The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-11-25
SEASON OF REJOICING

81 ASON UT KEOO1S1Nu
Baltimore Sun.
The Joys of Thanksgiving are almost with
It's. We shall not subscribe to the declara-
tion that Thanksgiving Day is the Ameri-
can National holiday par excellence. That
distinction belongs to the glorious Fourth
But it certainly is a National holiday pc
cullar 10 our country.
There are. of course occasional thanks-
giving days in other countries but only III
the United States is it a fixed Naiionai
feast As all the world knows. our Amer
lean Thanksgiving Day proper owes It's III
| stitutlon to the Massachusetts, BAY pau
tation in 1921, when the Plymouth colony
was a year old. The bill Of fare Tor the
first Thanksgiving dinner has been pre-
served. and it exhibits oysters, ducks,
geese and turkeys. all Wild and supplied
by friendly Indians, And some Oh Tue
turkeys were sixty Founders. Tine iuf1
tans." says one of the historians. TASTED
in sprlngtmc and thanted over sood prov
| eudcr in autumn Their fGsts have be-
| come obsolete. their feasts Of thanks re-
main. Mankind prefers feasts to fasts
| and mirth to mourning.
The colonial congress proclaimed De-
| cember Is, III. week before Christmas
Day. as a Thanksgiving Day for the sara
toga victory that defeated General Bur
| goyne, and that date was yearly continued
for such purpose until 1884. Five years
then passed without any National Thanks
giving Day being proclaimed In 1859 the
| proposition for one was defeated by the
! congressman from South Carolina. who Oh.
| jectCd to 1t ON the ground that II was UNI
| constitutional and a usurpntion of state
rights President Washington, however,
took up the matter. and on his own motion
and authority recommended November %
as National Thanksgiving Day which
every state excepting the Palmetto state
then respected That date cotncided with
| the fourth Thursday In November. and on
| ting precedent that day has now become
| fixture for the THANKSGIVING celebration.
| The selection is George Washington's, ana
| it would be most appropriate at every re-
curing Thanksgiving di.ner to toast his
| memory.
No fresh proclamation was issued from
the capitol until 1905, when the president
again proclaimed the fourth Thursday of
November for Thanksgiving. Governors of
| States yearly issued local proclamations.
| but jefferson had objections to ordering
one was proclaimed thereafter until Presi-
dent Madison picked up the broken links
| IN the lhanksglyins chain, and appointed
| the fourth Thursday OF November 1915. on
| the occasion Of the declaration of naval
| peace With Great Britain. Another presi-
| dental ulcrrcsnum followed and a long
one until President Lincoln proclaimed
| August 6. 1862. on the occasion of the vic
| tory of Gettysburg. He proclaimed still
hat
the season was not propitious to the Union
arms and thanks had TO he given that
events were not worse. President Grant
continued the National Thanksgiving and
additionally proclaimed the 4th of July,
1876. extra day OF Thanksgiving, in
honor Of the centennial of the Declaration
OF Independence
New York records show tina, Dutch
THANKSGIVING Day was proclaimed on
Manhattan Island for December 20, 1920
which really antodatos it's institution by
the Pilgrim Fathers Therefore New York
might take issue with Massachusetts, as to
credit for the origin Of Thanksgiving Day
From that day until 1854 a Thanksgiving
Day was yearly observed in the New Ans
| letdam, and the diaries of the period men
ton that. while turkeys nd pumpkin pies
| Were the leading features OF the days
ltastlhS in New England the Dutch colon
! lists substituted krollers for dessert and
! aehnapvs rs "A thanksgiving beverage in
| place Of Puritan cider and applejacl. After
/ the English succeeded the Dutch as rulers
I In New York city, Governor Andres in 1850
| het lhanksEivluS Day aud continued II
| through his term, and his successors fol-
lowed suit until l1O3. Then came a break
! IN The custom n New York until 1855,
| when Governor Do Iancey restored the
q of y