and especially for the success with which of late thou hast crowned our efforts to maintain the authority of law and to restore once more the blessings of union and peace. Inspire our souls with grateful love; lift up our voices in songs of thankfulness; make us humble and watchful in our prosperity, and prepare us for whatever reverses thou shalt see that we need. Give wisdom and grace to our rulers. Pour constancy and courage and charity towards all men into the hearts of our people. Draw towards us those who are now alienated from us in appearance or in heart, and hasten, O Lord of hosts, the blessed day when as one people we may once more give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church, and by our daily lives show forth thy praise, through Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
The Governors of several States, and the mayors of some of the larger cities and towns, issued proclamations in harmony with that of the President, in which there were official recognitions of God as the author of these national victories, and of the responsibility of the nation to the Divine government. Christian denominations gratefully and joyfully responded to these invitations, and the people went up to the temples of God and entered into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. The day was memorable in the civil and Christian annals of the republic, and presented the sublime spectacle of a whole nation offering praise and prayer unto the Lord of hosts, who had ever been its shield and guide and who again had wrought this signal deliverance. It had the happy effect of diffusing and deepening the religious element of the nation, and giving to the public mind and conscience a more practical sense of dependence on God, and a higher appreciation of the value and vital necessity of the Christian religion to the perpetuity and permanent prosperity of the nation.
This volume, which traces to the Christian religion the life, character, genius, fruits, and fame of the civil institutions of the United States, closes while these songs of thanksgiving and praise are echoing through the land. The historic and Christian facts of the volume are full of sublime significance and instruction to all classes of American citizens, and reaffirm, in prophetic voice, the declaration of one of the purest patriots and most accomplished statesmen of the republic, "THAT THE
BIBLE IS THE ONLY GENUINE MORAL CONSTITUTION OF SOCIETY, AND ITS PRINCIPLES THE ONLY SAFE FOUNDATION OF ALL CIVIL AND POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENTS."
ADAMS, ABIGAIL.-Character and in-
fluence, 404; Bancroft's estimate,
404; correspondence with her hus-
band, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409; ma-
ternal counsels, 409, 410; postpones
her levee at Washington's death,
410, 411.
ADAMS, HON. CHARLES FRANCIS.-His
statement of the influence of the
clergy of New England, 335, 336,
337; of the women of the Revolu-
tion, 390, 391.
ADAMS, REV. J.-Views of Christianity
and the Sabbath in relation to the
Constitution, 265, 266, 267.
ADAMS, JOHN.-Designs of Providence
in America, 109; views of the Chris-
tian religion, 118; address to the
Queen of England, 118; letter to
his wife when independence was
declared, 118; reply to the Con-
gregational ministers of Massachu-
setts in 1798, 385.
ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY.-His Christian
faith and character, 181, 182; let-
ters to his son on the Bible, 182,
183, 184, 185; address to the Bible
Society, 186; Christian sentiments
in his messages, 181.
ALLSTON, Gov. ROBERT H.-Proclama-
tion for thanksgiving, 599.
Revolutionary scene of the women
of Philadelphia, in 1778, 403, 404.
BANCROFT, GEORGE.—Views of the
settlement of Massachusetts, 64;
of Connecticut, 68; of Roger Wil-
liams, 69; of the ministers of New
England, 333, 334; of Mr. Adams,
404; of Washington, 481, 482, 483,
484; of the family life of New Eng-
land, 564; of the early settlement
of Kentucky, 582; of the influence
of Calvin, 59, 110.
BARNES, REV. ALBERT.-Testimony to
Washington praying, 502; prepares
resolutions of the New-School Gene-
ral Assembly, 767.
BATES, HON. EDWARD.-Views of the
Sabbath, 787.
BAYARD, JAMES.-His statement why
the Christian religion was not for-
mally recognized by the Constitu-
tion, 259, 260, 261, 262.
BEBB, EX.-Gov., of Ohio.-His reso-
lutions at the Union meeting in the
Capitol, 631, 632.
BEDELL, BISHOP.-Address to his Dio-
cese in Ohio, 811; form of prayer,
811, 812.
BEECHER, REV. HENRY WARD.-De-
scribes the symbolical meaning of the
American flag, 622, 623.
ALVORD, REV. J.-His testimony to BEECHER, DR. LYMAN.-His parallel be-
chaplains, 791, 792.
ANDERSON, MAJOR ROBERT.-Christian
conduct and remarks at the fall of
Fort Sumter, 674.
ANDREW, GOV. JOHN A.-Proclamation
for thanksgiving, 573, 574, 575,
576.
tween the Jewish and American
Governments, 562; views of the
divine origin of the Constitution,
624, 625.
BELL IN INDEPENDENCE HALL.-Bible
motto, 222; poem on the bell, 222;
poetry on Independence Hall, 221.
ASAPH, BISHOP OF.-View of the Ame- BERRY, GOV. NATHANIEL S.-Procla-
rican Colonies, 108, 109.
BACON, LORD.-View of the essential
need of religion to a civil State,
BACON, DR. LEONARD.-His views of
the nature and results of just wars,
277, 278, 279.
BAILEY, LYDIA H.-Her recital of a
mation for thanksgiving, 584.
BIBLE.-Memorial to Congress, 1777,
to print the Bible, 215; correspond-
ence of Congress with its chaplains,
216, 217; first Congress and the
Bible, 218, 219; Bible principles
adopted by Congress, 1778, 220.
BIBLE SOCIETY, AMERICAN.-Presents
Bibles to Congress, 217; reply of
the Vice-President and Speaker,
217; distribution of Bibles in the
army and navy, 779.
BLAIR, GOV. AUSTIN.-Proclamation
for thanksgiving, 593.
BOOKS.-On Civil Government, sent
from England to the colonies, 340.
BOUCK, GOV. WILLIAM C.-Proclama-
tion for thanksgiving, 570.
BOUDINOT, ELIAS.-A Christian states-
man, 154; Oration on the 4th of
July, 154, 155; first President of
the American Bible Society, 155;
donates money to purchase specta-
cles for old people to read the Bible,
155.
BRADFORD, Gov. A. W.-Proclamation
for thanksgiving, 589, 590.
BRAINERD, DR. THOMAS.-Views of the
ennobling influence of the civil war,
671, 672; his prayer on the steps of
Independence Hall on the news of
victory to the American arms, 815.
BRECKENRIDGE, Dr. Robert J.-His
sketch of Clay's character, 192,
193; prepares resolutions of the Old-
School General Assembly, 717.
BROUGHAM, LORD.-Statement of the
influence of leading men, 111; esti-
mate of the character of the first
settlers of America, 105; of Wash-
ington, 481, 508.
BROWN, GOV. JOSEPH P.--Proclama-
tion for thanksgiving, 598.
BUCKINGHAM, GOV. WILLIAM A.-Pro-
clamation for thanksgiving, 584,
585.
BURTON, GOV. WILLIAM. -
tion for thanksgiving, 594, 595.
BUTLER, REV. DR.-Sermon on the
death of Henry Clay, 193, 194, 195,
196; prayer at the death of Presi-
dent Taylor, 552.
in 1851, 617; corner-stone laid by
President Fillmore, 617; documents
and statement of Webster deposited,
617, 618; his address, 618, 619;
paintings and statuary, 620; his-
toric memories, 623, 624; address
of the Vice-President on the Senate
leaving the old Chamber, 624; what
the character of American legis-
lators should be, 625, 626; prayers
offered, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630;
Union meeting in the Capitol, 630,
631, 632.
CHAMPION, REV. JUDAH.-His patriotic
prayer in the Revolution, 344.
CHAPLAINS OF THE REVOLUTION.
Character and influence, 306, 307;
view of Washington, 308, 309; or-
ders of Congress, 310, 311; form
of a commission, 311; correspond-
ence of Washington with a Church,
311, 312; appointed by the Colonial
Congress, 313; under the Constitu-
tion, 314; report in the House of
Representatives, 1853, 317, 318, 319,
320, 321, 822, 323; in the Senate,
1853, 827, 828, 329; proposal of
the pastors of Washington, 328;
Act of Congress, 1861, on chaplains,
329; report by the chaplains, 330,
331: qualifications of Congressional
chaplains, 331, 332; testimony to
chaplains in the civil war, 791, 792.
CHARTER OF MASSACHUSETTS.-Grant-
ed by Charles I., 56.
CHARTER OF THE MAYFLOWER.-Form-
ed in the ship, 52, 53; birth of con-
stitutional liberty, 52, 53.
CHASE, HON. SALMON P. — Extract
from his speech in the Senate of the
United States, 180; his proclama-
tions for thanksgiving as Governor
of Ohio, 578, 579, 580.
CHATHAM, LORD.-His eulogy on the
statesmen and state papers of the
Revolution, 168, 169.
CHIDLAW, REV. B. W.-Resolutions at
Sabbath-School Convention, 760.
CHOATE, RUFUS.-His opinion of the
Puritans, 47, 48; views of God's
providence in American affairs, 669;
his opinion of Calvin's influence on
America, 59.
CALDWELL, REV. JAMES. - Patriotic
services in the Revolution, 350, 351.
CAMBRIDGE COLLEGE.-Its Christian
origin and purposes, 74, 75, 76.
CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES.-Con-
secrated with Christian services,
613; site selected by Washington,
614; its beauty described by Mrs.
Adams, 614; by a member of Con-
gress, in 1800, 614, 615; slavery,
abolished, 633.
CAPITOL BUILDING.-Corner-stone laid
by Washington, 614; first Congress
meets in the, in 1800, 615; address
of the Senate, 615, 616: President's CHURCH, GERMAN LUTHERAN.-Zeal
reply, 616, 617; Capitol enlarged, i for liberty, 463; address to Presi-
CHURCH, EPISCOPAL. - Influence on
freedom, 444; founded by Bishop
White, 444; address of Convention
to Washington, 1789, 445; reply,
451, 452.
dent Washington, 463, 464; answer,
464, 465.
CHURCH, METHODIST EPISCOPAL.-Its
economy, 452; instituted, 452; As-
bury ordained, 453; Sunday-schools
introduced by Asbury, 453; Con-
ference in New York, 1789, 454; ad-
dress to President Washington, 454;
reply, 455; article on civil affairs,
456; members in the Convention to
form the Constitution, 456.
CHURCH, MORAVIAN, or United Breth-
ren. Record for freedom, 470; ad-
dress to President Washington, 471,
472; reply, 472.
CHURCH OR SOCIETY OF THE QUAKERS.
-Early American history, 457; ad-
dress of the Yearly Meeting, 1789,
to President Washington, 457, 458;
reply, 459.
CHURCH, PRESBYTERIAN.-First to de-
clare for independence, 432; form
of government, 431; General As-
sembly, 1789, 431, 432; Presbytery
of Hanover, 433; pastoral letter of
the New York and Philadelphia
Synod, 1776, 434, 435, 436, 437,
438; pastoral letter, 1783, 438, 439,
440, 441; address of the General
Assembly to President Washington,
440, 441; reply, 442; address of First
Presbytery Eastward to Washington,
442, 413; reply, 443, 444.
CHURCH, REFORMED DUTCH.- Early
American history, 460; its motto,
461; character of the Church, by
Dr. De Witt, 461; tribute of Chan-
cellor Kent, 461; address to Presi-
dent Washington, 461, 462; answer,
462, 463.
CHURCH, ROMAN CATHOLIC.- United
with Protestants in the Revolution,
473; address in Philadelphia, July
4, 1779, 474, 475; address of chap-
lain of the French Embassy on the
surrender of Cornwallis, 475; ad-
dress to President Washington, 476,
477; answer, 478.
CHURCH, SWEDENBORGIAN. - Address
to President Washington, 466; an-
swer, 467.
CHURCHES.-RESOLUTIONS ON THE RE-
BELLION AND THE COUNTRY.
American Board of Commissioners
for Foreign Missions, 1861, 704;
in 1862, 730, 731.
Baptist Association of Illinois, 1863,
754.
Baptist Convention at Brooklyn,
1861, 687, 688, 689, 690.
Baptist Missionary Union, 1863, 757,
758.
Baptist State Convention of Massa-
chusetts, 1862, 748.
Baptist State Convention of New
York, 1862, 746.
Baptist State Convention of Ohio,
1862, 145.
Baptist State Convention of Penn-
sylvania, 1862, 747.
Black River Methodist Episcopal
Conference, 1862, 709.
Central Methodist Conference, Ohio,
1863, 752.
Conference of Methodist Episcopal
Church, Cincinnati, 1861, 699,
700.
Conference, Southeastern, of Me-
thodist Episcopal Church, Indiana,
1862, 700.
Congregational Association of Illi-
nois, 1861, 691.
Congregational Association of Iowa,
721.
Congregational Association of Mas-
sachusetts, 1861, 691.
Congregational Association of West-
ern Pennsylvania, 1862, 728, 729.
Congregational Convention of Ohio,
1861, 694.
Congregational General Conference
of Connecticut, 1861, 697; in
1862, 719, 720.
Congregational Welch Convention,
New York, 1861, 703.
Convention of Congregational Min-
isters and Churches, in Vermont,
1862, 722; in 1863, 756.
Convention of Methodist Laymen,
1863, 774.
East Baltimore Conference of Me-
thodist Episcopal Church, 1862,
708; in 1863, 754.
Episcopal Convention of Ohio, 1861,
693.
Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 1862,
705, 706, 707.
General Assembly of the Cumber-
land Presbyterian Church, 763,
761, 765.
General Conference of Congrega-
tional Ministers of Massachusetts,
in 1862, 726.
General Congregational Association,
New York, 1862, 725.
General Convention of the Method-
ist Protestant Church, 1862, 740.
General Synod and Convention of
the Reformed Dutch Church, 1863,
772.
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