Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-26
THE PROCLAMATION.
President RooseveIt's Designation of
the Day We Celebrate.

Here is the text of President Roosc-
velts Thanksgiving proclamation. 1t
was published month ago but IS
worth reading again today.
by the President of the United States
of America: A Proclamation.
Once again the season is at hand
when, according to the ancient custom
of our people, it becomes the duty of
the President to appoint a day of pray
CT and of thanksgiving to God.
Year by year this nation grows in
strength and worldly power During
the century and quarter that has
elapsed since our entry into the circle
of Independent peoples we have grown
and prospered in material things TO a
degree never known before and not
now known in any other country. The
13 colonies which struggled along the
ScacOaSt of the Atlantic and were
hemmed in but a few miles west of
tideWater by the Indian hunted wilder
ness, have been transformed into the
mightiest republic which the world has
ever seen. Its domains stretch across
the continent from one to the other of
the two greatest oceans and 1t eXerci-
Ses dominion alike in the Arctic and
tropic realms. The growth in wealth
and population has surpassed even the
growth in territory. Nowhere else il
the world is the average of individual
comfort and material wel-being as
high as in our fortunate land.
For the very reason that in material
Well-being we have thus abounded. we
owe it to the Almighty to show equal
progress in moral and spiritual things.
WITH a nation, as with individuals who
make up nation, material Well-being
IS an Indispensable foundation. But the
foundation availS nothing by itself
That life is wasted and worse than
wasted, which is spent in piling, heap
upon heap. those things which minister
merely to the pleasure of the body and
to the power that rests on wealth
Upon material wcll-being as a foun-
dation must lie raised the structure of
the lofty life Of the spirit if this nation
is properly to fulfil its great mission
and t. accomi lish all that we so ar
dcEtly hope and desire. The things Of
the body are good; the things of the in
tellcct better; but best of all are the
things of the soul; for, in the nation, as
in the individual, in the long run it is
character that counts. Let us, there
fore as people set our faces reSo!uteIy
against evil, and with broad charity
with kindness and good will toward
all mon, but with unflinching determin-
aIion to smite down wrong. strive with
all the strength that is given ~ for
righteousness in public and in private
life.
Now. therefore, I. Theodore Roose-
welt. President of. the Tnitet1 States,
do set apart Thursday. the 26th day of
November next, as a day of general
thanksgiving ard prayer and on tht.
DAY | recommend that the people shall
cease from their daily work. and, III
their homes on in their churches, meet
dcvoutly to thank the Almighty for the
many ana great blessings they have
received in the past, and to pray that
they may be given strength so TO order
their lives as to deserve continuation
of these blessings in the future.
In witness whereof. have hereunto
set my hand and caused the seal of the
United States to be affixed
Done at the city of Washington this
31st day of October in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and
eight. ana Of the independence of the
United States the one hundred and
thirty-third.
Theodore Roosevelt
b. the President:
Alvey A. Adee, acting secretary of
state.