The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-09

He attended the other day the conseorstion In |
Washington Of q new Methodist church. and |
his presence was hailed at good sign for tbs |
prosperity OF that church and all the churches |
under his administration.
Secondly. This idea has been and will ba |
strengthened In every praying household cir |
ole in the nation, by the closing reuuast of the
Generals inaugural, in which he asks the |
efforts Of every citizen in the work of ''oement.
ing happy Union" and ''the prayers of the
nation TO Almighty God In behalf OF this bannv
contamination" General Grant is a believer
in prayer. He recalls an incident said to be
connected with critical period in the conveu
tion of the fathers engaged in framing the Com
stitution. We think 1t was on the everlast-
ing Niger question that the convention was
brought to deadlock. They knew not what
to do when good old Ben Franklin, as the
tradition goes, proposed the last resort of
prayer. 1t was tried, and the convention re-
turned to its work and q compromise was
effected, including the continuance of the
African slave trade for twenty years. which
restored peace in the convention and esta-
blished the Union. AS we look at 1t now, that
compromise was an awful mistake; but union
was the first essential, and as they we're
situated an adjustment casting the deadweight
of SLAYER upon Sambo, including the African
slave trade-a New England plum-was the
best that could be done by the fathers. They
did not think slavery would last long, and
they would have gone, no doubt, for speedy
abolition had they dreamed of Whitney's
cotton gin Calhoun, and jeff. Davis Jeff5r-
son, however, had his misgivings, and they
have all come true. But now, with slavery
abolished and equal rights provided for, ex-
oept in the matter of the spoils, to reds, yell
lows, blacks, and whites, General Grant with
q clear conscience may ask the prayers of the
nation for ga oemented Union" with the
cement of liberty, equality, and fraternity"
IL. So L ..oA Ill - &c n.NA
brother ?"
The third branch of our discourse is the
presentation to General Grant from the Anne
rican Bible Society, on the 4th of March, of a
splendid copy of the Holy Bible. The COM
mittee consisted of Chief Justice Chase, Sem
ator FreliDghuysep, and George II. Stuart, of
Philadelphia, the very mantle identical
Scotch Irish Presby yterian-who poor Mcclure
was afraid had been sing led out as the Penn
| sylvania man for the new Cabinet. The Chief
Justice presented the Bible (magnifcently
bound in Turkey mOroccO), and III the name
Of the society he expressed the hope that the
| new administration would be guided by its
| teachings. The General accepted the gift
| with thankfulness, and promised to preserve
| IL and hand il down to his children in comme-
mOration Of the day. Nor have we the
shadow of doubt that when puzzled and
| worried out of his lite by clamorous politicians
| and hungry Office seekers, he will turn to its
| pages for enlightenment, and will be greatly
strengthened thereby. He will find in the
| faith Of Abraham and Isaac in the great mis-
| fortune of Esau and in the treachery Of Jacob,
in the trials and triumphs of Moses, the great
leader of Israel to the Promised Land, in the
vicissitudes Of Saul and David, in the gor-
geous reign of King Solomon in the revolt Of
the ten tribes, and so on, and in the wisdom
of the Proverbs and in the warnings of the
Prophets an invaluable fund of instruction;
bat k.nk 4f a1r sxxA L. L. -
and lowly Nazsrene, aud in His power of heal
| ing the sick, restoring the blind and casting
out devils, will the President find comfort and
encouragement.
We speak to congregation greater than
that which Moses led dry shod across the Red
Sea; and We would warn them that in advo-
eating the payment of the five twenties in gold,
General Grant does not, like the High Priest
Aaron, when Moses was up in the mountain,
intend to set up golden calf as the god of
Israel. That calf already is the god of Wall
street, but it will be knocked in the head when
we come to specie payments. Our new Presi-
dent, to sum up, will give great impulse to
the cause of religion, from the living principles
thereof which are fixed in his character and
from his outward manifestations as believer.
| lie may not come up to the mark of the Massa-
ohusetts Puritan, but he is welcome as q
brother in Plymouth Church. Most Of our
Presidents have been Episcopalians or Presby-
terians. Jefferson was philosopher, Van
Buren, was a Dutch Reformer, and old Zack
Taylor, we believe, was a hard-shell Baptist.
The Methodists, with General Grant as their
champion, have now something over which to
shout hsllelujsh; but, as the President repre-
sents all the people, SO he represents all the
Churches. He comes in, too, with the sublime
idea proclaimed with the star of Bethlehem,
which was "Peaoe and good will to men," for
is not his motto the same-"Let us have
peace? ?"