Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-11-25
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1897
thanksgiving

Appointed by the governor, with the
advice and consent of the council,
and in conformity with the proelama-
ton OF the President OF the United
States, il is in essence not civil day,
but a religious day; and its obser-
vance is binding upon us, if indeed it
is binding at all, not because we are
residents of this State or OF this ma
ton, but because we are citizens of
the kingdom of God
That it is appointed by the civil
authorities rather than by ecelesiasti-
cal councils is due to the fact that.
born in the early days of the colonies,
when the two functions were one. the
marks Of it's birth still cling to it, and
to the second fact that no national &C.
clesiastical council exists or can exist
in this country to appoint such day.
Were it not appointed by the civil au-
thorities, such day in our country
could not be appointed at all.
What are the reasons given in the
proclamation appointing this day
His exccliency says:
Tile present ycat has brought to the people
of Maine fair degree Of prosperity. aud al.
though the harvest ha- been les botintiful than
usual, W. have moved Coward in liierty aud
peace. We have been -ignally preserved from
great caamitj.~ aud pe-tilenee and have very
much Ter which to 4e truly thankful"
One is led to wonder, as he reads,
If kes of ba
in affirming the proclamation of the
President, do so in order to specialize
what the President, on account of the
extent OF his territory, and its differ
ing climates and productive condi
tons, can say only in general terms.
1t is obvious that the second of the
reasons given by the governor of
Maine would be little less than satire
if read to-day in Louisiana; while the
first reason would express very mad
equately, if at all, the condition of the
people of those western states where
the harvest has been so bountifu and
so rich.
And one is led to ask if God has
preserved Maine from pestience and
calamities, whether He is not respon-
sible just as truly for the yellow fever
in the city of New Orleans. and the
loss of life on the New York Central
railroad
The proclamation is modest indeed
in claiming for our own State only
flair degree of prosperity. Is the
inference legitimate that fair
amount OF thanks would be an honest
equivalent?
We should then have in our nation
three grades of Thanksgiving Day:
Louisiana would have none at all.
Maine would have fair amount of
observance.
The great West would have the
only reason for a true Thanksgiving
Day.
One cannot help feeling if thanks
giving and Thanksgiving Day are to
thrive upon no more substantial facts
than personal and exclusive care for
US by an omnipotent power, that ii is
the feast, and had better pass away
The comforting fact is that it is
based upon facts which are eternal;
there was a reason for its birth, It's
growth, its power, which has not
ceased to be reason, and which
never viii lose its force so long as
man remains man. II was born out
of the thank fulness of the human
heart, and it will grow stronger rather
than weaker as human hearts beat
more tenderly toward one another.
"Murder will out" says an old
proverb; so will thankfulness, and
when it is out in thought, in word, in
deed an eternal thanksgiving is cele-
brated upon the earth.
What we are thankful for is for the I
gift of life; that we are partakers and
sharers of the universal JOY and sor-
row of the world; that it is given to |
us to make the burdens of the world |
lighter, its joys more and more in
tense. 1t is true it is harder for US to
enumerate the reasons for our thank i,
fitness; it is harder for us to catalogue
our blessings, and when one asks us
why he should be thankful, or what is
the use of being thankful, We may find |
it hard to answer him. But it may be |
that the fault is not SO much our fault |
as his own. If one asks US why he
should enthuse over natural scenery;
why he should laugh with Dickens or
sorrow with liking Lear" We may
find it impossible to answer him. In
one sense there is no reason, no utii-