Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-21
The raneral at the White House
ON Wednesday.
from The Cincinnati Gazotte's Special

UI1c XTetb CTOWu btldb Jlit TOOIHo SctlllcO
for hours scarcely to stir. The green and
delegations, pail bearers, &c. The East
Room, hung with black, shrouding every
chandelier, covering every mirror, droop-
ing from every plaster, and darkening
every window, was densely crowded.
THE CATAFALQUE.
In the center stood an imposing catafal-
que, on which the coffin was placed, sur
rounded with flowers, with crosses and
anchors of flowers leaning against 1t at the
head and foot.
-rur.. THE SPECTATORS. ll
o Nearest it, and facing the side, stood
Chief Justice Chase and the Associate JUS
tices of the Supreme Court. Next to Mr.
Chase on the left, and toward thelower end
ofthe room, stood ex-Vice President Ham,
lin, and by his side the late Vice President
now President. Andrew johnson. Imme-
diately next to him was his old friend
Preston King, of New York. Immediately
behind this party stood the Cabinet, and
further toward the lower end of the ROOM
the members of the House and Senate and
their officers. On Chief Justice Chase's
right hand stood the Diplomatic corps, In
full dress, and wearing all their decorations
Next them were the heads of Bureaus and
other prominent officials. At the head Of
the coffin were members of the clergy and
the physicians to the President. Behind
them was the guard of honor, together with
a large number of prominent military and
naval officers; foremost among whom were
Lieut.. General Grant and Vice Admiral
Farragut. Near the foot of the coffin were
ranged chairs covered with black for the
members of the family. just before the
coin entered, accompanied by Private
Secretaries Nicolay and Hay; but Mrs.
Lincoln, with her younger son, preferred to
mourn in private. Beyond the chairs for
the family stood the Illinois and Kentucky
delegations. AS chief mourners, in addition
to those already mentioned, there were
present Governors Fenton, of New York /;
Andrew, of Massachusetts; Brough, of
Ohio; Oglesby, of Illinois; Curtin, of Penn
sylvania; Bradford, of Maryland; Pierpont,
of Virginia; Rev. DIR. Bellows, President of
the Sanitary Commission; Rev. DIR. Hill,
Presidential Harvard College, and a large
number of distinguished and eminent citi-
zens from all parts of the country.
No ladies were present till just before the
ceremonies began, when Mrs. Senator
Sprague, accompanied by her sister, Miss
Chase, and Mrs. Secretaries Stanton, Den
nison, Welles and Usher, entered.
THE RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
A few moments past twelve, just as Cap
tain Lincoln and the Private Secretaries,
with such other members of the Presidents
household as were present, entered the
room, the solemn hush was broken by the
voice of the clergyman standing at the head
of the coffin, Rev. DIR. Hall, Rector of the
Church of the Epiphany, intoning, the
noln for tIah hnr al .nf
according to the liturgy of the Episcopal
Church, 81 am the resurrection and life,
saith the Lord. He that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live; and
whosoever liveth in me shall never die. l
know thatmy Redeemer liveth, and that he
shall stand in the latter day on earth," aud
so on until the services appointed to be read
at the grave.
Bishop Simpson followed in lengthy
prayer, and Rev. DIR. Gurley, OF the Old
School Presbyterian Church. who had been
the Presidents pastor, then read the funer,
al sermon. The following were the OPEN
ing sentences: .t a % 4
DIR. GURLEY's FUNERAL SERMON.
AS we stand here to-day mourning by
this coffin, and around the lifeless remains
of our beloved Chief Magistrate, we recog-
nize and adore the sovereignty of God.-
His throne is in the Heavens, and his King
dom ruleth over all. He hath done, and
hath permitted to be done whatsoever he
pleased. Clouds and darkness are around
about Him, and righteousness and judg-
ment are the habitation of His throne
Canst thou, by searching, find out God ?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto per-
fection? 1t was the cruel hand which smote
our honored, wise and noble President,
and filled the land with sorrow, but above
and beyond that hand there is another
which we must see. 1t is the hand of a
wise and faithful Father. He gives us this
bitter cup, and the cup that our Father
hath given us shall we not drink it? That
such man should be sacrificed at such
time by such foul agency; that the man at
the head of the nation, whom the people
had learned to trust with living conf
dence, and upon whom, more than upon
any other, were centered under God our
best hopes for the true and speedy pacifica-
ton of the country, and the return of har-
mony and love; that he should be taken
from us, and taken just as the prospect of
peace was brightly opening upon our torn
and bleeding country, and just as he was
to be animated and gladdened
with the hope of ere long enjoying, with
the people, the blessed fruits and reward of
flcing devotion to the interests of liberty.
Oh It is most affecting visitation, but it
is our Father in Heaven, the God of our faith
ers and our God, who permits us to be
smitten, and we know that His judgments
are right, and that In faithfulness He has
afflicted us. In the midst of our rejoicings
we needed this stroke, this discipline, and
therefore He has sent it. Surely the wrath |
of man shall praise Him and the remainder |
of wrath He will restrain. In the lightofa |
clearer day we may see that the wrath |
which planned the death of the President |
was overruled by Him whose judgments are |
and his ways past finding |
out.
RELIGIOUS CHARACTER OF THE PRESIDENT.
Speaking of the Presidents religious be- |
lief he said: speak what know and testi-
fy what have often heard him say, that l
affirm that the Divine goodness and mercy
were the props on which he leaned. Never |
shall / forget the emphasis and the deep
emotion with which he said, in this very
room, to company of clergymen and 9TH
ers who called to pay him their respects in
The darkest days Of our civil conflict, Seen
tlemen, my hope of success in this struggle
rests on that 7immutable foundation, the
ustness and goodness of God; and when
events are very threatening, still hope
that in some way all will be well in the
end, because our cause is just and God is
on our side" Such was his sublime and
holy faith, and it was an anchor to his soul.
It made him firm and strong; it embolden-
ed him in the pathway OF duty, however
rugged and perilous it might be. 1t made
him valiant for the right, for the cause of
God and humanity, and it held him in steady
patience to policy of administration which
be thought both God and humanity required