, 1863-07-11

A SoIe1nnIy Impressive Scene.
lFrom the Philadelphia North American. Still
We have read Of the first prayer offered In
the Continental Congress, and Of the s3lem
nifty and tMprcsslyeHtss of thu scene, a. the
assembled body knsit wAils Jehovah Was
psats,l for the workings Of Lis providence In
o1dain1ng freedom to America
Independence Square yesterday saw sight
emulating it in solemn grandeur, and present.
irg 81 ectacle Philadelphia meyer bc1ore wit,
ntseed-1ever may again. The titfing5 Of the
pr: gross Of the Union arms brought It about
Waen first promulgated, q large number of
this members Of the Union League met coip-
increased until the place WA neAtly flied
Everybody had left their places Of business,
and the members fnstinctiyety sought the
L.ague house for mutual congratulats0n.
1t was proposed tnat something moro than
an informal recognition Of go bountiful Il
geutlemen present took steps to- make it.
bbsdeld's band Of .forty-slx Instruments WAS
secured, and With this at Its head the Union
League, headed By the Rev. Kingston God
dad and Rev. DR.. BElinard, moved down
Chestnut street to. Independence Square,
Eteplng step to the glld srr.1ins Of national
airs that hare been familiar since the days Of
youths earliest drelils.
As the end OF the line reached the square,
all uncovered The line flied to right and
1e.', when Hon. Charles Gibbons assembled the
1t. ps Of INDEPENDENCE Hall. The concourse
VT re thousands i'll nnmber. They spread over
surface beyuud carslot Of the ioudest enun-
ciattoD.
air. Gibbons made brief address. He said
that this day the beginning Of the end il In
yiew. The rebels are closing. their strong
bc1ds, the cause Of the Union Is approaching
it, hnal triumph. He drew picture Of what
VIC Tere us d nation, what VIC are, and what,
in 's'provllcnce, re shall be. Ue spoke
bri' fly and to the point, but was SO over
wiz lined with cheers that We tailed to catch
his speech is be uttered it.
Rev. Dr.. Brainard NOW barred his head, aud
fnst1hctlyeiy-W believe reverent,y, rs BY an
ip1 uitiFe impulse--eyeEy man present was un-
coiercd. Ahueh fell upon the dcnse1Y crowd
ed aesemblage as the hand Of the reverend
doctor was raised, and IN invitation given to
the multitude to follow him in rendering
thanks 10 heaven for its many nercies. and
for croWning the arns Of the country with
Amid more profound silence, VIC verify be-
1ieye. than IN equal number of people ever
thanked the Almighty f3r the victories that
were how crownlng our arms. lie had chas-
tened us In His lisplcasure, and alike In that
Christening, as now In tho blessing lH'On our
| wolk, be recognized tic hand Of the Omnipo-
tent.
Lit LIZ 04t1uo UlC1slHS lp1u LAt
country and Its people relig gton aad
truth and Justice might take the place Of
pride and arrogance and vain glory, and that
This people might recognize ID every eFent Of
| lif~ the ruling Of Divine power; He prayed
for the President and Cabinet, for the contin-
ton Of our natio,.al unity; for liberty to tho
| oppressed; for freedom to worship God eve
] rywhere, and for the comm: of thst day when
| Ills Kingdom shall extend over the whole
| earth-
the whole multitude took up the Greek dis
| 81 liable, and, as with one mighty voice.
re echoed 1t, rerorcntly md eolcrnnlY,
| s.Amcn"
While this prayer was being offered, the
band silently disappeared. As the tlua1 word
] Of the supplication Nas pronouuced,'a strain
| Of sacred music burst from overhead. Tho
baud had asotndcl to the State H0use Btee-
| p1c, and there played with effect that no
| tor que can adequately describe, the mir Of
Ola Hundred, written by Martin Luther, two
| centuries ago.
spontaneously gentleman monuteda post,
and started the melody.to the words:
s.p1aise God. from whom al blessings dow."
The whole multitude caught 1t up, and a
| doxology was sung with majesty that fhila,
| lelpbia never before heard. Every voice
uElted. The msnster orAtorlos that we have
htord, with vocal chorus Of three hundred
singers, dwindled into insignificance In com
pnrlEon to it. Rev. Dr. Goddard then pro
| nounced the benediction, and the vast audi
dispersed. The whole scene wns remarkable
| It was touching Illustration Of the fact tha'
down deep In every man's heart, no matte
what may be the uttcrauces Of his lip, or his
recognition Of the FACT that tho Lord Eoign