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Show ma tiers. During tito civil war, in 1' .' anil ImU. 1 'resident Lincoln issued proclaims lions recommending annual Thanksgivings. Since then a proehi-mat proehi-mat ion litis been issued annually by I lie president as well as by the governors of the states and the mayors of the principal cities. Custom fixes the tiiiiii as the last Thursday in November. It is well fur us all to pause a little in the mad whirl of business or work or pleasure, and think of the blessings ' which have crowned the year, anil lift-up lift-up our hearts in special thanksgiving. The date of the first observance of this distinct ivi ly American institution has been a matter of some dispute. A writer in an exchange has been to some trouble to ascertain the facts and states them as follows: The first observance of a day of thanksgiving, formally recommended by the civil an I liori! ies, occurred in Ley den. Holland, October 3, lf7, it being the first anniversary of tlie deliverance de-liverance of that city from siege. hi .Inly, liiL'lt, a day of fasting anil prayer war, appointed on account of drought. Kain came abundantly while they were praying, and the governor appointed a day of thanksgiving w hieh was observed witii religions exercises. The t'herlestown records show a similar sim-ilar change of fast day into Thanks-- Thanks-- giving in 1'.'U, on account of the arrival ar-rival of sui plies from Ireland. 1 r. I'r.-inkiin t.'lls us thai, in a time of great de -pomleney among llie settlers set-tlers of New England it was prop.). , ,1 in one of their public mee! ings to pv,-el;;tm pv,-el;;tm a fast. An age 1 farm.-r rose aie". spoke of tin ir provoking heaven w k h t Iieir complaint -;. and of the cm , tlu-yhal for thank-giving, lie theM made a motion (hat instead of ;i pp. )'t,it ing a day of fas'. i ng. t iiey should :tp point a day of thanksgiving. The asseml .ly read dy a-recd. Mas- aehu'-e: tes i!ay was the first of the eh -nies to appoint an a!;r.c.) thanlc-gi. h's by the proel una t U ;i c the l.i-i-'li: h g.-.vernor. During t he r-v.i lc.tio:i Th:::ik--'-i'-i::g day was a nai i.r.al i:ist iLiih;.n. Ir hi,,' a imi:;: 1 !y re. m -'aied by coi. .,,. ... j;,,. end Thank: ;ivi:T i" t p-nce in K . Hiore wa- i;.. n:;,: ! ::.).., .intmenl i;r- t;l !7 '-.wh V.;i -;ie .'A. ly no-.. - j iiiaak. giving for t!H- ad..ih.n of the ' constitution. Washington issued a .r ond proclamation of TliankMrivinLr in IT!'."i on account of the suppression ol . insurrection. President Madison. Iw ; the request of congress, recoiinm-ieU-d j a Thanksgiving for HMce in l-l.'i. Dut ! the otlieial reconiuienilaJ ion of a day . for the giving of thanks was rnaiidV confined to New Kn gland until tile year 1-17. after ivliieh date it un-. regn-larlv regn-larlv appointed bv the governor of New York. In :,;, i;v. .).hiwn. of Virginia, recommended a day of thanksgiving; but in l-7 h.v. Wis,-, when recpiested to do so. publiely declined, de-clined, on tie-ground that he w-is not i authorized to interfere in re I hri: .n.s |
