State

Volume VII Number 13 August 26 1939 THE STATE A Weekly Survey of North Caroline Ent*r«4 M l*rood-flau mailer. Juno 1, 19JJ. at lha Potloffife al JUIrlcli. North Carolina, under the Afl nl Marrb S. 1S79 Speaking of Thanksgiving You iiiuy Im* inloro.sltMl in knoniiig dial in IN'orlli Carolina. as well as in oilier slates. I lit* annual ilale lias beckn shifted quite fre¬ quently. new. WHILE President RooeeveltV change of «late for Thanks¬ giving Day has proved up* selling to a number of slates. North Carolinian* should not be perturbed. Tim holiday lias been observed on a numlsT of different dates since 17SS. and during at least one year the Tar I bids were given opportunity to observe two Thanksgiving days. In fact, not until 1S49 did Gov¬ ernor Grahntn request that the Gen¬ eral Assembly set a definite annual Thanksgiving Day. which was promptly done. Newspaper editor* are generally credited with having crystallized the sentiment by urging people "to make it a season for kind social sentiment for the forgiveness of injuries, for acts of good neighbor¬ hood and e-pecially for the charitable remembrance of the poor." The First Proclamation When the new governor of the province of North Carolina. Arthur l»obbs. arrived in New Bern in Oeto- lier. 1754, he found his administration confronted with many vexing prob¬ lems and the colony resentful of his autocratic manners. After several years of stormy rule, the old governor must have concluded that the colony needed more than earthly help to solve it- problems. So <>u April 29, 1758, he issued a proclamation, a portion of which follows: "Wherea*, for the enormity of our sin*, the neglect of Divine service and worship of God, and from our gross 40 Mr. Itoospvoirs action »;/ J. It. IIICKI.IN sensualities and immoralities. God Almighty has been pleased to correct Britain and these colonies by a heavy and dangerous war l French and Indian war) by which we are in im¬ minent danger of losing the invalua¬ ble blessing of our Holy Religion, l.il->rtie* and Possesions There¬ fore. I do hereby ap|>oint Wednesday, the Till of June next, to be kept hob¬ by all ranks of people within this Province a* a day of fasting and sup¬ plication; and. also, to give thanks to Almighty God and our h|e»scd Saviour, for having hitherto pre¬ served this Province in pence in the midst of surrounding impending dangers.” In October of the same year Gov¬ ernor Dobbs met with the General ( 'oiiueil iii Wilmington and there was ordered "that a proclamation do i»«ue for a public Thanksgiving on the lir»t Wednesday in 1*еест1м*г next,” giving the colony opportunity to participate in two Thanksgivings in 1758. Still Other Changes The following year. 1759, a Thank» giving Day was observed on October III. in celebration of the English vic¬ tory ill (Quebec. The quaintly worded iroelamatioii issued by Governor К dibs i» reproduced in part : “I have appointed a Day of solemn Thanksgiving, and U|hui ibis happy nothing event and im|iortaiif <’ri»i- have com¬ posed a Hymn to sung that Day tliroiighout the Province, which I beg leave to send to you a» being at present conformable to all the Prophe¬ cies according to iiiv Interpretation ,,f them ,-it this happy Era. 17Л0 for ■luring the whole War I have Is-cii a little Enthusiastic in my Expecta¬ tions; as the Object of my wishes for near these 30 year» in regard to British domination over North America i* now so near it» accom¬ plishment.'' In 1760. Thank-giving was ob¬ served on December 23, .’llld two years later on May I. Governor l)ohh- died in 17*55 and was buried <ni his planta¬ tion on Town Creek, below Wilming¬ ton. but the Thanksgiving idea wa- in North Carolina to slay. In 1777. the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, sent a recommendation to the 13 colonies that the 1-Sth of Den-mls-r I- ».-t apart “for a general Thaiik»giving to Al¬ mighty God” Congress recommended that prayer I-- offered “for Messing» on our gov- [•rnment, to inspire our military lend¬ ers with wisdom and fortitude, to prosper trade and agriculture, to lake schools and seniiuarie- under Hi» nurturing Hand, and to pro.» per the means of religion for the pro . lion ind enlargement of Hi- Kingdom.” The proclamation this year < vi- leiilly did not reach every »eeti»ii of the colony, for in the diary by the (Continueil он jnt ge eighteen )