The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-14
Loo AZ AFFAIRS.

LAYING A CoRYER SrosE.-We gave yes-
terdAy a brief accouat Of she laying the corpe
atone ofs new Catholic Church on 25th street, by
Bishop aoenL, assisted by several Of his Clergy
A platform had been erected not far from tho cor.
ner ssoLe, for the accommodation OF the clergy,
and wooden cross was placed at the eastern end
Of the lot, the spot which is hereafter TO be
occupied by the altar After attiriog themselves
10 their eccississtieal dress 10 edice adjoining
the lot. the Bishop and assisting clergy proceeded
to the platform, where the Bishop delivered an
extemporaneons address, Of which, the following
Is the substance:
The Bishop spoke Of the occasion which had
called together the numbers there assembled,
which was the ceremony of blessing aud placing
tho corner stone OF . new church for the worshi ,
Of tbs Almighty. Sone 30 or 20 years ego, he
sad In arising TO speak TO an audience In this city,
It perhaps would have been necessary to vindicate
the utility and pTopriety of esremonies but Ia our
day they are 30 often resorted to by societies Of
different kinds. and used for 70 many purposes,
that ii is scarcely necessary TO undertake to show
their use aud Importance. The ceremony of lays
ing the stone of edice erected to science
the arts to religion, Is often witnessed, and this
ceremony is one consecrated by observance In the
Catholic Church from remote times Indeed, We
have but to remember that man Is absolutely de-
pendent upon signs and forms not merely to sig
nifty bis ideas and feelings to his fellow-men to
bis creator. but even 10 himself For he cannot
speak to hmself-thst II, he cannot think without
the bodies which the most intellectual aud sprit7
al have to assume in order to be fitted for man, who
10 not only soul spirit, but also has body. The
words OF language are only important as the
bodies In which thoughts and ideas dwell, and
man, who at Fl rst received from his creator the
gift Of language has By various combinations bsen
able for the same ideas to provide numerous signs
to indicate or signify them. Hence the same
thoughts dwell in and are expressed by different
words in d fferent languages. And even where the
ntnttr h.aa liz -aA Nf hah har..
without the ability te hear speak, the genius CT
man has produced a LANGUAGE altogether of signs
for the benefit Of such afflicted persons. To COM
vey ideas. distance, or to hsHd them down to
posserisy, other recorded signs and forms have
been invented, and the ideas and sentiments of
the most spiritual nature are made to dwell In
these forms. And even where persons are present
and have possession of the whole of the senses,
and uee common language, they of.en resort to a
sgn, gesture, or expression of the coun senance,
to signify more than they could even be able to
express by words.
Forzs and ceremonies are rssorted to by society
to express macy ef the same iess ard sentiments
a. might easily be expressed by words-cur courts
ofjustfcs, the diff rent associations Of men such
as the Mason', Odd Fellows, The Knights Templar
or knights OF the st. John Of modern days, the
fremen's companies, and all, even to the youthful
debating soceties, have their peculiar rites and
ceremonies, to signify ideas and sentiments. In
general society We have our ceremonies OF saluta-
ticp, aud our ritual of etiquette aud courtesy
This being 30 We can certainly in religion avail
ourselves of all these means for expressing aud
sgoifyinE to our fellow men and to our greet
rsator our ideas and feelings Religious ceremo.
nies are then but part Of the language Of religion,
and rich eopious and expressive part of that Ian.
gusge. But 10 one can understand language un-
less he has learned what She signs Of thought n
that Language signify. And If the rites and cere.
monies OF the Catholic church seem to some to be
mere mummery OF sbJurb II is only bee ause they
are igntraut OF their meaning. And It 10 40 credit
to person to show his ignorance Of the ceremonial
language OF the oldest and most christian
society Ia the world, one which now numbers more
than 2oO millions of the human family and traces
its history back In connection wish She history of
chrster dom for upwards of Is centuries and to
cry days of Jeaus Christ.
To be unacq uain ted with the ceremonial lana
guage Of this srcisnt and venerable church, and
TO laugh OF Its sigRs is 80 do as children often do
whel they hear the words Of foreign tongue,
but IN which they are sxcusab,s since they have
yet had no time for learning. They laugh at words
and sentences, which might rather cause them to
weep and sorrow, did they understand them, so
may persons, in seeing the language Of rites and
ceremonies, laugh at the expression of the most
solemn and affecting religious thoughts and seq.
timents, which they dearly cherish themselves az
pleasing to God and bsnefcisi to man. Tne uo.
lifted hands and mute appeal of bu.dened and
rspeHtsns heart is understood by the Almighty
as we'll as words, and the Saviour knew the Mag
dalens repen tauce and love, as we'll by the ouI-
poured perfumes OF the ointment, and Winding Of
the disheVelied tre.ses, and dropping of the hot
tears upon his feet, as If his ears and heart had
been assailed with clamorous prayers Tho church
knows this truth, and In oil her worship she
speaks not merely with the voice, but by svsry
thlr2 on earth she enlist In her service OF love
to God.
Remembering the doctrine taught as in ihe
scriptures, that with msu's fall all visible crea.
fures fes the wound, and, ss the apostle tells U.s.
now grodn WItting for deliUsrancc, she always
besses every creature that she calls I'D to assist
hsr In her great work for the glory of ths crsa.
tor Thsspot OF earth which she appropriatss
for the house Of God, and the thiags which she
dsvoses to ths service Of God In the temple. abe
eiesses by prayer. And tor these blessings She
provides mha. is usually called Holy water, which
consists OF pure water and sas-the first the en-
biem OF purity, the second OF preservation. Re-
msmbering how the prophet of God, Eiissus.
healed tho waters Of Jericho by putting salt into
them, she resorts to the same means, relying on
the Same divine power 81 did the holy prophet.
and prays that God would by this put to fight
the enemiss oil his holy name, and extend his aid
and protection.
With this water, thus roIemnly blessed in the
present ceremony, her ritual directs the Bsboo 10
first bless the spot where the altar is to bs
as marked by the cross, Of which the altar In the
representative. 1t 10 hero that the daily sscrifces
forsseen by the prophet Malachi and iore.old by
him. the sacrifice acceptable to God 10 to be Offer.
ed. II is By the real presence Of Jesus Christ by
his divine pswer, like the bloody sacrifices which
be once offered to his father on tho cross Of Gal
vary, d an iafipite value, aud the onlv s.,.
rifce really worthy OF tho majesty Of God Hav
Ing blessed the Cross, the next procesdius
10 to bless the Corner Stone, which like ths
stone rejected by the builders, but pu. into
the heao OF the corner, rspresents Jesus Christ,
who is truly the rock and the sure foundation
of mis- impsrishable and unfaiing church. Kaow.
lag that God 10 more disposed to hear where two or
three are gathered together, the church here di.
reefs tse singing or recital Of the iitany OF the
saints, that these great friends Of God may un;te
their voices with her own, to invoke Cod. hem
edletions Ihen tho other foundations are bless.
cd with holy water and appropriate palms and
prayers; and az the church in all her rites kseps
before her children the m ys.s .ie
OF religionin memorial Of the Trinity in blessing OF
the Foundations she divides them In to three parta
and in the progress OF blessing, the csiebrAnt
aud assistants stop in each part to recte the an.
pointed prayers In conclusion, the Bishop ap-
peaed to those present to extend the usual polite.
ness aud courtesy due by as to each other: and
though they should have no sympathy with What
they saw, at least to observe silence during the
ceremony.
After the address, the ceremonies indicated IN II.
ana wnich are usual on suoh occasions were per .
diencs.
=, In the Corner Stone was placed Latin inscrip.
ton on parchment, saying:
This Corner Stone of st. Patrick Church WAS
UiS'ssu enu ptaced on tnis lZ:h of June, 1869, by
John McGiu, Bishop of Richmond, sssisted nv nav
hessrs Polk, Brady and Andrews, in the prs,epo.
OF large concourse of people of different donomis
nations, Plus TX COW happily governing th.
y nroh, Francis z keorics now bsing Metropolitan N
Bishop, James Buchanan being Pfssident of tha
United States, II. A. Wise Governor Of yir,,nis,
aud Joseph Mayo, Mayor OF the ci,y:of Richmond y
FAIRLY Two gentlemen.
after having unpleasant words the day befors. ,.t
at sutherland's stable, yesterday morning nj six
O'CLOCK. by appointment, aDd adjusted their dim,
Guilty In regular prizs ring order, ons OF thar,
getting his face battered In the most ,eisntif3n
manner, and - other receiving q few scratches
about his tsek. Fighting 10 a poor way to settle
disputes, ana the combatants certainly feel no bet
ter with bruised faces and bloody noses.
MARROW EscAPE.-A horse attached to n
buggy, 10 which was Mr.. Oscar Gregory and :
young lady, ran OF In the lower part of the citv