| Show thanksgiving thanksgiving dawned on a people this year that have a case for deep arid and sincere thankfulness americans offered up words of gratitude to good god words of w words of falth faith that win will unite all to ibn one feeling of love and kindness from the atlantic to bo the pacific the angel ot of peace has swept back the tide of war and brought to our nation mation a deeper love and a more sincere patriotism for america the land of the tree free and the home of the brave the sun shines today on a prosperous and happy people the soil sail has given up its products in abundance the wheat corn aad potatoe fields have yielded as they have never yielded before men have seemed bo awaken to new duties in dally daily life of which they had never thought in all health and prosperity has attended our people true the red handed demon of war has been in the land and aard at sea but the god of battles has aided the indomitable valor of our soldiers and our flag still waves over a nation whose destiny is in the hands of C pod god true there is poverty and distress inthe in the land there are some who exe are starving by the side of those who are feasting but the lot of the american people Is on the whole fax far better than the inhabitants of the monarchial of europe our nation has shown its power to in the late wa war r with the american people are not only progressive tn in the arts and sciences they are humane and generous they did not fight for might they fought for honor and justice and for this reason god helped the ard bearers of liberty we may ask ash why is it that prosperity comes to us in a greater measure than to other nati nations lons it to is because we have a odd glod given ability to work for right len knowing owing that through our hearts and minds the great father makes known his will to the children of men W we have within us that old teutonic blood which down through the centuries of od ume birne has bias put life and courage labo into the bodies of anglo saxon san descendent sand which gave us the courage and strength of our agrim fathers we have in our veins today this determination and high regard for liberty this is why nations wonder at our successes sack tn in 1623 wm win bradford who was governor of the original new england coli colonies onles proclaimed the first general thanksgiving day in november at this time everything looked as black as a thunder thurid thundercloud er cloud for the little band and only the strongest faith faath in god could have justified the call for thankfulness when n the crops were withering for lack of ralin rain and the clouds gave no sign of relief william bradfordt Brad fords faith faath won the rains descended and the crops were saved and americans have been imbued with this faith ever simce sance while this year has brought sorrow and loneliness to many homes while it records the terrible dufferin suf sufferings ferin gs of wax war and bloodshed yet we have cause to partake of the spirit of 1621 and offer up our thia thanks aks to god tor for his goodness the first thanksgiving among the plymouth colonists was not heralded tar far and wide but its record is our harvest being gotten in our governour sent foure men on fowling that so we might after a spec special ial manner rejoyce together after we had gathered the fruit of our la bours they roure foure in one day killed as much f fowle as with a little delpe beside served the company almost a week at which time amongst other recreations we exercised our arms many of the indians coming amongst us and amongst the rest their greatest king Massa massasoit with some minute men whom for three days we entertained and feasted and they went out and killed five deere which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governour and upon the captaine and others proal proclamations for thanksgiving and special church worship were issued very early by the gionet mors vs ny mouth colony and tn in the bay colony the ie historian hutchinson hirte hansan says the they y constantly every spring appointed point d a day for fasting and pr prayer ayer to implore the divine blessings upon their affairs in the ensuing year and in the fall a day of thanksgiving and public p u alic ac of the favors conferred upon them in the year past during the adherence of the colantes col lonies the proclamations s were to bo the crown headed with wl th the british coat of arms arma and t the he motto matto god save the fahe kinig king 11 As the th e tro trouble uble bobseen beb the colonies and the fhe other mother m increased less n was given to thanksgiving proclamations issued by the royal ro yal governors but in 1776 the people of ithe colony were unitt ed ini in celebrating the thanksgiving day of that yeat year the proclamation was given at the bhe council couT icil chamber cha anber in boston and signed sig by the councial co uncia the people were enjoined to bo be to god for he has hais united these abates in a resolved of their thedr rights even to the last ext extremity remAY hias has givel them a general councill council 0 of patriots wise to direct malsed up generals genie irala to exe cuite the measures necessary faor defense and so ignatiy of the sone of merica america A to grasp the sword and aind with a meanly cheerfulness cheerful endure the ot of war ini in support of that freedo freedom m which Is the birthright of all has led them by the hand from step to step till we have seen these states compelled through op toi to assert their native right to fro freedom land and in an united which the impartial world must J justify tl f y in 1780 john han hanbock auck issued the proclamation of thanksgiving advising all the co to ka observe o it said and concluding his article with the ithe Sent elfee god save the people of the united bates notates of america in the libary ot of the state depa a ate are kept all the proc lar ever issued toy by the presidents of ithe united states the first of these was arwas signed by george and then by edward randolph Ran idolph his attorney general the one was vms issued by james madleon madison then it seems that the denite of the united states failed to issue any until lin coans proclamation ini id the early sixties WashIng toiYa proclamation was by the president of the united states of america when we view the calamities which afflict other nations the present condl condi tion of the united states affords much matter of consolation and satisfaction our exemption hitherto from foreign war the increasing prospect of the continuance ti nuance of that exemption the great degree of international tranquility we have enjoyed the recent confirmation of that tranquility by the suppression of an insurrection which so strongly threatened it the happy course of our public affairs in general the unexampled prosperity of all classes of our citizens a all 11 circumstances which peculiarly mark our situation with indications of the div divine ne beneficence toward u us in such a state of things it is in an especial manner our duty as a people with devout reverence and affectionate accord to acknowledge our many and great blessings to almighty god and to im alore clore him to continue and confirm the blemings ble sings we experience deeply penetrated with this sentiment I 1 george washington the president of the the united states do recommend to all religious societies and denominations and to all persons within the united states to set apart and observe thursday the day of february next as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer and on that day to meet together and render their sincere and hearty thanks to the great ruler of nations for the manifold and single mercies which distinguished our lot as a nation particularly tor for the profession of constitutions of government which unite and by their union establish liberty with order for the observance of our peace foreign and domestic for the seasonable control which has been given en to the support of this order in the suppression of the late insurrection and ana generally for the prosperous course of our affairs public and private and at the same time humbly and fervently beseech the kind author of these blessings graciously to prolong them to us to imprint on our hearts a deep and solemn sense of our obligations to him for them to teach us rightly to esteem their alms and value to preserve us from the aro gance of prosperity and from hazarding the advantages we enjoy by delusive pursuits to dispose us to merit the continuance ti nuance of his favors by not abusing them by our accord tor for them and b by a corresponding conduct as citizens citizen 11 and DX as men to render this country a more and more safe and propitious asylum for the unfortunates of other countries to extend among us true and useful knowledge to diffuse and establish habits of sobriety order morality and piety ety and finally to impart all the gl blessings ies sings with peace or ask for orders to the whole family of mankind in testimony whereof I have caused the seal of the united states of america to be fixed to these presents and signed the same with my hand done at the seat of philadelphia the isit day of january one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and the independence of the united stat states es of america the fifth GORGE washington by the president EDW RANDOLPH McKin mckinless leys proal amatI on to observe serve thanksgiving this yew year was wae a and well weli worded notice there mere can he be no ao doubt that it had the required effect and chat au ail americans Ameri cane bochat both at homme home and united an tide thie holiday and gave thamas to him who rules the ithe des destany birry of the race LEVI EDGAR YOUNG |
