The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-28

passed off with reasonable amount of Zest;
but in 1861 the State was so disturbed that
no day was set aside for Thanksgiving. In
November, 1862, Governor Leland Stanford
issued his first proclamation, with corsid-
erable stress upon the glorious climate OF
the State and her wonderful resources.
He. too, touched upon the great civil
struggle that was shaking the Nation, but
not in the same positive way as his prede-
cessor had handled the matter.
Governor Stanford, in 1868, received no.
tice from President Lincoln of the second
National Thanksgiving proclamation hav-
ing been issued, in which the Governors of
all the States in the Union were called
upon to observe the 26th day of Novem-
Der. In accordance with this request Gov
ernor Stanford issued proclamation,
which opened with the Biblical quotation:
"sLet us come before his presence with
Thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in
him with psalms
The proclamation then goes on at some
length, with the result that California is
compared with the stricken East, and set
| aside from the seat of war.
"While we deplore our condition as
Nation, we have manifold reasons for of
fering up our united thanksgiving as a
community. Our State during the last
year has been blessed with prosperity and
health. We have been free from floods,
| pestilence and famine, and as a State have
known no widespread calamity.
"But while we assemble with cordial
hearts among the pleasant associations of
| our own happy homes, let us not forget the
! many desoIate households in our sister
| States, whose affairs will be twined with
| cypress and whose hearts will be overflow
| ing with desolation, while our lives are
| filed with thanksgiving for the plenitude
of our divine protection.
GAS Nation we have been passing
through bitter, trying and bloody ordeal,
but recent events seem to foretell the COM
ing of better and brighter days. And in
this we have cause for peculiar thankful
ness, and for this and all other mercies
vouchsafed to us let US give Almighty God
our unreserved thanksgivings."
| In the same year of this proclamation
two other days of thanksgiving were held,
April 80 and August 6. They were for the
purpose of commemorating Union VIC
tories. These days were recognized very
thoroughly in San Francisco and patriotic
demonstrations were INDUCED in all over
the State.
| Thomas Starr King wrote of California
at that time:
1.-The land is at war. yet California,
most priced portion of the country, is in
| perfect peace. immigration from
foreign countries and from all parts of
| America increases and the States credit
remains untarnished. Our State pays its
debts in gold and remains so loyal that
Secessia gives her up"
The Civil War was the chief topic Of dis
cussion in the SOS, and it is not surprising
that reference to it appears in everything
not excepting documents and proclama-
| ton of public nature. 1t was the thing
uppermost in the minds of the people, and
not until the wounds received in the strug-
gle were healed and the new South began
to affiliate with the victorious North did
its echoes die away.
Governor Frederic f. Low mentioned in
! his proclamation of 1864 that one of the
| greatest causes for thanksgiving was the
peaceful election of a President during
war times, although on April IA, 1865 the
people of America were stunned and hor-
rified at the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. This blow to the people of the
| Union was so great that instead of hold
ing thanksgiving services they went into
mourning for their dead yet beloved Presi-
dent, who had administered over the
people of the United States when the
| Union was tottering in the balance Of
| civil war.