The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-12-06
Thanksgiving.

The Magazine Of American Histo,,,
gives US the history of the day we
are soon to celebrate and its oriv;n
From The papers we learn tnat the
earliest thanksgiving service was
held by the Church OF England men
The Pcphan colonists. who Arms,
y, 1917, %. s. landed upon None.
gan, near the Kennebec, and under
The shadow Of a high cross listened
to sermon by Chaplain SEYMOUR
giving good thanks for our haopv
meetings and safe arrival in the
country
Next we pass to Plymouth. where.
IN 1871, the autumn after the arri-
val, a notable Thanksgiving was
heid. The brief accounts present
a aJoyOGs picture As We learn from
W Isslaw. the harvest being gather
ed. the Governor sent four men ont
iowllng. that 80 we might, after a
Special manner, rejoice together"
and the traditional turkey was adj
ded 10 the abundant venison. Tie
people gave themselves up to recrea-
ton, aud the great Chief Ma~sasoit
was toasted tor three days with his
ninety swaTthy rets,iners.
Possibly, on this first Plymoutb
thanksgiving there was more carous-
ing then We suppose, while there il
not the slightest indication of any
religious observance. Ma-sa~uit and
his braves, no doubt, tnio,cd i, an
greatly, as the thanksgiving idea
Was entertained by the ludl,ns be-
fore thelr conflict with whites. and II
thcir r'ieifatl,sss there Wis much
eNesss- !iaA much Comfortable
warm water, tiie grave aud reverend
elders themselves consumed duYinc
those three days of jolity Bradford
does not say.
In 1922 there is no mention Of
thanksgiving but in 1922 d.y was
kept, not, however, in toe autums
rs Il harvest festival. but in July.
upon the arrival of some provisions.
After this nothing more Is heard of
thanksgiving at lymOuIh for nearly
half a century. So far as the colo
nial records 90, they indicate thar the
day did not find revival uutil 1865.
when there WAS some kind of a
thanksgiving. Again June y, 1889.
there was Thanksgiving for the
accession of William and Mary. In
1870 an autunnal thanksgiving was
held, and the next wear Plymouth
Colony was merged in Massacbus-
etts, and so passed out of the story.
If any festival can be said To have
been established, it was established
IN imitation 0f the customs across
the sea. Distinct religious societies,
however, may have kept occasional
thanksgiving, rs the people at Barns
table observe thanksgivings, on De-
cemher -, 1886, and December IL.
1879.
In the Massachusetts, colony the
first thanksgiving was held at Bos-
ton, July 5, 1880, it being a SPECIAL
occasion, having no reference to
harvests. Again in February, 1881.
there was a thanksgiving. as already
noticed In the October following
Il thanksgiving was held for the safe
arrival Of Mrs. Winthrop and her
children" In these appointments
Ge do not find the Thanksgiving that
We know to-day, nor do we detect
any full design against Christmas.
In 1852. on June 5, there was a
thanksgiving for the victorious in
the Palatlnate, and in October anoth-
er for the harvest In 1887 there
was thanksgiving for victory over
the Pequots, and in 1888 for the ar
rival OF ships and for the harvest.
The thanksgiving days from 1894 20
1854 numbered about twenty-one, or
less thal one in every two years.
The celebration Of 1876 had special
reference to the victory over King
Philip.
From this period until the Revo-
luton a thanksgiving of some kind
occurred nearly every Othe- year,
and even twice in the same wear, as
in l742. Some Of these DAYS were
appointed by the royal governors,
while again they were ordered by
the king or queen or by the home
Board of Trade.
After the close ofthe Revolution a
tendency to make thanksgiving day
Il regular institution in New York
was at once apparent, and Governor
John Jay. in 1875, issued a prOcla-
nation for the 11th of November.
The act, however, was seized upon
by politicians, who maintained that
he was seeking to fatter religious
prejudices. At an early period, also,
the Mayors of New York were aecus-
toned to appoint a day of thanks
giving. in accordance with the rec
concentrations of the council. and
that of Dee. Is. 1899, appears to
have been the first So ordered Yet
the observance of the dav until
Governor Chnton's time was more
or less broken. The festival was
kept, however, by Episcopdlians,
according to the provisions of the
PRAYER Book. other religious bodies
at the same time followed their own
preferences Clinton's course, like
JAWS. excited criticism. At the east
End of Long Island there was no
little murmuring, because the day
die not coincide with the local Gus
tom. IL appears that the people of
East and Southampton observed
thanksgiving on the Thursday after
the cattle were driven home from
the common pastures at Montauk
Point. the day Of the return Of the
cattle being fixed annually. with due
solemnity, at the town meeting
Hence there was a collision, and the
herdsmen were divided, striving as
the berdsmen Of Abrams cattle
strove with those OF Lot. But this
was no case of an immoveable body
opposed to an irresistible force and
therefore, the opponents Of Clinton
gave way, not without many ex-
postulatioAs. Here WIS the begin
ming of the movement which lead to
the first Presidential proclamation
Matchmaking thanksgiving day.