Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-24
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THANKSGIVING.

THANKSGIVING.
Ofthe very few festivals known to the
American calendar, none is so dear and
enjoyable as that established by the little
colony Of Puritans at Plymouth rock two
hundred and fifty years ago. 1t was first
an occasion for rest and general good
time to those austere men, who had "for-
ests, and Indians, and satan to fight
Governor Carver sent out party to hunt,
THAT so they might. after specia'
manner, rejoice together after they had
gathered the fruit of their labors.' From
this beginning the Annual Thanksgiving
festival kept pace with the colonies in New
England. Ittook deep root with the PEG
pie, and spread to other colonies; bye and
bye it became general throughout the
country. 1t is now distinctively ma
tional festival, --one of the very few we
busy, practical, matter-of-fact people can
find time to observe.
And why should we not as people OBJ
serve itp When that company of landing
Pilgrims fell upon their knees and prayed
the God above them to bless the new
world they had found, what one among
them had faith so sublime that it gave him
glimpse Of the prosperity and grandeur
OF the country that was to be?
To-day, only two and half centuries
since,-a mere speck of time in history
we are Q nation of forty millions of free
men, versed and proficient in all the excel
lencies that make up an advanced civiliza'
ton. The continent is dotted thickly with
busy. peaceful cities, railroads are as nu-
merous as were once the Indian trails,
half thousand colleges and collegiate
institutions and many times that number
of christian churches are scattered like
light-giving consultations all over the
Union. We have country whose genius
is liberty and PROGRESSIVELY liberty as
the Puritan little dreamed of, and such
progress as the world never before expert
enced. And why. indeed should we not
as nation celebrate with Thanksgiving
and Praise
As a State Maine has ever been favored
with liberal prosperity. Since the pr
oneers first made their homes in its pri-
meval forests, its advance has been con-
slant. We have large commonwealth OF
the best citizens of the republic. Peace,
industry, sobriety and contentment are
blessings to any community. These we
have good legislatures, good laws, and
good executives. are also ours. Thus as
q State we have abundant reason to give
thanks and praise to the Great Giver OF
all good gifts.
We may we'll be thankful on our ap.
preaching festival day. for the good bles-
sing of full harvest. and rejoice with
deep gratitude that famine is unknown
among us. Our gratitude must overflow
in gifts to the poor, who are with us al
ways. There can be no genuine gratitude
without benevolence and charity.
Let US see that the poor and needy have
reason to rejoice aud give thanks also.
As the scattered families re-unite for a
brief season again at the plenteous board.
at this annual thanksgiving, may each
member find especial cause for gratitude
and thankfulness toward the great Author
OF all blessings.
The planet Venus is now visible under
favorable conditions OF the atmosphere. in
broad daylight, eastward of the sun. She
is best seen in the afternoon. She has at
tanned her greatest brilliancy, and will
gradually lose her light till the 9Th of De-
cember, when she will be visible only as
a black spot moving slowly across the
disc of the sun. This phenomenon ai-
fords the most accurate means of obtain
Ing the absolute distance from the sun.
For various reasons the last transit, about
one hundred years ago, was not success
fully used. There is no reason to antici-
pate any such result from the observations
to be made in the present case. The nu
merous scientific parties specially pre-
pared for the occasion and located in near
ly every zone, will give an adequate ac
count Of the affair.
The more outspoken, and indiscreet
Democratic papers are telling what they
expect to do. This what the Logan Oxen
tucky) Sentinel proposes:
1--WE win have national convention Of
all the States to revise and amend the Con-
s,irution Of the United States, and there will
be no niggers in that convention. The Con-
stitution ~ revised will be the Constitution as
1t was in 1860, except In the matter of
slavery. State laws ana State constitutions
will be made to conform to the reformed Con-
situation; so will the Federal laws. We will
have the niggers free, as they are, but no
more. This will leave them on the footing OF
unnatusalized foreigners. and Of our mothers,
wives, daughters and sisters. This is enough
More than that they have no right to, and
more than sbaf they nevsr will get from u.s.
That Il what we propose to do with the mig
gers"