Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-21
very long since Thanksgiving day was Q de-
cidedly unimportant event south OF Pennsyl-

vania.
The first presidential thanksgiving procla-
nation came from George Washington in 1883
and set apart the very same day that will be OBJ
served this year, viz, Thursday, November rs.
We have great deal to be thankful for now,
but think Of what Washington asked the people
OF this country TO give thanks for then! He
asked them to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God and obey His will and be CRATE
ful for His benefits and. therefore, he asked
them to thank Him for His kind care during
the revolutionary war and for the rational man
ner in which, under His guidance, the Consti-
tution Lad beer formed. Surely, il ever u
Thanksgiving day was right and proper it was
right and proper then! Washington issued no
further Thanksgiving proclamation until 1895,
when he selected February 10 as an appropriate
day.
PRECEDENT LINCoLN's PROCLAMATION N 1851.
Our Presidents have not always called upon
the people to give thanks but have on several
occasions ASKED them TO fast humiliate them
In time of national distress. In 1861. when a
deep gloom was over all America, Abraham
Lincoln spoke out in those solemn words:
"Our own beloved country, once by the bless
ing of God united, prosperous and happy, is
now afflicted with faction and civil war. 1t is
peculiarly hit for us to recognize the hand of
God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrow
ing remembrance Of our own faults and crimes
as nation and as individuals to humble our
selves before Him and to pray for His mercy
to pray that We may be spared further punish
ment, though most Justly deserved; that our
arms may be blessed and made effectnal for the
establishment of law, order and peace
throughout the wide extent OF our country,
and that the inestimable boon Of civil and re-
ligious liberty earned under His guidance and
blessing by the labcrs and sufferings of our
fathers may be restored in all its original excel
ence"
Before this, when John Adams was Preei-
dent. when war with France seemed almost
certain, when parties in the country were fight
ing and abusing one another as they had
never done before and have hardly ever done
since, in the wonderful year of 179S in fact, a
proclamation was issued which said that in
view Of "the unfriendly disposition, conduct
and demands of foreign power, evinced by
repeated refusa1s to receive our messengers of
reconciliation and peace" therefore a day was
set apart for fasting, humiliation and prayer.
THE FELLOWS WHO HAVE NO HOME.
But all this is gloomy, AMI it is far pleas
anter to think of our Thanksgiving and its ac-
companying bird, the turkey. To return to
this noble fowl, il will be remembered that it is
so essentially national belonging that Ben
jamin Franklin favored its adoption as the
national bird instead of the eagle There is a
noted restaurant keeper in Washington who
says the canvas back duck would servo well
for this purpose, but the proposition is not
feasible, as canvas backs are not plentiful
enough. Whether the turkey figures on our
coins or not we all think of it as something dis
tinctively American, and at the same time it is
associated in our minds with thoughts of
cheerfulness and home Stop, you who
read this and are going to feast roy
ally next Thursday, and think whether you
have not some acquaintance who has no home
and will have to dine at his boarding house or
Al
or friends. Poor, poor fellow! Run, good
reader OF The STAR, and ask this man to dine
with you. for heavens sake. Put yourself in
his place and think Of the suicidal humor you
yourself would be in if you had to dine on
Thanksgiving day at a restaurant or boarding
be bachelor or married man or widower, is
most to be pitied when the holidays come.
When he looks at the turkeys hanging up on
hooks in market, white, fat, delicious, he may
think of his own hard lot if he has to eat one
by himself. There are two days in the year
when solitude, especially if it be the solitude Of
the boarding house, restaurant or club, is most
disagreeable and they are Thanksgiving day
and Christmas. These days more than any
others have been set apart as home days.
As it has been shown the observance of the
last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving
day all over the country is comparatively a re-
cent custom, but il has become firmly rooted
everywhere. 1t is not law and no state is
bound to follow the Presidents lead in select
ing the day. The President issues his procla-
nation and the governors issue theirs. but if
all the governors forgot about it, as well as the
President, il there were no proclamations at
all, the people would celebrate just the same.
This year, in fact President Harrison was so
slow in sending out his proclamation that sew
eral governors anticipated him and sent out
theirs before his had appeared. It doesn't
make any difference. Everybody will eat din
ner and be merry on the Goth.