Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-26

aHotneI proclamation setting apart the SCI
ond Thursday in September. 1918, as "a day
Of public humiliation and prayer" on which
the people should pray for the pardon OF
their manifold transsressions and awaken
and strengthen in oil the wholesome pur-
! poses OF repentance and amendment" and
| that God would "bestow His blessing on our
arms in resisting the hostile and persever-
ing efforts of Great Britain to degrade us
on the ocean, the common inheritance of all,
from rights and immunities belonging and
essential to the American people as coequal
member OF the great community Of inde-
pendent nations"
Mr. Madison issued stil another proclama-
tlon setting apart Thursday January i2. 1915,
as "a day of public humiliation and Of fast
ing and of prayer to Almighty God for the
safety and welfare of these States, His bless
Ing on their arms, and speedy restoration
of peace
THERE was no fasting and prayer and
i thanksgiving under Presidents Monroe,
John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson Mar
tin van Buren, William Henry Harrison
(who died after being in office only one
month";, John Tyler, James K Polk Zachary
Taylor (who lived only little more than
year after his inauguration as PresldenD
hlllldTu FlllTnOTes fTHnklln IleICB OT JdiuSS
Buchanan.
Under Mr.. Lincoln however there were
frequent calls upon the people to fast and
pray for the Divine favor upon the cause
of the Unton-'a day Of public humiliation,
prayer and fasting" on the last Thursday in
September, 1851: "a day of Thanksgiving and
praise" on the last Thursday in November,
1853: "a day of national humiliation and
prayer" the first Thursday in August,
1864; "a day of Thanksgiving and praise" on
the last Thursday in November, 1864
ON APRIL %, 1865, Andrew johnson issued
" proclamation appointing Thursday,
May 25, 'as day OF humiliation and mourn
ing" ''in order to mitigate that grief
earth which can only be assuaged by COM
munon with the Father in heaven" Five
days later Mr.. Johnson issued another proc
lamaton recommending that the day be
changed to Thursday the 1st of June, his
attention having been called to the fact that
the day aforesaid MAY 25) is sacred to large
numbers OF Christians as one of rejoicing for
the ascension of the Saviour" During the
remainder of his term of office Mr.. Johnson
issued four procamations appointing days
for national thanksgiving and praise, the
first setting apart the first Thursday in De-
cember 1885, the second naming Thursday,
Thursday, November 2S, 1867, and the fourth
and last appointing Thursday, November 26,
1865 The national Thanksgiving Day as a
fixed feast in the month of November may
be said to have been established by Mr. john
son. "In conformity with recent custom
that may now be regarded established on
national consent and approval" we're the
opening words used by him in his proclama-
tion in 1867, and since that time without
variation all the Presidents have proclaimed
the last Thursday in November as "a day of
and praise" throughout this
land The day was selected in November be-
cause in this month the harvests have all
been gathered and the Presidents have
thought that 1t was only meet and proper
that the Lord OF the Harvest should be pub
licly thanked for his goodness TO the sons of
men.
TN THE main the thanksgiving proclama-
i tions have all been expressed in the hap
plest and most devout language. the procla-
nations of Mr.. Johnson, possibly, being the |
least distinguished in style; but Mr.. Johnson,
II the public records are to be trusted, was
frequently not in devotional state of mind
1t would hardly be fair to say, probably, that |
there have been two rather distinctive styles |
In the compositions OF these messages, or
three al the most-the Prayer Book style, the |
Shorter Catechism style and the Pilgrim |
Father style; the first easily recognized in |
the procamations OF Washington; the second |
In the proclamations OF Lincoln, Cleveland |
and their latest successor. Wilson; and the
third in the proclamations of John Adams
and Mr.. Taft, and all breathing the fullest
TO what Mr. Lincoln called |
"the evsr-watchful providence OF Almighty |
God" 1t has been protested that "God Is
not in the Constitution; but that makes
very little difference so long as He is in the
hearts of the people and of their chosen