The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-18
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OUR NATIoNAL TuANKsauvSNo
The Recommendation of our houord Chic
Maetstrate that TODAY shaIl he observed as
n dav of Thanksgiving and NJ ,ra,.e ana NJ
prsyer To Almighty Goa. 4, trn,v In accord.
apce with the Cbristian Imnuises ~ our
p,oriop. nation. and will witho,, ao,h, ho
yerv generallv ob.ervos throu,,ou, I'm
length and breadth Of the land.
II b.. ,naeed ham n veor Of nrov,aentIaI
a,.n.r..,,or. I, the ,snc,... NJ tho
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.w. ,.. ,,., ,..,,.,,., ,s,,,b
has prevailed throughout the landi sbundsnt
sIops tewa tne ia1o o. b.vs .nocs..9,iIv
prosecuted their peaceful pathsi the mines
s sae fG ,nsrs.sss X wss,s sna ss,sss,h,
peace has prevailed, and its blessings have
ns,t ~ ths IJnien, ssrmony Ana XsteInsi 10.
tersourss restored are oblitsratins the marks
M h.eo msh,.nss, mesns have bean in.
ersassdi civil snd religious liberty are secured
tSod ey mona but freemen'"
The humble relation Of the creature to
his Creator should at all times excite his
gratitude for tho fatherly protection Of Him
from whom all blessings how.
Individually we each have reason TO
offer thanksgiving and praise, and to dc.
youtly implore n continuance Of Gods
mercies. As n nation We are but one In the
urest family Of nations. md our peaceful
relations at home and abroad deserve such
Acknowledgement a, on,v grateful hearts can
oe.,
The great social aud religious festival Of
New England, which has spread to most Of
the States of the Union, Is a legacy OF the
Puritans. They abolished Christmas as o relic
Of prelacy, supplying Its observance by the
annual appointment Of some day In autumn,
generally toward the end OF November, as a
day Of solemn prayer and thanksgiving for
the blessings Of the year, and especially the
bounties Of the harvest.
The earliest notice Of this autumnal
Thanksgiving is found In the records of the
Plymouth colony, In 1921. The husbandry
Of that year had returned tho Pilgrims
good harvest; all the summer there was no
want. Thew had gathered ample stores Of
cod and bass lsh. and so abundant were
fowl that four men in one day killed as much
as, with little help beside, served the COM
pany almost week. There was q great
store Of Wild tHteys, Of which they took
many, besides yenisou. Under these cir
cumstanccs, Governor Bradford sent out the
fowlers so that they might, after special
manner, rejoice together amer they had
gathered the fruit OF their labor; and this
was the first celebration OF the New England
autumual Thanksgiving. On that day of
hilarity, saw, the historian, they exercised
their arms, and for three days entertained
and feted Massasolt, the great Narraganset
chief. and .ome ninety of his people, who
contributed tpc deer to the festiyity.
In the winter of lO3o-'3l, another Thanks
giving 4. mentlo,od which has sometimes
been regarded "a the foundation of this festi-
val. It had been an unprecedeutedly cold
winter, and the colonists were diving from
cold and hunger. shell.lsh had to serve for
meat ground-nuts aud acorns for bread.
At this Juncture, a vessel sent to the south
ern side Of Cape Cod returned with hun
bred bushels Of corn. A fast had been ap.
pointed throughout the settlements to implore
Divine succor, and when this vessel appeared
the Governor proclaimed the day should be
one of public Thanksgiving. Again, on the
arrival Of the vessels of the colony under
Winthrop, q public thanksgiving was OBJ.
served in acknowledgment of the Divine
goodness which had so far prospered the enter
prise; but It is the first mentioned festival
that should PROFESSIONALLY be deemed the
foundation OF the annual national thanks
giving.
The d,vl, pecullarIv sacred tn the memo.
,,.s nj Tho mon and women of Nev Encland
origIn and e.nccialIv IN those whose IeeoI-
Isc,,,n. On, hackws,as n b,ls n csrturv
,.h,n N. Az wo. hOId a. n grond occ,. ,or
,or r,,y.r,,i family c,th,rir9. in ,b,, acc.
,Io, az the country. n wa. then the most
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