The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-27
THANKSGIVING.

TIE fathers of New England, in the days
of their weakness and when for every days
security and support they were made to feel
their utter dependence upon God, annually
set apart a day for public thanksgiving and
praise. The accounts If the day are not very
full but enough to satisfy us that ifthe prayers
were long and devout, the fasting, albeit
the courses were few, was of the most ro-
bust character. The institution thus found
ed was peculiarly New England one, until
the descendants Of the Puritans infused the
leaven of their peculiar genius into The new
States of the West Until the beginning of
the late war, thanksgiving as State observ-
ance, did not meet with much favor in the
older States land south of Mason and Dixon's
line it was regarded with as much aversion as
the Yankee school-master and his proverbial
nasal twang. When, however, the nation
found itself involved in terrible conflict in
support of those principles which were the
logical results of the circumstances that gave
New England its peculiar political character,
rather than of the teachings of the Puritans.
President Lincoln saw the appropriateness Of
recognizing our dependence upon God and
the fitness of our rendering thanks as peo-
pie for past merces, and set apart day of
public thanksgiving. Even if his successors
in office had not seen fit to follow his exam
pie, the omission would have had but little
effect for the whole North has come to regard
thanksgiving as an institution Of the country.
To-day its observance is not so general in the
South as in the North, but year by year, as
the newspaper, the railway, and the telegraph
bring the people into closer relations and
mould them into homogeneous nation, it
will be generally observed in all sections Nor
is this New England holiday recognized by
official sanction in the United States alone.
Our Dominion neighbors in the natural course
of their preparation to become part of the
Republic, have officially adopted and properly
observed it.
As nation we have far greater cause for
thankfulness than our ancestors, for the man.
fold blessings of the civilization we enjoy to-
day--the result of the toll of generations
continually directed and encouraged by a
kind Providence. For the civil and religious
liberty that we enjoy, the means of intelli-
gence at every hand, and the noble charities
which abound, gratitude and praise are due to
the Father ofMercies who has III these things
revealed Himself to humanity and has dis
posed the hearts of men to coed works.
The country has been blessed with gener-
Gus harvests. The industries of the nation
so far as they have been managed with pru-
dence, have been prospered. The business
panic that few weeks ago cast gloom over
the people, threatening wide spread suffering,
has happily been averted, after showing us
our recklessness and folly As nation we
have peace and security at home and respect
and goodwill abroad. The little war cloud
which has disturbed the horizon for the past
week or two is already tightening. No wide
spread disease has visited the country, and
where pestilence has come it was Invited by
waDton neglect of frequent warnings. In
deed, wherever we look we shall find fresh in
centiyes for thorough thankfuiness.
We are aware that some of our religious
teachers will take occasion to-day in their
discourses to set forth our public sins. They
do well in so doing; but, dark as the picture
may be painted, we believe that those who
love Righteousness in nation will find cause
for thankfulness in the fact that the moral
perceptions of the people have been quickened
and that the public moral sense is more
sensitive and intelligent than at any other
period in the nations history. To-day the
rumor Of even moderate mafeasance on the
part OF public man calls forth indignant
protest and swift punishment. At no time
In tne nations history has the BETRAYAL of
pupi'c trust oeen so sure to be visited with
stern retrbution as at present. We can
hardly reaiiZe to-day that few wears since a
national party set itself up to defend bpm,n
bondage, and even the church too freouontlr
took neutral ground while this great wrong
existed. We should be thankful that tboro .
not now thoughtful man who would do
lence to his judgment to defend human slavery
as it existed ten years ago. These are only a
few indications of the improvement of the
moral sentiment of the nation tor which we
should be sincerely thankful.
Thanksgiving is specially the festival of
the family. On. this day, all over the
nation, members of families, scattered
during the rest of the year, come to
together to renew and strengthen by contact
the tender ties of kinship Let us hope That
unkind feelings, harsh thoughts. and unloyey
acts may all be laid aside on this day so spec
ally dedicated 10 household reunions, which