OPINION
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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015
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he spring now approaching, it pleased God the mortalitie began to cease amongst
them. And ye sick and lame recovered apace, which put, as it were, a new life into
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ness as I think any people could do.
But it was ye Lord which upheld them and had beforehand prepared them, many having
long borne ye yoake – yea, from their youth.
Afterwards, they (as many as were able) began to plant their corne, in which service
Squanto stood them in great stead showing them both ye manner how to set it and, after,
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grounds), it would come to nothing.
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up ye brooke … and taught them how to take it, and where to get other provisions necessarie
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Some English seed they sowed as wheat and peas. But it came not to good.
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ou will understand that in this little time that a few of us have been here, we have
builte seven dwelling houses, and four for the use of the plantation, and have made
preparation for divers others.
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and peas. And according to ye manner of the Indians we manured our ground with herrings,
or rather shads (or rather, alewives), which we have in great abundance and take with great
ease to our door.
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stowed on our Governor and upon the Captaine and others.
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ples were all gathered and the cider was all made and the yellow pumpkins were
rolled in from many a hill in billows of gold, and the corn was husked, and the labors
of the season were done, and the warm late days of Indian Summer came in, dreamy, and
calm, and still, with just enough frost to crisp the ground of a morning, but with warm trace
of benignant, sunny hours at noon, there came over the community a sort of genial repose
of spirit – a sense of something accomplished, and of a new golden mark made in advance,
and the deacon began to say to the minister, of a Sunday, “I suppose it’s about time for the
Thanksgiving proclamation.”
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To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the
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ture that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible
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LQJVDJDLQVWZLQWHUEHLQJDOOZHOOUHFRYHUHGLQKHDOWKVWUHQJWKDQGKDGDOOWKLQJV times seemed to invite and provoke the aggressions of foreign states, peace has been
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every family had their portion.
while that theater has been greatly contracting by the advancing armies and navies of the
All ye summer there was no wante. And now began to come in store of foule, as winter Union.
approached. … And besides waterfoule, there was a great store of wild Turkies, of which
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they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck of meal to a person acknowledged, as with one heart and voice, by the whole American people. I do, therefore
or now, since harvest, Indian corne to that proportion, which made many afterwards write invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States and also those who are at sea
so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not fained but true and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday in
reports.
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in the heavens and I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due
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to Him, for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence
for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who
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to heat the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be
consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment
ur harvest being gotten in, our Governor sente four men out fowling that
of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.
so we might, after a more special manner, rejoyce together aher
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my
we had gathered the fruit of our labours. These four, in one
hand, and caused the seal of the United States
day, killed as many fowl as, with a little help besides, served the
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Done at the City of Washington,
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this third day of October, in the year
ing amongst us.
of our Lord eighteen hundred and
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soit, with some ninety men, whom, for three days,
dence of the United States the
we entertained and feasted.
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STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher • LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
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