National Character | Page 8

N.C. Burt
to every patriot's and Christian's heart?
The God of nations, looking forth upon our happy land this day, may
be conceived as breathing the benevolent desire once expressed in
behalf of his ancient people, "O that there were such an heart in them,
that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it
might be well with them and with their children forever."
* * * * *
N. B. In the delivery of the foregoing discourse, the following remarks
were interjected near the commencement:
"Permit me to state to you my conviction, that desirable as it is that
days of religious observance be appointed by our civil authorities, the
regular appointment of annual fast-days or thanksgivings, will not
secure for any long period a general and hearty observance. I should
much prefer the appointment by our civil authorities of a fast-day, in
view of any public calamity impending or experienced, or of a day of
thanksgiving, in view of deliverence or exemption from such calamity.
In such case we might hope that the day would secure a suitable and
profitable observance."
It is the writer's apprehension that days of special religious observance
occurring at regular intervals, and hence occurring, oftentimes, when

there is no special providential call for a religious service, and being
destitute of the binding obligation a divine appointment, will
degenerate into mere holidays; and in his opinion, the providential call
ought to guide our rulers in the designation of times of special religious
observance; so that when we fast, we do so in direct view of special
calamity, and when we render thanks, we do so for special mercies
actually experienced. The thanksgiving of last year occurred at a time
of most trying financial embarrassment, at the close of a season
remarkable for its drought and meagre harvests, and for the prevalence
of disease and the destruction of property by land and sea. Surely, God
called us then to humble ourselves and fast, rather than to rejoice and
give thanks, and a thanksgiving service was appropriate only for the
reason that God always deals with us better than we deserve. We need
the evident appropriateness of the service to secure its continued and
suitable observance. Who does not remember the appointment by our
national Executive, some years since, of a day of national humiliation,
when a visitation of the cholera was threatened? And now solemn and
affecting the service of that day throughout the land! In New England,
the regular, annual thanksgiving preserves its sacredness through
customs and associations, which were established in the very infancy of
the country, and which have grown up with it,--customs and
associations, which cannot elsewhere be created.

FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote A: See Dr. Arnold's "Lectures on Modern History." The
above statement is correct, so long as we take a merely natural view of
mankind--so long as we view men merely in their moral relations.
Viewing men by the light of revelation and in relations more strictly
religious, Church-biography would still better deserve the name of
history. But for some reason, these religious relations are not
commonly recognized in their importance. Like the historian, the moral
philosopher commonly ignores man's lapsed condition, and all the great
truths which distinguish supernatural religion. See Wardlaw's
"Christian Ethics."

It ought also to be observed that human governments, at the best, are
obliged to leave many interests of their citizens uncared for, or to be
cared for by other agents than their own; also, that human governments
are often corrupt and fail to discharge their proper functions. Hence, the
historian needs the supplement of individual biographies, and
transactions of voluntary societies, and pictures of domestic and social
life, in order to a full representation of his subject. Who would dispense
with the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament history, or with Macaulay's
picture of England in 1685 in his English history?]
[Footnote B: See Congressional Reports--Col. E. M. Johnson on
Sunday Mails, and Mr. Petit on Chaplains to Congress. Of course, in
practically meeting and adjusting the two claims upon the government,
first to respect the conscience of its citizens, and secondly, to promote
the interests of religion, great diversity of opinion may exist even
among those who hold to the same principles. There is room for a
variety of prudential considerations. Yet the principles above expressed
are discarded in the documents referred to, as they very often are
elsewhere.]
[Footnote C: A volume entitled "The Position of Christianity in the
United States," by Stephen Colwell, Esq. of Philadelphia, deserves the
attentive and serious perusal of every American citizen.]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of National Character, by N. C.
Burt
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