The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-23
WHAT THANKSGIVING IS
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
THIS ANNUAL HOLIDAY.
Thanksgiving of the Early Pilgrims
south During the Civil War.
Brooklyn Eagle.


view of Thanksgiving day: THE great So
cial and religious festival of New England,
from which it has spread to most of the
States Of the American republic, is a legacy
of the Puritans. They abolished Christmas
as a relic Of popery or Of prelacy, which
they held in nearly equal detestation, and
passed laws 20 punish its observance; but.
wanting some day to replace it, the colonial
assemblies and, later, the governors of the
States, appointed every year some day in
autumn, generally toward the end of No
vember, as a day of solemn prayer and
thanksgiving for the blessings of the year,
and especially the bounties of the harvest
Thanksgiving day is always celebrated
on Thursday, and the same day is chosen in
most of the States. The Governors procla-
nation is read in all the churches and
there are appropriate sermons and religious
exercises. Families widely scattered meet
at the bountiful THANKSGIVING dinner of roast
turkey, plum pudding and mince and
pumpkin pies. The evenings are devoted by
the young people to rustic games and
amusements.
1.-The subjects Of the Thanksgiving SER
mons are not infrequently of political
character, and in the chief towns Of the
Union those of the most popular preachers
are generally published in the newspapers.
The Thanksgiving festival, though widely
celebrated, is not so universally respected
as formerly, as the influx of Roman Catho-
lies and Episcopalians has brought Christ
mas again into vogue. which is also kept
by the Unitarians with considerable solem-
nifty. AS a peculiar American festival, it
will, however, long be cherished by the de-
scendants of the. Puritans"
DR.. Chambers is wrong in one statement.
Thanksgiving day has not lost any of its
popularity either as a religious social
festival, but on the contrary, has grown in
favor until it's celebration extends from
Maine to Texas, and from New York to
California The time was when ThankSgfv-
ing was only observed in the New England
states and not elsewhere to any great ex-
tent. 1t was quite common occurrence
for Brooklyn and New York business men
mailing from the Eastern States to cele-
brate two Thanksgiving days, one in either
Massachusetts, or Rhode Island and the
other in New York. And some of the ex-
ecutlveS of the Southern States entertained
very peculiar views regarding even the is
suing of a thanksgiving proclamation.
While in 1855 Governor Johnson, of Vir-
glnia, was willing to recommend a day Of
thanksgiving, Governor Wise, of the same
State, in 1857, on being requested to issue
q proclamation naming a day for religious
observance and thanksgiving, refused to do
SO on the ground that he was not author
Thanksgiving, as a national celebration in
the United States, dates from the year 1868,
when President Lincoln issued his procla-
nation recommending the peoples Of all the
states to meet on a certain day in their
respective places Of worship and return
Thanksgiving for the manifold blessings of
the year.
WHAT SUGGESTED IT.
Thanksgiving day was originally suggest
ed by the Hebrew feast of the Tabernacles
or feast of ingathering at the end of the
year." formal recommendation by the
civil authorities of day to be set apart for
that purpose and its occasional observance
In Europe in the fifteenth century was not
an unusual occurrence. The first anniver-
sary of the deliverance of the city of Ley
den, Holland, from siege was celebrated in
that city on Oct. 8. 1876, by thanksgiving
and rejoicing. In 1920 the Pilgrims who had
been eXiled from England to Holland, from
the year 1915 sent number of colonists in
the Mayhower to America, where they could
worship tb to to the New
at Plymouth, Mass, and at the close of the
first harvest in 1921 Governor Bradford sent
four men out fowling, that they might aft
Owing to severe drought, a day devoted
to fasting and prayer was observed in July,
1923" While the coloniStS were at prayer
the clouds opened and rain poured down
upon the earth abundantly. So grateful
were the Puritans that the Governor of the
colony named a day for special Thanksgiving
which was subsequently duly observed In
1851 the PuritanS waited patiently for sup
plies from Ireland and finally were about
to observe q fast day on account of the nom
arrival of the ship containing the same.
Their fast was changed into thanksgiving
when a sail was reported and the safe ar
rival Of their relief was announced. On ac-
count of the favorable action of the British
Privy Council toward the colonists, Cover
nor winthrop, of the colony of Massachu-
sets Bay, in June, 1852, recommended day
of thanksgiving and invited the Governor
of the colony of Plymouth to unite in OBJ
were also observed in Massachusetts Bay
colony in the years 1888, 1854, 1857, 1853 ana
1899; in Plymouth colony in 1851. leSS, 1850, 1853
and $780, and in New Netherlands by the APP
pointment of the Dutch governors In 1914
l645, 1865 and 1864, and by proclamation OF
the English governors of New York in 1155
and 1850. According to Gabriel Furman
governor Peter Stuyvesant made a COM
muncation to the Church (Fteformed Dutch)
of Brooklyn on Long island, on the last day
of June, 1868, directing the fourth day OF
July following to be observed as day OF
thanksgiving because among other Things
the English had been defeated IN tnelT at
temnt 10 take possession of the whole OF
Long island by the timely arrival OF a Dutch
fleet of armed ships in the bay of New Am
During the revolutionary war Thanksgiv-
ing day was annually celebrated at the rec
ommendation OF Congress, put WIN the a., , "a
there was no national appointment TIL lisJ:
when President Washington, by request OF
Congress recommended a day OF thanks
giving for the adoption of the Constitu-
ton The suppression of the insurrectlon
in 1895 was the occasion OF special THANKS
giving and called forth a second proclaIna-
ton from the patriot President.
A NEW ENGLAND DAY.
At the request of Congress President
Madison, in April 1916, recommended spe-
cial day of thanksgiving owing to the sue
cessful termination of the war between
England and the United States The civil
recognition of the day was confined to the
New England States, and, although the
Protestant Episcopal Prayer Book OF 1888
recommended the first Thursday in Novem-
Der as a day Of Thanksgiving, unless the
various state authorities selected some
other day for the purpose, and notwith-
standing various recommendations Of
fered by other religious bodies, there was
no official cogniZance of the day by any or
tho American Governors of New York until
On April 10, 1862 President Lincoln issued
a proclamation recommending the people OF
the United States on their day of worship
.to give thanks to Almighty God for the
consolation for those who had been brought
into affiiction by the calamities OF civil
war" The victories were the capture or
Island No 10, on the Mississippi river.
April T. and the battle of Pittsburg Land
ing fought on April and z, 1862.
Friday May &c. 1862, was again celebrated
nv the IConfederates as fast day, and in
the proclamation of President Davis calling
Tor The observance of the same occurs the
following noteworthy passage: Recent dis
sorrow sits at the heartstones of our coun-
trvYnen but people conscious OF rectitude