The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-18
Proclamation by Governor Hoffman.

In conformity with the long established custom of
the people OF This State 70 BEL apart one day in every
year for the purpose, designate thursday, the 18th
of November next al THANKSGIVING Day, aud exhort
the people Of New York to aDstaln on that day from
their usual labors, and In their places OF worship
and in their homes to utter With one voice thanks TO
God Tor the blessings we ENJOY.
our state has extent OF territory sufficient In
Itself TO the needs or great nation; soil Of abouad
ing fertility, climate that imparts health and vlgOr
immediate access to great inland seas In the one
direction and to the ocean In the other; Il surface
favorable to transit; great river, unequaed in
facility OF navigation; natural advantages which
the leading place In the American Union.
AH a member OF our great family OF states we are
troubled by no Tears Of foreign INVASION; have gov
crnment IN which the voice or the people IL pOten-
tiai, and by means OF which they may assure to
themselves civil and religious freedom
Al this time we nave abundant cause for thank
funess. The people oi New York rejoice In p en-
nlnlharvest; general health has not been
ruptcd by epidemic diseases, nor our industry by
ruin0us calanrties
For all these things we ought to be thankful, and
Wnile meditatnG upon our advantages ought also.
to bear III mind that many of them are In our
keeping and may be lost unless we cultivate TO
utmost private and pubic vrtue resolved to main-
tain, each one, the integrity al his individual life as
the trae means OF securing the country and its ins
lions against corruption anu decay.
In witness hereof have signed my name and AZ
fixed The priyy seal OF the state this sixteenth
day Of October, In the year one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nlne. ,o,,,, ro,,,,
BY the Governor-JoHN d. VAN buren,, Private
1ccretary.
Ancient Origin OF the Festival-The Feast of
the Neutrality-suspicious. Feast Adapted to
Christian Idens- Gradual Adoption in the
United States-Pumplxin Pic and Turkey
The Flow of Wine--Remember the Poor.
Every season hath its pleasures,
Spring may boast her aowery prime,
Ye hs Vineyards ruby treasures
SO LIES year begins and closes;
I'ays. though short'uing, still can shine
Age sim leaves us friends and wine
Yes, and though the wintry blasts OF November
have reached us and are rafting at doors and
windows, they cannot whir from our grasp LIES
sweet Joys If but trust to light heart and pure
conscience. And such are sure that even in these
late months Of the declining year the words OF
the poet Will prove true and age Will
have left them friends, and other, higher
treasures than those OF the vineyard VIII brighten
their autumn's soberer time. And therefore is not
this tit season to render thanks2 Ten months OF
the year have passed; the "1 owery prime, OF bud
ding spring has snowered upon the earth '.and ali
the inhabitants thereon Its pleasures innumeraDle;
the withdrawing summer, with Its ripcnng fields
and gardens, has enriched the granares ana store
houses Of the nation, and now that the welcome
treasures OF autumn have been garnered it is the
duty OF man to look back upon the past months OF
the year. remember the boundess gifts which kind
nature, under the laws OF Providence, has yielded
thank him "from whom all blessings now"-'thank
Him all creatures here Deow.n "He coverelh the
heavens with clouds and prepareth rain for the earth:
He maketh the grass TO grow upon the mountains
Eaut In his presence with music and mIr.h,
With love and devotion draw
This tendency Of rendering THANKS for benefits
received Is universally implanted In the human
heart. Wherever there dwells a race OF man. civil
lized, sem-barDarian savage among them all,
nj hot or inst or nv
ton or prophetic Inspiration, the idea OF a Supreme
Being found to be prevalent, OF a Spiritual
Ruler OF the universe. to whose bounty, grace and
Denencence mankind was indebted for all the vast
benefits 1t enjoys during Its earthly career, and
thanks and sacrlcal offerings to the "Great Spirit
were everywhere part of The religious ceremonial oi
all peoples. Aud history teaches us that it was
especially la the "allipg'' months OF the year. otter
the "frults OF the carthr had been gathered when
the stately trees began to shed their wIthered foil.
age and lusbandry rested for time from It's tolls In
the field; IL was at this time especially that tue PEG
pie, as far back into antiquity az pre-. Christian
records reach assembled IN their groves devoted TO
pious offerings to their gods and rendered thanks
for the blessings of the season vouchsafed them.
The observance OF thus 'ieastn was even com.
manded to the israelites; Tor 1t Is ordained in the
Book OF Eyodns, xxxlv., 22-"And thou shalt
observe the feast of weeks, OF the first fruits
OF wheat harvest and the feast OF ingahcrng at the
years end.n As was remarked, the custom Of .the
feast OF ingathcrlng at the years end was then
already almost universal. IL sprang from the devo-
tional fountain In the hearts OF men, and was eie-
waited TO q Divine command IN the Pentateuch.
In Christian times some change was wrought.
Win tho spread OF the ciyilzing influences Of
CnristianitS the wild, bosterous ana often bloody
sacrifcal orgies Of heathenlsm were gradually swept
away, put the feast remained, assuming more
humane, or rather purer, higher devotional forms.
A. Jay ~ tne very nature OF things that with
tnc conversion to the ennobng truths OF tile
Cnrstian religion the more or less savage
cnaIacter 70 which heather mythology had often
Cuucasou vie people should melt away. but COM
piete cnange IN their ancient customs could not lie
suddenly wrought Hence the new Church with
Iar,reachIng policy, saw the necessity or accommo-
uauom, anu many even Of the pagan festivals were
retained, put received o Christian INTERPRETATION
and Christian application. it is Tor tia rsaaon
That quite number OF the great festive DAYS of
the christian world can be traced back TO many cen.
turies Deiore tne Christian era and may be found to
nave had their counterparts In pagan or Jewish
fessts celebrated ABOUT the same season Of the YEAR.