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Show ITu i m Y .J V v Ol' I " ' ' """" -.'--ftr. .-attf i. ... . . . By ELMO SCOTT WATSON -Cv nr 47 fllESIUKNT HOOVKIl Ims issued the ' Ze. ' X iinniifil pnitlHMinrloii oiilliiif! upon snaiy' sZS Vs I - all Americans to set nside Tluirs- -c rzS-s day, November 27. as Thanksgiving ?7 f22 V-W day to he olisei ved in a spirit of r-fJ 7 y'jk Jy Js ' A gratitude for the hlessintis which I s- "-f 7, " -fe a f I have been hestnwed upon tliem dur- I sr!tttiicu, ''cfJ jSs . 1 ing the past year. In doing this he y&sussi . ' . . 2r j Ht2CJri followed a precedent established 6V t, 'pt,K- iz&2. years ago which has been observed , "-si ' tx& j?.. I by every I'residenl since that time. is( pj- "JCr , azj Altliough the annual designation s by Presidential proclamation of the last Tluirs- I 5 s, sfsS, j day in November as Thanksgiving day was I ""j jS'&Pr?. ti, &zPc. -A S" S3 1 started by Abraham Lincoln in ISO.'!, there were fr. 2? I two other l'residenls who had a prominent part I j -T-' j in establishing this custom. One of Ihcm was I ji JL I George Wasliington and the other was James J , iCM I - -- -- --Madison. J -ZI a 7 ' CjfrX J For it was George Washington, our first I'resi- "' '5VJ PrASmtfibl) I dent, who issued the first Presidential Thanks- r-v t f 5 j giving proclamation-which incidentally, was" the f-.- N itarSgi;yiTlg "Xp? ..Z, first proclamation of any sort from (lie hands of ff NProcIfflTOiatfOim ''"0 an American Chief Executive 141 years ago. The g 'A' " " N. proclamation was issued on October 3. 1789, in y f Wlit! s' ' ' New York city which was then tlie Capital of the fy:f$$:ii:&$ ' s new nalion, and it set aside Thursday, Novem- -i,'t" -m " i ' -'V-- ber 2G, of that year: as u day "to be devoted by ?'s,ri. p-" ftfl y&W07 h', ' jst the people of this slate to the service of that & V0$& 'HQ '"'' ' great and glorious Being wlio is the benelicent ' , ) - ' Author of all the good that was, that is. or that Al t f J ' -"i ' . - "''A I This hrst proclamation was issued in response '. -V V' to n joint resolution of the first congress and, l- rf . s 6- x. oddly enough, it wus opposed in the house ot rep- if vftC' 4,' f I resentatives and precipitated a lively debate in A ' v " j1-. " " . that chamber. On Friday, Sepfemher 2T. 17S!i. T"' v; ' . v lV Elias Huudinot of New Jersey, who had been . W ; " " ' f J J 4 fe is" i j prominent in the Coniinental congress, took the ' 'tt JTS'-" Sky', Pl XJ'"4S a floor of the house and said that he could not v 1 -"VfeJkl V 7 N& VS,&Vf S think of letting the session go by without offering YW yMTX '' W V X?Jjr an opportunity to all the citizens of the United v "U XW SiT States to join, with one voice, in returning to v " 'Jv r Almighty God their sincere thanks for Hie many VvJjt ' y , blessings lie had poured down upon them. Mr NSs. " " s k-Sy jT ZsCt-, -CsCC Cc-Cf Boudinot thereupon presented the following join! Wgs By ELMO SCOTT WATSON f RESIDENT HOOVER has issued the annual proclamation calling upon all Americans to set aside Thursday, Thurs-day, November 27. as Thanksgiving day to he observed in a spirit of gratitude for the blessings which have been bestowed upon them during dur-ing the past year. In doing this he followed a precedent established 67 years ago which has been observed by every I'residenl since that time. Although the annual designation by Presidential proclamation of the last Thursday Thurs-day in November as Thanksgiving day was started by Abraham Lincoln in ISO.'!, there were two other Presidents who had a prominent part in establishing this custom. One of Ihcm was George Wasliington and the other was James - .-, Madison. For it was George Washington, our first President, Presi-dent, who issued tiie first Presidential Thanksgiving Thanks-giving proclamation which incidentally, was 'the first proclamation of any sort from (lie hands of an American Chief Executive 141 years ago. The proclamation was issued on October 3. 1789, in New York city which was t hen the Capital of the new nalion, and it set aside Thursday, November Novem-ber 20, of that year: as a day "to be devoted by the people of this slate to the service of that great and glorious Being wlio is the benelicent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be." This first proclamation was issued in response to a joint resolution of the first congress and, oddly enough, it wus opposed in the house ot representatives rep-resentatives and precipitated a lively debate in that chamber. On Friday, Sepfemher 2;"). 17S9. Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, wlio had been . prominent in the Coniinental congress, took the floor of the house and said that he could noi think of letting the session go by without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States to join, with one voice, in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for Hie many blessings lie had poured down upon them. Mr Boudinot thereupon presented the following joint resolution : "Resolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United Slates, to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed ob-served by acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially espe-cially by affording them an opportunity peaceably peace-ably to establish a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness." It was passed, was received by the senate September 20, the nexl day. and disposed of as follows: "Resolved, that the Senate do concur in the above recited resolution, and that Messrs. (William (Wil-liam S.) Johnson (of Connecticut) and (Ralph) Izard (of South Carolina) be the committee on the part of the Senate." Those appointed from the house were Boudinot. Boudi-not. Sherman and Peter Sylvester of New York. They notified President -Wasliington, and his proclamation was issued in New York. October 3. Soon after the proclamation was issued it disappeared dis-appeared and for more than 130 years its where abouts were unknown. In 19'Jl it was advertised for sale with numerous other historic manuscripts by a New York city art gallery and it was pur etiased for the sum of S3UU. a small price for ' such an important document, by .1. C. Filzpntrick. assistant chief of the division of manuscripts of the Library of Congress. Mr. Filzpntrick found Hint it had every indi cation of being heyond a doubt the original first Thanksgiving proclamation. It was guaranteed to be so. The paper had been In a frame, but not covered with glass, and exposure had given it a grimy appearance. Generally it was well pre served, plainly legible, if lit tie worn. The hand writing of the document itself is that of William Wil-liam Jackson, according to Mr. Fitzpatrick. Jackson was Washington's secretary, and bad been secretary to the Constitutional convention in 1787. During bis second administration, Washington again issued a Thanksgiving proclaniat ion. On January 1, 179."). In Philadelphia, which was then the National Capital, he called upon his fellow Americans to "sol apart and observe Thursday. proclaimed Thanksgiving day with the Pilgrim custom by establishing the last Thursday In November No-vember as a national day for giving thanks. The first Lincoln proclamation appointing a day for divine supplication was dated August 12, 1801. It designated the last Thursday In September as "a day of humiliation, prayer and fasting." Tilings did not look especially bright for the Northern arms just then. The memory of Bull Run was still fresh. Perhaps to this fact may be ascribed the pathetic wording of the document: "Whereas, when our own beloved country, once, by the blessing of God, united, prosperous and happy, is now afflicted with faction and civil war, it is peculiarly lit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals, to humble ourselves before llim and to pray for His mercy." Thousands of individuals throughout the land refrained from food and prayed for the nation's -salvation. The regular Thanksgiving in November, 1801, was a rather subdued occasion. There had been no Presidential proclamation. In 1S02 there was no proclamation, either.- The momentous year of ISO.'! brought, however, rhree proclamations. The first was dated March and designated April 3(1 as a day of fasting and prayer. July Hi another was issued, setting August Au-gust 0 as a day to give thanks at fhe prospect of peace. On October 3 came the first of Lincoln's regular Thanksgiving day proclamations. The outlook for the Union was bright. "And so . . . the last Thursday in November is hereby set apart as a day of thanksgiving and praise." July 7. 1804, hy direction of congress. President Lincoln designated the first Thursday of August as "a day of national humiliation and prayer." October 20 of fhe same year saw the issuance of Lincoln's second and last regular Thanksgiving day proclamation. Before Thanksgiving day arrived ar-rived it was known that Lincoln, by on over whelming majority, had been chosen to succeed himself. The war was wearing to a close and the occasion was auspicious. ( by Western Newspaper Union.) the 19th. 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" a long list of blessings which the country was then enjoying. en-joying. The example set by Washington was followed by his successor, John Adams, who proclaimed two Thanksgiving days during bis administration one on Wednesday. May 9. 1798, and the other on Thursday. April 2. 1799. This custom, how ever, was allowed to lapse during the two terms of Thomas Jefferson, but it was revived h, James Madison who issued four such proclamations dur ing his administration. The firs! three were more for a day of "public huniilialion and prayer" be cause of the nation's tribulations in the form of the second war with England, hut the fourth was 11 day of real thanksgiving that pence had come at last. All of these proclamations were issued in response to a Joint resolution from the senate and house of representatives. The first, set aside the third Thursday in August of 1S12. the second named the second Thursday in September. LSI", as the day: the third designated Thursday. Jann ary 12. 1814. and the fourth- issued soon nflei the treaty of peace with England was proclaimed, called upon the American people to set aside the second Thursday in April. lSir. as a day for praising "the Great Disposer of Events and of the Destiny of Nations" foi their many obligation "and more especially for the blessing of the res (oral ion of peace." Thus it will be seen that although Thanksgiving days by Presidential proclamation in the main picked upon Thursday as the day of the week for such an observance. Hie month varied greatly and there was no connection between these Thanksgiving Thanks-giving days and the annual observance established by Hie Pilgrims. No other Presidents nfter Madison Madi-son seemed 10 have had occasion for proclaiming a Thanksgiving day and it remained for Ahi-alu'T, Lincoln to resume (he custom and to link up lbs |