Folks-
Both of these came my way yesterday and I thought I'd share them, knowing
you all to be a receptive audience:
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George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation
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 favor; 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 public thanksgiving 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 26th 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 favors
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
public 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 show
kindness to 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 3d dy of October, A.D.
1789.
(signed) G. Washington
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President Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled
with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.
To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we
are prone to forget the source from which they come, others
have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature,
that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart
which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful
providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and
severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to
invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been
preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the
laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has
prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military
conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by
the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields
of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not
arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had
enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as
well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have
yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.
Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste
that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field;
and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented
strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of
years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked
out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the
Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our
sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to
me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently
and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by
the whole American People.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of
the United States, and also those who are at sea and those
who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe
the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving
and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the
Heavens.
And I recommend to them that while offering up the
ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances
and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our
national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender
care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or
sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are
unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition
of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to
restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine
purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony,
tranquillity and Union.
Abraham Lincoln
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Dick Kinkead
Lantana, FL