Daily Republican., 1881-07-22
AGoyor~or not Thankful.

A Governor not Thankful.
Of all the Governors that have re-
sponded on the supject of calling day
of national thanksgiving for the recoy-
cry of the President, Governor Roberts
OF Texas, is the only one that replied
negatively, and his refusal to join i'll
the call is based upon very tli.asy
plea. To use his own words he says ::
IL do not deem it consistent with my
duty as Governor to issue a proclama-
tion directing religious services where
church and State are and ought to be
kopt separate in their functions" Gov
ernor Roberts is 80 far only oEe out OF
thirty-eight Governors of States who
have objected to the call, the proportion
being so small that it will have no eff
feet to check the movement. Let us
be profoundly thankful that there is
still one Governor left out of thirty-eight
who is conscientious in the matter and
who will not swerve one jot from the
line Of conscientious duty, even upon 50
important a subject as joininGin an ex-
preston of national thanks for the re-
covery of the President. Texas is the
last place from which we should have
expected or looked for such u streak of
religious virtue. SO long as the State
is Texas, nobody will accuse it of being
too intimate with blending Church very
much with State affairs. However, the
observance of Thanksgiving day is new
er "directed' by any proclamation but
simply recommended, and the people
are invited, and requested to join in it,
but there il no coercion about it or It.
gal obligation to celebrate the day in
any formal manner. Neither Cover.
nor Roberts nor his people, if there are
any like him, are bound to give thanks
in any special manner. They are en-
tirely free to act as they please f the
Governor does not want to attend
church, to join in praise, to at7tend a
lecture on Government, to engage in
conventional discussions, he can retire
to hotel or bagnio and play euchre or
seven up if his tender conscience leads
in that direction. If none of these will
suit, an anodyne will stimulate the
power OF tie sleepy god, and ho can
doze away the day in slecpful uncon
sciousness without thought that even
an attempt was made to asSa>sinate the
President of the United States. Gov
ernor Roberts message simply means /
that he does not feel much thankful {
ness himself at the Presidents escape, {
and that he does not mean that his peo- l
pie shall show any if he can help 1t. t
Since his declination to join with his {
brethren, the other thirty-Sevon Cover
nors, in the call, a very healthy loyal |
sentiment has shown itself amongst the i
people of Texas, and we have reason to 3
believe that the people Of that State are Il
as profoundly grateful that the ltte OF t
the President has been spared aS are
the people of any other State in the E
Union. Already the Bishop Of The il
Protestant Episcopal Church in the o
State has recommended a full observ~ a
ance of the day, and we have no doubt, :
the heads of all the other religious de ii
will do the same. The D
large immigrant population of Texas is y
apt to take a pretty correct view of Il
things, and it may be safely predicted "
that if the other States join in celebra- "a
ting the Presidents restoration health G.
Texas will be heard from at the same "
time, and the people will concern them G,
selves very little whether the Governor ei
sanctions the proceedings or not The Il
happy unanimity of ali The Governors, ii
many of them Democrats in this hIat- il
ter, makes the action of Governor Rob "
erts very conspicuous by contrast. il
Perhaps public sentiment Goes not II
reach his remote capital, but il it does e,
he must know that he is facing terri al
flying amount of it. ol