The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-12
THE WEEKLY MINNESOTIAN
OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE CITY.
Day I'm Minnesota and
ElseVVhere.

OFFICIAL PAPER OF TIE CITY.
Thanksgiving Day In Minnesota and
Elsewhere.
In the first year of the presidency of
George Washington, that great and good man
issued his proclamation appointing the Goth
day Of November to be observed as day of
National Thanksgiving and praise to God
and though succeeding Presidents have not
deemed it advisable to follow this ilustrious
example, yet the Governors of no less than
eighteen States Of the republic have this
year designated the same day for the same
purpose; while in three other States, the
10Th day of November in one the Sd of
December; and in our own State or terri
tory the 10th of December; were the days
selected by the respective executives thereof,
for, that reunion of hearts and that union of
prayers, symbolized in the words Thanksqip-
ing Day!
The States that observed this festival on
the 10Th of November, were Maine, Missss-
ippi and South Carolina; those that kept it
on the Goth, were Massachusetts, Connecti-
cut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North
Carolina, New York. New Jersey, Maryland,
Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, In
diana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky,
and Texas; and Vermont observed it ON the
Sd of December inst.
This day, the 10th, is Thanksgiving Day
in Minnesota!
We hope it will be duly observed by all,
notwithstanding the bald and irreverant style
of the proclamation from acting Governor
Chase' which designated it. There is an ex-
cuse for him which will have great force with
rejecting minds-he did not know any bet
ter Taken by Henry NJ. Rice-who secured
his appointment for his own purposes-from
the stage drivers box; so illiterate as not to
be able to spell correctly in official documents
from his pen, and with manners and eleva-
ton of mind to match he seized the oppor.
tunity of Gov. Medary's absence to connect
his name in the papers with the title of Gou-
ernor; but like every man who gets above
his business, he of course made but botch
work at playing Governor! When celebra-
ting this day, let every person forget the brief
irreverance which he issued, and instead, inn
agine they are acting under the following
noble proclamation of the nobler Chase of
Ohio
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and hath made it very fruitful
to HIM. who hath crowned the year with His Good
ness making valleys to stand thick with corn, and
filling barns with plenty
to HIM, who hath greatly blessed in the increase
of the ground, and in the gathering in of the fruits
thereof
to HIM. who hath defended us from the Pestilence
that walketh in darkness and from the sickness that
destroyeth at monday
to HIM. who hath given peace in all our borders,
protecting alike from foreign invasion and from in
ternal commoton -
Ito HIM let us ALL assembling in places of public
Worship gathering around domestic affairs, present
sincere offerings of humble alteration and grateful
praise; remembering that being needy have re-
ceved abundanty of His bounty, ought we, cheer
fully, to give of abundance them who need and
invoking, earnestly, His gracious favor, that may
walk before Him. continually, in the way of His
mandments to the end that His blessing may remain
upon and upon Children and upon the good land
which He hath given us forever"
Some may think, in view of the condition
in which the country is now plunged, that
prayer and fasting instead of thanksgiving,
would be more appropriate observance.
Such people do not reflect that even our
present financial distress, is probably wise
ordination of Providence for our good. See
in the world of nature, how storms clear the
horizon! How tempests restore healthy
electrical condition of the atmosphere! How
hurricanes, though sweeping over the land
with the bosom of destruction, crashing and
dashing everything in their path, yet bring
back the winds of the earth to vivifying
equilibrium If nature destroys, she COM
pensates by building up again. If misery
comes, happiness is close on its heels. Thus
it is throughout the whole physical and NOR
al world-and in this light also must we con-
template the world of business and finance.
Panics are its tempests, its tornadoes. To be
sure, they destroy, they wreck, they break
into pieces. The strongest business houses
topple to the ground the fairest and stoutest
vessels sailing smoothly along on calm sea,
are suddenly lifted upon mountain waves and
hurled upon the rocks aud as for the poor
little smaller crafts, who lured by the quiet,
treacherous sea, have ventured far from shore,
they founder at once to irredeemable depths,
with all the hands on board. But, as con-
temporary aptly remarks, these very reverses
which have come upon US as the consequence
of our own acts, while they are less than tie
visitation of war, or famine or pestiencc, and
demand our thanklulness on that account
have another claim upon US. They are the
seasonable checks which have saved US from
deeper plunge into disaster. They may
prove in moral view, blessings, since they
have arrested progress in social and COM
mercial decentralization which has long caus-
ed pain to the thoughtful and observant
The origin Of Thanksgiving Day is various
ly given 1t was first established by the Pill
grim Fathers Of New England md has been
observed by them and their descendants for
more than two centuries and a quarter
They were God-fearlng and Providence
discerning people. Their infant colony that
had landed on Plymouth Rock, was reduced
to the verge Of starvation, and day of hui
initiation and prayer was appointed in their
extremity. Between the appointment and
the observance the timely arrival of a shin