Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-12-02
THANKSGIVING Ddy

Honolulu, than the anniversary Of the Hawai-.
ian independence which preceded Il only two
days. The greater number Of business houses
were closed early In the forenoon and Ameri
can residents and their friends passed the day
at their homes in the usual manner after the
conclusion Of the exercises at Fort street
Church where, a large number Of people
assembled to hear the thanksgiving sermon
preached by Mr.. ]. A. Cru,an.
The service opened with voluntary from
the third organ sonata by Mr.. Myron Jones.
The Lords prayer was then said and re.
sponse sung by the choir. U. S. Minister
Daggett, the King and Queen, Minister Of
Foreign Affairs and Governor Dominis enter
ed during the singing Of the song, the audience
rising until they were seated. Minister Dag
gett next read President Arthurs proclama
tion prefacing it with few Introductory words
describing the origin of Thanksgiving Day
The following is the substance Of his remarks
The observance Of a day Of national
thanksgiving, although in vogue for more than
two and half centuries, is strictly an Amer
lean custom, the example being followed by
no other nation. And It is not surprising, for
no other nation has been so blessed as the
Great Republic. Her scattered children,
many of whom are assembled to-day under
the palm and tamarind, give thanks for all
that has been done and is being done for
them. The Puritans originated the custom in
New England in the dark days following their
arrival in the new world, appointing day Of
fast and prayer. Years after when prosperity
smiled upon them they made it day Of
thanksgiving and praise, and the custom crept
with the tide Of immigration from New Eng.
land to the distant west. 1t was not until
during the last rebellion that Abraham Lin.
coin, the greatest Of martyrs to the cause Of
human liberty, first made Thanksgiving Day a
national holiday. The custom has continued
since, is observed in every State and Territory,
and will be so observed to the end of
time"
After the reading Of the proclamation an
anthem was sung by the choir. A scripture
lesson was then read by Mr.. Cruzan which
was followed by the singing Of " America by
the congregation. Prayer was offered by Rev.
Dr. Damon after which and response by
the choir all united in singing to the tune of
" From Greenland's Icy Mountains the
hymn, 80 Thou Who Rent the Waters"
written for the occasion by Minister Daggeti
hp,t vbf, Vat,ts sb, aol IL. u.
dren free
o Thou who calmed the tempest that swept
DER Galilee
o Thou who blessed our fathers on bleak New
England's shorel
To Thee be our thanksgiving, now and forever
more.
From sea to sea Thy praises, by freedoms mil
lions sung,
Ring through the land Thou gavest, and now
with heart and tongue
We catch the swelling anthem, and on the
western breeze
Is borne our voices with it beyond the Asian
seas.
Beside the palm, o see us Beneath the mln
hear,
And set sign within us to tell us Thou art
near,
For at Thy feet, o Father! we lay our hopes
and fears; w
As Thou vert with our fathers, be with us
through the years!
Mr.. ]. A. Cruzan then delivered the thanks.
giving sermon, Of which the following is a
brief synopsis. We regret that shortness Of
space prevents us from publishing it entire:
Text, Psalms I47:2o. "He hath not dealt
so with any nation"
The theme of the discourse was, Goods
dealings with America a cause for devout
thanksgiving" God wonderfully prepared
and preserved America to be the home of
great nation. Study map Of the world in
the light OF history, and you will see that all
the great nations Of the past and present have
been located between the goth and goth de-
grees Of north latitude. Here the Great Re-
public is located, in a country Of wonderful
capacities with agricultural resources suffi.
cient to give farm to every family on the
globe, and to feed the entire population Of the
world. Oil to light her homes bubbles from
the center of the earth coal and iron for her
factories, and all the precious metals she has
in abundance. She has coast line exceeding
the circumference Of the globe, and river
navigation double even this vast measure. She
has varied climate and some of the mos,
mountains and beautiful scenery.
How wonderful God preserved this rich land
lor the right people, saving it from the North.
men, the Catholic Spanish and French, and |
the English adventurers, that the Puritans |
might lay broad and solid foundations for the |
great nation.
America has had wonderful dcvelope-
ment. The figures Of her wonderful progress
seem like the calculations Of astronomy. In |
agriculture she is the worlds granary. Her
manufactures are producing untold wealth.
She has 10000 miles Of railroads, and is still
building at the rate Of 10000 miles each year.
But vast as is Americas present, il is insignia.
,ant as compared with her future. She has
'ne million square miles more Of productive
'oil than all the Old World. The New World
an sustain greater population than the Old
World, and she ultimately will have il. The
Encyclopedia Bntannica" estimates ,ha,
i've centuries hence America will have 1900,
'oo. 600 people
But will not her very greatness prove her
weakness Is she not losing her moral powefi
AlaTmisis tell US SO. But the American peo-
dc never were SO strong morally as to-day.
she must meet and solve great problem
md sustain great strains in the near future.
The three great conservative moral powers,
he home, the press. and the pulpit never
before SO "wosked for righteousness
as in America to-day So long as these
ernain what they arc we will have q sound,
igo'ous moral ife in America. and may