The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1920-11-26

being government of wise just and consttu
tional laws, directly and faithfully executed and
obeyed to protect and guide all sovereigns and
nations especially such as have shown kindness
to us, and to bless them with good government
and peace and concord; to promote the knowledge
and practice of true religion and virtue and the
increase of science among them and us, and gen.
orally to grant unto all mankind such degree
of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to De
best.
"Given under my hand at the city of New
York the third day of October, In the year OF our
Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty
nine.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
There is, as stated statutory provision Tor
our Thanksgiving proclamations nor for tneT
date In evidence of this President Andrew John
sons first Thanksgiving proclamation designated
the first Thursday in December, 1865. II we speak
of Thanksgiving day as a national mstltutlon II
dates back to the Revolution, but II we nave III
mind the annual harvest Thanksgiving Gay it be-
comes nationalzed through the adoption OF 1t by
the several states, and the first appointment was
BIZ Abraham Lincoln November g. 1868. That
proclamation is, in part as follows:
"The wear that is drawing to it's close has been
filed with the blessings of fruitful fields and
baalthful skies Needful diversions of health
and of strength from the fields OF peaceful nous.
try to the national defense have not arrested the
plow the shuttle or the ship; the ak has enlarged
the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as
well of iron and of coal as of precious metals,
have Welded even more abundantly than hereto
fore Population has steadily increased notWitn-
standing the waste that has been made in camp,
the siege and the battlefield and the country, re-
ioicng in the consciousness of augmented
strength and vigor, is permitted to expect contln-
uance of years with large increase OF freedom.
"No human counsel hath devised hath
anv mortal hand worked out these great things.
They are the gracious gift of the most high God,
who. while dealing with us in anger for our sins,
hath nevertheless remembered mercy
at has seemed to fit and proper that
thew should be solemnly, fervently and gratefully
acknowledged as with one heart and one voice,
by the whole American people. | do, therefore,
invite my fellow citizens in every part OF the
Tinted States and also those who are at sea and
those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set
apart and observe the last Thursday in November
next as day Of Thanksgiving and praise to our
beneficent Father, who dwelieth In the heavens.
And I recommend to them that while offering up
the Inscriptions justly due to Him for such singu-
lar deliyerances and blessings they do also, with
humble penitence for national perverSeneSS
and disobedience commend to His tender care all
those who have become widows, orphans, mourn
ers or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in
which we are now unavoidably engaged, and
fervently impore the interposition of the Almighty
hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to
restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the
Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace,
harmony, tranquility and union
'In testimony whereof have hereunto set my
hand and caused the seal of the United States to
be affixed
Done at the city of Washington, the third day
of October A. D. 1863 and of the Independence
of the UEited States, the eighty-efghth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
So it was Abraham Lincoln who first named
the last Thursday in November in his proclama
tfon of 1868 and thus fixed the date of the annual
celebration of Thanksgiving.