Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-11-30

under pain OF arbitrary panIsnment, and we ad
monsh at the same time all ministers Of the
holy gospel within our jurisdiction to formulate
their sermons and prayers accordingly. Given
In council held at Fort Amsterdam, In New
Netherlands, 9th OF February. 1856.
As to the cause for national thanks
giving. no true American can say there
Is not abundant reason for thankfulness.
/ his Is the year of the commemoratiou
OF the centenary of the institution,
greater liberty is enjoyed than in per-
haps any other country. and while there
always will be rich and poor, there are
less poverty and higher wages proper
tionately for workmen than in any other
country in the world The chances Of
rising to wealth are open to all The
laoorins u y Of today may possibly be a
ml!Iou I'D cr 20 years hence. The
agllcU. s--ources Of the country are
80 4rr-. ouble the present popula-
tion of lntry could be sustained
in the 7, N,ates without increasing
the area ut single farm or adding one
to thc.r humber by merely bringing the
product up TO the standard Of reasonably
good agriculture. Besides this, there
might remain for export twice the guam
tity required for home use, which could
be sent abroad to feed the hungry.
The first Thanksgiving proclamation
of Washington as president of the United
States was made in New York on Oct.
3, 1889. setting apart Thursday, Nov.
&c, Of that year ITO be devoted BY the
people OF these states to the service of
that great and glorious Being who is the
Author Of all the good that Is, that was
or that will be, etc.
His second Thanksgiving proclama-
tlon was made i'll Philadelphia on Jan. /.
li95, the occasion to be one Of special
observance.
OF all the Thanksgiving proclama-
tions ever issued, that which caused the
bitterest comment was the one by Gov
ernor John Jay Of New York. II stands
conspicuous III the pages Of history by
marking the acrimony and enmity Of
his assailants in the way in which it il
wor,led, and is as follows
Whereas, The governor of tile state Of New
York Is vested with authority TO appoint q day
for this purpose, and to require aud Join the
NA u II u question Nllrl. CirTuUl-
ranced a. IL IL, consider as being more APP
sroprlate for the legislature than for me 10 de-
tide. But, as The iropie OF this state have con
itltnt-d me their chief magistrate, and being
perfectly convinced that national PROSPERITY
obtained and ought to obtain national graft
tude to the supreme Ruler OF all nations
thiak 1t appropriate 10 recommend. and /
therefore do earnestly recommend. to the
clergy and others Of my fellow eli izens through
out this state to set apart Thursday, the 2jth
OF November, FOR The purpose aforesaid and To
observe II accordingly.
The question why the turkey becomes
the national bird, as far as the table is
concerned. on Thanksgiving day has new
er been settled and probably never will
be. Most likely IT is because this gallina-
ceous fowl Is IN prime order for killing
at TINS time and possibly because most
Of the pilgrim fathers cried Turkey" at
their first Thanksgiving feast The same
mystery prevails regarding the associa-
ton of cranberry sauce with turkey at
this time. It Will probably never be re-
vealed. Let those who wish to lift the
veil beware lest their curiosity TO see
what is hidden may reveal a cause so
utterly prosalc as to take away some Of
the charms Of feast cousecrated by
over two centuries Of observance.