The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-12-26
ELoQUENT rRAYER.

~ G..
e 30 God, our Father, for the sake of the
Son, our Savior, inspire us with thy spirit,
and sanctify US to the right fulfllnent of
the duties of this occasion. We come to
dedicate this new historic center as a Ma
tional Cemetery. If all the Departments of
the one Government Thou hast ordained
over our Union, and of the many Govern
nents which Thou hast subordinated to the
Union be there represented; if all classes,
relations, and interests of our blended broth,
erhood of people stand severally and thor
oughly apparent 10 thy presence, we trust it
is because Fhots iSast. called US, that Thy
blessing awaits US, and that Thy designs
may be embodied in practicable results of
incalculable imperishable good. And so
with Thy holy Apostle and with the church
in all lands and ages, we unite in the as
criptiou: Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
Moses, and the God Of all comfort, who
comforteth US in our tribulation, that we
may be able to comfort them which are in
any trouble by the comfort wherewith we
are comforted of God. In emulation of all
angels, in fellowship with all saints, and in
sympathy with all sufferers, in remembrance
of Thy works, in reverence of Thy ways,
and in accordance with Thy word, we love
and magnify Thy infinite projections, Thy
creative glory, Thy redeeming grace, Thy
provideutial goodness, and the progressive,
richer, and fairer development of Thy su-
preme, universal and everlasting admins
tration. In behalf of all humanity, whose
ideal is divine, whose first memory is Thy
imare lost, whose last hope is thy image
hnho Of
nation, whose position is so peerless, whose
mission is so sublime, and whose future is
so attractive, we thank Thee for the unspeak
able patience of Thy compassion, and for
the exceeding greatness of Thy loving
kindness In contemplation of Eden, Cal
vary and Heaven, of Christ in the God on
the cross, and on the throne-nay, more
of Christ as coming again in all-subduing
power and glory; we gratefully prolong our
homage BY this altar of sacrifice, on this
field of deliverance, on this mount Of sal
walton, within the fiery and bloody line of
these mountains and rocks, looking back to
the dark days of fear and trembling, and
the rapture of relief that came after, we
multiply our thanksgivings and confess our
obligations to renew and PERFECT our personal
and social conservation TO Thy service and
glory. o, had it not been for God! for our
enemies, they came unresisted, multitudin-
Gus, mighty, flushed with victory, and cure
of success; they exalted on our mountains:
they reveled in our valleys; they feasted.
they rested, they slept, they awakened, they
grew stronger and holder every day; they
spread abroad, they concentrated here, they
looked beyond this h0rison to the stores of
wealth, to the haunts pleasure and the seals
of power in our capitals and chief cities;
thew prepared to cast the chain of slavery
around the form Of freedom, and to bind
life and death together forever. Their pre-
mature triumph was the mockery of God
and man. One more victory and all was
theirs. But behind these hills was heard
the feebler march of smaller but still a
pursuing host; onward they hurried, day
and night, for their country and their God;
footsore, wayworn, hungry, thirsty, faint,
but not in heart; they came to dare all. to
bear all, and to do all that is possible to he
roes. At first they met the blast on the
plain, and bent before it like trees; but then
| led by Thy hand to the hills, they took their
stand on these rocks. and remained as firm
and unmovable as they. In vain were they
assaulted; all art, all violence, all despera-
ton failed to dislodge Them. Baffied
bruised, broken, their enemies retired and
disappeared. Glory to God for this rescue,
| But OIL the slain, in the freshness and full
ness of their young and manly life! with
/ such sweet memories of father and mother,
brother and sitter, wife and children, nader
Iand friendi From the coasts beneath the
Eastern star; from the shores Of Northern
lakes ard rivers; from the flowers of the
! Western prairies; from the homes of the
midway and the border, they came here t.
die for us and mankind Alasl How littl
we can do for them! We cone with the
humility of prayer. with the pathetic elo
quence of venerable wisdom, with the ten
der beauty of poetry. with the plaintiv
harmony of music, with the honest tribut
of our Chief Magistrate, and with all thi
honorable attendance; but our best hope
In Thy blessings. o Lord, our God, bles
us! o, our Father, bless the bereaved
whether absent or present Bless our sicl
and wounded soldiers and sailors. Bles
: al our rulers and people. Bless our arm
and navy. Bless the efforts to suppress
, this rebellion, and bless all the association
of this day, and place, and scene, for eve
AS the trees are not dead, though their fol
: age is gone, so our heroes are not deac
: though their forms have fallen. In the
: proper personality they are all with The
and the spirit of their example is here.
Ellis the air, it fills our hearts, and as lon
{ 90 time shall last it will hover in these ski
: aud rest on these landscapes, and pilgrim
: of our own land, and of all lands, will thri
: with its inspiration, aud increase and col
o firm their devotion to liberty, religion an
t God.
: The wives of prisoners in the hands
q the Coufederates will be pleased to he
! that the War Department has revived t
old rule to pay them the money due
their husbands.