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 €0tf, the p<Jlp 0{ tfce Ration* 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 DELIVERED IN 
 
 TRINITY CHURCH, PITTSBURGH, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 DAY OF NATIONAL THANKSGIVING, 
 
 Appointed hy the President of the United States^ 
 November 26, 1863. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE UPFOLD, D. D., LL. D. 
 
 BISHOP OF INDIANA. 
 
 'g*n6fi$§(!6 aX f$e urgent soficifaiion of §t5 former parishioners. 
 
 PITTSBURGH: 
 
 PRINTED BY W. 8. HAVEN, OOENER OJ WOOD AND THIBD STREETS. 
 
 18 6 4. 
 
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 / 
 
 SERMON. 
 
 " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 
 1 Samuel 7U. 12. 
 
 THERE had been a protracted war between the 
 children of Israel and the Philistines, very 
 disastrous to the former, in several instances; so 
 much so as to discourage them greatly and " make 
 them afraid of the Philistines." And " the children 
 of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the 
 Lord our God for us, that He will save us out of 
 the hand of the Philistines." The humiliation of 
 the people for their manifold transgressions, which 
 had brought such severe national calamities upon 
 them, with the deprecations and supplications of the 
 prophet of God in their behalf, had propitiated the 
 Divine favor. There was a signal change for the 
 better in their national affairs ; their enemies were 
 discomfited ; repeated victories had crowned their 
 efforts in defense of their country, and they were at 
 
length in a position to enter on an offensive warfare 
 and drive the invaders from their borders. " The 
 Philistines were subdued, and came no more into the 
 coasts of Israel." National humiliation and re- 
 pentance had eifected their salutary purpose. God 
 had heard the deprecatory cry of the people ; and 
 
 they were now called by the prophet to offer a ser- 
 vice of public thanksgiving for their deliverance. 
 "Then Samuol took a stone, and set it between 
 Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben- 
 ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 
 These words, and the circumstances under which 
 they were uttered, are suggestive of our duty, my 
 brethren, under a similar manifestation of the 
 Divine interposition in our behalf, as a people, in 
 the present conflict with our enemies ; composed, 
 alas ! not of strangers and foreigners, but of a por- 
 tion of our misguided fellow-citizens, in rebellion 
 against one of the mildest and most benign govern- 
 ments the world has ever known ; a government 
 which afforded them equal protection with others, in 
 all their just civic rights and privileges, and against 
 which, as one of their now prominent leaders pub- 
 licly avowed when his State was debating the 
 question of secession, they had no reasonable cause 
 
^;^r 
 
 for complaint of existing or apprehended oppres- 
 sion. 
 
 In April last, on the recommendation of the 
 Chief Magistrate of the Republic, we humbled our- 
 selves as a nation, under the chastisement of the 
 Lord our God, whose displeasure we had justly 
 incurred by our manifold national sins; who had 
 " smitten us with the rod of His wrath," and had 
 visited us with sudden and sore calamity. We 
 besought Him who had " cast us off and scattered 
 us — who had been displeased — who had made our 
 portion of the"]earth to tremble — who had broken it 
 so that it was shaken — who had showed us hard 
 things, and made us to drink the wine of astonish- 
 ment ;" we besought Him, in humiliation, fasting 
 and prayer, " to turn himself to us again, and heal 
 the breaches of the land He had made," save and 
 deliver us. 
 
 This national humiliation, which presented the 
 sublime moral spectacle of a whole people bowing 
 before the Majesty on High in penitential supplica- 
 tion — acknowledging the Lord to be their God, and 
 their entire dependence upon Him— invoking His 
 forgiveness of past offenses and His gracious inter- 
 position in their day of peril and distress ; this act 
 
6 
 
 of homage, reverence, faith, penitence, and depreca 
 tion of the righteous judgments of God, appeared 
 to have met His acceptance, and to have accom- 
 plished, to a large extent, its devout purpose and 
 end. The dark clouds which overspread the political 
 horizon at the time, filling every loyal heart with 
 dismay and apprehension, were soon after measur- 
 ably dispelled by several signal victories ; two of 
 which, of simultaneous occurrence, Grettysburg and 
 Vicksburg in particular, appeared then, and still 
 appear, to have broken the back of this unnatural, 
 unprovoked and utterly indefensible rebellion, and 
 have since been followed by the general success of 
 the efforts of the Federal arms in its suppression, 
 amid some reverses which, in such a gigantic con- 
 flict as this in which we are now involved, might 
 well have been expected ; and a progressive and 
 sure advancement of the glorious cause of our Fed- 
 erative Union. Other triumphs of magnitude have 
 succeeded these, all pointing to a not very remote 
 issue of the struggle that has been forced upon us, 
 and which I have never for a moment doubted ; the 
 re-establishment of the authority of the National 
 Grovernment over every State in rebellion; the 
 restoration of our once united, peaceful and pros- 
 
ZZf 
 
 perous country to its former enviable condition ; 
 and its continuous advance in all that constitutes 
 the true greatness of a nation, making it more and 
 more " a praise and glory in the earth." 
 
 Now again, on the very proper recommendation 
 of the President of the United States, we are 
 assembled to offer another offering of national 
 homage to the Almighty Ruler of nations, and pre- 
 sent the oblation of our thanksgiving and praise for 
 the great and manifold mercies of His providence, 
 in the safe and abundant ingathering of the fruits 
 of the earth, which have been continued to us ; and 
 especially for His gracious interposition in our 
 political affairs, and the signal success which has 
 attended the efforts of our armies and fleets. We 
 are met together, in common with our fellow-citizens 
 in every part of the country faithful to the Union, 
 "to set up," as we have abundant cause, our "stone" 
 of grateful recognition and remembrance of the 
 Divine goodness, and *' call it Ebenezer," and with 
 devout and thankful hearts, say, what is eminently 
 true, and what, if we refused to say, we should be 
 utterly insensible to our mercies and recreant to 
 our correspondent obligations, " Hitherto hath the 
 Lord helped us." 
 
8 
 
 I. Our thanksgiving and praise as a people, are 
 due to the Lord who hath helped us, for the con- 
 tinued and multiplied blessings of His providence, 
 in the abundance of the fruits of the earth ; in the 
 preservation of general health ; in exemption from 
 devastating pestilence and famine ; and for all that 
 constitutes temporal prosperity. In some portions 
 of the country, it is true, there has been a partial 
 failure of crops, but that is more than compensated 
 by the superabundance in other portions, and of 
 other material products of the earth. The cost of 
 living has, indeed, materially advanced; yet the 
 ability to meet this increased expense has generally, 
 and with most classes of the people, advanced with 
 it. Every industrial pursuit is eminently prosper- 
 ous, and yields a remunerative return. Commerce, 
 internal and external, foreign and domestic, is 
 generally flourishing, as are also the various manu- 
 facturing interests. There seems no lack of em- 
 ployment for capital and labor, and no want of 
 adequate compensation. Agricultural pursuits par- 
 take of the general prosperousness. In a word, 
 God, in His providential goodness, hath blessed and 
 is blessing us abundantly everywhere, throughout 
 the length and breadth of the land not involved in 
 
^ 5 r) 
 
 9 
 
 the rebellion, or that hath been rescued from the 
 tyranny and oppression of its instigators and 
 leaders. 
 
 My official position obliges me to travel much and 
 extensively, and wherever I go, T discern evidences 
 of more than ordinary prosperity and increasing 
 wealth and strength. Except the presence of sol- 
 diers passing to and fro, the display of arms, and 
 strains of martial music, there are no indications 
 that the country is involved in war, and in a war of 
 such unprecedented magnitude. In the West, in 
 the East, and in the North — and I have traveled 
 extensively in each portion during several months 
 past — there is no apparent destitution and distress, 
 but great apparent and, it is believed, real prosper- 
 ity. All the States faithful to the Union, em- 
 bracing what is known by the general term of 
 the North, in contradistinction to the aggressive 
 South, have become stronger than ever, in all the 
 elements of national strength, by the war which has 
 been forced upon it ; and is developing still more its 
 immense resources. Truly, amid our national 
 troubles^ and under all the attendant calamities of 
 war, " The Lord hath hitherto helped us" signally, 
 and continues to help us in all material prosperous- 
 
10 
 
 ness; and for these, His abounding providential 
 mercies, we are bound to offer unto Him the sacri- 
 fice of our devout thanksgiving, and show forth His 
 praise with grateful gladness. 
 
 II. In the internecine conflict which has been 
 raging for nearly three years past — a conflict initiated 
 by no fault or act of the Government of the Union 
 toward the aggressors, who, in their pride, arrogance 
 and unhaUowed ambition, have forced it upon the 
 nation — we have abundant cause to set up '*a stone" 
 of grateful remembrance, and " call the name of it 
 Ebenezer," and with all devout and fervent thank- 
 fulness say, " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 In every [phase of the tremendous struggle, the 
 Divine interposition in our behalf has been strikingly 
 manifested ; and in its results thus far we have been 
 constantly gaining, while our opponents have been 
 as constantly losing. The entire sea coast, from the 
 capes of Virginia to the Grulf of Mexico, is in our 
 possession or under our control. The Mississippi is 
 ours, from its source to its mouth, and its free navi- 
 gation regained, never again to be surrendered, if it 
 costs the last drop of blood of the men of the West 
 and Northwest, and the last cent of treasure. That 
 
^3/ 
 
 11 
 
 natural outlet to the products of their immense and 
 fertile domain, they will contend for to the bitter 
 end. No proposition of compromise, no proposal 
 of treaty arrangement, no allowance and permission 
 of adverse governments on its banks, to navigate it 
 under restricted conditions, will ever be listened to 
 and admitted. Its entire freedom they hold to be 
 their just right, a right which they will never con- 
 cede. There is no danger, however, that they will 
 be called upon to make such a concession now. 
 The free navigation of the Mississippi, through the 
 successful efforts of our gallant army and navy, is a 
 fixed fact — a gain of magnitude which will never be 
 relinquished ; and the equally free navigation of all 
 its tributaries, most of them now under the control 
 of the Federal power, is destined ere long to follow. 
 There have been reverses. They were to have 
 been expected in a contest of such magnitude and 
 so suddenly sprung upon the country ; and whether 
 they have arisen from m.isconduct, or from the 
 usual hazards of war, they have not arrested the 
 progress of our arms to any extent, or impaired the 
 power of the nation ; nor will they change or much 
 retard the inevitable issue. Notwithstanding these 
 reverses, the Government of the Union has been 
 
12 
 
 constantly regaining and maintaining its legitimate 
 authority ; the righteous cause has been and is 
 steadily advancing, and it will go on conquering 
 and to conquer, even if other and more serious 
 reverses should be experienced, unto the consumma- 
 tion, in an honorable and permanent peace, and 
 restored and stronger unity than ever, throughout 
 our glorious Republic. " Hitherto hath the Lord 
 helped us," and if we are only true and faithful to 
 Him, and true and faithful, in subordination to 
 Him, to the Government which affords us its protec- 
 tion and demands our allegiance and cordial sup- 
 port^ He will help us all the way. 
 
 I am no partisan, as you well know, my brethren 
 and former parishioners. I have no political pre- 
 dilections to pervert my judgment, no fond abstrac- 
 tions to distract my vision. I am an American 
 citizen ; it is a name to be proud of, and now more 
 than ever ; I owe a paramount allegiance to the 
 Republic and its constitutional Government;, and 
 not to the particular State in which I reside. My 
 position is such that I am enabled to take an 
 unprejudiced and comprehensive view of the condi- 
 tion of our national affairs, and to form an unbiassed 
 judgment of the past, and equally unbiassed concep- 
 
13 
 
 tions of the future from the past. The cause for 
 which we are contending is a just, righteous and 
 noble cause: the maintenance of our Federative 
 Union in its integrity; the preservation of the 
 precious heritage of civil and religious liberty be- 
 queathed us by our fathers, and purchased and 
 cemented with their blood. It is a cause I believe 
 GFod will, as to my mind He certainly has hitherto^ 
 prosper and bless, overruling the present conflict 
 for our highest national welfare. In the darkest 
 hours and most disastrous events of the struggle, I 
 have never despaired of the Republic ; nor have I 
 ever lost confidence in the Government, or in its abil- 
 ity to re-establish its constitutional authority, where 
 that authority is now repudiated. It has manifested 
 in all respects, honesty of purpose and patriotic 
 devotion to the true interests of the country, and for 
 these I honor it and regard it deserving the confi- 
 dence and support of the people. If it has erred 
 and made mistakes, they have been errors of judg- 
 ment ', and in such an unprecedented conflict, with 
 so many and perplexing complications, and with 
 such a tension of mental powers, demand commis- 
 seration and allowance, instead of reproach and 
 croaking anticipations of disaster and ruin. What 
 
14 
 
 if our army and navy appear inactive, when we at 
 a distance, and necessarily unacquainted with the 
 obstacles and difficulties in the way, think they 
 should be moving and fighting ? There is such a 
 thing as "masterly inactivity," and this has proved 
 to be the case in many instances where complaint 
 has been made that nothing is doing, and sensation 
 mongers have had no sanguinary battles to chatter 
 about and no sacrifice of precious human lives to 
 gloat over. If it be asked, as it has been asked of 
 me, in a spirit of querulous complaint, " When will 
 this terrible war cease?" I have answered: When 
 it pleases God; when His judgments on us as a 
 nation have accomplished their salutary, reforma- 
 tory purpose ; when His work, in permitting the 
 conflict for wise and gracious purposes of His 
 providence, is worked out. It may be months ; it 
 may be years. In the war of the Revolution it was 
 full seven years, and amid reverses and disasters 
 far more discouraging and appalling than any we 
 have yet experienced in the present struggle. He, 
 our Lord and our God, who helped us then, who 
 has helped us in comparative lesser conflicts and 
 difficulties since, and who has manifestly helped us 
 hitherto in the present contest, will help us unto the 
 end, be that end near or remote. 
 
15 
 
 III. As citizens of Pennsylvania, my brethren 
 and friends, you have special cause for gratitude to 
 God for His gracious interposition. Only a few 
 months past you were in imminent peril. A ruth- 
 less foe had invaded your soil, sought to bring the 
 sad calamities of war to your homes, and threatened 
 extensive devastation. This busy, industrious, 
 prosperous city was in danger ; almost every im- 
 portant point, including the capital of the State and 
 its great commercial emporium, were in danger; 
 and from day to day, and hour to hour, no one knew, 
 no one could conjecture where the disastrous blow 
 would fall. The devastation which has made the 
 larger part of Eastern Virginia a desolate waste, 
 through the insane pride and folly of its own citizens, 
 was to be visited on the flourishing cities and towns, 
 and the fertile fields of Pennsylvania; and the 
 threat seemed likely to be carried into effect to an 
 alarming extent. But God, in His goodness and 
 mercy, interposed, and made the threat very much 
 an empty boast ; not, however, without the sacrifice 
 of thousands of valuable lives on the battle field, 
 among them hundreds of your own patriotic and 
 gallant sons. The invaders, after a sanguinary 
 contest of three days continuance, were driven in 
 
16 
 
 disastrous defeat from your borders ; and your 
 State was delivered from merciless foes, burning to 
 revenge on you and yours the calamities and suifer- 
 ings they had recklessly and madly brought on 
 themselves. Surely you, above all others, have 
 cause to be thankful ; to *'set up a stone" in grateful 
 remembrance of your deliverance, and "call the 
 name of it Ebenezer," and with the most fervent 
 gratitude and thankfulness, say, " Hitherto hath the 
 Lord helped us." 
 
 This city was a prominent point aimed at by the 
 enemy, from its immense stores of all the materials 
 of war and its commanding position in relation to 
 water and rail road communication ; and success 
 elsewhere would soon have brought an invading 
 army here. Need I attempt to depict your condi- 
 tion had the rebel army penetrated to this place, 
 to excite your gratitude to God for your exemption 
 from such a calamity? It can all be readily 
 imagined. Had the rebel army failed to capture 
 this great military depot — and I never believed 
 they could succeed — the attempt itself would have 
 been disastrous and have caused great suffering. 
 It would have paralyzed business, and every in- 
 dustrial pursuit which is ministering so much to 
 
17 
 
 your prosperity. It might have cost the loss of 
 many valuable lives among your citizens. It might 
 have resulted in material and serious damage to 
 your property. But God, in His goodness, spared 
 you even an approach to such an infliction; and for 
 this, His gracious interposition, you are specially 
 bound to praise and magnify his great and glorious 
 name. 
 
 You, however, are not alone in experience of the 
 Divine goodness. The entire State is deeply in- 
 volved in this indebtedness of gratitude ; nay, our 
 whole country ; that portion — and it is far the 
 largest portion — that is faithful to the Union. For 
 the contest hitherto has worked nothing to the 
 l^ermanent advantage of those who are in rebellion. 
 The victories they boastingly claim, have been bar- 
 ren in fruit ; even those in which, by an overwhelm- 
 ing array of numbers on a particular point, they 
 have been temporarily successful. The victories of 
 the Federal armies, on the contrary, have all result- 
 ed in material and permanent advantage ; what has 
 been gained has been retained, until portion after 
 portion of territory in rebellion has been emanci- 
 pated from the oppression of the usurping rulers, 
 and reinstated under the honored flag of our 
 2 
 
 ^\ 
 
IS 
 
 country. Truly, "hitherto hath the Lord helped 
 us" in this fearful struggle. 
 
 Do any doubt this? Let them cast their eyes 
 backward over the events of the past three years,, 
 or nearly three years, and contrast the condition 
 of our national affairs then, and since, and now. 
 Beginning with the interior : there is Western 
 Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee entirely 
 freed from rebel domination ; Arkansas in a large 
 proportion ; Mississippi to a considerable extent,, 
 and in that which is most important, the banks of 
 the river and the cities on her banks ; Louisiana 
 in a still larger proportion, including its great 
 commercial emporium, New Orleans, with all its 
 outlets to the ocean \ Florida in every part of any 
 consequence ; and Texas, in the recent occupation 
 of positions on the Rio Grande by our army, in a 
 way to make the submission of the entire State, 
 and its restoration to the authority of the general 
 Government, only a question of time, and that, to 
 all appearance, a brief time. Then look at the 
 Atlantic border i there is the immense naval depot 
 at Norfolk, and a large tract of country adjacent^, 
 blocking all egress of the enemy to the ocean, in 
 recovered possession of the Federal authoritieSy 
 
19 
 
 with all the leading communications into the South- 
 eA States on the sea-board ; there is the entire 
 coast of T^orth Carolina, and a considerable j)ortion 
 of its interior ; there is Port Royal and Beaufort, 
 trophies of the heroism and skill of our gallant 
 navy, in connexion with a part of our equally 
 heroic army ; there are also the approaches to 
 Savannah, with the whole sea-coast and islands 
 of Georgia, and the sea- board of Florida, with 
 < much of its interior. Charleston, the original hot- 
 bed of sedition, where the Qg^ of rebellion was 
 incubated, still flaunts the rebel flag; but its most 
 important fortifications are demolished, the city 
 itself reached by the shells of our artillery, rapidly 
 approaching its deserved fate, and already rendered 
 utterly useless to the rebel cause. 
 
 Then consider what the aggressors have gained. 
 Is it territory ? You cannot find it. They do not 
 hold even what they claimed as their own ; it has 
 been gradually wrested from their grasp. Is it 
 foreign intervention and aid ? This they have dili- 
 gently sought, through manifold and gross misrep- 
 resentations and vainglorious boasting, but have 
 not obtained it ; and now it appears farther off than 
 ever, and despite the supposed supremacy of influ- 
 
20 
 
 ence of King Cotton, is fast becoming the myth it 
 1 as always seemed to me to be. Is it the respect^ 
 the sympathy, the contidenco of the nations of the 
 earth, with any approach to recognition as an inde- 
 pendent nation ? There is nothing of the kind. 
 Then what have the^^ gained by the unnatural and 
 cruel strife they have originated, and this wanton 
 expenditure of blood and treasure ? jN^othing ; 
 literally nothing but poverty and devastation to 
 themselves, and occasional revenge in guerrilla war- 
 fare on land and piratical warfare on the ocean. 
 
 All this time, the Government of the Union has 
 remained intact and in full maintenance of its 
 strength and power. Thousands of valuable lives 
 have been sacrificed on the battle-field, and through 
 unexampled cruel and merciless treatment in rebel 
 prisons ; but they have not been sacrificed in vain. 
 Immense treasure has been expended, but it has 
 not impoverished the country, nor impaired the 
 patriotic liberality of our citizens in meeting the 
 exigencies and supplying the sinews of war; and 
 that portion of the land which has not been the 
 immediate arena of conflict, has been signally 
 enriched and prospered. While European nations 
 have looked with astonishment at the struggle, 
 
:^3C 
 
 21 
 
 some of them \sath friendly concern, and all with 
 absorbing interest — those most disposed to sympa- 
 thize with and indirectly aid the aggressors, with- 
 out compromising their professed neutrality, have 
 at length decided to be strictly neutral, from a 
 wholesome apprehension of the constantly devel- 
 oped strength of the nation. All are satisfied that 
 the United States is a power not to be despised and 
 trifled with, but respected and feared, even amid the 
 most stupendous internecine conflict the world has 
 ever known. 
 
 Now all this, brethren and friends, is simple 
 truth, which any one, who attentively contem- 
 plates the past of this contest, and takes a compre- 
 hensive view of it and of its results thus far, cannot 
 fail to perceJ^'^e, verify and appreciate, i^nd to 
 whom is all this success to be attributed ? Not to 
 ourselves, nor to our descrvings. ''Hitherto hath 
 the Lord helped us." God, in His abounding 
 goodness and mercy, and overruling providential 
 interposition, has done all this for us, and for our 
 country ; and the sentiment of every heart should 
 be grateful, thankful recognition ; "Not unto us, O 
 Lord, not unto us ; but unto thy name be all the 
 glory and all the praise." 
 
22 
 
 The gratitude demanded of us, however, is not 
 that of mere emotional fervor and words of thank- 
 fulness. It must be the practical gratitude of our 
 lives, involving continued and increasing patriotic 
 devotedness to our country, and to the Grovernment 
 which constitutionally governs it, and directs and 
 controls its affairs, civil and military; and a firm, 
 undeviating support of it in the present contest 
 unto the end. Above all, it must be manifested 
 in the abandonment of the national sins, which 
 have incurred the just displeasure of Almighty 
 God, and have brought this calamity upon us ; and 
 in renewed allegiance to Him, in all th6 obedience 
 of faith, as the God of grace, from whom cometh 
 our spiritual deliverance and salvation ; as well as 
 the God of providence, who hath interposed for our 
 temporal success and defense. It is only in propor- 
 tion as we endeavor to serve Him, our Father and 
 Redeemer, with true hearts fervently, at the same 
 time being true to our country and its cause, that 
 we can reasonably hope for the continuance of His 
 favor, individually and collectively. The national 
 heart needs not only to be fired with true patriot- 
 ism, but inspired with the love of God in Christ, 
 manifested in all holy obedience to His demands 
 
23 
 
 upon us as a people, to secure His grace and good- 
 ness. "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who 
 hath made heaven and earth." He alone can suc- 
 cor ; He alone can defend ; He alone can give suc- 
 cess to our efforts for the suppression of this 
 unprovoked rebellion, the renewal of national unity 
 and concord, and an honorable and permanent 
 peace. Our sacrifice and oblation of praise and '-. 
 thanksgiving, on the present occasion, for which we 
 have such signal and abundant cause, must be a 
 heart-felt offering, and be practically exemplified, 
 or it be will not only worthless, but a mockery of 
 the Lord our God^ who hath "helped us hitherto." 
 Let me say, then, in conclusion, what I have 
 said substantially on another occasion, in my own 
 diocese, and have published, for it is apposite and 
 to the point : Let us honor Grod in our families, and 
 in the domestic and social circle ; fearing Him our- 
 selves, with all filial, reverential fear ; and teaching 
 our families, our children and dependents, by exam- 
 ple and precept both, to fear, reverence and serve 
 Him. Thus only may we, as a people whom He 
 hath eminently blessed — still blesses beyond our 
 deservings — look to Him to continue to bless, in 
 delivering us from our present national calamity, 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 24 ® ®^2 "^64 593 2 
 
 causing this devastating civil war to cease, and 
 restoring peace and prosperity. Thus- only may we 
 expect His continued intervention in restraining 
 the "madness of the people" who have originated, 
 and are bent on perpetuating, this internecine con- 
 flict; and give success to our armies in the field and 
 our naval armament on the waters^ Thus only 
 may we anticipate the day — which may God in His 
 mercy hasten — when, with glad and grateful hearts, 
 we may assemble as a nation, to offer our thanks- 
 giving and praise for the cessation and extinction of 
 this unnatural strife of brother with brother; see 
 our country once more united in bonds of mutual 
 amity and concord ; and the North and the South, 
 the East and the West, rallying, as heretofore, as 
 one man, a Macedonian phalanx, foot to foot, and 
 shoulder to shoulder, in repelling foreign aggres- 
 sion, from whatever quarter it m.ay come ; and in 
 defense of that glorious national flagf^ the Stars and 
 Stripes, under which, as an a3gis, we have formerly 
 battled together and conquered, against fearful 
 odds, and advanced, from an inauspicious begin- 
 ning, to an exalted and powerful position as a 
 nation, and unexampled national grewth, strength 
 and glory. Amen. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 111] ii 1 
 
 013 764 593 2 
 
 HoUinger 
 
 pH8.5 
 
 Mill Run F3.1955