Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-21
One on the Governors Of Various
States With Reference TO
Thanksgiving.
IS AN AMERICAN FESTIVAL.
Lincoln The First Chief Magistrate to
Annually Name the Day--Manner
OF Observance In Europe.

| dent Roosevelt "scooped" the govern
| Crs of the various states when he an
nounced the date for Thanksgiving
day and yet everyone in the country,
who pays any attention TO legal holi-
days knew long ago that Thursday the
29th day OF November would certain
IS be designated as the day for ma
tlonal thanksgiving and prayer. In
fact the almanac and calendar max
ers called the turn on the date more
TIM year ago.
President Lincoln was the first chief
magistrate 70 annually name day
for general Thanksgiving and for
about 40 years now the last Thursday
In November has been the day select
ed.
This holiday Is peculiarly an Amer
lean festival, for while all Christian
nations. or nations In which the
Christian religion predominates among
the people. celebrate the natal day OF
the Savior on the 25th OF December
no other sets apart annually n day
for general Teasing and thanks for
blessings received.
SUGGESTED BY HEBREW FEAST
Thanksgiving In the abstract Is an
annual religious festival suggested by
the Hebrew feast OF tabernacles, or
feast OF ingathering at the end OF the
year. The occasional observance OF
a day for thanksgiving formerly re-
commended by the civil authorities
was not unusual In Europe. Such a
day was observed In Leyden, Holland,
on Oct. 3. 1875. the first anniversary
OF the deliverance Of that city from
siege
In 1905 the Pilgrim church, exiled
from England. went TO Holland, and
remained there till 1920, when II set
on the Mayfower colony TO New Eng
land After the first harvest OF the
colonists at Plymouth In 1921, Gov.
Bradford set out four men with fowl
ing pieces that they might after a
more special manner rejoice together"
In July. 1923. a day OF fasting and
prayer was appointed on account of
drouth. Rain came abundantly while
they We're praying. and the governor
appointed day Of thanksgiving.
which was observed with religious
services. The Charlestown records
show a similar change of fast day into
thanksgiving In 1881 on account OF
the arrival Of supplies from Ireland.
SOMETIMES HELD TWICE.
In June. 1882. Gov. Winthrop of
Massachusetts, Bay Colony, recon-
mended day Of thanksgiving for the
action OF the British privy council
favorable 10 the colonies, and invited
the governor Of Plymouth to unite
with him. There Is record IT the
off al nj . Ia,
giving In Massachusetts, Bay in 1888
1884, 1888 and 1899. sometimes
thanksgiving was held more than one
day in the year. In Plymouth such
days were held In 1861, 1868 and 1850.
1t was also held In the years 1889 and
1899, when the form OF the RECOMMEND
do lion Indicates that IL had become
an annual custom
Occasional Thanksgiving days were
appointed by the Dutch governors of
New Neiherland In 1914, f645, 1856
aHd 1865, and by the English COVER
nors Of New York In 1855 and 1890.
NATIONAL INSTITUTION,
During the Revolution THANKSGIVING
day was national institution, being
annually recommended By Congress.
After the general thanksgiving for
peace In 1884. there was no national
appointment Until 1889. when Presi-
dent Washington, by request OF Con-
sress advised day OF Thanksgiving
for the adoption OF the Constitution.
Washington issued a second Thanks
Swing proclamation In 1875 on ac-
count OF the suppression of the In
surrection
President Madison, by request OF Con-
gress. recommended Thanksgiving for
peace In April, 1915. The official recon-
mendaflon Of Thanksgiving day was
mainly confined to New England where
regular annual proclamations were Is
sued by the governors OF the states.
The day was observed almost general
~ with religious services, and was the
principal social and home festival Of
the year.
The prayer book OF the Protestant
Episcopal church. ratified in 1889, rec
ommends for a day Of thanksgiving the
first Thursday IN November, unless an
other day be appointed by tho civil au-
thorltles, There were occasional rec.
concentrations by other religious bodies.
and various local customs prevailed In
different parts OF the country. How
ever, the day was not regularly rocom-
mended by the governor OF New York
until 1877. and Its adoption IN tho south
ern states was much later.
PRocLAMATIoNs ISSUED.
In 1855 Gov. johnson of Virginia rec
O day of thanksgiving, Two
years later Gov. Wise was requested to
do so, but declined, because he deemed
himself unauthorized to interfere In re-
Iigious matters. A year later, 1855.