The national Republican., 1869-03-06
Is,uour,1-pu,yrr Mvr,xo- Amorv

he Important events connected with Presl-
ent Grants inauguration, the remarkable
Meeting for prayer, at st. Paul's Lutheran
hurch that evening, deserves more than q
'assing notice.
An Inaugural prayer meeting was happy
thought, suggested, wo believe, by Geo, II.
Stuart, Of Philadelphia.
It was spontaneous meeting, needing
only the suggestion and notice, and 1t ap-
pearcd, as II progressed, that similar meet
lngs were being held In other parts Of the
country.
Gen. o. o. Howard was invited to preside,
aud announced rs the topics for which
special prayer was asked Gods blessing
sought upon our Government, In Its Execu-
tive, legislative and judicial departments
that our rule may be dlyincly guided and |
sustained, aud that they may give ns patterns
Of piety; that our laws may be Just and |
salutary; that the Sabbath and the sanctu-
nry may be revcrcnced; that all who labor |
to evangellze men may be blessed; that our |
nations wounds may be healed that King
Emmanuel may be exalted In the land and
among the nations.
The Tooth psalm Of praise, the 7th chapter
Matthews, the hymn "Beforc Jehovah's
awful throne" and fervent prayer by Rev.
DR.. Butler, opened the meeting. General
Howard read from the inaugural, calling
attention to the closing sentence In which
President Grant asks the nation to pray for
him. That Is the Presidents endorsement
of this meeting. God put 1t into his heart
before the meeting was called or thought Of.
The General spoke Of his first meeting with
General Grant at Steyenson's, Alabama,
when on his way to Chattanooga from the
army Of the Tennessee to take command OF
the consolidated military division Of the
West, and OF their interview In his own tent
at Bridgeport, when the General, alluding to
the new command Just assigned him by
President Lincoln, said that he never sought
office or promotion, for he believed that In
case OF failure It would show that he had
been flying In the face of Providence; but
when responsibility came to him he accepted
1t without fear. May not this explain the
remarkable statement In his inaugural that
he feels the responsibility Of his new station,
but accepts IL without fear. General How
| ard alluded to his own custom for sometime
past to pray daily for General Grant, and
| asked that the Christians of the land should
| bear him always before God. The Corona
tion hymn, GAN hail the power Of Jesus
namc," brought the audience TO their feet
In hearty chorus.
The chairman recognizing Mr.. Stuart,
invited him to the front. With deepest
| emotions he alluded to his own feelings
during the scenes Of the day In the Senate
and on the Capitol steps; but when, riding
| up the Avenue In procession, he read the
closing sentence of the addrcss-a request
for prayers by the President of the United
States-his heart found relief for Its glad
ness only In tears. Already that inaugural
is read, and that request Is responded to in
prayer meetings, In closets and at fircsidc-
affairs all over the land. II Is already across
| the waters, and has been read on Change In
London and In many English homes, and
| thousands OF hearts in Europe unite with US
10 prayer. God bless our land through the
| new administration. ''God bless our ma
tive land" was the next hymn.
DR.. Butler, pastor of the church In which
the meeting was held, was grcatful to God
for the inaugural. 1t was brief, compre-
hensiyc, full OF truth and righteousness
great relief for the miserable twaddle and
special pleading to which the country had
been treated. lie had heard that some
Washington Christians had refused TO como
, here tonight because it was to be a polite al
prayer meeting; Just as If the most solemn
and important transactions under the sun
were ever to be undertaken and carried OF
without prayer.
When we are Christian enough to hold M
| tional prayer meetings on every importan
, political question, we shall be stronger ant
!, safer than we are now. The chairman, al
y luding to the next hymn to be sung q jubile,
= for freedom, said that perhaps the programm
|
a the hymn was in Its place no one could douh
a who had heard the slaves in Georgia pra
for Sherman's army as 1t marched to the sea
I. General Ekin alluded to the topic of prayer
u that King Emmanuel may be exalted In til
land. The chairman spoke Of a scene at n
: Ohio State asylum, where were gathered
= = company Of men who had gone blind In tn
= service of their country; and so, all over th
n land, there are fragments of men CONSTANT
~ reminding what nation il worth by n
', fearful cost.
u Rev. +. Z. Smith, of the A. VI. A., of Ne
- York, related an incident of Christian con
mission work along the Mississippi river |
, 1858. A delegate from the Northwest,
= giving report of his labOrs for the day
y spoke Of having prayer in Gen. Grants ten
I. When surprise was expressed that he shoul
attempt such thing, he said, 81 tell yot
/! brethren, 1t Is the easiest place to pray
!, have found In the army" Now, said III
= = speaker, when you find man whom 1t
easy to pray with you have one that Is cas-
= to pray for. Let us take the thought {
"a Gen. Howard, and pray every day for Gen
Grant, not In the general way, not mercl
for him as President, but as a man, slime
like one OF us who needs Christ's salvation
;, His prayer for us has gone all over the Ian
a that we may have pcacei now let our prayer
for him never cease till he has pcace-th
peace of God which man feels when h
has surrendered to King Jesus.
Major Whittle, OF Chicago, alludng /
the prayer that our nations wounds may b
. healed, spoke Of the remarkable revival noN
! in progress at Richmond, Va, In which tn
!, principal humane worker is Rev. Mr.. Earle
OF Massachusetts,. All Christians In RiCl
mond are taking part in this revival wor
> under this leader. At st. Louis simila
work Is going on, and churches which haY
hitherto kept entirely apart over the line Q
the North and South feeling are now pray
= ing and working delightfully."- together.
II That is the way to heal the wounds of ba
feeling; lift up Jesus. Has He not said :"
be lifted up will draw all men to me-"
y Gen. Chas. II. Howard said 1t Is true tn,
a. our President has made It easy for us to pra
y, for him. Has he not, in the words imm
"a dlately preceding his request for praye
10 shown that he too Is praying In the true 20
~ pei spirit. He expressed the earnest desil
u u that such fratcrnal spirit shall preva
~ throughout the land as to secure u hapI
- union. The sentiment is scrlptural, al
IN unity of spirit in the bonds of peace" tt
u, faith Of Christian may well be deepenC
" for one who cherishes this feeling of brothc
70 hood; 1t strengthens our hopes not only f
the country but for the race, when men
this spirit are ready to take their fellows b
OF the hand as brothers and liz them up.
nc Rev. Mr.. Hall, of the Y. NJ. c. A., el
Is couraged the meeting by the .fact, rs give
nc to him by an old citizen Of Washington, tn
5 there were never before so many earnest OF
u, spoken Christian men in Congress Us now.
VI Rev. Mr.. Gregory spoke Of our natloni
II existence us beginning in prayer The const
ie tutional convention ut Philadelphia dis
a. greed, and were about to break up, who
:" Benjamin Franklin proposed to spend O
3. hour daily In prayer. From that day Il
nation began 10 take shape.
r. DR.. Rust, of Cincinnati, prayed for Il
lg poor Of the land and for Christian life
ht Presldelt Grant,
8, A city pastor offered icrycnt prayer tn
or thH. our President may be II model man (,
DC our young men, especially that he may @
20 cape the peril Of our public men; that &c
RI would help him TO be an abstalnGr from a
rs that intoNlcates.
Mr.. Wannamakcr, Of Philadelphia, Offer
prayer of thanksgiving for a Christian VII
oil President. General Howard alluded TO
We fear expressed by an English friend, Re
=, DR.. Morgan, lest the expected lnaugur
K, might take ground likely to excite bad fec
Ct ing among his people On the contrary, Il
le inaugural takes the only ground on whiC
ie bad feeling can be Rllayed, viz: Right
ID tween nations as between man aud ma