Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-11-18
THANKSGIVING DAY.

Inc 1ro0lOent mas ISsuou pTOClhmhiOu
recommending that Thursday, the oath in
slant, be set aside and observed as . day of
thanksgiving, and the press, very generally,
is urging the people to compliance with
the proclamation.
Thanksgiving occasions have been OBJ
served almost annually In New England
from the year succeeding the landing Of the
Pilgrims in 1921, and in Revolutionary
times Thanksgiving Days were appointed
In New Netherlands. During the Revolu-
ton such days were observed in TIT, in
1888, In 1881 and 1884, at the close Of the
conflict. General Washington issued two
national thanksgiving proclAmations, one
In 1883 and the other In 1876. Madison
issued such proclamation Is 1916, after the
war with Great Britain.
The day was not annually observed as q
national festival, however, until the civil
war. Since 1859 we have had a national
Thanksgiving Day every year, and the Gov
ernors OF the States, as rule, have fixed
upon the national date for the State recog
milton Of the day. The regular national
observance began with the day appointed
TO give thanks for the blessing Of peace after
wasting civil war. The days appointed
for the purpose by the early Presidents were
also occasions for rendering thanks 70 Al
mighty God for the cessation of war or for
some signal triumph Of the Federal armies.
In the colonial era the festival had its orr
gin in the piety OF the Pilgrims. II was
time 10 show their gratitude for release from
their peculiar trials and perils and for boun.
tilul harvests.
Thanksgiving Day has long been OBJ
served on Thursday. Whatever association
this day Of the week may have with early
historical and religious events a mid week
festival was convenient, In primitive times,
for II enabled the members Of separated
families to journey considerable distances
by slow methods Of transit TO meet in joy
full Thanksgiving and return home without
invading the sanctity Of Sunday, an i'm.
portant consideration for the essentially re.
ligious commonwealth of the Pilgrims and
their descepdants for generations.
II would be out Of place here to revert In
detail to the quaint and curious methods of
the old lime Thanksgiving. 1t has grown
TO be beautiful national custom, minister
ing 10 religious feeling, inclining all thought
full men and women TO introspection and to
gratitude to the power above themselves
that holds in His hands the destlnIes Of ma
tions and individuals.
Some cause of thankfulness should be
found In every life. Many Of those from
whom what are commonly accounted the
good things of life have been withheld to a
greater or less degree, bear their depriva
tons with philosophical and religious res.
ignation TO the inevitable allotment OF the
great majority Of human kind. This spirit
of resignation in the calm outlook OF lie
and what 1t has In store Of good or Ill is
among the blessings for which we ought to
be thankful. One of the philosophers &C.
counted himself fortunate, not in the CON-
Portable possessions he had made his own,
but in the number of misfortunes he had
escaped.
When we rise to a national plane we ought
to be supremely thankful that we have es'
capped the fateiul evils Of war. This was, at
certain periods of human history, the nor
NAL conditions OF nations. In the provi.
dence of God the nations are less inclined
to armed collisions, and are becoming more
skilliul In minimizing international differ.
-. H., ~ n altar 10 la nnitv nf nationa war
is becoming less frequent, and we should be
profoundly thankful that the sinister service
of destruction has not been directed against
our own country. We have our national
troubles, but they are In most all instances
removable by wise craftsmanship. We have
been at war within the past twelve months
with foreign power, but the war is over
and our arms have triumphed, and our great
and growing country Is more united and
stronger than II has ever been.
This year the nation has been slgnally
blessed with abundant harvests. We have
been saved from "the pestileace that walketh
In darkness" The signs Of contentment and
happiness are observable all about US, and
he must be q very querulous man who can
not discover cause for national rejoicing
Fisher Ames, over hundred years ago, made
an always quotable comparison between
monarchy and republic, which still holds
good. A monarchy is man Of war, but a
single shot may send 1t TO the bottom. A re-
public 10 a raft Your feet are always wet,
but you cannot sink her Our quadrennial
presidential contests may cause the timid TO
fear for the republic, but these fierce political
battles are followed by the acquiescence and
and the national repose which auger well
for the perpetuity of our free institutions.
As every spark reflects the luster of its
Are fountain, 30 every object OF creation is
badged with exhibitions Of the goodness Of
God. The birds that far up in the atmos-
phere battle their plumage 10 the undimmed
sunshine-the cattle grazing calmly To day
on ten thousand verdant plains, and the
finy tribes of the mighty ocean sporting with
flashing scales amid flowers and plants no
human eye has ever seen-these all publish
In themselves and surroundings the good
netb Ol 0Ou. III tuo utouu uOouty VI viva
ton, in the innumerabe conveniences Prov
dentially lavished on us, and in the mighty
scheme of human redemption we may every
where catch the burden OF the song OF the
angels, "good will towards men," Difiusing
his goodness to oil men irrespective of char
acter or condition. David we'll exclaims,
"The Lord is good and doeth good" As
the natural sun-the brightest emblem Of
divine character, pours without diminish
ing his inexhaustible iullness, his crimson
splendors on all surrounding worlds, so God
imparts to all men the giits Of his love.
The lone pine today waving It's sombre
branches on the mountain slope calls the
sun my sun" The violet Of the meadow
holds up lie cup Of blue and with perfumed
breath gently whispers "my sun" as 1t re q.
4