The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-11-29
OUR NATIONAE FESTIVAL.

festival is peculiar to the United States, al
though it was not unusual in Europe to oc-
casiOnally observe q day of Thanksgiving
when recommended by the civil authorities.
i Over three hundred years ago a day OF THANKS
giving was observed in I.eyden, Holland for
the deliverance OF that city from siege. Al
ter the first harvest of the colonies at Ply
mouth la 1921, Governor Bradford sent out
four men fowlirg that they-in the language
of that tile-''might after a more special
manner rejoice together" Again in July,
1923, a day of fasting and prayer was ap.
pointed on account Of drought, and, accord
ing to the historian of that period, ':rain
came abundantly while they, were praying.
and the governor appointed = day Of thanks
giving, which was observed with religious
services" But it was at Massachusetts Bay
where the most remarkable instance occur
red in turning a day of fasting and prayer in
to one of thanksgiving. There was a little
colony OF settlers thers who, like those al
Plymouth, had left England to escape the
persecution to which they were exposed, and
to enjoy the inestimable privilege of Worship
pihS thSl1 SiNSeoi iliS "
the dictates of their avn con-
sciences. This little handful of
colonists wasS but poorly provided to endure
the unusually severe winte. ef1G3l, and some
were actually frozen to death. Famine fol
lowed closely Ga the heels Of disease. Many
were compelled to live on she'll fish, ground
nuts and acorrs, and the governor himself,
at one time, had "his last corn in the oven"
A day of fasting and prayer for the colony
was appointed for Feb. 16, 1852. 1t was =
gloomy period in the history of the colony.
Starvation stsrsd them in the face. and hope
had almort died sin the hearts of the BRAY
est, but their faith in the goodness aud mercy
Of the Pilgrims God sustained them. The last
food was on the table of the seemingly DOOM
ed settlers, and fasting, from sheer necessity,
had been engaged in before the day of prayer
arrived. But on the 9Th a ship arrived from
England, we'll laden with provisions. The
day OF fasting was changed to a day Of
Thanksgiving The first Of the kind-says our
historlan--ever kept in the territory of the
United States.
In the following Jane Gov. Winthrop, of
the same colony, recommended a day of
Thanksgiving on account Of the action of the
British Privy Council favorable to the colonies
and invited the governor Of Plymouth CO ouy
to unite with them. There is record of the
official appointment of days of thanksgiving
in Massachusetts eav in 1853, 1884. 1857, |
1888 and 1899, sometimes of more than one
lo- -, tla psr,a ,x.,. o,rl -, ,~,I, =.
1851, 1868, 1850 (when the form OF the rec
e~mmendAtion indicates that it had become
an annual cu.tomD 1859 and 1000. The
earlier efthese appointments were at differ
ent seasons of the year, and for special rea.
sons, particularly for the arrival of ships with
provisions and new colonists; bu! the later
were generally for the harvest, and were in
the late autumn or early winter.
Occasionally Thanksgiving days were ap-
pointed by the Dutch governors of the New
Netherlands in l644, 1916, 1866 and 1864,
and by the English governors in New York
in 1856 and 1860. During the Revolution,
day wat a national institution,
generally recommended by Congress.
after the general thanksgiving for peace
in 1884, there was no national appointment
until 1859, whsn President Na,hingtsn, by
of Congress, recommended a day of
thanksgiving for tho adoption Of the Consti.
Washington issued a second tllanks-
giving proclamation in 1895 on account of
he suppression of iR.urrsction. President
Madison, by request of Congress, rscom-
Thanksgiving for peace in April, 1915.
the official recon m.nd1tion Of Thanks
giving day was mainly confined to New Eng
where regular annual proclamations
issued by the governors of the States
and the day wa. observed almoss usiysrsally
with religious services, and was the princi-
al social and home festival Of the year.
The god old custom Of religiously observ-
ng The day 10, psrhaps, more rigidiy adhered
o in New England than in any other section
If the Union. As we move westward froA
he homes Of the Puritan father the day, in
!. measure, loses its aus:ere character and joy
md mirth and general hilarity are INDUCED
Il by old and young. On cur western Dor
iers the day is observed in . manner that in
iicates the Cosmopolitan Character of the
Coming from every part of the world
hey bring with them the habits aud preju-
Ices of their mother country, and while a
observe the day in a truly orthodox man
ler. the majority enj ,y 1t as best suits the +
astes and inclinations.
I, Nam, ~ !, .nt;Dp ~ tba n,,nbn,. ~ fl,,;l.,.