Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-04
Governor AndersOn's Thanksgiv-
ing PrOclama tiOn.

A Proclamation, 6y Charles anderson, Coz
.ernor Of the State Of Ohio.
Yet another year has passed over our
State and Nationi And che people Of Ohio,
in accordance with usage of our dead
fathers, older than the State itself, have
been once again invoked, by joint resolu-
ton of their General Assembly, to unite in
a public acknowledgement, as well of the
existence power, and goodness of God, as
of His interposing hand in all the works,
ways and relations of men.
And now, upon full consideration OF all
the religious truths connected with this
venerable custom, and with lively remem-
brance of all the events of that past year,
what ought this whole people to feel and to
utter, at their family reunions, In the
greetings of friends and neighbors, and
around the affairs of the Most High? Can
it be possible, that any people ever before
could have had such causes as ourselves, for
thankfulness and praises to God? Ii the
annually recurring seasons Of the regular
year and the varying climateso OF our globe,
with all their goodly fruits and health and
other countless comforts and delights,
have ever been and shall always be-,
severally and in their due succession,
fittest causes for grateful homage to
that benign Heart and bounteOus Hand,
from which they ever flow, what can we
feel, what shall we say, of our debt of graf
itude tor His works and mercies in this, the
most memorable of all the years? All
those natural and general blessings we have
fully shared with others. But great ma
tion, desperately imperiled, has been grand
ly saved. And that nation was-is-ours!
Surely, surely, if ever a State and Nation
in all history, had more than fittest and
fullest cause to give thanks unto the Lord
for his wondrous benefits and forbearances,
very surely are they these of ours, here and
now! For, whereas, at our former festivals,
we were at war, we are now in peace; we
were divided, we are one; we were poor
and weak, we are rich and strong; we were
pitied, or despised, by all the nations Of the
earth, and are we not envied and hOnored
among and above them all z? Then, Slavery,
like vast pail of night-shade, blackened
our whole bright sky and degraded and dis
graced all our fair land. Now, Liberty, like
a new risen sun, with healing in his beams,
shines and glows, under all our heavens,
upon our whole earth and into every Amer
lean mind and heart. Wondrous, happy,
glorious, change Well may we singin the
words of that singer after Gods own heart,
amongst his former chosen people: Thou
hast turned for me, my mourning into danc-
ing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and
girded me with gladness." |..
Let us then, fellow-citizens, each and all
all and each one of us-"Give thanks un-
to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy
endureth forever y at is good thing to
give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing
praises to His name." Nor Qet casuists and
doubters deny as they may) shall these, our
songs, be a vain thing; for, if we may not,
by our prayers and praises, bend the Divine
will and love to us, surely we can raise ours
toward Him.
Now, therefore, I, CHARLES ANDERSON,
Governor of the State of Ohio, do hereby
appoint the last THURSDAY, being the 3Oth
day OF the present month of November, as
a day of general Thanksgiving aud Praise
to that God of Love who has so loved and
blessed this land and people. And l do,
Furthermore, most respectfully, but earn
estly, request all the people of this State,
H. Io,,o .ho oountry ond tbair Cod unOn
that day to lay aside all their customary
cares and vocations; to gather their scat
tered children around the frightened
hearths aud the cheerful boards OF their
olden family homes; to render thanks
there, and in the public temples, to the
Heavenly Father, for all His past benefits,
and, especially. for His amazing and glori-
7 Gus works of the past year; to implore
continuance and increase of them, and most
especially, of that highest and best of all
temporal blessings-Peace and Good Will
amongst men; and, finally, that in the true
spirit of that cheerful, Christian thankful
ness to God, and of good will towards men,
which is suitable to an occasion so extra
ordinary, we shall, for ourselves, strive,
herceforth, so to live with our fellow-citi-
zens and our fellow men, everywhere
throughout our now redeemed and re-
united land, as to prove ourselves worthy
to be the common citizens Of such coun-
try, and the common children of such a God.
In testimony whereof, have hereunto set
my name and caused the Great
a Seal of the State of Ohio to be affixed,
at Columbus, on this, the third day
[L.S.] Of November, in the year ofour Lord
one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-fye, and in the ninetieth year
III of the independence of the United
States of America.
CHARLES ANDERSON.
BY the Governor: -oa 81
VIM. HENRY SMITH, Secretary of State.