The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-11-26

man, Texas, for the Ep1COrth Herald.
Miss Farley is well known to MANY of
our readers.
Thanksgiving Day is an annual fes-
tival in the United States, celebrated
in New England from the settlement
by the Pilgrims-a band of Puritan
eXiles from England. For a long
period the Thanksgiving festival was
peculiar to the northern states of the
Union. But it is no longer sectional:
it is day observed in all this broad
and glorious land over which Old
Glory waves. There is no written
law setting apart day for general
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Dav is
a product of custom" and truly it is
a custom worthy of all commentator.
The first public Thanksgiving Day
appointed by authority in America
was celebrated by the Puritans on
Oct. "a, 1921. Among the records pre-
served by Congress there is a procla-
nation by the council of Massachu-
sets, bearing date of Nov. Is, 1116.
advising acknowledgment for bles-
sings and mercies enjoyed" On Nov.
l, 1777, a Thanksgiving proclamation
was reported to the Continental Con-
gress by Samuel Adams, of Massachu-
setts-the very same Samuel Adams
who urged the opening of Congress
with prayer. The chaplain of Con-
gress, i'll November, 1878, recommend
ed that Wednesday, Dec. 80 be OBJ
served as day of public thanksgiv-
ing and praise In 1879 the first
Tuesday in May was appointed as IA
day of Thanksgiving by proclamation
of the Continental Congress. In De-
tOber, 1873, Congressman Root repor-
ted in favor of setting apart Thurs
day, Dec. 0, as day of special thanks
giving. On report of Congressman
Witherspoon, the states, in 1882, were
advised to appoint Thursday, Nov
%, "a day upon which to give thanks
to God" and from that time to the
present, the last Thursday in Novem-
Der has been the day appointed for
the thanksgiving festival. George
Washington signed the first Thanks
giving Day proclamation ever issued
by a President of the United States.
There is an Introduction to this proc
lamation, but the text is as follows:
Now, therefore, | do recommend
and assign Thursday, the twenty
sixth day of November next, to be de
voted by the people of these states to
Being who is the beneficent author of
all the good that was, that is, or that
will be. That we may then all unite
in rendering unto him our sincere and
humble thanks for his kind care and
protection of the people of this cOun-
try previous to their becoming a ma
ton; for the signal and manifold mer-
cles, and the favorable interpretations
of his providence in the course and
conclusion of the late war; for the
great degree of tranquility, union,
and plenty which we have since en-
joyed; for the peaceable and rational
manner in which we have been en-
abled to establish constitutions of
government for our safety and happi-
ness, and particularly the national
one now lately instituted; for the civil
and religious liberty with which we
are blessed, and the means we have
of acquiring and diffusing useful
knowledge, and in general for all the
great and various favOrs which he
hath been pleased to confer upon rs.
And also, that we may then unite
in most humbly offering our prayers
and applications to the great Lord
and ruler of nations, and beSeech him
to pardon our national and other
transgressiOns; to enable us all, wheth-
er in public or private stations. to
perform our several and relative du-
ties properly and punctually; to rem
der our national government a bles-
sing to all the people by constantly
being government of wise, just. and
constitutional laws, directly and faith
fully executed and obeyed; to protect
and guide all soveEeigns and nations
ESPECIALLY such as have shown kind
ness to u.s., and to bless them with
SSOcu SON SllllllClIl, lJtSttt anu COllCOINl.
to promote the knowledge and
practice of true religion and
virtue, and the increase of science
among them and us; and generally to
grant unto all mankind such degree
of temporal prosperity as he alone
knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the city of
New York, the third day of October,
in the year of our Lord one thousand
seven hundred and eighty-nine.
q. WASHINGTON.
Previous to 1864 Thanksgiving Day
had not been observed for many
years. But, thanks to the noble eff
forts of Christian woman and au-
thor, Sarah Josepha Buell. Hale, the
matter was finally taken up, and the
propriety Of the observance of an an
nual Thanksgiving Day was forcibly
and elOquently advocated through
the columns of magazine of which
she was editor President Lincoln
became interested in the matter-as
he always did in everything that was
for the good of the American people
and in 1864 issued a proclamation for
n daV of general tbaDl<SUiVinU I'm