The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-11-24
NATION GAVE NO
:. THANKS IN l776
In November of That Year
American Cause Was
at Lowest Ebb.

There was no thanksgiving proc
lamation In November, H.. Con-
gress did, indeed. pass resolution
summoning the people Of the sew
eral colonies to assemble, but In
prayer for deliverance, not Of
thanksgiving. The American cause
seemed at that moment to be all but
hopeless. washington was retreat
ing across New Jersey. Leaving
Newark on the twenty-eighth OF No
vember with an army OF 5000 that
gradually dwindled, he crossed the
Raritan with scarcely $500 starving
and half-naked troops. In New
York. zen I'm the hands Of the Brit
ish, General Howe was issuing q
proclamation which might have
been considered a proclamation OF
thanksgiving for some. 1t was
one Of pardon to all who would re-
nounce the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence. Twenty-seven hundred
accepted. But this only augment
ed the ills of those who still stood
out for independence, and I'M
creased the jeopardy in which their
lives and possessions were put.
Nations Early Sufferings.
The infant republic, surrounded
by foes, for the Indians were ris-
ing, was also suffering from the
| condition which has lately been
epidemic In Europa deprecated
currency. The news that Amer
ican representative had succeeded
in getting aid from France in the
way of uniforms and equipm nt for
soldiers and other supplies had not
yet become known to the Washing
ton troops, who's route, as they APP
preached the Delaware "was easily
| traced, as there was a little snow
on the ground, which was tinged
here and there with blood from the
feet of the men who wore broken
shoes" 1t was In these desperate
| days that Washington wrote to his
brother saying that IL every nerve
was not strained to recruit a new
army to take the place of the troops
whose term of enlistment was ex-
piring, he thought the game i;as
'pretty near up." The flame Of the
campfres about which those who
| remained faithful TO the desperate
cause were gathered furnished,
however, a hopeful ray for Paine's
"times that try mems souls"
Now Blessed Above Others.
IT is with such background OF
extremity, approaching defeat, that
| the country which these patriot
souls suffered TO make independ-
| ent comes TO ifs national Thanks
giving today. With a third OF the
wealth of the world i'm its hands,
as has been estimated-and with
most of the gold-with abounding
crops and "much goods laid up for
many years." we have collective
material reason for gratitude be-
yond any other people on the face
of the earth. But in congratulate
| ing ourselves as a nation and indi-
viduals that we have passed an
other year In "the favor of the Al
mighty" and that "I1e has smiled
on our fields" are we doing more
than Sosicles, the Greek tiller of
the soil, over 1000 years ago. who
dedicated to "Demeter, lover of
wheat" a few bandfuls of corn
''from the burrows Of his tiny field"
having reaped an abundant har-
vest and desiring another year, by
the same favor, to carry back his
sickle blunted from his harvest7
Gratitude for these things? Yes,
but with a consciousness of the OBJ
legation which that sufficlency
brings and with no thought of TAX
ing our ease in the earth or letting
il go its own way while we enjoy
our goods in self-indulgent isoIa-
ton.
One hundred fifty years ago our
ancestors prayed for deliverance
from restrictions upon their right
full liberty. Today our prayer
should also be for deliverance as
well as in thanksgiving-dellver-
ance from the arrogance of self-suf-
fciency, from the pride of mate
rial power, from staggering claims
OF superiority. We have learned
to endure hardship, we have proved
to the world our active and help
full sympathy for suffering wherE
ever 1t has come TO mankind, we
hdNe demonstrated dlSO our re-
sourcefulness and ingenuity in diff
ficulty and our fearlessness In dam
ger. We have known how TO face
adversely. Our prayer In the pros
perity that has come upon us rs
that we also should '1znow how To-
abound"
1t were better that we should
join all humanity in the simple
thanksgiving prayer which Ipicte-
tus suggested:
Ought we not when we are dig
ging and plowing and eating to
sing this hymn to God: Great is
God, Who has given us such inn
plements with which we shall cul-
tivate the earth; great is God. Who
has given us hands, the power OF
swallowing, stomach, imper-
ceptible growth, and the power Of
breathing while we Sleep"
But the real things TO be thank
flu for lie still deeper In the friend
ships of the spirit of men and of
nations.