Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-11-16

rally from its sue
cess0rs in that 1t
was proclaimed as fast and not as a
| feast, ii terminated in festiyity. Sup
| plies had run short, the ships expected
| from England were delayed, and eX-
| tinction threatened the governor and
company Of Massachusetts Bay in New
England" Winthrop and his council
decided to hold day of prayer and alb
| stinence, 80 that We Lorde be pro-
pltiated and locke upon his servants
with favor in that they have humbled
themselves before him." Accordingly
crier was sent about the primitive
settlement at Charlestown, and the
colonists were each and all invited to
take part in the fast. Their sacrifice
met with speedy reward.
Scarcely had the noon hour of the al
lotted day arrived when the long hop
ed for ship made its welcome appear
ance in Massachusetts bay, the cargo
was landed, and the fast was succeed
ed by a banquet of sort which must
have seemed sumptuous indeed to the
exiles SO recently plunged in hunger
and hardship. On the threshold of
dreaded winter Winthrop and his fol-
lowers found what had been n pros
pect Of fear and peril changed into one
Of happiness and hope. Such was
Americas first Thanksgiving as cele-
brated 260 years ago. Thereafter each
cuooaodinU Nnvon, hnp WINS mo oil In
the annals of the colony by similar
festival of gratitude.
But Thanksgiving in the early days
OF our history was not confined to the
New England pioneers alone. Just 10
years after Winthrops proclamation
|. e., in 1G45-Governor Kieft of the
Dutch colony, then known as Nieuw
Amsterdam, but now as New York, or
dered the observance of day of re-
joicing and thanks "for the rest and
peace which God had been pleased to
bestOw upon his servants"
The next notable Thanksgiving day
in history fell in 1853. On that date
the British and colonial army, com
manded by General Forbes, attacked
and captured from the French, after
fierce struggle, Fort Duquesne, at
the junction of the Allegheny and Mo-
nongahela rivers. The name of the
place was changed to Fort Pitt and
was the nucleus of the city Of Pitts
burg. Thus in special sense the his
tory of the great capital of the coal and
iron Industries is connected with the
celebration of Thanksgiving day.
But meanwhile in New England what
had been begun as an occasional day Of
pious rejoicing had assumed the pro-
| portions of a fixed national holiday.
In Massachusetts and New Hampshire
1t was especially popular. There was
at first great latitude in regard to the
day selected for the feast. Governors
| proclaimed the chosen date arbitrarily
and no effort was made to keep the an
niversary Of Winthrop's proclamation
Sometimes Thanksgiving ocurrced in
July, sometimes in midwinter. At
length, through the efforts of the presi-
dent and professors Of Harvard col
lege, it was practically fixed upon the
last Thursday in November.
In the south Thanksgiving as an an
nual festival remained practically un-
known until in 1865 the curious yir-
ginia controversy on the subject was
precipitated. This controversy, which
is not generally known, deserves brief
notice. The governor of Virginia at the
time was one Johns, patriotic and
broad minded gentleman, who had al
ways entertained reverence for the
Puritan anniversary which was by no
means common below Mason and Dix
on's line. Governor Johns. in letter
to the state legislature, urgently rec
commended the recognition of Thanks
giving in Virginia and offered, in case
his recommendation proved satisfac
tory, to at once issue proclamation.
But the legislature of Washington's
state did not look upon the New Eng
land holiday with favor Governor
Johns was advised not to make the
Thanksgiving proclamation and, as he
1 did not do so. the matter was allowed
I temporarily to drop. But public inter
est had been awakened. aud before
long fierce debate WAS raging in Viz
ginia between the opponents and sup
/ pOrters of the proposed southern
Thanksgiving. At last III 1851 Govern
or Wise, Johns successor, took the
metaphorcal bull by the horns and is
+ sued a proclamation setting apart
I day for the feast. His action caused
much angry criticism. and several
southern newspapers declared that
( Thanksgiving was simply II relic OF
4 Puritanic bigotry." In spite of this. the
innovation was warmly welcomed The
hospitable southernerS greeted gladly
another holiday. and the northern feast
soon ranked among them as second in
importance only TO the glorious Fourth
itself In 1888. the year after WiSe's
proclamation. no fewer than eight gov
ernOrs of southern states proclaimed
Thanksgiving in their sections. The
war, however. coming shortly after
ward. practically extinguished the
popularity of the holiday in Dixie