Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-11-27
THANKSGIVING, A. d. 1902.

"Glorlous New England Thou art
still true to thy ancient fame, and
worthy of thy ancestral honors. We,
thy children, have assembled in this
far distant land to celebrate thy birth
day. A thousand fond associations
throng upon us, reused by the spirit of
the hour. On thy pleasant valleys rest,
like sweet dews of morning, the gen.
tie recollections Of our early life;
around thy hills and mountains cling,
like gathering msts, the mighty mem.
cries of the Revolution; and far away
in the horizon of thy past CLEAN, lge
thy own bright northern lights, the
awful virtues of our pilgrim sires."
This eloquent and deserved tribute,
uttered more than half century ago
by the gifted Prentiss, is true today,
and is significant Of the lasting and
healthful impress with which New
England has set the seal Of her mould
ing and formative influences upon the
growth and institutions Of our country.
Not least among these institutional
gifts of hers is this day of Thanks
giving. From the small leaven of the
local custom Of n people of narrow
creed and forbidding exterior; starting
from an inhospitable shore; nurtured
: upon harsh air, and springing from
q grudging soil, this occasion has be.
come one fruitful in devout thanks, not
only In name, but in return for such
undoubted evidences of the nourishing
supervision of a kind Providence
through all our borders, as history has
never before noted or recorded And It
Is a season for grateful recognition of
Gods bounteous care for His children
wherever the jurisdistion Of our gov,
ernment extends. Surely this day In
the American people is fulfilled the
promise of Isaiah that they shall ride
upon the high places Of the EARTH"
If fifty years ago this institutional
gift of New England was thought
worthy of celebration in distant state,
much more now are we called upon
to renew our vows Of allegiance to fits
memory, by virtue of the widened and
enlarged causes for gratitude which to.
day call upon all that Is within us to
rise up and return thanks for our lot.
The intervening half century has been
time OF tolls and battles; of bitter
contentious and fierce hatreds; of I'M
remitting struggles and many discour,
ngements, and yet Of healthful pro-
gress In every way and relation Of life.
ae Fifty years ago saw us loose and
i'l-dc6ned agglomeration of states, each
claiming, and often exercising, the
right Of overriding and defying the
general government, even within the
sphere Of national influence In that
day chattel slavery not only was n
law-protected institution of the cOun-
NY, but II dominated all our policies,
Was recognized by all political parties,
and especially defended and avowed
BY the most powerful one Of them.
At that time the people of the United
States were but feebly cropping toward
THAT mighty grasp of industrial enter,
prise which now differentiates them
from their immediate predeces
sors, and had not yet dis
severed within themselves the
sbls administrators upon every field
OF human adventure, the men wht
strong, self-centered and OF mighty
poise. have since not only carried theil
arms and their flag to every sea, bu
have waged the bloodless wars o.
peaceful rivalry IN all the arts of peac,
through each nook and corner of thi
round world of ours.
Today the loose partnership of dis
ccrdant states, bound together will
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