Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-11-25
THANKSGIVING Day,

T. &C. AAethAoSAN4ASO LAY --s-
This day, Thursday, Nov, 25th, will find al
New England, land the rest Of mankind te
joicing with open mouths: and warm heirs
One of the best things lsft us by our fathers i.
our annual Thanksgiving. The stern, iron
willed old Puritans had great many excel
lencies of character, and great many foibles
1t is very common for their posterity to praise
them to the skies but we always regarded
them as beings of like passions with other
men, only more so. They were stubborn re-
publicans-that was right They were stub
born bigots-that was wrong. Taken all in
all, their chief excellence was in their notions
of independence and political freedom-their
chief demerit in believing religion must be
driven into the people with a sledge hammer
But the Puritans left US ore solitary festival
when they ought to have left dozen. We
will give them credit for what they did, at any
rate-they gave US the autumn festival of
Thanksgiving, and that is all we want to-day
But we need more national festivities or holi-
days. Truly, the Declaration of Independence
gave us the Fourth of July; but one day Of
hurrah and one of feasting are not enough to
modify the worship of the almighty dollar that
exists in Yankee America.
We want more holidays to withdraw the
minds of men from the exclusive pursuit of
wealth, and to attract their attention to the
beauties and sublimities of the moral world
We are blunt. rough-edged people-we want
more of the poetry, the enthusiasm, and the
good cheer of life. All the festivals of our an
cestors. with the exception of Thanksgiving.
were those of a religious nature-gloomy and
long drawn out Fasts were more common
than feasts. The Creator would not have
placed the beautiful and pleasing in such pro-
fusion around man, if He had not designed him
for enjoyment. A taste for the beautiful in
nature and morals, checks sel6shness, one of
the greatest sins of the age, and warns up the
soul for deeds of genuine benevolence.
Well, then, as it is, praise the Lord and the
Puritans for Thanksgiving. To all our read
ers, we say. to-day. put on the face of good
nature and let Joy and thanksgiving be the
burden of your song. Gather together the
scattered members of the family circle under
the old roof of childhood. if time has not crum-
bled it to atoms, and in remembrance of the
mercies that have crowned your lives, have
good time generally. Look on the bright side
of human experiences for one day, and throw
care and complainings to the winds of heaven.
Be thankful for a free country-that kind Prov
idence nerved the heart and guided the hand
of our patriot fathers to fight the battles and
achieve the victories of freedom. Rejoice and
be glad for the existence of our civil and reli-
gious misunderstanding here the people rule
and reign, and that we have SO much if no
more of the righteousness that exalteth ma
ton. Rejoice in the blessings of peace, pros
perity and enterprise-that the sails of our
commerce whiten every ocean-that the do
main of freedom stretches from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, and is gradually extending over
every foot of soil on the AMERICAN CONTINENT
that a bounteous harvest has filled our gran
aries to OVERLOOKING, and the people experience
the benign influences of the religion of the Cos
pei. . -. . ...-...-.t -. :- .. Isl.
In the midst of the rich sources of enjoy
ment, political, moral and religious, seen in
the dim vista of the past, and others just de-
veloped in the bright meridian of THE PRESENT,
remember that you are blessed for the blessing
of others. Let the noble impulses of your
heart flow out in deeds of benevolence to the
needy and suffering. Let no pain exist with
out alienation. Remember the poor and
needy, and give of your substance for their re-
lief as the Lord has blessed you. Consecrate
one day to the work of doing good, and let
the widow and fatherless. the abject sons and
daughters of poverty, participate in your praise
and thanksgiving to bountiful Providence.
Be temperate. friends, and use the good
things of this life as not abusing them. Gull
tivate friendship. charity. kindly social feelings
and natures promptings to good deeds. Bury
the hatchet beyond resurrection, and learn to
say, "forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive
those who tresspass against u.s." Thus YOU
may enjoy fairly and fully, the time honored
and time blessed Thanksgiving. Thus YOU
may render praise: and thanksgiving to youl
Creator for his great goodness continued in
numberless manifestations through the whole
pathway of existence, and thereby become bet.
ter prepared to live probationary life here fol
an eternal life hereafter. -..