The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-11
Arrangements for the Affair
Of This Evening.
A Historical Sketch.
The Origin, Progress, and LabOrs
of the League-Its Work
During and Since
the War.
ETC., Etc.s ETC.. Etc. Etc.

When the building at present occupied by the
Union League was approaching completion,
arrangements were in progress for taking pos
session of it with great ecIat. committee on
arrangements with the Hon. Norton kcMichael
at its head, had been laboring for some time,
and had almost finished their preparations when
the shocking calamity which fell upon the nation
in the death at the hands of an assassin of
Abraham Lincoln put end to the contem-
plated celebration, and the League quietly
entered upon the possession of their new build
ing on the 11th of May, 1865. Five years have
elapsed since then, and this evening, the fifth
anniversary of the FIRST occupation of the build
ing it is intended to commemorate the event by
asocial reunion and reception, for which arrange
meRts of the most elaborate character have long
been in progress. The Union League has figured
so conspicuously in the history of this city
during the eventful years of the past decade,
that the occasion is an appropriate one for
glancing briefly at Its origin, progress, and
labors.
Anthony Trollope, the celebrated English
novelist, who visited the United States about
the time of the outbreak of the Rebellion,
placed on record in the book which he soon
after published the statement that in New York
city he found healthy sentiment of loyalty
pervading the upper and most highly-cultured
circles of society, while in Philadelphia the OPP
posite was the case. 1t was the knowledge of
the plausibility of this statement on the part
of some of our leading citizens that gave rise to
the Union League. Little coteries of highly
cultured men whose sympathies, to pat it in the
mildest way, were not at that time enlisted in
the Union cause with excessive zeal, were in the
habit of seizing upon such foreigners of intelli-
gence and distinction as Mr.. Trollope, and by
ia. kl.1s.
their stay in this city, inspiring them with the
belief that intelligence and loyalty were not to
be found in combination in our midst. To
counteract the dangerous impressions created by
these exponents of lukewarm patriotism about
dozen gentlemen of high social standing and
unquestioned loyalty formed, in 1861, an asso-
citation for social purposes which was at first
known as the Union Club. Prominent among
the originaters of this enterprise were the late
Horace Binney, Jr., the Hon. Adolph E. Borie,
afterwards Secretary of the Navy; the Hon.
Morton McMichael, afterwards Mayor of the
city; the late John B. Myers one of the most
enterprising merchants of Philadelphia the
Hon. j.. /. Clarke Hare, one of the Judges of the
District Court; George H. Boxer, leading lit
terateur; Charles Gibbons, Esq. recently Dis
trict Attorney; and William d. Lewis, ESQ., The
club held weekly meetings at the residences of
the members, and soon attained considerable
prominence in social and patriotic way, the
applications for membership constantly increas-
ing, and its reunions being characterized by
great enthusiasm and harmony.
The proportions of the club soon rendered
impossible for sufficient accommodations for
its weekly meetings to be found in private
residences, and in consequence the spacious
building previously known as the Kuhn man
sion, at No. Ills Chesnut street, was secured
for the use of the organization. As all the
members of the club were in hearty sympathy
with the national cause, 1t was thought that by
a more thorough organization they could be of
essential service in the struggle for the Union.
With the furtherance of this patriotic object in
view, the club In the latter part of 1862 resolved
itself into the Union League, and thus were laid
the foundations of an institution of which the
country at large, not less than the city of Phila-
delphia, has just cause to be proud. The League
continued to hold its meetings at No. 111S Ches-
nut street until the sale of the property for
which it bid $4,000 which amount, however,
fell $4,000 below the successful bidder at
auction. 1t then moved to large building on
the south side of Chestnut street, above Twelfth
and Immediately opposite Concert Hall, in
which the meetings were held until the final
removal to the present establishment, which, in
the meantime, was ia process of erection.
On the 11th of May, 1865, the League took
possession of the magnificent clubhouse on
Broad street, which it has since occupied The
building was erected by subscriptions to a build
ing fund, amounting to $4,000, which was
secured to the subscribers by mortgage of like
amount when the title was transferred to the
League, sinking-fund for ultimately liqui-
dating this Indebtedness being provided for by
setting apart $1,000 per year for that purpose
from the treasury of the League. In addition
to this building fund of $4,000, over $32, 600
were raised by voluntary contributions, and
over s24, 900 were appropriated by the directors
from the treasury of the League to adapt the
establishment to the use for which it was in
tended, and furnish certain conveniences not
included in the contract with the subscribers to
the building-fund. The total cost of the League
House was therefore s176, ,3S7'27, in addition to
which the original furniture of the establish
ment cost Gal ,437'70. Various additions to this
expense have since been made in rendering the
interior of the building attractive, and thou-
sands of dollars have been raised by voluntary
contribution for the purchase of elaborate works
of art which have been permanently deposited
in 1t. The building was erected by Mr.. Jobn
Crump, whose services in this matter were dnIx,
acknowledged by the presentation to him ~,