G. Washington's Thanksgiving Day Proclaimation

[Sabre]

In honor of Thanksgiving Day, I thought it fitting to post the original Presidential Proclaimation, designating Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday...

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION


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WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Now a question, what would the ALCU have to say about a similar proclaimation by Congress and the President today?

[midnight Target]

I don't know, but someone would probably call him an idiot for spelling Public with a "K".

[Airscrew]

Originally posted by midnight Target
I don't know, but someone would probably call him an idiot for spelling Public with a "K".

  I saw that and thought the same thing...

[Toad]

to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed

We've become an embarassment.

[Rolex]

Amen.

[Sabre]

Originally posted by midnight Target
I don't know, but someone would probably call him an idiot for spelling Public with a "K".

I wondered about that myself, and was going to correct the spelling in my post.  However, that was taken verbatim from the original news clipping with the declaration (http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/firsts/thanksgiving/original.html).  The original clip also spelled a few other words wrong, at least my today's standards.  Perhaps that was the common spelling back then; I don't know.  If you do a web search, you'll find that many if not most sites include the odd spelling of this and other words.

[FiLtH]

Ammended later on..


   " The next day may also be used as a holiday of sorts by many..perhaps by working Columbus Day, and using it for the day following Thanksgiving. (I didnt much like him anyways) to do shopping for Christmas presents and recovering from too much eat and drink."

G. Washington

[TalonX]

Spelling of words has changed...don't blow a gasket trying to understand the spelling of the era beyond ''that's the way they spelled it''.

Second, quite an interesting window into the thinking of the men of the time......talking about God, prayer, etc....  

Today we have allowed the wackos to redefine what they meant by the separation of church and state....it meant that, unlike england, the church was not to be integrated into government.  It never meant you couldn't pray in school (as an example)...this is a more contemporary bastardization of the words of the founders...

We who sit by and allow it, are just as guilty.   Sad.

[Airscrew]

get a copy of "Papers of Thomas Jefferson: 1779-1780"  very interesting, sorry no pictures...

[Sabre]

Just thought I'd bump this, on account of tomorrow being Turkey day.  Happy Thanksgiving Day to all.  My you have plenty to be thankful about.

[Bodhi]

Have a good one to you too Sabre.  

to the rest of yas.

[texasmom]

Happy Thanksgiving to all of y'all

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Airscrew
get a copy of "Papers of Thomas Jefferson: 1779-1780"  very interesting, sorry no pictures...

Why? Is there a point to be made there?
Or are you referring to the spelling of words of the time?



And if there are no pictures.
How on earth did you comprehend it??