Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/714

 THASOS THEATINES 1639, sometimes of more than one day in the same year, and in Plymouth in 1651, 1608, 1680 (when the form of the recommendation indicates that it had become an annual custom), 1689, and 1690. The earlier of these appoint- ments were at different seasons of the year, and for special reasons, particularly for the arrival of ships with provisions and new colonists ; but the later were more general- ly for the harvest, and were in the late au- tumn or early winter. Occasional thanksgiv- ing days were appointed by the Dutch gover- nors of New Netherland in 1644, 1645, 1655, and 1664, and by the English governors of New York in 1755 and 1760. During the revolution thanksgiving day was a national in- stitution, being annually recommended by con- gress ; but after the general thanksgiving for peace in 1784 there was no national appoint- ment till 1789, when President Washington, by request of congress, recommended a day of thanksgiving for the adoption of the constitu- tion. Washington issued a second thanksgiv- ing proclamation in 1795 on account of* the suppression of insurrection. President Madi- son, by request of congress, recommended thanksgiving for peace in April, 1815. But the official recommendation of thanksgiving day was mainly confined to New England, where regular annual proclamations were is- sued by the governors of the states, and the day was observed almost universally with religious services, and was the principal social and home festival of the year. The prayer book of the Protestant Episcopal church, ratified in 1789, recommends for a day of thanksgiving the first Thursday in November, unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities. There was occasional recommendation by other religious bodies, and various local customs prevailed in different parts of the country ; but the day was not regularly recommended by the governor of New York till 1817, and its adoption in the southern states was much later. In 1855 Gov. Johnson of Virginia recommended a day of thanksgiving; but in 1857 Gov. Wise, being requested to do so, publicly declined, because unauthorized to interfere in religious matters. In 1858 thanksgiving proclamations were is- sued by the governors of eight of the southern states. During the civil war President Lincoln issued proclamations recommending special thanksgiving for victory in 1862 and 1863, and a national proclamation of the annual thanks- giving day in 1863 and 1864. Since that time such a proclamation has been issued annually by the president, as well as by the governors of the states and the mayors of the principal cities ; and custom has fixed the time for the last Thursday in November. THASOS (now Thasso), the most northerly island of the Grecian archipelago, belonging to Turkey, lying off the S. coast of Roumelia (vilayet of Salonica), nearly circular in form ; area, about 85 sq. m. ; pop. about 6,000, most- ly Greeks. The centre of the island is occu- pied by Mt. Ipsario, a summit about 3,500 ft. above the sea, and thickly covered with fir trees. The principal ancient town, bearing the same name, was upon three eminences near the N. coast, and some remains of it still exist. The soil is not fertile, and the inhabi- tants, scattered in about a dozen small villages, do not produce grain enough for their own consumption. The vine was formerly culti- vated, and the wine of Thasos was celebra- ted, but little or none is now produced. In ancient times it contained also valuable gold mines, opened by the Phoanicians, and marble quarries. Thasos was once of great impor- tance. It was said to have been settled by the Phoenicians, led by Thasos, the son of Agenor, when in search of Europa. Toward the close of the 8th century B. 0. it was colonized by settlers from Paros, who very soon became powerful, and obtained considerable posses- sions also on the coast of Thrace. The gold mines worked by the islanders were very pro- ductive, leaving them a clear surplus revenue of about $300,000 annually. They were sub- dued by the Persians, and afterward became dependent on the maritime empire of Athens ; but in 465, in consequence of disputes, the Athenians subjugated and despoiled the island, after a siege of* more than two years. Its sub- sequent history is one of almost constant con- flict with Athens, to which it was nominally subject, until the time of the Koman wars, when it submitted to Philip V. of Macedon ; but after the battle of Cynoscephalae (197) it became a free state. . THATCHER, Benjamin Bnssey, an American au- thor, born in Warren, Me., Oct. 8, 1809, died in Boston, July 14, 1848. He graduated at Bowdoin college in 1826, and studied law, but devoted himself to literature. In 1836 he vis- ited England for his health, and spent two years there. His published works are : " Biog- raphy of North American Indians who have been distinguished as Orators, Statesmen, War- riors," &c. (2 vols. 18mo, New York, 1832) ; " Memoir of Phillis Wheatley " (Boston, 1834) ; 'Traits of the Boston Tea Party" (1835); " Traits of Indian Manners, Character," &c. (2 vols. 18mo, 1835) ; and " Tales of the Amer- ican Revolution " (1846). THAYER, a S. E. county of Nebraska, bor- dering on Kansas, formed since 1870; area, 576 sq. m. ; pop. in 1875, 2,139. It is inter- sected by the Little Blue river and Big Sandy creek, and is crossed in the N. part by the St. Joseph and Denver City railroad. It has an undulating prairie surface and a fertile soil. Capital, Hebron. THEATINES, an order of regular clerks, found- ed at Rome in 1524 by Gaetano di Tiene (died in 1547 ; canonized by Clement X.), Bonifazio di Colle, Giovanni Pietro Caraffa (afterward Pope Paul IV.), and Paolo Consigliari. Gae- tano and Bonifazio were the first who united to form a society of priests following the rules of apostolic life as set down in the New Tes-