Categories: Historical Documents

Gainesville, Florida 1999

City of Gainesville, Florida

Office of Mayor Paula M. DeLaney

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, our nation’s Declaration of Independence states “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…”; and

WHEREAS, the States Preamble declares: “We, the people of the States of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty—do ordain and establish this constitution.” and

WHEREAS, John Adams explained: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” and

WHEREAS, Noah Webster wrote: “The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His Apostles…This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson declared, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty”; and

WHEREAS, the week of Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to recall the source of our freedoms and appreciate the opportunity to pursue justice, peace and prosperity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Paula M. DeLaney, by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Gainesville, do hereby proclaim November 21-27, 1999 as

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

in the City of Gainesville and encourage all citizens to acknowledge and celebrate, each in their own way, the heritage of our great state and nation where our motto is IN GOD WE TRUST.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the official seal of the City of Gainesville, Florida, this 8thday of November, A.D., 1999.

Paula M. DeLaney

Mayor

Louisiana 1999

State of Louisiana

M.J. “Mike” Foster, Jr.

Governor

Proclamation

 WHEREAS, the Preamble to the Constitution of the state of Louisiana states that “We, the people of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the      civil, political, economic, and religious liberties we enjoy…and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution;” and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 stated: “It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1); and

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated: “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy temporal and spiritual felicity;” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote: “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?” and

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorialand Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation: “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people;” and

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed: “That is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other;” and

WHEREAS, these, and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, M.J. Foster, Jr., Governor of the state of Louisiana, do proclaim the week of April 25 through May 1, 1999, as Louisiana’s fourth annual

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

in the state of Louisiana.

Attest By: The Governor

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the City of Baton Rouge, on this the 14thday of September A.D., 1999.

M. J. Foster Jr.

Governor of Louisiana

Fox McKeithen

Secretary of State

Mississippi 1999

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

Office of the Governor

A Proclamation

By

Governor Kirk Fordice

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the State of Mississippi states that “We the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work, do ordain and establish this Constitution…no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect or mode of worship; but the free enjoyment of all religious sentiments and the different modes of worship shall be held sacred. The rights hereby secured shall not be construed to justify acts of licentiousness injurious to morals or dangerous to the peace and safety of the State, or to exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public school of this State”; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 stated: “It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that “Except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build It” (Psalms 127:1); and

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated; “Animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity;” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?” and

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorial and Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation: “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people; and

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed: “That is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other;” and

WHEREAS, these, and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kirk Fordice, Governor of the State of Mississippi, hereby proclaim November 21-27, 1999,  CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in the State of Mississippi.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Mississippi to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Jackson, September 10, 1999,  in the two hundred and twenty-third year of the United States of America.

KIRK FORDICE

  GOVERNOR

Michigan 1999

 

STATE OF MICHIGAN

EXECUTIVE DECLARATION

Governor John Engler

Hereby Issues this Executive Declaration

in Observance of

November 21 – 27, 1999

as

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, our nation was established on the foundation of our Judeo-Christian heritage, as our Founders knew that America’s experiment in ordered liberty could not succeed unless the American people remained mindful of God’s blessings and faithful to His will; and

WHEREAS, in Michigan, we are fortunate to have been blessed with beautiful rivers, lakes, fields, forests, and a people who, through hard work and intellectual effort and toil, have made cultural, industrial, agricultural, and educational advancements for the enrichment of life for our citizens; and

WHEREAS, In addition to having many blessings for which to be thankful, our society is also faced with difficult challenges, international unrest, and uncertain and changing times which test our people and challenge their beliefs; and

WHEREAS, it is our Christian Heritage which is treasured by so many of us, as Americans, that gives us strength during these trying times; and

WHEREAS, CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK provides us with the opportunity to acknowledge our many blessings, to contemplate the numerous challenges that we, as a society and a nation, face here at home and throughout the world, and to rededicate ourselves to our nation’s spiritual roots, our personal faith, and His divine plan to spread Hope, Peace, and Love among all people;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, John Engler, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby declare November 21 – 27, 1999, as CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in Michigan, and I encourage the citizens of the Great Lakes State to recognize the importance of Christian beliefs and values to the life and culture of our state and nation.

Given under my hand on this thirteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and of the Commonwealth one hundred and sixty-two.

JAMES ENGLER

Governor

Illinois 1999

 

STATE OF ILLINOIS

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, the Preamble of the Constitution of the State of Illinois states that the People of the State of Illinois are “grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors;” and

WHEREAS, the Constitution of Illinois guarantees freedom of religious speech and worship to all citizens; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is richly blessed in natural beauty and natural resources, reflecting its natural beauty; and

WHEREAS, the week of Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to center attention on our thanks to God for His great and good providence and for one’s faith, which is part of Illinois’ history.

THEREFORE, I George H. Ryan, Governor of the State of Illinois proclaim November 21-27, 1999, as CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in Illinois.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and  caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed.

Done at the Capitol in the City of Springfield this twentieth day of October, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, and of the State of Illinois the one hundred and EIGHTY-FIRST.

GEORGE H. RYAN

GOVERNOR

JESSE WHITT

SECRETARY OF STATE

New Hampshire 1999

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

BY HER EXCELLENCY

JEANNE SHAHEEN, GOVERNOR

A PROCLAMATION

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEK

NOVEMBER 21-27, 1999

 

WHEREAS, New Hampshire wishes to join with states in acknowledging the importance of religious freedom; and

WHEREAS, freedom of religion is the first guaranteed protection in the Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, this constitutional protection states, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and

WHEREAS, George Washington declared, “Just government protects all in their religious rights,” and that “true religion affords to government its surest support,” and

WHEREAS, James Madison declared that “the civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or any pretext, infringed;” and

WHEREAS, the Constitution of New Hampshire states that “Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience and reason;”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JEANNE SHAHEEN, GOVERNOR, of the State of New Hampshire, do hereby proclaim NOVEMBER 21st through NOVEMBER 27th, 1999 as RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEK in New Hampshire and urge all citizens to participate fittingly in its observance.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Concord, this fifteenth day of  September, in the year of Our Lord, one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, and of the independence of the United States of America, two hundred and twenty-three.

JEANNE SHAHEEN

GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

West Virginia 1999

Proclamation

By Governor Cecil H. Underwood

WHEREAS,  the Preamble to the Constitution of West Virginia declares, “Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia … reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God…”; and,

WHEREAS,  the Constitution of West Virginia guarantees freedom of religious speech and worship to all citizens; and,

WHEREAS,  West Virginia is richly blessed in natural beauty and natural resources, reflecting God’s miracle of creation; and,

WHEREAS, steadfast faith sustained our Mountaineer forefathers’ survival through years of hardship, isolation and suffering; and,

WHEREAS, the week of Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to center attention on our thanks to Almighty God for His great and good Providence and for the Christian faith, which is part of West Virginia’s and America’s great history;

Now, Therefore, Be it Resolved that I, Cecil H. Underwood, Governor of the State of West Virginia, do hereby proclaim November 21-27, 1999, as Christian Heritage Week in the Mountain State  and encourage all citizens to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate each in their own way the heritage of our great state and nation where our motto is Mountaineers are Always Free.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of West Virginia to be affixed.

Done at the Capitol, City of Charleston, State of West Virginia, this the First day of July, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-nine and in the One Hundred Thirty-seventh year of the State.

Cecil H. Underwood

Governor

By the Governor

Ken Hechler

Secretary of State

New Jersey 1999

State of New Jersey

Executive Department

Proclamation

WHEREAS, during 1999, we reflect on the goals set forth in past years to understand and recapture our Christian Heritage and to reestablish our original freedom of religious concepts; and

WHEREAS, we are reminded of the words of James Madison, who in 1778 stated, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future…upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God”; and

WHEREAS, George Washington stated, “It is 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, aid, and favors”; and

WHEREAS, we also remember the words in the Declaration of Independence, when the Framers noted, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor”; and

WHEREAS, Thanksgiving week is an appropriate time to center attention on thanks to Almighty God for the “Blessings of Liberty,” to ask his help in reinsuring “domestic Tranquility,” and to recognize our national need to reaffirm our “reliance on the protection of divine Providence” in keeping America a “Free and Independent” Nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Governor of the State of New Jersey, do hereby proclaim

NOVEMBER 21 TO NOVEMBER 27, 1999

as

AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

in New Jersey, and encourage our citizens to join in remembering that individual faith is in the power that inspires men of good will to lay foundations and to pursue noble goals for themselves and for their country.

GIVEN, under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey, this twenty-eighth day of October in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and of the Independence of the United States, the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

Christine Whitman

Governor

BY THE GOVERNOR:

DeFOREST B. SOARIES, JR.,

SECRETARY OF STATE

Nebraska 1999

STATE OF NEBRASKA

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Nebraska states that “We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of government;” and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, stated: “It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it’” (Psalm 127:1); and

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated: “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity;” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote: “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?;” and

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorial and Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed “that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other;” and

WHEREAS, These and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith.

NOW, THEREFORE,  I, Mike Johanns, Governor of the State of Nebraska, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the week of November 21st through the 27th, 1999, as CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the observance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, and cause the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska to be affixed this Twenty-Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine.

Mike Johanns

Governor

Scott Moore

Secretary of State

New Mexico 1999

STATE OF NEW MEXICO EXECUTIVE OFFICE SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Proclamation

WHEREAS,THE CITIZENS OF NEW MEXICO CHOOSE TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEMORATE THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND NEW MEXICO; AND

WHEREAS,THE CHRISTIAN HERITGAE OF OUR NATION IS RECOGNIZED IN THE ACCOMLISHMENTS OF SUCH RENOWNED INDIVIDUALS AS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, WILLIAM BRADFORD, GEORGE WASHINGTON, JOHN HANCOCK, ABIGAIL ADAMS, NOAH WEBSTER, ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND WOODROW WILSON; AND

WHEREAS,TEACHING CHILDNRE ABOUT THE HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE OF OUR NATION FROM ITS DISCOVERY AND CONCEPTION TO ITS CONITNUAL APPLICATION IS EDUCATIONAL AND VIRTUOUS; AND

WHEREAS,THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS TO BE FULLY EDUCATED AS TO THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE OF OUR NATION AND NEW MEXICO IS RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES AND NEW MEXICO AS A VOLUNTARY EXERCISE OF THE FREEDOM OF EDUCATIONSAL CHOICE; AND

WHEREAS,THE CHRISTIAN FAITH HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY DOCUMENTED AS A FOUNDATIONAL INFLUENCE OF THE INCEPTION, FORMATION, STRUCTURE AND CULTURE OF OUR NATION AND OF OUR STATE;

NOW, THEREFORE I,GARY E. JOHNSON, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE 7THTHROUGH THE 13THOF NOVEMBER 1999 AS

“CHRISTIAN

HERITAGE WEEK” 

THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.

DONE AT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE  THIS 27THDAY OF OCTOBER, 1999.  WITNESS MY HAND AND THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO

ATTEST:

REBECCA VIGIL-GIRON

SECRETARY OF STATE

 

GARY E. JOHNSON

GOVERNOR