7 God for his righteous and kindly providences towards us. And not towards you and me alone, but to the whole legitimate nation. Even now in this forenoon ten thousand voices are rehearsing, as mine is, the righteous acts of the Lord; and a hundred times ten thousand are sounding forth His praises, as you have done in psalm, and chant, and anthem, and hallelujah. How comes it ? The nation’s chief invites the nation to a service of solemn and holy praise, and the nation with one and glad consent join in jubilate. But for what ? Is not the nation in mourning? Is it not whirling round and round in the maelstrom of civil war, that threatens to engulph it bodily and forever ? Are we not struggling in the stern sad strife of fratricide ? Is not the land stained red every where and soaked with blood ? May you not almost say: “ There is not a house where there is not one dead." Do you not meet maimed and useless men at every corner ? Have we not given the best blood and the best talent in sacrifice to Moloch—men of birth, of culture, and highest moral worth. Are not whole households draped in black with their hearts broken. And can you then give thanks ? Can you change all these signs of woe into evidences of blessing ? Can you distil bitter tears into sweet joys ? Can you coin golden gratitude out of the dust and ashes of our dead ?—or turn the quiver of agonized
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