The Bossier banner., 1893-11-30

The first record of a day of thanks
giving formally recommended by the
civil authorities, occurs in the history
of Holland. In 1884, the City of
Leyden, in Holland, was besieged by
the Spaniards under the Duke of Alva,
and for nearly year these alien
forces lay before the walls, keeping
such close siege that the inhabitants
were forced to eat leaves and scraps
of leather to sustain life. Finally,
the Prince of Orange resorted to the
expedient of cutting the dikes and q
favorable wind brought in the water
so rapidly that more than 1000 Of
the Spaniards were drowned. The
same wind waited in the feet of
Boisot, which entered on the morning
of October 3, 1874, and brought re-
lief to the starving Hollanders. In
memory of this deliverance, the civil
authorities of Leyden formally recon-
mended the first anniversary of the
event as day of thanksgiving, and
SO this first Dutch thanksgiving was
celebrated October 3, 1875, with re-
joicing, feasting and the founding of
the famous university of the city.
There are various traditions regard
ing the first New England thanks
giving, but the story told by DR..
Franklin is usually regarded as au-
thentic. This is to the effect that in
time of great scarcity of harvests,
when there was general dependency
among the early settlers of New Eng
land, it was proposed in one of their
public meetings to proclaim q fast.
One of the old Puritans arose and
spoke of their provoking Heaven
with their complaints and of the mer-
fcies they had received, and then made
motion that instead of appointing
a day of fasting they should appoint
a day of thanksgiving. To this the
people all agreed and celebrated their
first thanksgiving day by eating
parched corn.
| During the revolution, Thanksgiv.
ing Day was a national institution
being annually recommended by Con.
gress; but after the general thanks
giving for peace in 1884, there was
no national appointment until 1889
when Washington, by request O
Congress, recommended a day O
thanksgiving for the adoption of The
Constitution. Washington issued ,
second proclamation of thanksgiving
ing in 1876 on account of the sup
preston of insurrection. Presiden
Madison, by request of Congress
recommended thanksgiving fol
peace in 1916. But the official recon
mendation of a day for the giving O.
thanks was mainly confined to New
England until the year 1917, aftel
which date it was regularly appoint
ed by the Governor of New York
In 1856 Gov. Johnson, of Virginia
recommended day of thanksgiving
but in 1857 Gov. Wise, when request
ed to do 80, publicly declined, on The
ground that he was not authorized
to interfere in religious matters.
During the civil war, in 1863 and 1864
President Lincoln issued proclama
tions recommending annual thanks
givings. Since then proclamation
has been issued annually by the Pres
ident as we'll as by the Governors oi
the States and the Mayors of tbe
principal cities. Custom fixes the
time as the last Thursday in Novem
Der.
There is no one institution which
more fully establishes the Christian
character of our government than
this annual recognition of God as the
Giver of all mercies. It demonstrates
that the great heart of the nation is
Christian. It is an Acknowledgement
OF our dependence as a people on oul
Creator and Benefactor, and we may
we'll be grateful for this annual re.