| Show AND SHALL THANK HIM the season is again with us when hen from custom and from the inner of the spirit we are want to lift great ful hearts to a merciful and beautiful creator in thanks and gratitude for far his hia dealing with us during the year that is past and shall we iet et thank him let us see at this same season one short jear ear ago we thanked him from fu I 1 hearts that ife he had bad kept us from the madness that was devastating our it kinsmen ramen across the waters but today we have beaten the pruning hook into a sword and from ocean to ocean the tramp of armed forces resounds in new of the staggering issues with which our people are face ta la face are we to content ou ourselves nelves with thanking an all powerful god for life and health and plenty ma tenal plenty are we to look no further than the mere creature com forts with which he liaa has so bountifully showered us usa some may answer for what else elm should we thank him r has not the madness fallen apol upon us too are not our young men thronging to the sacrifice and are not our wives and mothers and sisters and brothers and fathers with bleeding hearts helping them on their waya again let us see me A century and a half has flown since a band of consecrated men with vision that reached out far in to the future determined that on this our loved soil should be reared an edifice such as the world had never before witnessed a nation where in should reign that immortal trim ty of human beatitudes freedom equality justice to this they ded tested unselfish lives for this thes fought and for this they died but their lives and their deaths and their unselfish sacrifices prevailed and today that edifice stands the wonder the wonder of earth a land grounded and built on the eternal principles that guarantee tolice to life liberty and pursuit of happiness but these them beneficial principals are not all prevailing in ther other lands land are forces that would set them at naught and make of their advocates serfs and vassals it is with these forces that thac we are now at variance mei he as were our fathers before us ua can we then thank an all ali father that our fathers left to us an cheri tance of freedom that we must now defend with our lives and our all let us suppose that our hearts could not feel this gratitude what thena suppose us a people dud ded from heroes with whom the glo rious vision of a free earth far outweighed any thought of self we tie children of heroes willing like esau of old to barter our glorious heritage for a mess mesa of the pottage of ease willing to submit to degradation so our enjoyment of the creature comforts be not net into inter f forred erred with but what red blooded american could entertain the thought 7 people of 0 america let us raise one mighty shout of gratitude to almighty god that when the hour of our testing comes come it found or in us hearts that pulsated pointed with that same rich red blood that in days day agone fertilized and made sacred the soil that has nurtured us let letus us give thanks that the spirit of 76 is still the he mighty force in american life let us 91 give thanks that our oar hearts can an e choos h use rightly between present aad ese east and future glory let ui rive give thanks that when our hour of trial cane cairn it found us worthy to call our selves sons of our fethers let us pour out our hearts in gratitude that upon these hearts has been in engraved the immutable de crees of an all wise god decrees that would make of this his glorious world a haven of safety for every immortal soul and as willingness without durity is but a negative virtue let us give thanks that when his plans for the great uplift of mankind needed champions he found us ua worthy instruments upon lay its his hand for this thy greatest of all mercies that thou hast found us wor thy father above we most humbly thank thee |
