General
Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the
United States Of America
A 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 favors; 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 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 savours 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 wife, 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
|
