of heroic and manly virtue which, amid the distractions of war, in the duties of the camp, and in the perils of battle, have illustrated the character of the sons of Massachusetts, and for the serene and beautiful devotion with which her daughters have given the dearest offerings of their hearts to the support of their country and for the defence of humanity.

Let us not forget the bountiful bestowments of the year, filling the granaries of the husbandman, and rewarding the toil of the laborer, the enterprise, thrift, and industry of all our people. No pestilence hath lurked in the darkness of night, nor assailed us in the light of day. Calamity hath not overwhelmed us, nor hath any enemy destroyed.

Rising to the height of our great occasion, reinforced by courage, conviction, and faith, it has been the privilege of our country to perceive in the workings of Providence the opening ways of a sublime duty. And to Him who hath never deserted the faithful, unto Him "who gathereth together the outcasts of Israel, who healeth the broken in heart," we owe a new song of thanksgiving. "He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation."

Putting aside all fear of man, which bringeth a snare, may this people put on the strength which is the Divine promise and gift to the faithful and obedient. "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand." Not with malice and wickedness, but with sincerity and truth, let us keep this fast; and, while we "eat the fat and drink the sweet, forget not to send a portion to him for whom nothing is prepared." Let us remember on that day the claims of all who are poor or desolate or oppressed, and pledge the devotion of our lives to the rescue of our country from the evils of rebellion, oppression, and wrong; and may we all so order our conduct hereafter that we may neither be ashamed to live nor afraid to die.

Given at the Council-Chamber, in Boston, this twenty-seventh day of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and the eighty-seventh of the independence of the United States of America.

JOHN A. ANDREW.

By his Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Council.

OLIVER WARNER, Secretary.

GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

3) PENNSYLVANIA.

In the name and by the authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Andrew G. Curtin, Governor of the said Commonwealth.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it is a good thing to render thanks unto God for all his mercy and loving-kindness: therefore

I, Andrew G. Curtin, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do recommend that Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, be set apart by the people of this Commonwealth as a day of solemn prayer and thanksgiving to the Almighty, giving him humble thanks that he has been graciously pleased to protect our free institutions and Government, and to keep us from sickness and pestilence, and to cause the earth to bring forth her increase, so that our garners are choked with the harvest, and to look so favorably on the toil of his children that industry has thriven among us and labor has its reward; and also that he has delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and filled our officers and men in the field with a loyal and intrepid spirit, and given them victory, and that he has poured out upon us (albeit unworthy) other great and manifold blessings.

Beseeching him to help and govern us in his steadfast fear and love, and to put into our minds good desires, so that by his continual help we may have a right judgment in all things, and especially praying him to give to Christian Churches grace to hate the thing which is evil, and to utter the teachings of truth and righteousness, declaring openly the whole counsel of God, and most heartily entreating him to bestow upon our civil rulers wisdom and earnestness in council, and upon our military leaders zeal and vigor in action, that the fires of rebellion may be quenched; that we, being armed with his defence, may be preserved from all perils, and that hereafter our people, living in peace and quietness, may from generation to generation reap the abundant fruits of his mercy, and with joy and thankfulness praise and magnify his holy name.

Given under my hand and the great seal of the State, at Harrisburg, this twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the Commonwealth the eighty seventh.

ANDREW G. CURTIN.

By the Governor:

ELI SLIFER, Secretary of the Commonwealth.

4) NEW JERSEY.

PROCLAMATION.

It being eminently right and proper that we, as a people, should at stated periods offer united thanks to Almighty God for his goodness to us as manifested by suffering us to lie down and rise up in safety even in these "troublous times," by the bestowal of health and plenty and innumerable temporal blessings, but, above all, by the inestimable gift of his dear Son Jesus Christ, for all the blessings of free salvation through him "for the means of grace and the hope of glory," I recommend that on Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November instant, the people of this State do assemble in their wonted places for public worship, to acknowledge their entire dependence on him, to render hearty thanks for his loving-kindness during the bygone year, and humbly to supplicate a continuance of his favor.

Given under my hand and privy seal, this third day of November A.D. eighteen hundred and sixty-two.

CHAS. S. OLDEN.

Attest: CHAS. M. HERBERT, Private Secretary.

5) OHIO.

THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION.

STATE OF OHIO, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,}

COLUMBUS, October 25, 1862.}

The time-honored custom, adopted by the fathers of our State, of setting apart one day in each year for praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to Almighty God for his goodness and mercy to us as a people, should be preserved. Especially at a time like the present should all good citizens unite in laying aside the ordinary business of life, at least for a day, and devote themselves to the teachings of their Maker.

The effort made by the legally constituted authorities of the land to put down the wicked rebellion against the Federal Government, the best ever enjoyed by any people, in which effort the gallant sons of Ohio have borne so conspicuous and proud a part, has filled every neighborhood with mourning. Our brave soldiers are yet exposed to the dangers of the field of battle and to the hardships and sickness of camp-life; and our system of government, in form after God's own laws, and so gentle that its reins were scarcely felt by the governed, is yet in peril.

Our heavenly Father can console the distressed, and heal the sorrows of the mother's and widow's heart; he can protect from danger our patriotic soldiers now in the field; he can paralyze the arm of the enemy of our good Government.

Now, therefore, in obedience to the request of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, and to the end that a simultaneous petition to him may ascend to heaven from all parts of our State, I do hereby fix upon, and set apart, Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to Almighty God. And I do recommend that, abstaining from all business pursuits, the good and pure-minded people of our State meet together at their usual places of worship, and, with one voice, humbly ask the God of all nations to smile upon the distressed of our land; that he give wisdom and purity to those in authority; that he prostrate the enemies of our Government; and that in all things he give such wisdom to all the people of the earth as will enable them to conform to his laws, to the end that peace and good will shall prevail throughout the world.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the great seal of the State of Ohio, the day and year above written.

DAVID TOD.

B. F. HOFFMAN, Private Secretary.

Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury during the ad- ministration of President Lincoln, and Governor of the State of Ohio during the years 1856-59, presents in his proclamations for thanksgiving a clear and full statement of the Christian origin of all our social and family blessings, and that our civil and religious liberties and institutions, as well as our hopes of immortality, are derived from the Christian religion. In his proclamation for 1856 he uses the following language: -

Assembling in our respective places of worship, or gathering around our domestic altars, let us devoutly acknowledge God as the gracious Author of every blessing and every benefit. Let us gratefully thank him especially for our prosperity and for our security; for our institutions of education, religion, and charity; for the products of our agriculture and of our arts; for the intercourse of commerce; for the preservation of health; for homes endeared by sweet family affections; for the mercies of redemption, and for the hopes of immortality. Adoring the Divine wisdom by which our fathers were guided in establishing the foundations of united empire in North America upon the solid basis of civil and religious freedom, and the Divine goodness by which the institutions of government which they founded have been transmitted to their children, let us give thanks for liberty guarded by law and defended by union. Confessing humbly our unworthiness of these inestimable benefits, let us fervently invoke our Father in heaven to continue them graciously to us and to our posterity forever. Nor let us forget in our rejoicings or in our supplications our fellow-men less happy than ourselves. Of our abundance let us give liberally to those who need; nor let us fail to present before the throne of infinite justice our sincere prayers for the downfall of tyranny, for the deliverance of the oppressed, for the enfranchisement of the enslaved, and for the establishment everywhere of human rights and just governments.

His proclamation for 1857, after a specific enumeration of the common bounties of the Divine munificence, for which the people are to "present sincere offerings of humble adoration and grateful praise," and the distribution of their abundance to those who need, says, -

And, invoking earnestly his gracious favor, that we may walk before him continually in the way of his commandments, to the end that his blessing may remain upon us, and upon our children, and upon the good land which he hath given us, forever.

His proclamation for 1858 recommends the people of the State to observe the day

By public and private offerings of praise and gratitude for the multi- form and manifold blessings and benefits, national, social, and personal, which God hath been graciously pleased to bestow upon us; and by fervent prayers that he will cause his goodness to abound yet more and more towards protecting our whole country from foreign enemies and domestic dissensions, distinguishing by his favor our State institutions of Government, education, and benevolence, and conducting each of us, through the blessed ways of penitence and faith, to the glorious consummation of earthly hopes in heavenly rest.

His proclamation for 1859 has the following Christian exhortations: -

And offer unfeigned thanks to our heavenly Father for all the blessings wherewith he hath blessed us as a nation, as a State, and as individuals, and that they join to these offerings of gratitude and praise their fervent prayers that he will continue and multiply his grace and favor upon us and upon our land; that our institutions may be established in righteousness; that wisdom and knowledge may be the stability of our times; and that peace, prosperity, and freedom may be the portion of our people.

William Dennison, Governor of Ohio during the years 1860, '61, in his proclamation for thanksgiving, ascribes all our blessings, temporal and social, civil and religious, to God, and declares us distinguished as a Christian people. His proclamation for 1860 recommends that the people

Offer up their devout thanks to God for our institutions, national and State; civil and religious, educational and benevolent, for the peace that prevails throughout our borders, the health with which he hath blessed us, the abundant harvest wherewith he hath graciously rewarded the labors of the husbandman, the prosperity of our commerce and the mechanic arts, our social comforts and privileges, and for whatever contributes to our happiness as a community and as individuals.

And, while thus rendering to the Supreme Author of every blessing our grateful acknowledgments for his unbounded goodness, let us supplicate a continuance of the Divine protection and favor to this people, and to the people of all the States and Territories of our National Confederacy, throughout all generations ; and, fraternally remembering in our rejoicings our fellow-men of other nations who are less happy than ourselves, let us fervently implore him that in his benign providence he will confer upon them, and their posterity forever, like blessings of civil and religious liberty and social happiness which he hath been graciously pleased to bestow upon us.

His proclamation for 1861 recommends the people of Ohio to return praise to God "for the inestimable privileges of our civil and religious institutions, for protecting our homes from the ravages of war, and for the manifold blessings, individual and social, which surround and support us," and to "offer fervent prayer to our heavenly Father that he may continue to remember us in his mercy, remove the calamities of civil strife which afflict the nation, restore concord between the States, confirm and perpetuate our political union, and secure to us and to our posterity the privileges and advantages which distinguish a Christian people."

These views in the state papers of the Governors of Ohio are in harmony with the Constitution of the State, formed in 1802, and reaffirmed in the new Constitution of 1852, which state that

"Religion, morality, and knowledge, being essentially necessary to the government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of instruction shall forever be encouraged by legislative provisions not inconsistent with the rights of conscience."

6) KENTUCKY.

6.1) PROCLAMATION.

The acknowledgment of national as well as individual dependence upon the Supreme Ruler of the universe is the highest evidence of refined civilization ; and no people ever prospered for any great length of time who did not admit and invoke his power and mercy; nor will any such ever rise to true greatness as a nation.

The spirit of the American people has been well nigh crushed by the terrible realities of the intestine war into which the nation has been plunged by the disappointed ambition of maddened and reckless men; and it is the part alike of wisdom and of duty for us all to prostrate ourselves in humiliation before the Author of all good, and supplicate his omnipotent arm to arrest this wicked and unjust rebellion and restore to a distracted people the blessings of peace, unity, and fraternal affection.

But, while thus humiliating ourselves before the Almighty Disposer of events, we should remember that we have abundant cause to offer the homage of grateful hearts for the manifold blessings he has vouchsafed to us as a people. The seasons have been propitious; the labor of the husbandman has been crowned with ample returns; we have not been called upon to mourn the ravages of extended disease in the country; the public health has never been more marked than during the year which is drawing to a close; and while, therefore, we have to lament the terrible consequences of the fratricidal war which afflicts and desolates the land, we yet have ample reason for returning thanks to him that we are free from those awful scourges-pestilence and famine-which so often afflict the human family, and not unfrequently add their horrors to those involved in war.

It is meet, therefore, that the time-honored custom of dedicating one day in the year to devotional exercises to Him who holds the destinies of nations and individuals alike in his hands, should be preserved, and, while pouring out our gratitude for the incalculable benefits we enjoy, bow ourselves in earnest supplication to Almighty God that he will, in his infinite mercy, interpose his omnipotent arm to stay the spirit of intestine strife which is sweeping over and desolating the land, restore peace and order to this hitherto Heaven-favored country, and make all to feel that a return to the government of our fathers, which has rendered us so powerful, prosperous, and happy, is at once the part of patriotism and religious duty.

I, therefore, as Governor of the Commonwealth, do hereby set apart Thursday, November 27th instant, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God for all his mercies to us, and request a general observance of it, to the end that we may manifest, in a proper spirit, our dependence upon him, and supplicate his omnipotent power to protect and guard us from future misfortunes as a nation.

Done at the city of Frankfort, this twelfth day of November, 1862, and the seventy-first year of the Commonwealth.

By the Governor:

J. F. ROBINSON.

D. C. WICKLIFFE, Secretary of State.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, the first to enter the Union under the Constitution of the United States, began its civilization and organic life under the auspices of the Christian religion. Its opening scenes let in the light of Divine truth; and the pioneers, though unpolished in the manners of courtiers, carried with them a manly faith, which laid the foundation of the State on a Christian basis. The first Constitution secured "a perfect religious freedom and a general toleration."

" Thus," says Bancroft, "the pioneer lawgivers for the West provided for freedom of conscience. A little band of hunters put themselves at the head of the countless hosts of civilization in establishing the great principle of intellectual freedom. Long as the shadows of the Western mountains shall move round with the sun, long as the rivers that gush from those mountains shall flow towards the sea, long as seed-time and harvest shall return, that rule shall remain the law of the West.

"When Sunday dawned, the great tree which had been their council-chamber became their church. Penetrated with a sense of the Redeemer's love, they lifted up their hearts to God in prayer and thanksgiving, and the forest that was wont to echo only the low of the buffalo and the whoop of the savage was animated by the voice of their devotion. Thus began the Commonwealth of Kentucky: it never knew any other system than independence, and was incapable of any thing else."

7) INDIANA.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 11.

To the People of Indiana.

The people of the State of Indiana are earnestly requested to assemble in their respective churches, and at their family altars, on Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November, 1862, to return thanks to Almighty God for the manifold blessings he has bestowed upon them during the past year, and to pray him in his mercy to avert from our beloved country the evils by which it is now so deeply afflicted. It is their duty humbly to acknowledge the many favors bestowed by his hand, and their entire dependence upon his providence for deliverance from the evils by which they are suffering. It is their duty to pray for the success of our armies, for the suppression of this most wicked rebellion, and the preservation of our Government ; that the lives of our brave soldiers may be spared, and that they be returned in safety to their homes; that the hearts of our people may be inspired with a perfect confidence in the ultimate success of a just cause, and that the minds of all men may be awakened to a clear comprehension of the mighty interests for which we are struggling, not only to ourselves, but to our posterity; and they should especially pray that the Divine will may put it into the hearts of the people to provide for and protect the families of our gallant soldiers and preserve them from all want and neglect ; to cherish and comfort with sedulous care the orphans and broken-hearted widows and parents of such as have fallen in the field, or perished by disease in the camp.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the State, at Indianapolis, this eleventh day of November, 1862.

Signed,

OLIVER P. MORTON, Governor of Indiana.

Attest: WM. A. PEELLE, Secretary of State.

8) NEW HAMPSHIRE.

8.1) A PROCLAMATION FOR A DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE, BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.

The revolution of the seasons has brought again the period when it is the usage to set apart a day for public thanksgiving to Almighty God. In accordance with a time-honored custom, inaugurated by our forefathers, and so much in harmony with the convictions of all Chris- tian people, I do, by the advice of the Council, appoint Thursday, the 27th of November next, to be observed as a day of thanksgiving and praise. And I hereby invite the people of this State to assemble in their usual places of public worship, to join in ascriptions of praise, and other devotional exercises so suitable for dependent beings, and of which the many mercies of our heavenly Father, at this time, are so eminently suggestive. Let us all meet to give him thanks for the bountiful harvest with which he has gladdened the heart of man; for584 peaceful homes, and the social, educational, and religious privileges vouchsafed to us ; for the progress of civil liberty ; for the general prevalence of health throughout our borders during the year approach- ing its close, and in which, notwithstanding the existence of great national calamities, there has been much to remind us of his never- failing mercy and goodness. Let us adore and bless his holy name for that Christian civilization which is our inheritance, and for the many and illustrious examples which came to us with that heavenly boon, of the patience, unfailing confidence, and heroic endurance of a holy ancestry in seasons of affliction and peril. Let us humbly and gratefully thank and praise the Disposer of Events that such examples of reliance upon his providential care have not been lost to succeeding generations, but are now abundantly developed among a great people, in a year the painful record of which will soon be closed; a year when the patriotism, courage and Christian faith of our fathers has been fully realized in their children, who, disregarding the ties of affection, and the comfort of happy firesides, are bravely enduring the perils of camp and the storm of battle, that their country may live, and the cause of good government and free institutions be transmitted to succeeding generations. And, above all, let us praise him for that revelation which brings "life and immortality to light;" for the injunctions and promises of that Book which for our fathers was the source of reliance and consolation in seasons of disquietude and danger, and which may with equal certainty and efficacy be appropriated by ourselves in this season of doubt and peril. And, while we thank God for his mercies, let not a day so suggestive of good works be permitted to pass without the exercise of those offices of kindness for the needy which was an in- junction of our Divine Redeemer, who published "peace on earth and good will to men."

Given at the Council-Chamber in Concord, this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

NATHANIEL S. BERRY.

By his Excellency the Governor, with advice of the Council:

ALLEN TENNY, Secretary of State.

9) CONNECTICUT.

9.1) PROCLAMATION.

In the midst of civil strife, and a rebellion which has arrayed the enemies of our Government in hostile and deadly conflict against the friends of national supremacy, it is wise and proper for us, as a people, to allow our minds to dwell upon the blessings by which we are still surrounded, and rest upon well-grounded hopes of future good: in view of which we should lift up our hearts and voices in thanksgiving and praise unto Him who healeth all our diseases, who redeemeth our lives from destruction, who crowneth us with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and "executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed."

I therefore recommend the people of this State to observe Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of public thanks- giving and praise, and would urge them to such acts of benevolence and religious worship as will manifest their heartfelt gratitude to Almighty God.

Let us praise him for healthful seasons, for abundant harvests, for the means of knowledge, for social blessings, for religious liberty.

Let us be grateful for the labors unostentatiously performed, and the pecuniary offerings spontaneously bestowed, to relieve the necessities, to bind up the wounds, and to cheer the hearts of those who, with loyal devotion to their country's weal, are battling for national unity.

Let us also be grateful for the blessed memory of the honored dead, who in the camp and on the battle-field have cheerfully, heroically and religiously offered their lives upon the altar of patriotism.

Let us rejoice and praise God that he holds the destinies of this nation in his hands, that he confirms or changes the purposes of man at his pleasure, and overrules all human designs to establish righteousness, truth, and justice in the earth.

[L.S.]

Given under my hand and the seal of the State, at the city of Hartford, this, the thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and in the year of the independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.

WILLIAM A. BUCKINGHAM.

By his Excellency's command:

J. HAMMOND TRUMBULL, Secretary of State.

Governor Buckingham, in his proclamation for 1858, after enumerating the general blessings vouchsafed to the State and nation, closes with this explicit acknowledgment of the Christian religion and its fundamental doctrines: -

And, above all, that "he hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities," but has magnified the riches of his grace in giving his Holy Spirit to revive his work and lead sinners to repentance, and that the door of mercy is yet open, through which the guilty and perishing may enter and obtain eternal life, by faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ his Son.

10) STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.

10.1) A PROCLAMAΤΙΟΝ.

In the midst of the greatest calamity that has ever befallen our country, we should not be unmindful of the blessings which are showered upon us by the all-wise Disposer of events and destinies. Our adversities should not tempt us to forget either our dependence upon a common Father or the multiplied mercies which accompany his chastenings. In the midst of war we are enjoying many of the blessings of peace. Our granaries are filled to overflowing; many departments of industry bring their usual rewards to the toiling masses; neither pestilence nor famine assails us in our households; order reigns in our cities and towns; our common schools prosper; domestic quiet rewards obedience to the laws of man and God, and the people worship securely in their temples.

Thus blest, it is fit that we should render thanks to the Supreme Ruler of the universe; and I therefore appoint Thursday, the twenty- seventh day of November instant, to be observed in this State as a day of public thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.

On that day let us assemble in our places of worship and in our family and social circles, and render to a beneficent Creator the adoration of grateful hearts, beseeching him, also, that he will continue to us the unnumbered mercies of the present, and especially that he will restore to us the national unity, peace, and prosperity of former years; that he will guide our rulers in the discharge of their duties; that he will reward patriotism in the soldier and in the citizen; that he will banish treason, corruption, and imbecility from high places; that he will pre- serve our Constitution and save us from anarchy ; that he will restore to us hostile States and estranged hearts ; that he will prosper all our worthy enterprises and labors; and that he will prompt those upon whom he has bestowed temporal blessings, to bind up the wounds and cheer the hearts of such as faint beneath the heavy burdens of adversity.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the seal of the State, at Providence, this sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1862, of independence the eighty-seventh, and of the founding of the State the two hundred and twenty-sixth.

WILLIAM SPRAGUE.

By his Excellency the Governor:

JOHN R. BARTLETT, Secretary of State.

The Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Elisha Dyer, in his proclamation of 1858, calls upon the people to return thanks to God for "the wide-spread manifestations and presence of the Holy Spirit," and the "means of grace and the hope of glory still offered us in the religion of Jesus Christ."

11) MAINE.

11.1) PROCLAMATION.

In times of calamity and trouble, our fathers did not neglect to celebrate their annual festival of Thanksgiving; and in this hour of the country's sorest trial, when bereavement and anguish have been brought to many hearts, their children will find strength and profit in its beautiful rites, its hallowed associations, and its gracious influences.

By advice of the Council, I appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, to be observed by the people of this State as a day of public thanksgiving and praise.

And may they all regard it as a day consecrated to emotions of gratitude and good will, to deeds of benevolence and love. Abstaining from all employments and pursuits inconsistent with a proper observance of the occasion, I invite them to repair to their temples of religious worship; and there, and in all places, may they be led to a devout and cheerful recognition of the many favors and privileges which have been lavished upon them during the year whose great, eventful history is so nearly made up. May they be unfeignedly thankful for the blessings of material prosperity and health which have been so largely vouchsafed to them; for the exhibitions of constancy, fidelity, and manly virtue in their countrymen, which have so often illustrated the dignity of human nature and the capacity of man for self-government ; for the Christian charity and brotherly kindness which a better acquaintance with, and a more sensible dependence upon, each other, growing out of a common cause and a common danger, have developed and cultivated in their hearts; and especially may they be moved to praise and bless their heavenly Father, the Lord of all things, that he has put it into the heart of the chief magistrate of the nation to promulgate, in the fulness of time, a decree of wisdom and uprightness which shall make their beloved land strong, united, prosperous, peaceful, just, and forever free.

Given at the Council-Chamber at Augusta, this seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty- two, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

ISRAEL WASHBURN, JR.

By the Governor:

JOSEPH B. HALL, Secretary of State.

12) VERMONT.

12.1) PROCLAMATION.

Though the Almighty, in his providential dealings both with nations and individuals, mingles adversity with prosperity, discipline and sorrow with love and mercy, and his ultimate designs are often kept in a sacred reserve which we cannot penetrate, still enough is revealed to inspire a humble trust in his providence, and we are led to feel that even in times of trouble and calamity "it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord."

In obedience to custom and the universal sentiment of our people, I do, therefore, appoint Thursday, the fourth day of December next, to be observed by the people of this State as a day of public prayer, praise, and thanksgiving; and I invite them to lay aside the ordinary employments of life on that day, and to assemble in their usual places of public worship, to render thanks to Almighty God; for the fruitfulness of the year, and the plenty that everywhere abounds; for the prosperity of our material pursuits and interests; for the general prevalence of health; for our pleasant and comfortable homes, and the endearments and treasures of domestic life; for the pleasures and comforts of good neighborhood, and the advantages of intelligent, well-ordered society; for our. institutions of education, benevolence, and religion; for our freedom from the desolations of war within our territory; for the fervent patriot- ism, nationality of sentiment, and unity of purpose and effort which have characterized the people of our State, leading thousands of its citizens to go forth voluntarily and cheerfully to fight the battles of the republic, and mothers and daughters to give up to country the dearest objects of their affection; for the devotion to country so generally manifested by the loyal people of the Union, and for the good order, the steadiness and faithfulness of purpose, and obedience to authority and law, which have universally prevailed and been a distinctive and striking feature in the character and conduct of free society in the loyal States, under a Government so mild in its restraints as scarcely to be felt by the governed.

Let it be our special prayer to Almighty God that he will, in his good time, restore our beloved republic in peace and prosperity, in unity and power, and that therein the blessings of civil and religious liberty may be dispensed to mankind to the end of time; that he will dispose all men, everywhere, to accept the mild reign of the Redeemer, and-will hasten the promised time when universally there shall be "peace on earth, good will towards men.”

And though many of us, while gathered around the festive board or the domestic hearth, must inevitably observe the vacant chair, and direct our thoughts to him who is in the tented field, or lies in the soldier's grave, or, sick or wounded, is nursed by strange hands, yet let our sadness be tempered by the thought of his manly and heroic purpose to discharge the highest and last duty of the patriot to his country.

Given under my hand, and the seal of the State, in Executive Chamber, at Montpelier, this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

FREDERICK HOLBROOK.

By his Excellency the Governor:

SAMUEL WILLIAMS, Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs.

13) VIRGINIA.

The following proclamation is from the Governor of the State of WESTERN VIRGINIA. An act of Congress, in 1863, admitted this portion of the "Ancient Dominion of Virginia" into a separate and independent State: -

13.1) PROCLAMATION.

In the midst of war and its afflictions, we are forcibly reminded of our dependence upon Divine Providence; and, while in all we suffer we should own his chastening hand, we should be ready to acknowledge that it is of his mercy that we are not destroyed, and that so many of the blessings of life are preserved to us. "Seed-time and harvest" have not failed, "the early and the latter rain" have fallen in their season, and the toil of the husbandman has been abundantly repaid. It is, therefore, becoming that, while we earnestly pray that the days of our affliction may be shortened, we should thankfully acknowledge the manifold mercies of which, nationally and individually, we are still the recipients.

Now, therefore, I, Francis H. Pierpoint, Governor of Virginia, do hereby recommend to the good people of the Commonwealth the observance of Thursday, the twenty-eighth instant, as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings of the year, and of humble and fervent prayer that he will, in more abundant mercy, bring to a speedy end the heart-burnings and civil strife which are now desolating our country, and restore to our Union its ancient foundation of brotherly love and a just appreciation. And I do recommend that all secular business and pursuits be, as far as possible, suspended on that day.

In testimony whereof I have here set my hand, and caused the great seal of the Commonwealth to be affixed, at the city of Wheeling, this fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the Commonwealth the eighty-sixth.

FRANCIS H. PIERPOINT.

By the Governor:

S. A. HAGANS, Secretary of Commonwealth.

14) MARYLAND.

14.1) PROCLAMATION.

To the People of the State.

The return of the season in which, in obedience to a custom well becoming a Christian community, we have been taught to render annually to Almighty God our tribute of prayer and thanksgiving for the bounties received at his hand, naturally calls to mind the propriety of again designating a day for the discharge of that expected duty.

In conformity, therefore, with this established custom, I, Augustus W. Bradford, Governor of Maryland, do, by this my proclamation, designate and appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, to be observed by the people of the State as a day of general thanksgiving and prayer.

Although the copious stream of national blessings which has so long flowed in upon us has been at length interrupted, and the prosperity and peace that marked our career been arrested, by a war aimed at our national existence, a war all the more deplorable, waged as it is by those who have reaped with us the full share of these abundant bounties, still the blessings that yet remain demand our profound acknowledgments.

We should thank God that a vast majority of our people still cherish the unfaltering purpose to preserve the integrity and indivisibility of our nation with an earnestness and zeal that spurn all other considerations. We should thank him that he has so lavishly supplied us with the means of accomplishing this cherished object; that our country has everywhere teemed with such an overflowing abundance that our own resources can feed and clothe our armies and still leave a surplus so ample that few yet feel the wants that follow in the train of war. We should thank him for the uninterrupted health which our whole country, with scarcely an exception, has throughout the year enjoyed. The pestilence that heretofore has habitually scourged certain portions of our land seems, in despite of heartless calculations to the contrary, to have suspended its annual visitation, as if by special providential interposition.

More especially should we in Maryland thank him that the attempt so recently made to invade our State and transfer to its soil the scene of the conflict has been so successfully resisted by our defenders and so impressively rebuked by our citizens ; and that, whilst war in its most appalling aspects has for the past eighteen months raged within sight of our borders, our own people, with the exception of one memorable week, have all practically enjoyed most of the advantages of peace.

Let us, therefore, with grateful hearts, laying aside for the time all secular pursuits, as well as all partisan animosities, offer up, on the day above appointed, our united thanks for these and all the other blessings we still enjoy, accompanied with our prayers that they may be still continued. Let us implore Him who throughout our national career has so distinguished us with his favor, not to withdraw it now in the day of our severest trial, but that, inspiring our rulers with the wisdom to discern and strength to perform their responsible duties, he will cause our Union to be re-established in all its recent power, restore peace to our bleeding country, reunite its wrangling citizens, curb the mad ambition of those insanely attempting to dismember it, and the factious spirit that would divide those offering to defend it, and allow it once more to resume among the nations of the earth the proud position which, through his unvarying goodness, it has been hitherto permitted to maintain.

Given under my hand, and the great seal of the State of Maryland, at the city of Annapolis, this twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

A. W. BRADFORD.

By the Governor:

WM. B. HILL, Secretary of State.

15) MISSOURI.

15.1) A PROCLAMATION.

The affairs of states and of individuals are alike under the superintendence of Divine Providence, and it is becoming that, as a people, we should render to the supreme Ruler suitable acknowledgments of our dependence upon him, and suitable expressions of our thankfulness for the blessings he has conferred upon us during the year.

Although man's madness may have brought incalculable evils upon our State, we may contrast the evils thus produced with the beneficent results of a kind Providence acting for our good.

We have heard the "confused noise" of battle, and "seen the garments rolled in blood," while he has kept still the tempest, the whirlwind, and the earthquake, - the ministers of his wrath.

We have seen the mother, the wife, the sister, clad in the garments of mourning, and we knew that man had brought the woe, while he held back the "pestilence that walketh in darkness," and tempered the atmosphere to the preservation of our lives and health.

We have seen man wasting and destroying, while he points us to the rich harvests which he has given, and calls us to praise him "for his goodness to the children of men."

Let us, then, praise him with thankful hearts, and express our joy that he reigns, and that he has been merciful to us amidst the calamities which man has brought upon us, and let us rejoice for the assurance that he will even "cause the wrath of man to praise him."

In view of the multiplied blessings conferred upon us as a people by Divine Providence, I, Hamilton R. Gamble, Governor of the State of Missouri, do appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of this present month of November, as a day of thanksgiving to God for his goodness manifested to us during the year; and I do earnestly recommend to the good people of the State to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, and present to God the homage of grateful hearts, in view of his abounding goodness, and invoke his protection for the future.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State to be affixed, this sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

H. R. GAMBLE.

(Signed)

16) MINNESOTA.

16.1) PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it is meet, and in accordance with a good and cherished custom of our fathers, worthy to be "a statute forever in all our dwellings," that the people, "when they have gathered the fruit of the land," should "keep a feast unto the Lord," in commemoration of his goodness, and by a public act of Christian worship acknowledge their dependence as a community upon Him in whose hands the kingdoms of the earth are but as dust in the balance;

Therefore I, Alexander Ramsey, Governor of the State of Minnesota, do hereby set apart the twenty-seventh day of the present month of November as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for his wonderful mercy towards us, for all the good gifts of his providence, for health and restored domestic peace, and the measure of general prosperity which we enjoy.

Especially let us recognize his mercy in that he has delivered our borders from the savage enemies who rose up against us, and cast them into the pit they had privily dug for us ; that our friends have been rescued from the horrors of captivity, and that our homes and household treasures are now safe from the violence of Indian robbers and assassins.

And let us praise him for the continued preservation of the Government of our fathers from the assaults of traitors and rebels ; for the sublime spirit of patriotism and courage and constancy with which he has filled the hearts of its defenders; for the victories won by the valor of our troops; for the glorious share of Minnesota in the struggles and triumphs of the Union cause; for the safety of her sons who have passed through the fire of battle unscathed, and the honorable fame of the gallant dead; for the alacrity and devotion with which our citizens have rushed from their unharvested fields to the standard of the nation; and, above all, for the assurance that their toils and perils and wounds and self-devotion are not in vain; for the tokens, now manifest, of his will that through the blood and sweat of suffering and sacrifice the nation is to be saved from its great calamity, and the great crime of which it is at once the effect and punishment; and that behind the thunders and lightnings and clouds of the tempest the awful form of Jehovah is visible, descending in fire upon the mount, to renew the broken tablets of the Constitution, and proclaim FREEDOM as the condition and the law of a restored and regenerated Union.

Given under my hand, and the great seal of the State, at the city of St. Paul, this third day of November, in the year of our Lord one thou- sand eight hundred and sixty-two.

ALEXANDER RAMSEY.

By the Governor:

JAMES H. BAKER, Secretary of State.

17) MICHIGAN.

17.1) PROCLAMATION.

Another year has passed away into history. It has been a year of great events, a year of civil war, and all the bloody sacrifices, harassing doubts, and alternating triumphs and defeats which surely follow in its track. Vast armies, raised from the midst of the people, have gone forth to fight our country's battles. With a courage and constancy which will brighten the history of the republic forever, they have beaten back the hosts of rebellion and despotism from the loyal States and saved our homes from the horrors of invasion. Our liberties and laws are still preserved to us, and the power of the Government is gradually but surely being established over all the territory of the Union. Rebellion is being punished, and upon the wicked authors of this unseemly strife is falling the sure reward of their unparalleled sin. The war is carried into the midst of their country, and the victorious armies of the Union hasten on to strike them a final blow in the strongholds of the far South. There are solid grounds of hope for speedy victory and permanent peace.

While many of our homes are made desolate by the inevitable casualties of war, and all mourn the heroic dead, there is consolation in the faith that the blood of the true patriot is never shed in vain.

Our people, under all these trials, still cling with unflinching firmness and fidelity to the institutions and Government of our country. Trusting in God and the righteousness of our cause, they are ready to incur greater sacrifices and bear heavier burdens, in the confidence and hope that the future will more than compensate for the past, and that the blessing of liberty will be permanently secured and greatly increased to our posterity.

The destinies of nations and individuals are in the hand of God. For bountiful harvests, for general health among the people, for civil and religious liberty and the diffusion of knowledge and education, for the continued existence of the republic and the triumphs of its arms, and for all the great and good gifts of a benign Providence, our acknowledgments and praises are due to him alone. That we may suitably acknowledge our dependence upon Almighty God, and with reverent thankfulness give glory to him, I do hereby set apart and appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh instant, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise.

I request that upon that day the people may assemble in their places of public worship, and in their homes, and keep this day in the spirit in which our fathers kept it, with pure, religious, and patriotic hearts, full of faith and hope.

Given under my hand, and the great seal of the State, at the Capitol, in the city of Lansing, on the fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

AUSTIN BLAIR.

JAMES B. PORTER, Secretary of State.

18) ILLINOIS.

18.1) PROCLAMATION.

To the People of the State of Illinois.

It is the sacred duty of nations, as well as individuals, to acknowledge the manifestations of God's enduring mercy and loving-kindness.

The perils which surround us, the trials under which the nation is laboring, forcibly impress upon us the necessity and propriety of calling upon Him who is able to save, for deliverance.

Nevertheless, amid present evils and dangers, the Almighty has not left us without many signal evidences of his care and protection.

Our State has been blessed with an abundant harvest; the patriotism of our people is unparalleled in the history of nations; our soldiers have made as bright a record as that of the bravest of their brethren in arms, and have been victorious on many hard-fought battle-fields; the munificence of our citizens in administering to the sufferings of our troops is worthy of a generous-hearted people; and, above all, in the midst of an internecine war unparalleled in the history of the world, have the people of our State been allowed to pursue their peaceful avocations undisturbed.

In view, then, of these and all other evidences of his continued care and protection, and more particularly for the purpose of giving the people of the State an opportunity of uniting together and thanking God for his mercies, and of beseeching him to deliver our nation from her present great afflictions, to grant victory to our arms, a speedy suppression of the rebellion, and a restoration of peace, I do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of thanksgiving and prayer, and recommend that the people on that day, laying aside ordinary avocations, meet in their several places of worship, to render up the tribute of grateful hearts to the Almighty Ruler of the universe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed, this twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

RICHARD YATES.

19) DELAWARE.

19.1) PROCLAMATION.

The duty of a Christian people, and the observance of a long-established custom, alike demand that a day of thanksgiving and praise be set apart to Almighty God for his wonderful goodness and mercy extended to us during the past year.

Although our national calamities have been great, and brethren of a once happy and united country have been arrayed in deadly strife against each other, whereby gloom and sorrow and mourning have saddened many hearts and darkened many hearthstones, yet we of Delaware, through his Divine goodness, have been spared the dread ravages of war. While many of our sister States have experienced the terrible effect of his chastening hand in punishment of our manifold sins and wickedness, he has graciously shielded us from invasion from without and convulsions within. Visible and manifest are the blessings which he has lavishly bestowed upon us during the year now approaching its close. He has blessed us with sunshine and with rain. He has continued to us the inestimable enjoyments of good health and sound reason. He has spared us from disease, pestilence, and famine. He has bountifully rewarded the industry of the husbandman, and caused the earth to bring forth her richest fruits, storing our garners and filling the land with plenty. He has protected our institutions of learning and religion, prospered the arts and sciences, and repaid the labors of the mechanic and working-man.

In view of these and countless other manifestations of his loving-kindness so graciously vouchsafed unto us, and in grateful recognition thereof, I, William Burton, Governor of the State of Delaware, do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, and do earnestly request that the people of this State will on that day abstain from their usual vocations, and, assembling in their accustomed places of public worship, unite in fervent prayers of thanksgiving and praise to the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, and especially that with humble and contrite hearts they devoutly beseech him to restore a speedy and honorable peace to our distracted country.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State of Delaware to be affixed.

Done at Dover, this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and in the eighty-seventh year of the independence of said State.

WILLIAM BURTON.

By the Governor:

EDWARD RIDGLEY, Secretary of State.

20) IOWA.

20.1) PROCLAMATION.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, IOWA, IOWA CITY, Νον. 3, 1862.

To the People of Iowa.

In token of our dependence upon the Supreme Ruler of the universe, the more especially in this the hour of peril to the nation ; in fervent thanksgiving to him that no pestilence has prevailed in our midst, that the labors of the husbandman have been measurably rewarded, and for the many blessings vouchsafed us as individuals and citizens ; in devout acknowledgment of his sovereignty and overruling providence, and in heartfelt gratitude that our armies in the field have won such renown in the great cause of the Union, that our citizens at home have been inspired with such devoted loyalty and munificence in relieving our brave soldiers, and that we have been permitted to follow in a peaceable manner our usual pursuits while war is desolating the land;

I, Samuel J. Kirkwood, do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty- seventh day of November next, as a day of thanksgiving, prayer, and praise, and do hereby entreat the people, abstaining from their usual pursuits, to assemble together on that day in their chosen places of worship, and offer up their earnest prayers to Almighty God, humbly acknowledging their short-comings and dependence upon him, thanking him for the manifold blessings on them by his hand, beseeching him to crown our arms and cause with signal triumph, to confer strength upon our gallant soldiery, to mitigate the sufferings of the sick, wounded, and imprisoned, and to succor and heal the anguish of the bereft, and imploring a speedy extinction of the rebellion, a return of peace in his own good time to our distracted land, and that we may prove ourselves worthy of the institutions bequeathed us by the fathers of the republic, by becoming once more a united, fraternal, and happy people.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State to be hereto affixed, this first day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.

By the Governor:

ELIJAH SELLS, Secretary of State.

Ralph P. Lowe, Governor of Iowa, in his proclamation for 1858, uses this eminently Christian language: -

Let us go into our temples of worship and fill them with thank-offerings to the God of our fathers;

Praise him for giving to this whole land so largely of his Spirit, by which the faces of multitudes have been turned heavenwards;

Praise him for the Christian's faith, the spread of our holy religion, the triumphs of science, and the progress making in the peaceful arts;

Praise him for the moral and social improvement of the race, by means of the intercommunication of telegraphs and railways.

Let the spirit of Divine truth be invoked to push forward all the great enterprises of the age, and that the outgoings of the morning and evening may still continue to rejoice over us.

21) KANSAS.

21.1) PROCLAMATION.

The second year of our existence as a State is drawing to a close. The balance-sheet for 1862 will soon be struck. From the earliest settlement of our country the autumn months have been deemed the most appropriate for recounting the blessings of Providence and making public acknowledgment therefor in thankgiving and praise.

As a State we have been highly favored during the year now closing. The earth has yielded abundantly, and health and general prosperity have been allotted to us. While deadly civil war has been waged upon our border and in many of the States, comparative peace and quiet have been our lot. While we mourn that civil war still spreads its desolation in our country, there is cause for thankfulness that the immutable laws of God apply as well to nations as individuals, to war as well as peace, and that there is some reason to hope that our nation is beginning to understand the application of these laws to our present condition as a people.

In view of the numberless blessings showered upon our State and nation, I appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November next, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, and earnestly invite all good citizens to observe the same as becomes a Christian people, by abstaining from labor and business occupations, by attendance upon public worship, by deeds of charity to the poor and needy, and by a cultivation of the domestic and social virtues.

Given under my hand, and the seal of the State, at Topeka, this twenty-ninth day of October, 1862.

By the Governor:

C. ROBINSON.

S. R. SHEPHERD, Secretary of State.

22) WISCONSIN.

22.1) PROCLAMATION.

To the People of Wisconsin.

Amidst the manifold vicissitudes and calamities that have befallen and surrounded us, threatening the life of our nation and the lives of so many of its heroic and noble sons, it peculiarly becomes us to turn with grateful hearts to the Supreme Being for the many blessings we have enjoyed and the afflictions we have been spared.

The horrors and devastations of war, so fiercely raging around us, have not touched the border of our State; excepting the brave men who have rallied around our country's flag in this time of peril, our citizens have been permitted to pursue their peaceful avocations; our harvest, though not as abundant as Providence sometimes has pleased to grant us, has yet well compensated the labor bestowed upon it, and well filled our houses and barns; the savage tribes upon our border settlements, so threatening at one time to our peace, have been quieted and kept under surveillance.

The great cause of our nation, it is true, has not triumphed yet over its enemies, but neither has it yet failed: the enemy has been driven from the soil of the loyal States; our army has been reinforced by hundreds of thousands of brave, patriotic, and noble men, ready to do battle, and, if necessary, to die, for the integrity of the Union; our resources and energies are unimpaired; we have reason to be hopeful for the future, and, therefore, thankful for the past.

The loyalty, honor, and patriotism of the State of Wisconsin have been nobly sustained by her brave sons upon every field of battle where they have been called upon to vindicate our national flag. The just pride which we feel in the bravery of our noble soldiers should fill our hearts with gratitude to Almighty God, who has sustained them in their hour of trial.

For these and other uncounted blessings which the infinite goodness of God has vouchsafed to us during the past year, we should thank him from the depth of our hearts. And therefore, and in accordance with a time-honored custom, I do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-seventh day of November, 1862, as a day of thanksgiving and rest, and recommend to the people of this State on that day to abstain from secular labor, and to assemble at their usual places of worship, to show their grateful hearts to the beneficent Ruler of the universe, and to pray for a speedy suppression of the rebellion, and for peace to our distracted country.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the great seal of the State to be affixed, this thirty-first day of October, A.D. 1862.

EDWARD SALOMON.

EDWARD ILSLEY, Assistant Secretary of State.

23) GEORGIA, 1858.

23.1) PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to smile upon us as a people, in much mercy, another year, to crown our labors with rich blessings, to protect and preserve us from war, hunger, and pestilence, and to pour out his holy Spirit upon us in copious showers ; and whereas these manifestations of his protecting care and loving-kindness admonish us of the debt of gratitude which we, as the people of a great State, owe to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and of our duty to be humble and thankful, rendering praise to his great name "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things;"

I do therefore issue this my proclamation, setting apart Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of the present month, as a day of thanksgiving and prayer. And I do earnestly invite the different congregations composing all the religious denominations of every name in this State, to meet at their respective places of worship on that day, and unite in returning thanks and singing praises to our God for his wondrous works in the past, and in fervent prayer for his protecting care in the future, remembering that the Psalmist has said, "Let the people praise thee; then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our God, shall bless us."

Given under my hand, and the seal of the Executive Department, at the Capitol, in Milledgeville, this fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, and the independence of the United States of America the eighty-third.

By the Governor:

JOSEPH E. BROWN.

H. H. WATERS, Secretary Executive Department.

24) NORTH CAROLINA, 1858.

24.1) PROCLAMATION.

Whereas by an act of the General Assembly it is made the duty of the Governor of the State for the time-being "to set apart a day in every year, and to give notice thereof by proclamation, as a day of solemn and public thanksgiving to Almighty God for past blessings, and of supplications for his continual kindness and care over us as a State and as a nation;"

Now, therefore, I do, by this my proclamation, appoint and set apart Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of November next, as such a day, and do most respectfully and earnestly recommend that it be observed accordingly by all the good people of this State.

Given under my hand, and attested by the great seal of the State. Done at the city of Raleigh, this fourth day of November, Anno Domino one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.

By the Governor:

THOMAS BRAGG.

PULASKI COOPER, Private Secretary.

25) SOUTH CAROLINA, 1858.

25.1) PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, whilst we humbly bow before the Almighty, in meek submission to the will of his inscrutable providence, chastening us with disappointment of some of our cherished hopes, with disease, with loss of faithful and valuable citizens, it becomes us as a people, now that the pestilence is stayed in the city, and the bright beams of the autumnal sun, with a bracing atmosphere, have dissipated the malaria of the fruitful country, now that the harvest-home is over, and the staple results of the seasons, wherever diminished, are still greater than we deserve at the hands of a bountiful Benefactor, "to assemble and meet together to render thanks for his great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul;"

Now, therefore, I deem it meet to appoint and set apart Thursday, the twenty-fifth of November instant, as a day of thanksgiving and prayer Accordingly, I do invite all persons on that day to assemble at their respective places of worship to return thanks for our numerous blessings, past and present, and to pray for the Divine guidance and blessing in our future life.

Given under my hand and seal of the State, at Columbia, this eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, and in the eighty-third year of American independence.

ROBERT W. ALLSTON.

JAMES PATTERSON, Secretary of State.

26) FLORIDA, 1858.

26.1) PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it is right and proper for States, as well as individuals, to return thanks to Almighty God for his manifold blessings and mercies; and whereas the fourth Thursday in November has been, by usage and custom, adopted by most of the States of the Union as a day of thanks-giving; and in order that said day may be observed with uniformity throughout the United States; therefore

I, Madison S. Perry, do, by this my public proclamation, set aside Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of November, as a day of public thanksgiving, and respectfully ask the clergy of all religious denominations to open their houses of worship, and deliver addresses suited to such an occasion, and request the good people of the State to lay aside their usual avocations and join in the religious exercises of the day.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused to be affixed the great seal of the State of Florida. Done at the Capitol, in the city of Tallahassee, this third day of November, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.

MADISON S. PERRY.

By the Governor:

Attest: F. L. VILLIPIGUE, Secretary of State.

27) TENNESSEE.

27.1) PROCLAMATION.

Isham G. Harris, Governor of the State of Tennessee,

To all the people of said State, greeting: -

Whereas it has pleased an all-wise Providence to bestow upon our State peace, health, and prosperity, and to continue to us our civil and religious liberty under those free institutions vouchsafed to us by the same power, and in conformity to a commendable usage among Christian nations, I, Isham G. Harris, Governor aforesaid, do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-fifth instant, as a day of thanksgiving and praise, and earnestly invoke the people throughout the State to observe it as such.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State to be affixed, at the office in Nashville, on the eighth day of November, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.

By the Governor:

ISHAM G. HARRIS.

J. E. R. RAY, Secretary of State.

28) MISSISSIPPI.

28.1) PROCLAMATION.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, CITY OF JACKSON, October 12, 1858.

Whereas it is a time-honored custom, and is of itself right and proper and becoming a Christian people, to observe annually a day of thanksgiving, I do hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of November next, for that purpose, and request its general observance throughout the State; for of all the people who have existed, none could so truly say, "The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage." Then let us unite in one general thanksgiving, exclaiming, with the Psalmist, "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks; yea, unto thee do we give thanks."

WM. MCWILLIE.

28.2) PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR OF WASHINGTON CITY.

MAYOR'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, November 20, 1862.

Whilst another section of our country is famine-worn, and sister cities lie prostrate from evils dreadful to suffer and mournful to behold, results of a blind and lawless resistance to constitutional authority and the majesty of the law, an all-seeing Providence has averted from us. 601 this curse of treason, and with an unreluctant hand vouchsafed us numerous evidences of his grace.

For that manifestation and this benediction it behooves us to be thankful; and I therefore, and in compliance with the following joint resolution of the City Councils, request my fellow-citizens to abstain from secular employment, and, assembling in their respective places of worship, on Thursday, 27th instant, unite with reverent love in grateful expressions to Almighty God.

RICHARD WALLACH, Mayor.

28.2.1) JOINT RESOLUTION APPOINTING A DAY OF THANKSGIVING.

Whereas it is becoming in a Christian people to return thanks to the Giver of all good for the manifold blessings he vouchsafes them as a community, and whereas it is peculiarly appropriate that the city of Washington should unite with her sister cities in the observance of a day of public thanksgiving and praise:

Be it therefore Resolved, &c., That his honor the mayor is hereby requested to set apart, by public proclamation, Thursday, 27th November instant, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God for the mercies of the past year, and of prayer for the restoration of peace and of fraternal feeling throughout the Union, inviting all citizens to abstain from their usual secular employments and to unite in a proper observance of the day.

ALEX. R. SHEPHERD,

President of Board of Common Council.

JOSEPH F. BROWN,

President of Board of Aldermen.

Approved November 8, 1862.

RICHARD WALLACH, Mayor.

These proclamations are the official papers of the sovereign States of the republic, and as such declare that the Christian religion is the religion of the Government and the people. They were authorized by special acts of legislation, and heartily approved and observed by the American people.

29) THE MARRIAGE INSTITUTION

Has always been a subject of careful legislation by all the States of the American Union. This institution was the first positive social organization constituted of God for the welfare of society and the purity and happiness of nations and the race. It is not only Divine in its origin, but it has received the solemn sanction of the constant legislation of God. Christ, the Divine author of the Christian religion, restored it from its partial abrogation by the Jews to its original integrity and purpose, and shielded it by a new and solemn act of legislation. The Bible guards no one of its institutes with greater vigilance than that of the ordinance of marriage.

Civil states have uniformly protected with the shield of legislation the marriage institution. A Christian state recognizes marriage as a branch of public morality and a source of civil peace and strength. It gives dignity and harmony to a civil state, and secures to it its highest prosperity and purity, by the formation of families, out of which the state itself is formed, and which are its crowns of social and moral glory, as well as its sources of strength. The very safety and perpetuity of a nation in its civil government and in all its organic forms of society depend on the existence, purity, and power of the marriage institution. Hence is it that the Christian states of the American republic, from their first civil organization and in all forms of legislation, have recognized marriage as a Divine institution, and have thus affirmed the indissoluble union of the civil state and the Christian religion.

30) THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT,

By a solemn act of legislation, has also protected the marriage institution from being corrupted and destroyed by polygamy. In the United States, a religious sect, calling themselves "Latter-Day Saints," or Mormons, sprung up into a mongrel ecclesiastic and political system; and among the various fanatical and antichristian rites introduced and established by the law of their Church was the practice of polygamy, or the "spiritual wife" system. The Territory in which they settled, and which they called Utah, belonged to the United States and was under its jurisdiction. Congress, in order to vindicate the civil and Christian integrity and sanctity of the marriage institution from this unlawful invasion by this antichristian sect, passed the following act, which was approved by the President: -

An Act to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States and other Places, and disapproving and annulling certain Acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every person having a husband or wife living, who shall marry any other person, whether married or single, in a Territory of the United States or other place over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, shall, except in the cases specified in the proviso to this section, be adjudged guilty of bigamy, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, and by imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; Provided, nevertheless, That this section shall not extend to any person by reason of any former marriage whose husband or wife by such marriage shall have been absent for five successive years without being known to such person within that time to be living; nor to any person by reason of any former marriage which shall have been dissolved by the decree of a competent court; nor to any person by reason of any former marriage which shall have been annulled or pronounced void by the sentence or decree of a competent court on the ground of the nullity of the marriage contract.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the following ordinance of the provisional government of the State of Deseret, so called, namely: "An ordinance incorporating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," passed February eight, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-one, and adopted, re-enacted, and made valid by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah by an act passed January nineteen, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-five, entitled "An act in relation to the compilation and revision of the laws and resolutions in force in Utah Territory, their publication and distribution," and all other acts and parts of acts heretofore passed by the said Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, which establish, support, maintain, shield, or countenance polygamy, be, and the same hereby are, disapproved and annulled: Provided, That this act shall be so limited and construed as not to affect or interfere with the right of property legally acquired under the ordinance heretofore mentioned, nor with the right "to worship God according to the dictates of conscience," but only to annul all acts and laws which establish, maintain, protect, or countenance the practice of polygamy, evasively called spiritual marriage, however disguised by legal or ecclesiastical solemnities, sacraments, ceremonies, consecrations, or other contrivances.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any corporation or association for religious or charitable purposes to acquire or hold real estate in any Territory of the United States, during the existence of the territorial government, of a greater value than fifty thousand dollars; and all real estate acquired or held by any such corporation or association contrary to the provisions of this act shall be forfeited and escheat to the United States: Provided, That existing vested rights in real estate shall not be impaired by the provisions of this section.

Approved, July 1, 1862.

When the Territorial Legislature of Utah convened, in December, 1862, Governor Harding, in his Inaugural Address, said, -

Much to my astonishment, I have not been able to find any law upon the statutes of this Territory regulating marriage. I earnestly recommend to your early consideration the passage of some law that will meet the exigencies of the people.

I respectfully call your attention to an act of Congress, passed the first day of July, 1862, entitled "An act to punish and prevent the practice of polygamy in the Territories of the United States, and in other places, and disapproving and annulling certain acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah," chap. cxxvii. of the Statutes at Large of the last session of Congress, page 501. I am aware that there is a prevailing opinion here that said act is unconstitutional, and therefore it is recommended by those in high authority that no regard whatever should be paid to the same.

And still more to be regretted, if I am rightly informed, in some instances it has been recommended that it be openly disregarded and defied, merely to defy the same.

The law was enforced by the authority of the United States, through the Governor of the Territory, who had the head of the Church, Brigham Young, arrested, and held amenable to the sovereign law of the Government for disannulling the marriage institution and for the practice of polygamy.

This vindication of the Divine integrity of the marriage institution in all the Territories over which the jurisdiction of the Government of the United States extends, tends to establish the Christian character of the American Government, and is in harmony with the whole legislative history of the nation, as it stands related to the Christian religion.

31) THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES,

As well as the Governors of nearly all the States,have been explicit, in their messages, in the recognition of the Christian religion. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Jackson, were more or less full in their official acknowledgments of our obligations to God and the Christian religion for national existence, preservation, and blessings. The more modern Presidents have united in the same acknowledgments.

31.1) PRESIDENT VAN BUREN,

When entering upon the responsibilities of his office, said, -

"I only look to the gracious protection of that Divine Being whose strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look down upon us all. May it be among the dispensations of his providence to bless our beloved country with honors and length of days; may her ways be ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace."

Similar sentiments were officially announced in all his messages. Mr. Van Buren publicly testified to the value of the Christian religion by joining the Dutch Reformed Church in the autumn of 1860. He died inspired with the immortal hopes of the gospel, saying "the atonement of Christ was the only remedy and rest of the soul."

31.2) PRESIDENT HARRISON

Said, in his Inaugural, -

"I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow-citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion, and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility, are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness; and to that good Being who has blessed us with the gifts of civil and religious freedom, who watched over and prospered the labors of our fathers, and has hitherto preserved to us institutions far exceeding in excellence those of any other people, let us unite in fervently commending every interest of our beloved country in all future time."

When he entered upon his duties as President, he wrote to his Christian wife, saying, "I retired into the presence of my Maker, and implored his gracious guidance in the faithful discharge of the duties of my high station."

The Sabbath was observed during his brief occupancy of the Presidential mansion. He said to visitors, "We shall be happy to see you at any time except on the Sabbath." The absence of a Bible at the President's house, when he occupied it, was immediately supplied. Before his election to the Presidency, General Harrison, for years, was a warm and active friend of Sabbath-schools and Bible-classes (of which he was a teacher), and a constant attendant on the public worship of God. To his pastor-the pastor of the Presbyterian church near his home on the banks of the Ohio-he said, "I think I enjoy religion and delight in the duties of a child of God, and have concluded to unite with the Church of God as soon as my health will permit me to go out." This purpose he had re- solved to carry out in Washington, after he had entered upon his duties as President, by joining the Episcopal Church on Easter Sunday; but his sudden death prevented. In a great revival in the Methodist Church in Cincinnati, just previous to his election, he said to the pastor, "I know there are some of my political opponents who will be ready to impugn my motives in attending this revival-meeting at this peculiar time; but I care not for the smiles or frowns of my fellow-countrymen. God knows my heart and understands my motives. A deep and an abiding sense of my inward spiritual necessities brings me to this hallowed place night after night."

31.3) PRESIDENT TYLER,

In his Message of 1843, said, -

"If any people ever had cause to render up thanks to the Supreme Being for parental care and protection extended to them in all trials and difficulties to which they have been from time to time exposed, we certainly are that people. From the first settlement of our forefathers on this continent, through the dangers attendant upon the occupation of a savage wilderness, through a long period of colonial dependence, through the War of the Revolution, in the wisdom which led to the adoption of the existing form of republican government, in the hazards incident to a war subsequently waged with one of the most powerful nations of the earth, - in the increase of our population, in the spread of the arts and sciences, and in the strength and durability conferred on our political institutions, emanating from the people and sustained by their will, the superintendence of an overruling Providence has been plainly visible. As preparatory, therefore, to entering once more upon the high duties of legislation, it becomes us humbly to acknowledge our dependence upon him as our guide and protector, and to implore a continuance of his parental watchfulness over our beloved country."

31.4) PRESIDENT POLK,

When inaugurated, in 1845, said, -

"In assuming responsibilities so vast, I fervently invoke the aid of the Almighty Ruler of the universe, in whose hands are the destinies of nations and of men, to guard this Heaven-favored land against the mischiefs which, without his guidance, might arise from an unwise policy. I humbly supplicate that Divine Being who has watched over and protected our beloved country from its infancy to the present hour, to continue his gracious benedictions upon us, that we may continue to be a prosperous and happy people."

"No country," he said, in his message of 1847, "has been so much favored, or should acknowledge with deeper reverence the manifestations of the Divine protection. An all-wise Creator directed and guarded us in our infant struggle for freedom, and has constantly watched over our surprising progress, until we have become one of the great nations of the earth." "The gratitude of the nation," he says, in his annual message of 1848, "to the Sovereign Arbiter of all human events should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy."

Mr. Polk, after his retirement from the cares of public life, was deeply impressed with the need of a personal interest in the Saviour. This conviction, indeed, was felt when in public life. He said, before his death, "that when in office he had several times seriously intended to be baptized; but the cares and perplexities of public life scarcely allowed time for the requisite solemn preparation; and so procrastination had ripened into inaction."

About a week before his death he sent for the Rev. Dr. Edgar, of Nashville, and said to him, with great solemnity, "Sir, if I had supposed, twenty years ago, that I should come to my death-bed unprepared, it would have made me an unhappy man; and yet I am about to die, and have not made preparation. I have not been baptized. Tell me, sir, can there be any ground for a man thus situated to hope?" During his illness he evinced a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, which he said "he had read a great deal, and deeply reverenced as Divine truth." A week before his death he was baptized, and received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

31.5) PRESIDENT TAYLOR,

In his Inaugural Address, remarked, -

"I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country. Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy; and let us seek to deserve that continuance by prudence and moderation in our councils, by well-directed attempts to assuage the bitterness which too often marks unavoidable differences of opinion, by the promulgation and practice of just and liberal principles, and by an enlarged patriotism, which shall acknowledge no limits but those of our own wide-spread republic."

His first and only message, 1849, says, "During the past year we have been blessed by a kind Providence with an abundance of the fruits of the earth; and although the destroying angel for a time visited extensive portions of our territory with the ravages of a dreadful pestilence, yet the Almighty has at length deigned to stay his hand, and to restore the inestimable blessings of general health to a people who have acknowledged his power, deprecated his wrath, and implored his merciful protection."

The cholera, in 1849, revisited the United States; and President Taylor issued a proclamation for a day of prayer and fasting; and his message alludes to that, in the passage quoted. God heard and answered prayer, in staying the march of the destroying angel.

President Taylor, on the Fourth of July, 1849, was present at the Sabbath-school celebration in the city of Washington, and made an address, in which he said, "The only ground of hope for the continuance of our free institutions is in the proper moral and religious training of the children, that they may be prepared to discharge aright the duties of men and citizens."

31.6) PRESIDENT FILLMORE,

Becoming such by the death of President Taylor, who died July 9, 1850, says, in his first message, "I cannot bring this communication to a close without invoking you to join me in humble and devout thanks to the Great Ruler of nations for the multiplied blessings which he has graciously bestowed upon us. His hand, so often visible in our preservation, has stayed the pestilence, saved us from foreign wars and domestic disturbances, and scattered plenty throughout the land. Our liberties, religious and civil, have been maintained; the fountains have all been kept open, and means of happiness widely spread and generally enjoyed, greater than have fallen to the lot of any other nation. And, while penetrated with gratitude for the past, let us hope that his all-wise providence will so guide our counsels as that they shall result in giving satisfaction to our constituents, securing the peace of the country, and adding new strength to the united Government under which we live."

His message of 1851 says, "None can look back on the dangers which are passed, or forward to the bright prospect before us, without feeling a thrill of gratification. At the same time he must be inspired with a grateful sense of our profound obligation to a beneficent Providence, whose paternal care is so manifest in the happiness of this highly favored land." "We owe these blessings," he says, in his message of 1852, "under Heaven, to the happy Constitution and Government which were bequeathed to us by our fathers, and which it is our sacred duty to transmit in all their integrity to our children."

President Fillmore gives the following testimony to the value of the Sabbath: - "I owe my uninterrupted bodily vigor to an originally strong constitution, to an education on a farm, and to life-long habits of regularity and temperance. Throughout all my public life I maintained the same regular and systematic habits of living to which I had previously been accustomed. I never allowed my usual hours for sleep to be interrupted. The Sabbath I always kept as a day of rest. Besides being a religious duty, it was essential to health. On commencing my Presidential career, I found that the Sabbath had frequently been employed by visitors for private interviews with the President. I determined to put an end to this custom, and ordered my door-keeper to meet all Sunday visitors with an indiscriminate refusal."

31.7) PRESIDENT PIERCE,

In his Inaugural, 1853, says,

"But let not the foundation of our hopes rest on man's wisdom. It will not be sufficient that sectional prejudices find no place in the public deliberations. It will not be sufficient that the rash counsels of human passions be rejected. It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and his overruling Providence.

"Standing, as I do, almost within view of the green slopes of Monticello, and, as it were, within reach of the tomb of Washington, with all the cherished memories of the past gathering round me, like so many eloquent voices from heaven, I can express no better hope for my country than that the kind Providence which smiled upon our fathers may enable their children to preserve the blessings they have inherited."

His first annual message, 1853, declared that

"We have still the most abundant cause for thankfulness to God, for an accumulation of signal mercies showered upon us as a nation. It is well that a consciousness of rapid advancement and increasing strength be habitually associated with an abiding sense of dependence on Him who holds in his hands the destiny of men and of nations.

"Recognizing the wisdom of the broad principle of absolute religious toleration proclaimed in our fundamental law, and rejoicing in the benign influence which it has exerted upon our social and political condition, I should shrink from a clear duty did I fail to express my deepest conviction that we can place no secure reliance upon any apparent progress if it be not sustained by national integrity, resting upon the GREAT TRUTHS affirmed and illustrated by DIVINE REVELATION."

"Public affairs ought to be so conducted that a settled conviction shall pervade the entire Union that nothing short of the HIGHEST tone and standard of PUBLIC MORALITY marks EVERY PART of the administration and legislation of the Government."

31.8) PRESIDENT BUCHANAN,

In his Inaugural, 1857, says, "In entering upon this great office, I must humbly invoke the God of our fathers for wisdom and firmness to execute its high and responsible duties in such a manner as to restore harmony and ancient friendship among the several States, and to preserve our free institutions throughout many generations."

In his first annual message, 1857, he says, "And, first of all, our thanks are due to Almighty God for the numerous benefits which he has bestowed upon this people; and our united prayers ought to ascend to him that he would continue to bless our great republic in time to come, as he blessed it in times past."

In his message on Central American affairs, of January, 1858, President Buchanan declared the Divine law to be the basis of the law of nations. He said, "The avowed principle which lies at the foundation of the law of nations is the Divine command that 'all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them.' Tried by this unerring rule, we should be severely condemned if we shall not use our best exertions to arrest such expeditions against our feeble sister republic of Nicaragua."

31.9) PRESIDENT LINCOLN,

In his Inaugural Address delivered on the 4th of March, 1861, amidst the opening scenes of the great rebellion, refers as follows to the justice of God as displayed in the government of nations:

"Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world? In our present differences is either party without faith in being right? If the Almighty Ruler of nations, with his eternal truth and justice, be on your side of the North, or yours of the South, that truth and that justice will surely prevail, by the judgment of this great tribunal of the American people."

His message to Congress convened in extraordinary session, on the 4th of July, 1861, closes as follows:

"Having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear and with manly hearts."

In his message to Congress at the opening of its session in December, 1861, President Lincoln used the following closing words:-

"With a reliance on Providence all the more firm and earnest, let us proceed in the great task which events have devolved upon us."

This chapter will appropriately close with the following paragraphs from a work on the Institutes of International Law, by Daniel Gardner, an eminent jurist and lawyer of New York. He says, -

"The permanent welfare and glory of every sovereign state demand a faithful obedience to the laws of nations, founded on the precepts of the gospel. Self-preservation calls for it; interest and duty require it. International and municipal law are based upon the gospel, and obedience to them is necessary to the happiness and prosperity of every state. The violation of those celestial doctrines has swept away the Assyrian, the Egyptian, the Greek, and the Roman Empires; and the ruins of Baalbec, Palmyra, and Thebes, the shattered Parthenon, and the remains of Roman grandeur, all attest the suicidal effect on empires of disobedience to God's law of nations. Spain, once great and powerful, has fallen by her atrocious national offences from her vast power in the reigns of Charles V. and Philip II. History teaches that national sins, by a fixed moral law, punish the states that commit them. Self-preservation, as well as the obligation of the Divine law, demands a voluntary obedience to the precepts of the gospel in all international transactions.

"The sanctions of that law cannot be disregarded, or its sure penalties avoided, as the King of kings enacted it. All nations before him are as the small dust of the balance; they are counted to him as less than nothing and vanity. He holdeth the seas in the hollow of his hand; he weigheth the mountains in scales; he sitteth on the circle of the earth; he ruleth the hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. His title is Jehovah in the highest.

"May our republic and all nations obey that law and enjoy its promised blessings.

"The precepts of the gospel are the basis of all law. It is a moral code of general principles, which, intelligently and honestly applied, will solve every question of international right and duty. In this age of civilization and improvement, a liberal code of public law, based upon the golden rule of the gospel, and assented to by the leading nations of Europe and America, is a great desideratum.

"Our American public and private international law is composed in part of a written code, enacted in the form of a national Constitution and State Constitutions and State laws, and in part of the law of national comity.

"This law seems to rest on the golden rule of the gospel, and, as the fruits of Christian civilization, to belong of necessity to American jurisprudence, as God's appointed regulator of the rights and duties of all national and State sovereignties. Treaties, constitutions, and laws merely recognize and regulate it in certain respects, but its true basis is in the command of Jehovah to nations and states, as well as to individuals, ' Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.' The observance of the principles of the gospel will insure the prosperity of every State and nation."

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