American Minute - Oct. 25 - President Grover Cleveland, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1887

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

On OCTOBER 25, 1887, President Grover Cleveland proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer:

"The goodness and the mercy of God, which have followed the American people during all the days of the past year, claim their grateful recognition and humble acknowledgment."

Grover Cleveland continued:

"By His omnipotent power He has protected us from war and pestilence and from every national calamity;

by His gracious favor the earth has yielded a generous return...

by His loving kindness the hearts of our people have been replenished...and

by His unerring guidance we have been directed in the way of national prosperity.

To the end that we may with one accord testify our gratitude for all these blessings, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, do hereby designate and set apart...a day of thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by all the people of the land.

On that day let all secular work and employment be suspended, and let our people assemble in their accustomed places of worship and with prayer and songs of praise give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all that He has done for us,

while we humbly implore the forgiveness of our sins and a continuance of His mercy."