The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-29
Concerning the Origin Of Thanksgiving Day
Oyances by the Pilgrim Fathers and Celebrations that Preced
ed Our Annual Feas-A PresntDay Lamenhbe Deterioration
Of the Thanksgiving Spirit
emn thanksgiving and praise through
out the United States.

emn thanksgiving and praise through
out the United States.
Washington during his first admin
istration issued two thanksgiving
proclamations one in 1889 and the
other in 1895, just after the suppress
sion Of the whisky rebellion" which
had threatened to be serious men
ace to the peace Of the country, and
President Madison issued one in 1915
upon the declaration OF peace. The
colonial custom. however, was fol-
lowed in the early years of the nation
and the proclamations were made by
the governors The same rule was
later observed in the western states,
the population OF which was largely
people from New England or New
York, and gradually the governors OF
those states and also the southern
states followed the initiative taken BY
the governor of New York in 1917, and
issued annual proclamations, Cover
nor johnson of Virginia adopting it in
1856, and in 1858 Thanksgiving day
was proclaimed in eight of the south
ern states.
The day had naturally grown to be
almost universally observed as ma
tional institution when President Lin
coin, during the civil war, issued. his
first proclamation in 1862, on account
| OF the first important victory Of the
national arms. A second proclamation
was issued by him in 1863, and that
year marked the beginning of the
presidential proclamation Of the an.
nual Thanksgiving in November, his
proclamation of 1854 designating the
last Thursday in November as the
| day to be observed. Since that time
the annual proclamation for nation
al Thanksgiving has been made by the
president, the governors OF the states
following the example and officially
recognizing the day named by the
chief executive, the president.
1t is unfortunate for the nation that
the years have brought a decline In
the real spirit of the original Thanks
giving. The annual proclamation now
does not, to the majority of people,
mean so much day set apart for
prayer and praise and Thanksgiving
las it does a time for feasting and
Imirth. While the churches are an
nually opened on that day and the
causes for Thanksgiving annually re-
i hearsed by the ministers of the Cos
pei, the diminishing congrega atoms
Iproclaim silently what is none the
I less fact, that the minds of the peo-
ple on Thanksgiving day are more oc-
Coupled with the thoughts OF the tur-
key and plum pudding than they are
lin the return OK thanks to the Giver
LOT every good Gift. An even cursory
review OF tie Thanksgiving Of our
lown and otf.c- countries will show
I THAT the present lax observance and
/ 1.-THE failure to keep the real spirit Of
] Thanksgiving augurs Ill rather than
!, good for the coming generations, for.
. centuries ago, when the people were
told that it is good ching to give
thanks unto their Lord. they were
: taught a truth which is as vital to-
) day as 1t ever was, namely, that in
! gratitude is sin. It may be that the
], nation needs to learn anew what is
the real spirit OF Thanksgiving.