The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-11
BY TELEGRAPH
THE CENTENNIAL.
The Opening Ceremonies.
PHILADELPHIA, May 10.

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beautiful day. The gates of the exhibition
were promptly opened at o'clock n. IN.
Since that hour there has been at all the
different entrances continuous jam. The
foreign commissioners and other dstn-
guished guests were seated with very little
confusion, their entrance being effected
through the main exhibition building, which
remained closed to the general public until
noon. The ceremonies opened at precisely
1915 a. m, the national airs of all nations
being performed by a large orchestra II
is estimated that $4,000 people are on the
grounds, and the popuace is still pressing
at all the various entrances. Every avail
able spot in the neghborhood of the grand
STAND in front of memorial hall is occupied
by the crowd. President Grant arrived
promptly at 1890 a. M, the time an
nounced. The formal opening exercises
began with the following prayer by Right
Reverend Bishop Matthew Simpson, of the
Methodist Episcopal church:
Almighty and Everlasting God, our
Heavenly Father Heaven is thy throne
and earth is thy footstool. Before thy
majesty and holiness angels veil their
faces, and the spirits Of the just made per-
feet bow in humble alteration. Thou art
creator of all things, the preserver of all
that exist, whether they be thrones, do
minions, municipalities or powers. Minute
and vast atoms and words attest the ubqui-
ty of thy presence and omnipotencc of thy
sway. Thou alone art the sovereign ruler
of all nations Thou raiscth up one and
casteth down another, and thou gvest the
kingdoms Of the world to whonsoever
thou wilt. Tho past, with ali its records
is the unfolding of thy counsels and reali-
cation Of thy grand designs. We hail thee
as our rightfal ruler and king, eternal, i'm
mortal and Invisible, the only true God,
blessed evermore. We come on this glad
day, o, thou God of our fathers, into theee
conIts with Thanksgiving, and into these
gates with praise. We bless thee for thy
wonderful goodness in the past, for land
which thou gavest to our fathers, a land
yelled for ages, from the ancient world, but
revealed in the fullness of time to thy
chosen people, whom thou didst lead by
thine own right hand through the pillows
of the deep, land OF vast extent, Of tower
ing mountains and broad plains, of unnum-
bered products and Of untold treasures.
We thank thee for the fathers of our coun-
trymen, of mind and of might, who endur-
ed privation and sacrifices, who braved
multiplied dangers rather than defle their
| consciences or be untrue to their God
men who laid on broad foundations of
truth and justice the grand structure of
civil freedom. We praise thee for closing
the century, for the foundation of the re-
public, for the immortal Washington and
his grand associates, for the wisdom with
which they planned, and the firmness
and heroism which, under thy bless-
ing, led them to triumphant sue
cess. Thou vast their shield in hours
of danger, their pillar of cloud by day, and
their pillar of FIRE by night. May we,
their sons, walk in their footsteps and i'm
itate their virtues. We thank thee for So
cial and national prosperity and progress,
for valuable discoveries and multiplied in
ventions for labor saving machinery, re-
lieving toiling masses, for schools free as
morning light for millions OF the rising
generation, for books and periodicals. scat
| tered like leaves of autumn over the land,
| for art and science, for freedom to worship
| God according to the dictates Of conscience,
for church unfettered by the trammels OF
state. Bless, we pray thee, the president
| of the United States and bis constitutional
advisers, judges of the supreme court, SEN
ators and representatives in congress, gov
| ernors of our several commonwealth, Of
ficers of the army and the navy, and all
who are in official position throughout our
land. Guide them, we pray thee, with
| ceunsels of wisdom, and may they ever
rule in righteousness. We ask thy bless-
ing to rest upon the president and members
of the centennial commission and upon
those associated with them in the various
| departments who have labored long ard
earnestly amidst anxietics aud diff
culties for the success Of this en-
terprise. May thy special blessing
o thou God of all the nations Of the earth,
rest upon our national guests and visitors
from distant lands. We welcome them to
our shores, and We rejoice in their pre-
sence among us, whether they represent
thrones or culture or research, or whether
they come to exhibit the triumph of genius
and art in the development of industry and
in he progress of civilization. Preserve
thou them, we beseech thee, in health and
safety, and in due time may they be well
coined again 10 their own native lands.
Let thy blessing rest richly on the centen-
NAL celebration. May the lives and health
of all interested be precious in thy sight.
Preside in its assemblies; grant that this as
ISOLATION in its efforts may bind more close
ly together every part of our great repub-
| lie, 80 that our Union moy be perpetual
and indissolublc. Let us influence and
draw the nations of the earth into happier
unity. We pray thee, may all disputed
questions be settled by arbitration and not
by sword, and may wars forever cease
among the sons Of men. May the new
centuary be better than the past, more
radiant with the light of true philosophy,
warmer with emanatons of worldwide
sympathy. May capital, genius and labor
be freed from all antagonism by the estab-
lishment and application of such principles
of justice and equity as shall reconcile the
diversified interests and bind IN i'm
perishable bonds all parts OF society.
We pray thy benediction especially
on the women of America, who for
q long time in the history of the
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