Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-09-14


ton they have invited the Boards Of Trade from
neighboring cities. There we're speeches, music
etc IN the handsome new Board Of Trade build
Ing, and all thing we're done then, and in the
Eay OF "banquets" and excursions" and gene
RAJ freedom OF the city, have been done since, as
Chicago knows bow to do them. --.r
But Chicago has the Instinct Of Christianity
about Der. At the heart Of her she feels that
God regns, and that wealth and power without
His blessings but curses TO cities and TO
She tries in half dumb way. 10 give voice to
that feeling In Der hour OF most tumultuous
life she stills her heart moment, AID appeals,
With stammering lips. to heaven. She has no
Convention 10 Congress" no gathering of
any kind. to consult on great interests. without
boTing her head and conlessing that God alone
is King The expression of her instincts herein
may not always De very elear or wise. The
mouthpieces she chooses may express their own
conceit, AID not the great city's Intense heart
Ihrobs OF humble worship-but her design is
clear She does want to acknowledge God. She
does want to say she holds her wealth from His
open hand. May she make that acknowledg
ment and confession TO the end OF Time.
Well, at the Inauguration, Methodist clergy
msn, OF very respectable character and standing,
was asked TO give voice 20 the religious feeling
OF the assembly. He made q prayer" accord
iugly, which we fad printed in the daily papers
On the whole. il is less shocking 10 propriety and
reverence than hundred we have seen. Ii
closes with the prayer Of prayers" which, in
itself. half redeems the previous rreverence
The Methodists have not been SO long out of the
church that they have forgotten the Lords
Prayer. They even retain some "Reminiscences
and flavor OF the liturgy. The Methodist doctor
possibly did far better on the occasion than many
another doctor who might have been selected
SILL the prayer is very strange prayer, and we
read it with renewed thankfulness for liturgy
After toe usual opening, and blessing the
Lord for the discovery and settlement Of Amer
lca for the late and its results. the prayer
continues: I'VE bless Thee that Thou hast es-
taolished this city lChcago.) We thank Thee
for the miles OF wharves along which our men
transact the business of the nation. for the stores
and granares which rival those OF ancient Egvpt"
etc.
This is not so bad The taste of the thing is
not remarkable, indeed. but il might have been
worse. The trouble is that the wharves ueces-
state the river and Chicago river can only be
mentioned where they burn incense Sill, the
matter OF fact may as well be right as wrong;
and. although the gentleman officiating IL rot a
learned man, be might have known a. much as
this, THAT the storehouses and grsnaries" OF
| Chicago contsin FIVE fold, at least the biggest
known harvest CT "ancient Egypt He might
| as well talk Of Chim5orazO "Eivaling" Mount
| Tom
But these are only the ordinary bunglings OF
extempOre liturgies What we particularly note
is. the faculty which these forms offer for gross
tlattery to the hearers. They are nominally I'D
dressed to God, but never without the consciou.
ness of an audience. who. in Dr.. Cuyer's phrase
are 70 DE delighted" lie not enough to
make the prayer glorhcatiOn Of Chicago anc
| it's "whsrves" and warehouses" The prayei
Was offered before the Board of Trade, and be
fore delegations of other like associations abroad
They must De delighted Consequently FIRE
| the visitors are cOmpllmented in this style: Nv,
thank Thee that Thou hast brought IN safety tt
greet Us on this glad day. these Thy servants
from the north aud from the south, from the cas-
and from the west, the men who control CEN
MERGE and the men who lead civiliz iton - 81
much for the visitors They have certainly had
favorable mention" Then comes the Chicag,
| Board OF Trade to be introduced: 1--WE pral
| Thee that Thy blessing may ever rest upon thos,
who compose the Board OF Trade OF this city
| who are known throughout the nation for thei
| true and ardent patriotism, and the embodi
ment OF public spirit aud the leaders OF our wes
| tern civilization - Ii certainly becomes Provi
dence to take special care Of the Board of Trade
After such presentation to Heaven as this, the,
| may take thpgs coolly We think never die
Bossuet, for any iulsome court preacher Of biz
kind, lay before Heaven more emphatcally the
| high Importance of his master.
| We would not say that the respectable gentle
man who made this prayer intended TO make il a
| vehicle for the grossest hattery. We can hardly
| believe that he was conscious of the terrible per
version of all the purposes of prayer displayed 10
the sentences We have quoted. He is a Christ
ian, and believes, undoubtedly, that these Gar
| dent patriots" and this embodiment of public
spirit, aud these gentlemen who control com.
merce." and are 1.-The leaders of civilization, .
are. after ALL only sinners like the rest of US, and
have really no more claims on Him who "s no
respecter OF persons" than the laborers in their
''granesies, or the clerks 10 their warehouses .
which rival much those OF "ancient
| Egypt" and that their "miles of wharves. .
their "grsnsres" and their commerce" do not
| give them more claim on God than the beggar
has. We say, undoubtedly he believes all this
and believes il sincerely. But he has made er-
tempore turgies all his life He has been train
ed in their peculiar line. He has made them
'beiore an audience" Like Dr. Cuyler, be has
| felt tho necessity of making them "de
| lightiul" Unconsciously the sense OF
The audience has been upon him The eff
feet of the prayer on the audience has
been, perhaps unwttingly, OF necessity his great
aim SO prayer becomes vehicle for fattery,
as il often becomes a vehicle for denunciation
SO 1t turns into glorlication OF "wharves," aud
"granaries," and "boards of trade" and we find
the Lord solemnly informed OF the fame" ard
the PATRIOTISM" and the public spirit" and
the civilization" of the sinners who seek His
blessing. The fault is not in the particular man +,
ou in the system
The only security from such shocking perver-
sion OF prayer into inaccuracy, bad taste. abuse
or hattery. is in liturgy that is not ertempOre
Men should address their Maker with at least as
much decent respect as they use towards an
earthly magistrate. They should know what
they are going to say before rushing into His
presence. They surely should leave behind them
the thought OF ALTERING fellow sinner. even
though MS 'granaries'' do rival those of an
cient Egypt"
The Commission appointed by the Legisla-