The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-29

terday morning. a number OF thelh TO-
at the Governors mansion and then rIs-
ceeded To the southern pnrtieo OF :tne IN
itoi, where the meeting was held "a nu a,t
Der OF our prominent citizens ano = El. -
number Of the members OF the LesislA. s'ast
were gathered Ia the portieo, Whiie u s .ha
concol,rse gathered in front OF IL on <sng
ereen sward. Governor Walker was cailea
npon to preside over the meeting, anu tne
members of the Press present requesseu 10
act US secretaries. .a. IL :" .,'<@
-.,f THE GOVERNORS ADDRESS.
aovernor Walker addressed the meeting
az follows I: : .,..s..,1 -, :,
"Fellow-citiz are gathered upon
an occasion more solemn, distressing, and
monrnful, than you or ! ever Witnessed be-
fore , A great public calamity has beallen
no. In the midst of life we are in death.
Yesterdays sun rose bright and clear upon
n city honpy and Joyous, and set upon city
jrnned in mourning, the. evening air rent
with lamentations and wailing. Fellow.
|.citizens, 7 have no heart to! talk now, for
there are occasions, and this is one. of them,
when the heart is too full Of sorrow for ut
tcrancc Some of the dearest friends l had
on earth-friends whose memory Will cher
ish while life and recollection last-haVe
been stricken down in amoment. l,meurn
no kindred, but / mourn that Wnlcn Is
higher, more sacred and more dear-the loss
of sincere, generous, high-souled, and man.
ly friendship. ~.
"It is eminehtly meet and proper that
we should meet together this day and hum
blv recognize in this appropriate manner
the terrible visitation of mysterious Fro
violence, pray God, my fellow-citizens
that during the remainder Of my life and
YOUR life our eyes may never again rest
i,pon a scene so appalling and heart-rend-
ing as that we witnessed here yesterday,
when, where all was life and hope, 0yerffty
of our fellow-citizens, in moment, with.
out warning or preparation, were suddenly
plunged into eternity. ~, T. = ~.
cit was indeed, my tellow-citizeus, one
of those awful sights which rendsthe heart,
which language fails to describe, and winch
has to be witnessed to be appreciated. IN
| a solemn occasion like this it is fitting that
we should appeal to the Throne of Grace
! for aid and succor in this our time Of afflic.
tion." ar ir-c.E ~
| Here the Governor called on DR.. Hoge,
who offered the following prayer:
| =, 90. PRAYER BY DIR. HoGE.
"With lowly reverence of spirit, and
hearts filled with sadness and awe, we come
into Thy presence, God, most high and
holy. We come to humble ourselves, under
Thy mighty hand; to acknowledge that
clouds and darkness surround Thee tha'
we cannot measure the depths Of Thy inf,
mite DEGREES, or tathom the wisdom Of Thy
inscrutable proyidences. ..s ~a
"Enable us, then, to feel our helplessness,
our ignorance, our frailty. When we can.
not explain the reasons of Thy dispense.
tons may we he silent; when we cannot
comprehend may we adore. =.
| " Once more, d Lord, the solemn voice
of Thy Providence unites with the voice OF
Thy Word to admoniSh us Of the transit
tory nature Of all earthly good. In the SUD,
den and crushing calamity which has visited
us Thou has sent bereavement not ONLY
upon many households, but upon thus whole
| cOmmunity-upon our entire Common
| wealth: and while Thou art teaching us so
impressivcly that here nothing IS secure,
nothing permanent, help us, we beseech
Thee, TO look away from earth, with its I'M
substantial and dissolyns scenes, to the
| world whose joys fade not, whose treasures
perish not, and Whose inhabitants, freed
| from sorrow and pain, enjoy rcpoSe which
is unbroken and eternal.
! .In Thee, o mercifnl Father, all the
| fountains Of consolation are TO be found.
Thou canst lielpwhen all other resources
| fail, and therefore we come, to Thee, bear.
ING III Tile aftllS vi our iHliH, aHu "'N, ohN
| Christian sympathy, those who have been
40 sorely s1nitten and afflicted ny This Gil
| lamity. ~ s~~ a.
e" Lord, look in pity upon those over
| whose homes the shadow OF death las
| swept, and whose hearts, because OF il'ch
| bereavement, are like open graves and {:
angels of old descended into the empty 81.
| pulclire, so may the angels OF mercy and
consolation come into these yearning hearts,
filling them with Heavens own peace.
| " Behold, q. God, in all the plcnitude Of
| Thy compassion, 'hereaVed parents ana
broken-hearted wives, and mourning chill
dren, and edesolate rrlatiYeS and friends
and magnify the riches of Thy grace in I'M
parting to them consolation equal TO o. e
| greatness OF their grief, in maniiesting Thy
SELF to them rs their-Vcry present help IL
time Of trouble, and as their tender ant
Ditying Father, chasttsing not i'll anger bu
in love.
{" And while we pray for those who Weel
over the dead, we remember those WIZ
weep around tile touches Of The living, nov
living wounded and bruised, while th0S'
| who love them with spcechless solieitudt
await the issue. Lord, we beseech Thee
add not to the long catalogue OF the be
reaved-spare useful lives; raise up thos
who are bowed down; bless the remedie
used for their restoration, and grant that II
the land of the living they may long wall
before the Lord, prslslns aE4 glorllyhl
| Him. ..az5C 4.
| g Our Father, in the midst OF our GRIEF
and tears we bless Thee fOrthe many drop
| OF mercy mingled IN our bitter cup. w
! thank Thee for the escap"Gf so many Wh,
were exposed to a common danger ant
death. -.
"How adorable IN many individual in
stances were Thy interpretations. May al
those thus wonderfully rescued acknowl
edge Thy proyidential hand in their leliy
erance, and teelth infinite prosperity which
their spared lives to God ,.the kind preserVer
and to devote all their days to His seryic
and glory. q. ars.: rG1, -'
"And now we beseech Thee, o God, ma
the solemn lessons Of this Providence. b
deeply impressed upon the minds an,
hearts of our whole people, especially du
ring this week, which is yet to witness s.
, many scenes of sadness us mourners; e
through our streets following one, and an
other, and another, of the loved and lost t,
the place appointed for all the living. -
/ $50 teach us to number our days that VIZ
may apply our hearts unto wisdom -feacl
us to five not only in expectation Of death
but in preparation for it 50 that :whethe7
the silver cord be suddenly loosed and thu
golden bowl Unexpectedly :brnEen, 81
whether our change Shall come with lon:
premonition, it may find us prepared, viii
our peace made with God, in perfect! cha
rity with all mankind, with our souls SAT-
| in the hands of their RedceRer; and read,
| to enter upon eternal life and blessings,
"And unto God, Most High, Father, Son
/ and Holy Ghost, will we give The glorI
eyermore. Amen. -.
!, On motion, the following committee wa
appointed to draft suitable resolutions!