What We Can Learn from the Confederate Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1861 by George Lacy
WHEREAS, it hath pleased Almighty God, the Sovereign Disposer of events, to protect and defend us hitherto in our conflicts with our enemies as to be unto them a shield.
And whereas, with grateful thanks we recognize His hand and acknowledge that not unto us, but unto Him, belongeth the victory, and in humble dependence upon His almighty strength, and trusting in the justness of our purpose, we appeal to Him that He may set at naught the efforts of our enemies, and humble them to confusion and shame.
Now therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, in view of impending conflict, do hereby set apart Friday, the 15th day of November, as a day of national humiliation and prayer, and do hereby invite the reverend clergy and the people of these Confederate States to repair on that day to their homes and usual places of public worship, and to implore blessing of Almighty God upon our people, that he may give us victory over our enemies, preserve our homes and altars from pollution, and secure to us the restoration of peace and prosperity.
Given under hand and seal of the Confederate States at Richmond, this the 31st day of October, year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty one.
By the President, JEFFERSON DAVIS
The day commonly referred to in Protestant circles as “Reformation Day" brought with it added significance in the Confederate States of America (CSA) in 1861. Facing an acrimonious United States military, commanded by a tyrant bent on binding the collective consciences of the formerly Southern states, President Jefferson Davis issued what has been called the “Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1861.” At merely two hundred nineteen words, the proclamation is as succinct as it is eloquent, as bold as it is humble, and as encouraging as it is somber. President Davis’ words should put modern politicians to shame, with their excessive but fruitless pontifications.
Whatever the intent of Thanksgiving celebrations may have been in the twenty-first century, Thanksgiving celebrations have become an exercise in gluttony and indulgence, packaged in the sickly-sweet but surface- level “love of family.” Excessive meal planning, shopping, and cleaning are all the pre-game show to what has become a race to see who unbuckles their belts the fastest, followed by a race to the couch to watch football and sleep off the effects of the massive meal that preceded the trip to the couch. When you add to that the anxiety of interacting with large groups of family and friends, some of whom hold wildly differing points of view on various subjects, and the day the world set aside as a day to be grateful for that which the Lord provides has morphed into an unusual combination of people-pleasing and dysfunctional, sometimes hostile, relationships with the very people who are the target of the aforementioned people-pleasing.
Let us set aside modern society’s expectations about “Thanksgiving Day.” Rather than falling into the world’s traps about how we need to dress our tables and engage with our family members, what can we learn from President Davis’ proclamation? Before we consider this, let us consider the words written hundreds of years prior to the president’s proclamation, from God Himself, via the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, who encouraged the Israelites to, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
Sadly, this verse ends with the regrettable sentence, “But they said, We will not walk therein,” so we must learn from the mistakes of the Israelites, and look to President Davis’ words for wisdom and profit.
President Davis begins his proclamation by acknowledging the Lord’s guiding hand of Providence and care over the Confederacy up to that point in history. He appeals to the Lord to continue to guide and direct the CSA’s efforts and, more to the point, to stymie the efforts of the Union army, rightly noting, in practice, that the battle is actually the Lord’s, and that He will fight for the CSA and receive the glory for their victory in battle.
However, after that, rather than do what many modern politicians might consider doing, and rallying the troops to fight harder and sacrifice more, Davis shifts his attention to draw attention away from the army, its battles, and the Confederate government. This is not to say that those things have no place; rather, the president implores the clergy and the citizens of the CSA to humble themselves, to behave in practice similarly to how he has just behaved in print. That is to say, President Davis is urging the people to set aside one day (in this case, November 15, 1861) to penitently and prayerfully seek the Lord’s will for the army’s victory, the safety of the nation, and the return of peace to the nation. In short, Jefferson Davis is calling the nation to bow before the Lord who made them and sustained them and to plead for His continued protection and provision.
This is what we are to glean from asking for the “Old Paths.” The Southern people are in no less a precarious position in 2021 than our kin were in 1861. We are facing the same problems our forefathers faced in the Nineteenth Century, namely, high taxation, the loss of civil liberties, and the encroachment of a monolithic and uncaring federal government. Let us turn back to Jefferson Davis’ example of genuine piety. For our kin alive during his 1861 Proclamation that day was Friday, November 15th. We have the opportunity with Thanksgiving -- this year, the 25th of November -- to use President Davis’ Proclamation as the template to reaffirm our love and desire for God’s sovereign care over us and over our nation.
Take the Providential opportunity this Thanksgiving weekend to submit yourselves to the Lord of Creation, to plead with Him on behalf of yourself, your family, and your Southern nation. Pray that He would show us mercy from the same type of tyrant that our ancestors faced. Pray that He would pour out His grace on all who love the liberty He has provided in His Son, the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ.