Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ ^ | October 3, 1789 | George Washington

Posted on 11/23/2005 2:04:21 PM PST by new yorker 77

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 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 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 which we experienced 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 enabled 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 hath 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 shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease 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 1789.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: 1789; georgewashington; moralabsolutes; proclamation; thanksgiving
The ACLU would love the 15 references to God.
1 posted on 11/23/2005 2:04:22 PM PST by new yorker 77
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

The "father of our country" was not exactly politically correct.... don't tell the left, they have enough to be outraged about!


2 posted on 11/23/2005 2:14:05 PM PST by Enchante (Joe Wilson: "I don't know anything about uranium, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Obviously a fake document. If the separation of church and state is such a sacrosanct idea then certainly someone who was there at the start of the country and helped set up this great country would not make any reference to God.

Next thing you know they'll be telling us that other Founding Fathers knew and spoke of God and the importance of God to our success as a country.

That was easy. What's next? The death penalty?


3 posted on 11/23/2005 2:16:21 PM PST by jwpjr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

The ACLU wouldn't have minded if Washington mentioned allah instead.


4 posted on 11/23/2005 2:16:57 PM PST by Outland (Some people are damned lucky that I don't have Bill Gates' checkbook.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Bump


5 posted on 11/23/2005 2:18:35 PM PST by SpookBrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwpjr

6 posted on 11/23/2005 2:21:10 PM PST by new yorker 77 (FAKE POLLS DO NOT TRANSLATE INTO REAL VOTERS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Here is another one they ignore:


done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,
GO WASHINGTON--Presidt. and deputy from Virginia
[Signed also by the deputies of twelve States.]


7 posted on 11/23/2005 2:27:16 PM PST by paradoxical
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Later happy pingout. Nice handwriting, too.


8 posted on 11/23/2005 2:32:58 PM PST by little jeremiah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77; odoso; animoveritas; mercygrace; Laissez-faire capitalist; bellevuesbest; ...

Moral Absolutes Ping.

Here's a nice quote I got in my email today (those educated men (and the ladies) sure had a way with words):

The Federalist Patriot
Founders' Quote Daily

"To grant that there is a supreme intelligence who rules the
world and has established laws to regulate the actions of his
creatures; and still to assert that man, in a state of nature,
may be considered as perfectly free from all restraints of law
and government, appears to a common understanding altogether
irreconcilable. Good and wise men, in all ages, have embraced
a very dissimilar theory. They have supposed that the deity,
from the relations we stand in to himself and to each other, has
constituted an eternal and immutable law, which is indispensably
obligatory upon all mankind, prior to any human institution
whatever. This is what is called the law of nature....Upon this
law depend the natural rights of mankind."

-- Alexander Hamilton

Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.

Have a happy and blessed Thanks Giving Day!

Hint: we're giving thanks to Someone. Something we should be doing every day of the year as well.


9 posted on 11/23/2005 2:38:55 PM PST by little jeremiah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

bttt


10 posted on 11/23/2005 3:10:27 PM PST by GretchenM (Hooked on porn and hating it? Visit http://www.theophostic.com .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Newdow and ACLU can't go around erasing history going back 200 years. It's really said that these people have nothing better to do than try and destroy what has worked for so many years.


11 posted on 11/23/2005 3:18:55 PM PST by newfrpr04
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

Gee, this is on the Library of Congress web site. Are they allowed to put the letters G-o-d in succession on a .gov site? Isn't there separation of church and state in this country? Who CARES if it's historical. </sarcasm>


12 posted on 11/23/2005 4:00:54 PM PST by craig_eddy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah; new yorker 77
Thanks for the ping, little jeremiah. Thanks for starting this thread, new yorker 77.

Washington sure was a giant of a leader; partly because he was, at the same time, more humble than bossy men like Newdow. Newdow is a small, small man who puffs himself up to look threatening, like a frog in the swamp would do.

13 posted on 11/24/2005 3:12:37 AM PST by syriacus (US success at liberating Iraq outscores the "world community's" success at containing Saddam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77
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

I've often heard that our Founding Fathers were Deists, who believed God didn't intervene in the affairs of men.

This proclamation disproves that theory.

14 posted on 11/24/2005 3:16:19 AM PST by syriacus (US success at liberating Iraq outscores the "world community's" success at containing Saddam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

BUMP


15 posted on 11/24/2005 8:02:20 AM PST by visualops (www.visualops.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: new yorker 77

A great day of Thanks for the Bountiful harvest Father God has provided.


16 posted on 11/24/2005 1:38:25 PM PST by Rightly Biased (Valor is a Gift.Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson