Show thanksgiving hymn well liked at birth but now For forgotten gotte n flie the first presidential thanksgiving proclamation waa was that of president washington tn lit 1780 1789 on the occasion ot of the adoption of the constitution n the day curiously enough being no rember 1 LG 0 the date of celebration of or 1803 thi this latt latter was mas the real fore fare runder of our national day occasional and special times ot of thanksgiving bad had often been appointed by different presidents but the year comous for its decisive national vl victories tories marked also the beginning of the annual series of thanksgiving days tho great victories of gettysburg and hicl eburg were really the causo cause of Ll proclamation and his example has been followed by all hia his successors until the annual festival has become one of our national institutions tut Lut ions lons the proclamation of 1863 re diar kable as the first of a series extending now over fifty depra it was dleo noticeable because it was the occasion of a thanksgiving hymn by the famous reverend neve rend doctor muhlenburg of st lukes hospital new york city II 11 1 Is nall 11 known as the author of it tho I 1 0 familiar hymn 1 I would not live alway end a poet of DO no small repute mr Lincol rs glow glowing lilg words met his eve and find struck a responsive hotd hord in bis his heart A noble thanksgiving hymn was the result a hymn which at the time was often sung but Is to now comparatively forgotten it was pub dished with appropriate music and even yet Is suitable for usein use DO droller similar occasion occasions the hymn contains nine stan ras yas with cairus and takes up in order the various causes for thanksgiving men honed in ur sir proclamation the original title avas was give thank thanks all ye people ii the first verse being AS ast follows give thinks an ye people rive eve thank thanks to tho ui lord alleluia lam ot of fre freedom adorn with joyful ac accord ord I 1 lt ut the V bet st and the west north and south roll along rip KJ mountain and prairie one thanks civics none chorus uve thank thanks all ye people fire give thank thanks to the lord lula ot of ret ree dom dorri with joyful accord As the hymn was suggested by mr Ija colne call upon the cation nation to give thanks doctor muhlenburg at df it as the president presidents s hymn but would not permanently offer such a title without mr approval mr kobert oe B Sl Hin turn a prominent member of 0 docto muhlenburg burgs a congregation was greatly pleased with tho the poem and sent a copy to the president with whom he was personally acquainted asking permission to name the hymn as the author desired mr lincoln tele telegraphed implied back so let it be in july IM dr horace published in hours flours at home an article attacking the welt well known hymn america as an unworthy and nally mally humiliating effusion ns as a an them doctor bushnell thus refer refers to doctor burge burgs production the hymn and air that were ere given to the public by doctor muhlenburg a short time ago appear to have missed the accident of being fairly born and for that reason have not succeeded the want of good accident hero liero to in fatal but the hinn has real teal merit it was as too ions long and included three or 4 GUS four verses that could have been omitted nith advantage Other otherwise it might have stuck and would have had bad a fair chance of success for the mu ale 1 which we 99 know only by the eye and never heard in a public performance appeared to hav a look of promise the next known reference to this hymn occurs in connection with the observance of the fiftieth convocation of the university of illinois oa on november 20 1013 1913 the alumni quarterly says touches of the unusual were added to the exercises by the singing ut of a forgotten hymn dedicated to lincoln in 1803 by reerend doctor muhlenburg tho the hymn which had oot not previously been sung la to public was discovered by professor dodge in A contemporary issue of the new york tribune |