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native foods- fruits and vegetables,
wild turkeys, pumpkins and such -
constituted the fare of the first
thanksgiving day and became the
traditional food for that day.
In succeeding years, thanksgiving
festivals became very popular in
New England. The colonists cele–
brated thanksgiving days in recogni–
tion of such happy events as good
harvests and victories over Indians.
President Washington issued the
first presidential thanksgiving proc–
lamation in honor of the new consti–
tution in 1789.
During the 19th century, an in–
creasing number of states observed
the day annually, each appointing
its own date.
As America grew, there was ever
more to be thankful for. In the years
that passed since John Winthrop's
prophetic sermon, America had
truly become a "Ci tty upon a Hill."
As the Civil War ended, the down–
trodden masses of the world looked
expectantly to America as the new
land of hope and opportunity. Im–
migrants from many lands arrived
on American shores to try to catch
the American dream.
"We find ourselves," Abraham
Lincoln said, "in the peaceful pos–
session of the fairest portian of the
earth, as regards fertility of soil, ex–
tent of territory, and salubrity of di–
mate.... We ... find ourselves the
legal inheritors of these fundamen–
tal blessings. We toiled not in the
acquirement or the establishment of
them."
But success and prosperity were
bringing the problems and pitfalls
which John Winthrop had so vividly
foreseen. President Lincoln recog–
nized these problems and was quick
to act.
Lincoln 's Sober Warning
In the midst of America's divisive
civil war, a disturbed President Lin–
coln, on Apri l 30, 1863, proclaimed
a national day of fasting and prayer.
In making this proclamation he
said:
"lt is the duty of nations, as well
as of men, to own their dependence
24
upon the overruling power of
God .. . and to recognize the sub–
lime truth, announced in the Holy
Scriptures and preven by all history,
that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord. ... We have
been the recipients of the choicest
blessing of heaven . We have been
preserved, these many years, in
peace and prosperity. We have
grown in numbers, wealth and
power as no other nation ever has
grown;
BUT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN
Goo! We have forgotten the gra–
cious Hand which preserved us in
peace, and multiplied and enriched
and strengthened us; and we have
vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness
of our hearts, that al! these blessings
were produced by sorne superior
wisdom and virtue of our own."
P.resident Lincoln saw a nation
drunk with success not due to its
own efforts. He saw a nation taking
all the credit and glory to itself. This
great presiden! called upon the na–
tion for a day of fasting and prayer
to confess this national sin befare
God.
Later that same year, on October
3, Lincoln proclaimed the last
Thursday of November as Thanks–
giving Day - a day to give thanks to
God for the multitudinous blessings
he had bestowed. (Today Thanks–
giving Day is observed on the fourth
Thursday of November as set by
Congress in December 1941.)
America's Greatest
Years - and Now
In the years that followed Lin–
coln, America rose to greatness.
At the zenith of power, America's
six percent ofthe world 's population
possessed sorne 50 percent of the
world's wealth. In commodity after
commodity and in product after
product, America led the world.
But with the Korean War in the
early 1950's, America began to sl ip.
Troubles began to mount on all
sides - at heme and abroad.
Whereas befare almost everything
seemed to turn out in its favor, now
it seems that almost nothing is turn–
ing out well.
What happened - and what is
continuing to happen?
Today America has no national
goal. We have recklessly squan–
dered much of our fabulous wealth
and polluted much of our beautiful
land.
Greed, selfishness and ingratitude
characterize many segments of so–
ciety. Other nations are no longer as
impressed with America and the
way Americans do things as they
used to be.
Historians are now speculating
whether the bicentennial of the
United States will find the nation so
gripped with debilitating interna!
and externa! problems that it will no
longer be the world's number one
power.
What does all this mean - and
what does it have to do with
Thanksgiving?
Just this: Our materialistic way of
life has stripped the value and
meaning from the simple state of
being thankful.
Nothing more typifies the na–
tional condition of spiritual uncon–
cern and neglect than the near total
lack of publicity and regard for the
Senate resolution setting aside April
30, 1974 as a national day of hurnili–
ation, fasting and prayer to "repent
of our national sins."
The resolution was proposed by a
1eading senator disturbed by the
mood of the nation. It was modeled
after the resolution written by Abra–
ham Lincoln ("to confess our na–
tional sins and pray for clemency
and forgiveness''). Yet
it
failed to
reach the House floor. 1t was
blocked by one member's objection
to all such resolutions which require
unanimous consent.
Even in the Senate there was a
debate over the meaning of "humili–
ation."
"There is a great need to repent,
to seek God's guidance. We have
come to rely more on bitterness and
hatred than !ove for our fellow
man," said ene senator.
Still, April 30 went almost totally
forgotten and unnoticed.
During this Thanksgiving season,
PLAIN TRUTH October-November 1974