The Van Buren press., 1904-11-19
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Why We
Give Thanks
HT0HE United States of America is
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wILLIAM RoSSER coBBE


the one and only civilized ma
II tion upon earth which makes
no acknowledgment of God in its con-
stitution or its laws French inhdelity
brought to the struggling colonies by
the soldiers Of Louis XVI, supple
mented with reading Of Voltaire and
Rousseau, together with the powerful
influence Of Thomas Paine, who sub
sequently wrote his Age of Reason,
had made shipwreck OF the faith of
the fathers of the young republic.
While Washington and Hamilton,
although in no sense religious, would
have assented readily to recognition
in some wise of the Deity, Jefferson
and other free thinkers opposed the
proposition vigorously, and it was
signally defeated.
Again and again in subsequent
years efforts were made to set apart
a day by the nation for thanksgiving,
prayer and praise to God for His
blessings No less than three presi-
dents refused outright to recommend
such a day, declaring there was no au-
thCrity for it in the constitution or
the laws.
1t was not until the civil war, when
there was weeping in every household
for the loved that had been slain in
battle-not until after the signal sue
Cogo Of N{ol ub,1rcy aud Ca4tvgburo lin
September, 1869, that Lincoln re-
quested the people to commemorate
these successes on a given day b.
heartfelt prayers Of thanksgiving and
praise to the God of battles and OF
peace. Mr. Lincoln was not himself a
religious man, but he knew the people
to be God-fearing, and he had faith
in the people, whom he sought to
serve as well as to govern justly and
righteously,
Let it not be forgotten that while
Thanksgiving day, thus inaugurated
by Mr.. Lincoln, and duly observed
every year since that time, has no au-
thority in law. No president has a
right to order an observance OF
Thanksgiving day He only can re-
quest the people TO observe such a
day. So little Is his authority in the
matter recognized that his proclama-
tion is supplemented with a proclama-
ton by the governors Of the as states
composing the union. There Is no ma
tional holiday, neither Fourth of July,
nor Christmas, nor Labor day, nor
Thanksgiving day, nor Decoration
day. The constitution delegates no
power to the congress to legislate up
on such a subject for the states. A
majority of the latter, however, have
by legislative enactment, made
Thanksgiving day legal holiday.
Yet, while the voice of the constitu-
tion and the laws of the nation are
silent concerning God and His watch
ful care over His people, the inhabi-
tants of the land are God-serying and
God-fearing. No other land can show
such abundant church accommoda-
tons, or so generous provisions for
the clergy of these churches, No other
nation can point TO so many and gem
erous fruits Of godly faith and prac-
tice as seen in hospitals and asylums
for the widow and fatherless and
they that have none to keep them No
other country can compare with this
in the bigness Of contributions by the
rich for the relief Of the poor.
This is a people whose God is the
Lord. When the president makes
proclamation, setting apart the last
Thursday Of November as a day Of
Thanksgiving, he does it IN the conf
dence that all of the people, without
regard to creed or sect, will observe it.
lie knows that all the great wheels Of
factories will be stopped, that the
great hammers Of the shops will be
silent, that the places Of business will
be closed, that the farmers will rest
from their toll, and that all the mines
win cease their operations in obedI-
cnce to his request
Meet right and proper is It that this
spirit should prevail in American
breasts, for God has blessed this ma
tion as no other nation Of the earth
has been blessed, 1t is first in wealth,
manufactures, in mining, in farming.
It leads all other nations in foreign
trade II Is separated by wide seas
from other great nations, so that no
great standing army Is needed for the
maintenance Of It's peace, Seedtme
and harvest never fail within It's bor-
der and It's people are spared the pes
thence that stalketh at MONDAY and
the famine that maketh desoate the
remote places Of earth, It's people are
bound together by common interest
and love their country next after their
God and their homes
The closing year has been one OF
peace and prosperity throughout the
land The products OF mine and field
have been bounteous. There have
been no storms to make afraid and
no calamties to excite grief or terror.
In recognition OF the truth that all
good things come from God and that
He has been peculiarly generous to
this land there Will be general OBJ
seryanco OF this Thanksgiving day, in
the which the people will acknowledge
His benefits and praise His mercy and
goodness
CAUSE FOR GRIEF.