After one year in office, John Quincy Adams looked back over the "general concerns of our beloved country" and his first thoughts were of "gratitude to the Omnipotent Disposer of All Good". John Quincy Adam's spiritual journey in life and religious beliefs are complex to be sure, but he knew that all blessings came from "His providence" and to him was owed much gratitude and Thanks. First, Adams was thankful especially for the "unusual" good health that had prevailed within our borders. Elsewhere in the world, many were suffering as the first cholera pandemic that began near Calcutta India had spread to the Middle East, the Mediterranean Coast, and even as far as China killing hundreds of thousands of people including many British soldiers. The United States was spared this pandemic and Adams gave glory to the "Omnipotent Disposer of All Good".
Second, despite a year of crazy weather, or perhaps because of the crazy weather there was an abundance of crops harvested from the vast farm lands of America. Adams described the weather as a "vicissitudes of the seasons has been scattered with profusion over our land". On the west coast, heavy rains caused the Los Angeles river to jump it's banks and flow into the ocean for the first time. It changed the course of the flow from its western outlet into Santa Monica Bay to a southern outlet at San Pedro Bay where it remains today. On the east coast in New York, an unprecedented early June hurricane caused several ship wrecks, and killed seven people. Just north, in Canada the Great Miramichi Fire devastated New Brunswick consuming almost 16,000 square kilometers. It ranked among the top 3 largest forest fires ever recorded in North America, and top 10 in the world. Yet, in the upper Midwest, an El Nino brought very mild and unseasonably warm weather with well distributed precipitation in the Spring - a farmers delight. The south had a wild year of weather as well. In Alabama, they recorded what is known as the year without a winter and a very dry summer. In the fall, the cotton crop which was almost ruined saw a resurgence in September when early rains came and matured a bumper crop during the winter. The prosperity of America could only come from the Hand of God.
Finally, Adams ascribed to "Him the glory" the peace and tranquility that allowed us to enjoy this health and prosperity. Adams remarked that there rarely ever was period in the history of civilized man a time when the "Christian nations" had enjoyed such peace and prosperity. It had been a dozen years since the War of 1812 had ended, and it had been almost a decade since the Christian nations of Europe had formed an alliance of peace. The initial alliance began as a Holy Alliance by Russia, Austria and Prussia after the ultimate defeat of Napoleon. The Holy alliance was formed to instill the divine right of kings and Christian values. It was a bastion against democracy, revolution and secularism (yes against democracy). Then in 1818, the four allied powers of Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia met at Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle to decide the question of the withdrawal of the army of occupation from France and to decide the relations among the four powers toward each others and collectively towards France. At this Congress, France joined Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia then known as the Quadruple Alliance. This new alliance moved away from it's holy alliance origins and became known as the Quintuple Alliance. While the United States did not join the Quintuple alliance, it allowed Americans to "enjoy the bounties of His hand in peace and tranquillity" that President John Quincy Adams was so thankful for.
"In taking a general survey of the concerns of our beloved country, with reference to subjects interesting to the common welfare, the first sentiment which impresses itself upon the mind is of gratitude to the Omnipotent Disposer of All Good for the continuance of the signal blessings of His providence, and especially for that health which to an unusual extent has prevailed within our borders, and for that abundance which in the vicissitudes of the seasons has been scattered with profusion over our land. Nor ought we less to ascribe to Him the glory that we are permitted to enjoy the bounties of His hand in peace and tranquillity -- in peace with all the other nations of the earth, in tranquillity among our selves. There has, indeed, rarely been a period in the history of civilized man in which the general condition of the Christian nations has been marked so extensively by peace and prosperity."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29467
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1817%E2%80%9324_cholera_pandemic
http://tscrestoration.com/worst-floods-california-history-infographic/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1825_Miramichi_Fire
https://www.climatestations.com/minnesota-weather-for-1825/
http://genealogytrails.com/ala/walker/weather.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_hurricanes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_Aix-la-Chapelle_(1818)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintuple_Alliance
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