General
Thanksiving,
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 favour: And whereas both Houses have, by their joint committee,
requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY
of PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging
with grateful hearts the many and signal favours 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 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 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 publick 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, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and
eighty-nine.
George Washington
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