The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1870-05-13
DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYEE-AD-
DRESS OF CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE.

RIuHMoND, Mays 4.--To-day the
churches were filled and the city pre-
sented Sabbath appearance. All the
churches were crowded.
In the United States Circuit Court
to-day the Chief Justice of the United
States, at the meeting Of the court. in
response TO the resolutions Of the Rich
mpat bar regarding the late calamity,
said .sHuma emotions are but poor
ly expressed by words. When the frat
vague rumor OF the terrible event in
this oity. when has been so fitly named
the great calamity, went through the
land, few days ago, all hearts felt u
shock like that of Il sudden and awful
personal bereavement. Then. as the
tidinqs came more distinctly over the
wires and the fearful disaster took
shape and form in the minds Of the
people, it seemed for time TO Cypress
all hearts like night mare. Tile pulse
OF life throbbed heavily, and human ut
terhnce failt d under the crushing sen
sa, ion of sorrow which peryaded the
land Soon the currents OF feeling be-
gan TO flow. and now for many days
heartfelt expressions of coincidence AID
substantial manifestations of sympathy
like a great tide, No right and
true hearted man can help feeling this
vast development III unafieciing good
will, SO strikingly devoid OF cyei thing
like sectional or party feeling, rs one
OF those CLEANS OF radiance which in
Gods good providence so otten bright
ten the Lai kest clouds of human grief.
When two days since, we took our seats
4. H.. n htAl II
alike missed familiar faces from the
bar. Let us thank God hat those
whose voices were oftenest heard here
vet survive, May the Great PLY siclan
coinf0rt their sorrowuIg lio,,seholdfand
give them speedy and complete restor-
alton. But there we've other members
of the bar who will never again join in
honorable contentious. One has gone
in the ripened ful.ncss of honored
| years; another with the distinctions OF
OF his profession clustering tmckly up
on him, having already Won those
heights of public estimation from which
the ascent to the highest seemed easy
and sure; another younger yet mature,
| treading with firm steps the upward
paths OF usefulness and honor. How
terribly does such a calamity as this
TtUukt our Ndltl cApcCtdbtois AiV"
impressivcly does it admonish every
one of us to look beyond the shadows
of time to the realities of eternity! 1t
is said that among those dying and
crushed ui der that mass OF RUNS there
were some who could yet exchanges "a
| few faint words in that fearfuLi,lace.
| None of them VIII ch have been rescued
| have impressed me SO much rs that OF
enc mangled and broken ifterer who
still found strength to exclaim: "Oh
| grave, where is thy victory? Oh death
where is thy sting! ~ What triumph
was that? What testimony to tine
incompa able worth OF the Christian :
faith So In tho very depth OF this
awful distress and anguish. open
| springs of human sympathy and foun-
| tains of the sublilnest heavenly COM
fort. Let us take these lessons to our
! hearts.
"This ia day OF humiliation and
prayer. The churches will be filed
with wUrshippers. Let us carry into
then. not merely the burden Of sorrow
but also the consultations oil fait., ever
remembering that all is God. II he
but wave his hands the rains collect.
| the winds blow shriil- and leud, until
With Il smile OF light on sea and land.
'Lo. h. looks back from the departing
Clouds His will be DONE