St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-11-26
FIRST NATIONAL THANKSGIVING.
President washingtOn's Proclamation.

President WashingtOn's Proclamation.
Some years ago Rev. Dr. !. w. We'll.
man wrote the Congregationalist the fol-
lowing story which is especially timely
Thanksgiving week:
Wien President Lincoln, during the
war. issued his first proclamation for
dav Of public thanksgiving and prayer,
the papers, both secular and religious,
frll INTO discussion of the question,
whether that proclamation were not the
first of the kind ever issued by Presi
dent Of the United States. Some of them
answered the question very positively in
the affirmative. Others denied that it
was the first.
Having in my possession what would
seem to &c positive evidence upon the
subject, VIZ, printed proclamation a
hpndred years old, issued by request of
"ho,h houses of Congress-" appointing
"a day OF public Thanksgiving and prayer"
and signed, &c. Washington" it has
occurred to me that a copy of this proc
lamation might be of public interest; not
only as deciding the above question, but
also from the fact that we have now
reached theone hundredth anniversary of
that first national Thanksgiving Day.
The original is printed upon thick,
white paper, fifteen by twelve and one
tourthmlhts, and is in quite good state
ot preservation. 1t came down TO me as
an heirloom from my great grandfather,
William Ripley, Esq, OF Cornish, N. H.
1t will be remembered by some that
during the late war-strange as it may
seem now-another question, of infinitely
more moment than the one just men
toned, was discussed, namely, whe her
this people is a nation. George Wash
ington, in tn S his proclamation, issued
in the first year OF his first admlnistra,
ton, called the people of the United States
"a Nation" beginning the word with q
capital N. He spoke of the people o.
this Country OF the several colon
ial governments-but OF "the people o
this Country previous to their becoming
Nation" (The italics are mine)
Clearly the implication is that he re
garded the people OF this Country,
when organized into this Republic OF thu
United States. as having become a ma
ton. He also spoke OF Our Nat1ona
Government and OF "our National ant
other Trangresslons."
1t will belurther noticed that this mos
excellent proclamation, in its form, it
general literary style, and in its aroma
OF profound and Ieyerent piety, is very
like the best samples of those annua
official announcements of our great New
England festival, which have b er
familiar, and dearly so, to the people O
New England from the very beginning
This suggests the question, whethe
President Washington may not hav
read some OF those ancient proclama
tions made BY the Colonial New Englan
Governors for a day Of public thanksglV
ing and prayer, and so have been encouI
aged to give Tree expression to his ow
deep and iervent religious sympathles.
At any rate, this first official proclama
ton for national Thanksgiving Day
issued so opportunity i'll the early morn
ing OF our national history, is SO httln
in form and matter, so excellent ever
way, that it may safely be proposed a
model for the guidance and inspiratlo
of all our future Presidents, and OF a
Governors of the individual States a
well, in the drafting OF their Thanksgi'
ing proclamations.
TCopy of President Washingtons frs
Thanksgiving Proclamation
BY THE
DPESIDENT