Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-04
People of the United States,
for First Time in History,
Pray for Foreign Peace

Today marks the first time in Amer
lean history that the people of the
United States have been urged to pray
for the restoration of peace in foreign
lands. With all the nation .kneeling in
prayer today for the end of the war
IN Europe. several epochs in Ameri-
can history are recalled when the Pres
ident of the United States has pro-
Claimed day of general supplication
for divine intervention or to preserve
or to restore peace to the United States.
Seven Proclamations on Record.
Between 1898 and 1881 seven such
proclamations were made. They were
as follows:
l7Ss-President John Adams named
May as national day of prayer be-
cause France threatened to make war
upon the United States
1S15-Presfdent James Madison pro-
claimed January IL as a day of prayer
when trouble was brewing between the
American republic and Algiers.
1S61-President Abraham Lincoln
designated the last Thursday in Sep
TENDER for national prayer for the res
toration of peace between the north
and south.
1S63-President Lincoln called for a
second day of prayer-April 30-recom-
mending that the people keep the day
'in all humility and with all religious
solemnity to the end that the united
prayer of the nation may ascend to.
the throne of grace and bring down
bountifui blessings upon our own
country"
1ss4-For the third time during the
civil war a general day of prayer
was proclaimed That was August l.
1864 Lincoln wrote: "In sincerity and
truth let us rest humbly in the hope,
authorized by the divine teachings,
hot hn unit n6 Of he M w
be heard on high and answered with
blessings no less than the pardon of
our national sins and the restoration of
our divided and suffering country to
it's former happy condition of unity and
peace"
1S65-President Johnson proclaimed
June 1 a day of prayer in commemora.
ton of President Lincoln, who died
lSS1-President Arthur designated
September 26 for general prayer to
mark the burial of President Garfield.
who had died September 10 from an as
sassin's attack.
President Wilson's Call.
President Wilson's call for a day of
supplication was issued September 8.
He requested that "all God-fearing per-
sons repair to their places of worship,
there to unite their petitions to AL
mighty God that, overruling the coun-
sci of men, setting straight the things
they cannot govern or alter, taking
pity on the nations now in the throes
of conflict, in His mercy and goodness
showing a way where men can see
none, He vouchsafed His children heal |
ing peace again, and restore once more |!
that concord among men and nations, |
without which there can be neither |
happiness nor true friendship nor any |
wholesome fruit of toll or thought in
the world"
While Adams was the first President
to proclaim prayer days, yet the people |
of the New England colonies initiated |
periods of general prayer early in their
history. AS far back as 1921 Gov Brad :
ford called upon the people to give
thanks for bouuteous crops. That was
in reality the frst Thanksgiving day
in the western hemisphere. A second
day of prayer was called in the colo
MES when drought threatened the
crops. While the people were gathered
in their churches rain began to fall in
plenty. The crops were saved.