East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-29
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING

killed or compelled to fly TO the forti-
fled towns, but by midsummer the
rising was quelled and many Indians
had been killed.
The leader, however, King Phillip
son of Massasoit, the early friend of
the whites, succeeded in stirring up
others, and in April. 1870, the war
whoop again resounded in the colo
! MES of Massachusetts, Connecticut
and Rhode Island. The settlers unit
ed for defense, and the combined
forces of the colonists soon convinced
the savages their efforts were in
vain. King Phillip was killed August
II, and on receipt of the news the
Plymouth settlers set the 18th OF the
same month as a day to rejoice and
give thanks for the death of their
implacable foe. AS they were leav-
ing the church at the close of the
services, some soldiers came into view
with the head of the fallen chieftain
on a pole.
Nine towns were destroyed wholly
or in part in this uprising. and aboSt
600 white lives lost. The death of
their leader dismayed the Indians and
the various tribes fastened to make
peace.
For some years no Thanksgiving
Day seems to have been set, probably
owing in part to the friction between
the church and state authorities. on
one occasion, when the Plymouth
colony had set a date for such a
service, Governor Andross. who had
not been consulted. cancelled 1t. and
issued a proclamation setting a later
day.
The first attempt at national or
general observance was in 1777, when
the Continental congress ordered the
vote November / to thanks for the
capture of Burgoyne's army at Sara
toga, and the following year pro-
claimed December 81 as a day of re-
joicing for the alliance formed with
France. In 1889, in the first congress
of the states, a resolution appointing
November 26 as day to give thanks
for the founding of the constitution
was opposed by several members. one
of them saying that he could not see
why thanks should be given until
something had been accomplished
that the nation was an experiment and
the constitution untried, but the reso-
luton was passed.
President Washington set Febru-
ary 10, 1875, as a Thanksgiving Day.
but there was no further recognition
OF the custom until 1915, when Presi-
dent Madison. who had issued three
calls for days of fasting and prayer
during the war of 1912, set a day of
rejoicing to celebrate the signing of
the treaty Of peace with England.
In 1917 the governor of New York
was the only one in authority to rec
ognize the propriety of a day to re-
turn thanks for a prosperous year.
From that time there was a steady
increase of believers in this form of
recognizing a high power, until in
1858, all the governors but six issued
proclamations, Governor Wise Of Vir-
ginia refusing, because. he said. the
state had no authority in any religious
matter, and he did not think It any OF
his business II people went to church
or not.
Lincoln's Proclamation.
In 1863 President Lincoln appoint
ed two days, one in August to rejoice
over the victory at Gettysburg, and
another in November to give praise
for the general progress of the union
cause and bountiful harvest. These
were celebrated in every northern
state. Since 1863 the date for this an
nual service has been after the har-
vests have been gathered in Novem-
ber, when the frost is on the pump
kin and the folders in the shock"
In 1875 President Grant issued a
proclamation for a special observance
of July 4, the centennial of the Dec
laration Of Independence.
The custom of the day being set
apart to give thanks for our national
prosperity is a good one and will en-
dure: there is no longer any question
of authority or doubt as to its pro-
priety, but it has become as much a
| national holiday as the Fourth Of
July, and of 1t may be said: Men may
come and men may CO. but 1t goes on
| forever"