The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-25
History Of the Day
We Celebrate
From the Washington Star.

Nnen, IN the year OF grace 1870, STURDY
Governor John Winthrop and the Puritan
colonists Of Massachusetts, proclaimed
and duly observed a Public thanksgIv-
ms" they probably had little idea of the
Importance which that festival was des-
tined to obtain in the history Of America.
The first Thanksgiving differed very ma
terially from its successors, In that it
was proclaimed as a fast and not as a
feast. Supplies had run short, the ships
expected from England we're delayed, ami
extinction threatened the governor and
company of Massachusetts bay in New
England" Winthrop and his council de-
c!ded to hold day of prayer and abstin-
ence, so that We Lorde be propltiatcl
and look upon His servants with favor
in that they have hu umbled themselves be-
fore Him. Accordingly a crier was sent
about the primitive settlement Of Charles
town, and the COlOBists were each ana all
invited to take part in the fast. Their
Sacrlhce met with speedy reward. Scarce
ly had the noon hour Of the allotted day
arrived whom the long-hoped-for ship
made its welcome appearance in Massl-
chusetts bay. the cargo was landed and
the fast was succeeded by a banquet of
sort which must have seemed Sumptuous
indeed to the eXiles SO recently plunged
in hunger and hardship. on the thres-
hold OF dreaded winter, Winthrop and lis
followers found what had been a prospect
piness and hope. Such was America $
first Thanksgiving, as celebrated 2G0
yCags ago. Thereafter each succeeding
November was marked in the annals Of
the colony by a similar festival of graft
tude
But Thanksgiving in the early days OF
our history was not confined to the New
England pioneers alone. Just fifteen years
after Winthrop's proclamation, /. e., in
l6i5 Governor Kieft Of the Dutch colony,
then known as Nieuw Amsterdam but
now as New York, ordered the observance
of a day of rejoicing and thanks, ''for
the rest and peace which God had been
pleased to bestCw upon His servants"
Thus we see that the feast of Thanksgiv-
ing is not, as generally supposed, PEE
Culiarly Puritan institution, but is equally
derived from the stalwart burghcrs Of
Manhattan Island. The next notable
Thanksgiving day in history fell in 1858.
ON that date the British and colonial
army, numbering $1,000 men, and COM
manded by General Forbes, attacked and
captured from the French, after Il fierce
struggle, Fort Duquesne, at the junction
of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.
The name OI the place was changed to
Fort Pitt and was the nucleus of the
city of Pittsburg. Thus in a special sense
the history of the great capital of the
the celebration of THANKSGIVING day. At
the time that the British were conquering
Fort Duqucsne, Whiteleld, the famous
Methodist preacher, called upon all mis-
adhercnts in London to join a service of
praise and thanks giving for the victories
of the English arms on land and sea.
This Pritish Thanksgiving was we are
told, widely observed, and awakened NJ
tense enthusiasm, not cnly among he
Mcthodists, but throughout all the diff
ferent sects. Whiteheld's idea was after
ward on several occasions revived in
England. For instance, in 1914 the gov
ernment proclaimed general thanksgiv-
ing for the victory of Waterloo. Again,
two years later, in 1919, proclamation was
made of Il popular Thanksgiving for the
restoration of peace. After the Crimean
war third jublaton of this nature took
place.
But meanwhile in New England, what
had been begun as an occasional day of
pious rejoicing had assumed the proper
tions Of fixed national holiday. In Mas
sachusetts and New Hampshire It was es-
peCialy popular. There was at first
great latitude in regard TO the day select
ed for the feast Governors proclaimed
the chosen date arbitrarily, and no eft ort
was made to keep the anniversary of
WinthrOp's proclamation. Sometimes
in midwintor. At length, through the eff
forts of the president ana professors Of
Harvard college, 1t was practically fixed
upon the last Thursday I'm November.
The college faculty were moved to inter-
est themselves in the question by the
fact that the uncertainty regarding the
date caused considerable disorder among
their pupils Boys from different states
celebrated on different days many Of
them returning home to eat the Thanks
giving meal under their own rooftress.
This very Undesirable state of affairs
could only be put stop to, said the
grave Harvard Gons, by the formal es-
Enlistment of a uniform date for the
feast. The last Thursday of the eleventh
month suited the colegians, and, inhu-
ence being brought to bear upon the col
onial governors Of New England procla-
nations were issued making that day the
regular Thanksgiving.
%
In the south THANKSGIVING, as an an
nual festival, remarked practically uu.
known until, in 1866, the curious Vir-
ginian controversy on the subject was
precipitated. This controversy, which is
not generally known, deserves a brief no
tice. The governor of Virginia at ,he
time was one Johns, paSiotic and
broad-minded gentleman, who had al
ways entertained reverence for the
u'l'dl anniversary WINCH was Dy no
means common below Mason and DiXon's
line. Governor Johns, in a letter to the
state legislature, urgently recommended
the recognition of THANKSGIVING in Vir-
ginia, and offered. in case his recommen-
dation proved satisfactory to at once
issue proclamation. But the legislature
Of Washington's state did not look upon
the New England holiday with favor
Governor Johns was advised not to make
the Thanksgiving proclamation and as
he did not do so, the matter was allowed
temporarily to drop. But public interest
had been awakened, and before long a