Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1863-11-20
A NATIONAL THANKSGIVING DAY.
A Proclamation by the President Of the
United States Of America.

THE YEAR THAT is DRAWING TOWARD
i its close has been filled with the blessings of
fruitful fields and healthfu skies. To these boun-
ties, which are SO constantly enjoyed that we are
prone to forget the source from Whlcn tney come
others have been added, which are of 30 extraor-
dinary nature that they cannot fail to penetrate
and soften the heart which is habitually insensi-
BILE to the ever.watchful Providence of Almighty
God. ...-. r......... ..r..s.
In the midst of civil war of unequaled mngni.
tude and severity, which hos sometimes seemed
to invite and provoke the aggressions of foreign
States peace has been preserved with all nations,
order has been maintained the laws have been re.
spected and obeyed and harmony has prevailed
everywhere except in the theater of military con-
Hict; while that theater has been greatly CON
tracted by the advancing armies and nayies OF fhe
Union.
The necdful diversions of wealth and strength
from the fields of peaceful industry to the national
defense have not arrested the pow, the shuttle or
the ship. The Ak has enlarged the borders of our
settlements, and the mines, us well of iron ind
coal of the precious metals, have yielded more
abundantly than heSetofore. Population mas
steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that
has been made in camp the siege and the battle
field and the country rejoicing in the conscious
ness of augmented strength and vigor is permitted
to expect continuance of years with large increase
of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any
mortal hand worked out these great things. They
are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who,
while dealing with us in anger for our sins' hath
nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they
should be solemnly reverently, and gratefully ac-
knowledged as with one heart and voice by the
whole American people; do, therefore, invite
my fellow citizens in every part Of the Uulted
States and also those who are at sea- and those
who are soiourning in foreign lands to set apart
and observe the last Thursday of November next
az a day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our be.
nifcent Father who dwelleth In the Heavens.
And recommend to them TINT while offering up
the inscriptions justly due to him for such singular
deliyerances and blessings they do also, with
humble penitence for national perverseness
and disobedience commend to His tender care all
those who have become widows, orphans, mourn
ers or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in
which we ore unavoidably engaged, and tervently
implore the interpoSition of the Almighty hand to
heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as
soon as may be consistent with the Divine pur-
poses, to the full enjoyment of peace harmony
tranquility and union
In testimony whereof have hereunto set my
hand and caused the Seal of the United States TO
be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this third day
of October, In the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the inde-
pendence of the United States the cighty-eighth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President
WILLIAM Fl, SEWARD, Secretary of State.