The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-04

AN ADDRESS BY SECRETARY SEWARD
A Washington dispatch dated on the Goth,
says: The Christian Commission held
meeting in the Hall Of Representatives to-
night. The door and galleries were dense
" crowded. Among the prominent audi
tors were the present members Of the Cab
met. Secretary Seward presided. On
taking the chair he said:
I'm coming once more into these halls OF
national legislation, although for only an
occasional purpose, my thoughts revert to
the circumstances under which ] left them
four years ago. Misguided legislators had
found long delayed occasion and had or
gained fearful rebellion. They bad APP
pointed their leaders, had seized by sur
prise important forts, ports and places, and
their armies were marching into the field.
One after another foreign nations, con-
founded by the boldress Of the insured
ton. prepared to acknowledge the divided
empire. People called first on the outgo-
ing President, and then on the incoming
President. and then On our bravest gene
rails and most honered statesmen to save
the Union. 1t could be saved only By vol
untary. energetic effort of the whole peo-
pie. The people then arose to make tba:
supreme effort. They have persevered in
it, and it is now sooon to be successful The
lost forts, ports and places, without which
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS succeed, have bee,.
rebellion has been uplifted and we wait
only at the hands of the rebels for submis-
sion, which, however delayed, necessarily
follows their military defeat and overthrow
In this achievement the people have not
waited to follow, but have gone before the
executive, legislative and judicial authors
ties Of the Government. have heretofore
departments Of war, finance and politics,
but war has opened another field of activi.
ty and laber-a field not less important or
than those which usually lie
in review. That fiald is the de-
partment Of charity. We have here
In our country no established church
or recognized ecclesiastical authority.
They taunt us with not even recognizing
God in our national Constitution. The ef-
fort Of the Commission is purely volunte-
~. The Christian Commission and SAM
tary Commission, working together in per-
feet harmony, unoyganized and unpaid.
and even unnoticed by the
Government, have cultivated the broad
field to which have adverted, with COM
plete and full success. They have left no
or sickness, or sorrows UNDECIDED
which could be reached by any other than
y Divine hand. The charities of this great
est and most fearful of all civil wars. |
Though voluntarily rendered, have never
Eheless been administered by the Christian |
people Of the United States without any
sacrilegious holding back, and in a spirit |
IF lofty patriotism and pure and indebted |
religion
THE OPENING OF GIRARp's WILL. The ,
January number of the Worth american
stephen Girard, and his college, in which
he following graphic account is given Of
what took place when his will was read
People will be amused 10 learn how his
'atiectionate relatives received the intel
igence that he had given bis estate to the
orphans and poor, rather than to them:
Death having dissolved the powerful
been able to resist, it was to be seen how
lar his will would be obeved, now that he
was no longer able to1enforce it. The old
man lay dead in his house in Water street.
" bile the public, out Of doors, were Gu
'ious enough to learn what he had done
.ith his money, there was number within
he house, the kindred Of the deceased, in
they invaded the cellars Of the house by
bringing up bottles of the old mans choice
vine, and kept up . continual carousal.
Mr.. Duane, who had been
present ut Mr.. Girard's death, and who re-
NAMED to direct his funeral, they demand
ID to know If there was q will. To silence
heir indecent clamor he told them there
IN hearing this, the desire to learn it's con-
ents rose almost to fury. In vain the ex-
cutors reminded them that decencv re-
luired that the will should not be opened
i'll after the funeral. They even threat
ned legal proceedings if the will should
Tot be instantly produced, and at length,
0 avoid public scandal. the executors
nf oA ~ GoH |
te relatives being assembled in a par,or
4 the house in which the body OF their
'enefactor lay, the will was taken from the
ron safe by one of the executors.
When he had opened 1t, and was about to
egin to read, he CHANGED to look over the
op Of the document at the company seated
efore him. No artist that ever held 8
rush could depict the passion Of curiosity.
be frenzy of expectation expressed in that
roup of pallid faces. Every individual
mong them expected to leave the apart
aent the conscious possessor Of millions
" no one had dreamed Of the probability
his leaving the bulk Of his estate to the
ublic. If they had ever heard Of his say
Is that no one should be gentleman upon
is money, they had forgotten or disbe-
eyed It. The opening paragraphs Of the
ill ali tended to confirm their hopes. since I
,e requests to existing institutions were {
mall but the reader soon reached tho
art OF the will which assigned to ladies
nd gentlemen present such trif1ing suns
s, eco, $40, 600, $4,000; and he arrived
re long at the sections which disposed Of
aillions for the benefi. Of great cities and
cor children. Some Of them made not
ae slightest attempt to conceal their disap- s
ointment. and disgust. Men were there I
no had married with q view to share the !
'ealth Of Girard, and had been waiting !
n years for his death. Women were there
tho had looked to that event as the begin. {
ing Of their enjoyment Of life. The i'm I
glnation OF the reader must supply the
etails of scene which We. nigh; think {
ishonored human nature, if We could be- /
eve that human nature was meant to be
AFFECTED TO such strain.
RESPECTFULLY DEcL1NEp.-The crazy a
roposition to place the rebel States under !,
n European pec:orate, slavery to be abel- {
'hed as = consideration, which Was boldly ii
20. is respectfu!ly declined on the mart of :