The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-27
THANKSGIVING.

Tomorrow is the day set apart by
Governor Of North Dakota n of
practically every other state in the
union as Thanksgiving day. This has
been a good year in North Dakota,
An immense crop was grown and de-
spite threatening conditions in the
early fall, has been practically all
farnened. North Dakotans have much
TO be thankful for.
Thanksgiving has come to be the
great national holiday. 1t Is the one
day of the year when the people of
every nationality and Of every religion
who are residents of the United States,
whether they be American citizens or
not, car enter fully into the spirit OF
the occasion.
No public documents of the United
States are. more interesting than the
Thanksgiving proclamation of the
presidents. The most notable of these
p~roclamaticms are those issued by
President washington - 1889 and
President LiLncOln in 1863.
SIN 1888 there seems to have been a
doubt as to Che propriety of the prest-
dents issuing. a national Thanksgiving
proclamation. The custom of observ-
ing a day OF thanksgiving was a New
England one, and the authority of the
President to extend the custom to the
whole country was seriously question
ed in the south.
Tn 1TgQ hnuypNHT ron yTaSG aHpntpH a
resolution requesting the president to
recommend a day of thanksgiving and
prayer. Acting on this request, Wash
ington, under date of Oct. 3, issued Il
proclamation, in which he said:
Whereas, 1t is the duty of all ma
tions to acknowledge the Providence
to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and
favor; and, whereas, both houses Of
congress have by their joint commit
tees requested me "tO recommend to
the people of the United States a day
OF public thanksgiving and prayer to
he observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts tine many signal favors
Of Almighty God, especially by afford
ing them an opportunity peaCeably to
establish a form OF government for
their safety and happiness" Now,
therefore, / 40 TeCOTQIlellO ana assign
Thursday, Nov. 26, to be devoted
by the people of these states to the
service of that great and glorious
Being who is the benefcient author
of all the good that was, that is, or
that ever will be.
The proclamation was not as well
received in certain sections as the
president had belie'ed it would be.
Previous to that time such proclama-
tons had been issued by congress, II
question Of authority, Washington did
not issue another Thanksgiving proc
lamation until 1895.
Abraham Lincoln was the president
e many proclamatiOn9. In 1868, after
he had issued his emancipation proc
lamation. and after the fall of Vicks-
burg and the battle Of Gettysburg, the
president gave notice of his purpose
"to get apart d time in the near future,
to be observed as a day for national
thanksgiving, praise, n prayer to
Almighty God for the wonderful things
H had done In the nations behalf.
Then followed his thanksgiving proc
lamation, in which he said:
In the midst of a civil war of un-
paralleled magnitude II severity
which has sometimes seemed to invite
and provoke the aggreSSiVeness of for
eign states, peace has been preserved
with all nations, order has been main
tanned, the laws have been respected
and, obeyed. n harmony has prevail
ed everywhere except in the theatre
of military conflict, while that theatre
has been greatly contracted by the a d
va1cing armies and navies of the
union. The needfuI diversion Of
wealth and strength from the fields
Of peaceful industry to the nationa
defense has not arrested the plow, the
shuttle, or the ship. The ak has en-,
larged the borders of our settlements
and the mines, as we'll of iron anC
coal as of the precious metals, have
yielded ever more ~abundantly thar
heretofore.
No human council hath devised no.
hath any mortal hand worked GU
these great things. They are graciou.
gifts of the most high God, who
while dealing with us in anger for GU
sins, hath nevertheless remembered
mercy.
1t has seemed to me fit and prope
that they should be solemnly, rever
entity, nj gratefully acknowledged a
with one heart and voice by the Who'll
American people. / do therefore in
N1pe my 1GllOW GIIiSeuS III every par
of the United States, and also thos
who are at sea, and those who ar
sojouFning in foreign lands, to set apar
n observe the last Thursday ia No
Fenlber as a day Of Thanksgiving an
prayer to our beneficient Father VIII
dwells in the heavens.
This proclamation was received wit
Universal favor throughout the unto
states. 1t established Thanksgivin
day on a national basis and fixed
literary standard for sue documentI
Since that time presidents h. e mad
their Thanksgiving proclamation not
able examples Of expression and styl'
and have given us a Thanksgiyin
literature.