Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-11-30

ing that large numbers of the men
had not enough covering for common
decency, let alone for comfort. Small
wonder there was a time, in January
1878, when the surgeons reported
that out of eleven thousand men three
thousand and nineteen were on the
sick list.
! There is not a doubt that the pa
itient endurance of his shivering
[ troops was due in large measure to
the presence of Washington and his
manifest sympathy for them as well
as to his foresight and energy in de-
vising ways means which eventually
ended the famine. He himself occup-
led log cabin during that cruel win
ter. For he had publicly promised
the troops he would sharein the hard
ships and partake of every incon-
venience and he was surprisingly
man of his word.
| 1889 marked another notable day
of Thanksgiving, when Washington
issued a proclamation to commemor-
ate the adoption of the Constitution
| of these United States. Again in
I1795 it was his welcome duty to ap-
point Thanksgiving Day for the sup
preston of the whiskey insurrection
little blaze that might have kindled
big fire. At the conclusion of the
second war with England in 1914,
another Thanksgiving Day was ap-
pointed. But after this or many years
there were only occasional national
proclamations. Thanksgiving days
being usually appointed by the Gov
ernor of the different States.
The troublous Civil War suspend
ed the holiday observance for the
time being, as fast days rather than
feast days were more in accordance
with the general feeling. All the more
reason why since 1863 Thanksgiving
has become a national holiday, ap-
pointed by the President of the re-
United States and supplemented by
the governors of the individual
States.
A woman is said to have been in
strumental in assigning definite day
and date to this holiday. This woman
was Sarah Josepha Hale, editor OF
Godey's Ladies Book, and it is said
that she very earnestly suggested to
President Lincoln that he appoint
set day, which should thereafter be
Regularly observed as nationwide
day of Thanksgiving.
In 1864. Mr.. Lincoln did issue a
Proclamation, appointing the last
Thursday in November as Thanksgiv-
ling Day with a view to having the
day celebrated annually after that
without interruption.
The assassination of the President
lin 1865. so plunged the country in
grief as to almost cause the suspen-
sion of the rule he had made. How
ever, after considerable persuasion,
President Johnson was finally pre-
vailed upon to appoint the last Thurs
lday in November of that year as
Thanksgiving Day. And ever since
that time each succeeding President
has followed his example.
But as a matter of fact, the procla-
! nation of the President does not OF
Itself make the day a national holt
day, because it applies legally only
to the District of Columbia and to the
Territories. as long as we possess Ter
Iritories. 1t is the proclamdtions OF
their own governors which affect the
different States.
Thanksgiving is prominently the
family festival in New Englad. To
the undying credit of our Puritan
, forefathers and foremothers, they
, were careful observers of the Sabbath
and it is more than probable that
Thursday was the time selected. be-
cause being so near the middle of the
week, it gave ample opportunity for
the scattered members of the family
to come together and return again to
their respective homes without desc
Grating the Sabbath by travel.
November was the month chosen,
as the fall harvests were all gathered
in nv that time. and there was natur-