[ALBSA-Info] George Washington's Message for Thanksgiving Day

[albboschurch at juno.com]

I thought many of you might be interested in reading George Washington's
original Thanksgiving Proclamation.



 George Washington's
1789 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 day of October, A.D.
1789.

(signed) G. Washington
-------------- next part --------------
HTML attachment scrubbed and removed
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: washington.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 4486 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www.alb-net.com/pipermail/albsa-info/attachments/20011118/375dfaaa/attachment.gif>