Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-02-13
IN M MEMORTAM! !
THE LATE PRESIDENT LINCOLN,
Els life and ervice
GRAFTON OF HON. GEORGE BANCROFT
PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL,

had been extended by the presiding officers of the
two Houses, and to those holding tickets of admis-
sion to the galleries issued by the Chairman of the
Joint Committee of Arrangements
| The Hall of the House of Representatives was
opened for the admission of officers of the army and
navy. who by have received the thanks of Con-
gress, and occupied seats next to the Supreme Court
| on the right of the Speakers table. The Represen-
tatves occupied seats either side of the Hall in
| the rear of those invited. Four rows of seats on
either side of the main aisle placed for Senator'S
In addition to those above mentioned were Assist
ant II eads of Departments, Governors of States and
Territories, the Mayors of Washington and George
town, the Chief Justices and Judges of the Court of
Claims and the Chief Justice and Associate Justices
| of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia
the Heads of the Bureaus in the Departments, and
| others.
| MEETING OF THE HOUSE OF EsENTATIvEs
The House was called to order at Il o'clock by the
| Speaker, who, after prayer by the Rev. Dr. Boynton
laid before the House letter from Secretary Seward,
addressed to the Speaker, making his acknowledg-
ments for the invitation to be presented on this
sion, but sincerely regretting that the state of his
health forbids his attendance the interesting
| tional ceremonies.
The Senators now entered the Hall and occupied
| seats on the right and left of the main aisle.
1t may here be stated that the President was es-
cored into the House by Senator Foot All the mem
bers of the Cabinet excepting Nj. Seward, wsre
present
Senator Doolittle conducted the orator of the day
| to seat at the table of the Clerk of the House.
The clapping of hands from time to time indicated
the entrance of personages of note. Such applause
was given to Mrs Grant her being escorted the
| ladies' gallery by Hon. Mr. Washburne. A little
, later hearty round of applause was given on the
entrance of General Grant whose seat, it happen
| ed, was Immediately in front of where General But
Ter was seated. General Logan, John Minor Bolts,
Judge Advocate General Holt were among those no.
ticed seated in tho range behind Gen. Grant.
| The audience being placed, the exercises were
commenced by the performance in exquisite style by
the Marine Band (36 pieces headed by Prof Scala in
person. of the Mserere from II TroUatore. The band
was stationed in the hail. in the rear of the reporters
gallery, and the mournful music penetrated into the
| main hall with exquisite chastened effect.
Hon. Lafayette S. Foster President of the Senate
tem., called the two Houses to order and spoke
| as follows:
august assembly. For four years the storm of war;
of civil war, ragged fiercely over our country The
blood OF the best and bravest of her sons had been
freely shed to preserve her name and place among
| the nations of the earth. In april last the dark
clouds which had so long hung heavily and gloomiy
over our heads were all dispersed and the light Of
peace, more welcome than TIE vernal sunshine glad
dened the eyes and the hearts of our people, Shouts
OF JOY and songs of triumph echoed through cur land
| The hearts of the devout poured themselves in
orisOns and thanksgivngs TO the God of battles and
of nations that the most wicked and the most formi-
| dable rebellion ever known in human history had
been etectually crushed, and country was saved
| In the midst of this Astounding JOY, suddenly and
swiftly the lightnngs fash came the fearful tid-
ngs that the Chief Magistrate of the Republic our
President, loved and hOnOred as few men ever were
SO honest. SO faithful so true to his duty and to his
country had been iUuly murdered had fallen by the
bullet of an assassin: hearts were stricken with
horror Ihe transition from extreme Joy 10 profound
sorrow was never more sudden and universal. Had
1t been possible for stranger ignorant Of the truth
posed that there would have come upon us some Yisi
@ tatoh Of the Almlghty no less dreadful than that
when there was not house where there was not one
dead. The nation wept for him. After being gaZed
upon by myrlads OF loving eyes under the dome of
deat were borne in solemn procession through our
cities, towns and villages all draped in the habi-
ments of sorrow the sylkQls and tokens of profound
and heartfelt grief to their final resting place in the
Capitol of his own State There he sleeps peacefully
embalmed in the tears of his countrymen. The
Senate and House of Representatives have thought
proper to commemorat2 this tragic event by appro-
pirate services. This Day the bfthGay Of him whom
We mourn, has properly been selected. An eminent
citizen, distinguished by his labors and services in
nigh and responsible public posi- ions at home and
tho history of his country, and done much trans
NIT the fame apd renown OF that country to future
ages, the Hon 1e0rse bancroft, will now deliver a
discourse: LApplause.l
Hon. George BancrOft's Address.
GOD IN HISTORY.
Senator'S. Representatives Of America:
That God rules in the affairs of men is as certain
any truth of physical science. On the great NOV
ing power which is from the beginning hangs the
world Of the and the word of thought and ac-
tion. Eternal wisdom marshas the great procession
of the nations working in patient continuity through
the ages never halting and never abrupt, encompass
sing all events in its oTersg and affecting its
will, though mortals may slumber in apathy or op-
pose with madness Kings are lifted up thrown
down. nations come and go, republics flourish and
but nothing is by chance, though men in their gno-
of causes may think The deeds Of time are
nifty The caprice of heetng exstences bends to the
inmOvable omnipotence which plants its foot on all
the centuries and has neither change of purpose nor
repose Sometimes, Ikea messenger through the
thick darkness of night, it steps along mysterious
ways; but when the nour strikes for people, for
mankind, to pass into a new form of being, unseen
hands draw the bolts from the gates of futurity an
all-subduing influence prepares the ind of men for
the coming revo utlon; those who plan resistance
find themselves in conflict with the will of Provi-
dence rather than with human devices and all hearts
and all understandings ost OF all the opinions and
influence of the unwilling, wonderfully attracted
and compelled to bear forward the change which be-
camemore an obedience to the law of universal natnre
than submission to the arbitrament of man.
GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC.
In the fullness of time a republic rose up in the
wilderness of America. Thousands OF years had
passed away before this child of the ages could be
born. From whatever there of good in the sys-
TENS of former centuries she drew her nourshment;
the wrecks of the past were her warnings. With the
deepest sentiment of faith fixed in her inmos nature
she dSenthralle6 religion from bondage temporal
power. IN td3t her TorShp might be worship only in
from India through Greece, with what Greece had
added of her own; the jurisprudence of Rome; the
representation, the political experience of England
the benlgnant wisdom of the eXpositorS of the law
OF nature and of nations in France and Holland all
shed on her their selectest influence. She washed the
gold of political wisdom from the sands whenever it
was found she cleft it from the rocks she cleaned it
among ruins. Out Of all the discoveries of statesmen
and sages, out of all the experience of past human
life, she compiled perennial political philosophy
the primordnal principles Of national ethics. The
wise of Europe sought the best government in a
mixture of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy;
and America went behind these names to extract
from them the vital elements of social FORMS and
blend them harmOniouslyin in the free Commonwealth
which comes nearest to the illustration of the natural
equality of all men. She entrusted the guardian
ship of established rights to law the movements of
reform to the spirit of the people and drew her force
from the happy reconciliation OF both.
TERRITORIAL EXTENT OF THE REPUBLIC.
Republics had heretofore been limited to small
cantons cities and their dependencies; America
doing that of which the like had not before been
statesmen to to be possible, extended her republic
across continent. Under her auspices the vine of
liberty took deep root and filled the land the hills
were covered with its shadow; its bOughs were like
the goodly cedars. and reached unto both oceans.
The fame of this only daughter of freedom went out
into all the lands of the earth; from her the human
race drew hope.
PROPHECIES ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF SLAVERY.
Neither hereditary monarchy nor hereditary aris-
tocraey planted itself on soil the only hereditary
condition that fastened itself upon us was servitude
T6s bes TGSss bT r. nefF and + true to its law
stores its juices and do the poppy and the upas In
like manner thought and every action ripens its
seed each in its kind In the individual man. and still
moEe II nation, just idea gives life and progress
and glory; false conception porends disaster shame
and DEATH. A hundred and twenty years ago a West
Jersey Quaker wrote: This trade of importing slaves
IS dark gloominess hanging the land the conse
9uenees Uil! be grievous to posterity." At the
North the growth oi slavery was arrested by ma
ura causes IN the region nearest the tropics i throve
rank!y. and worked itself into the organism of
the rising States. Virginia stood between the two
with SOIL, ana climate. resources demanding free
labor, and yet capable of the profitable employment
OF the slave She was the land of great statesmen
and they saw the danger of her being whelmed under
the rising hood in ts to struggle against the delu-
sGns ofaverlce and PRIDE Ninety-our years ago the
Legislature OF Virginia addressed the British King
saying that the trade in slaves of great inhuman
ty was opposed to the security and happiness of
their constituents, would in time have the most de-
structiye influence, and END anger their very exist
ence." And the King answered them that upon
pain of his highest displeasure the importation of
slaves should not be in any respect obstrueted"
fPharsaical Britain" wrote Franklin in behalf of
Virginia Ito priaa thyself in setting free single
slave that happened 10 aud the coasts, while thy
laws continue a traffic whereby many hundreds of
thousands are dragged into slavery that is entailed
said Patrick Henry IN 1873, gives gloomy prospect
to future times" In the same year George Mason
wrote to the Legislature of Virginia; The laws of |
impartial Providence may ayenge our injustice upon
our posterity."