The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-10

The past, with all its records, is the
unfolding of Thy counsels and the real
ization Of Thy grand design; we have
Thee as our rightful Ruler, the King
Eternal and Invisible, the only True
God, blessed forever. We come on this
glad day. oh Thou God Of oul
fathers, into these courts with
thanksgiving and into these gates
with praise. We bless Thee for Thy won.
derful goodness in the past, for the land
which Thou gavest to our fathers, a land
yelled for ages from the ancient world,
but revealed to Thy chosen people for q
home; Thou didst lay, by Thy right
hand, through the pillows of the deep,
land OF Vast extent, of towering
mountains, OF broad plains, OF
unnumbered products and untold
treasures; we thank Thee for the fathers
OF our country, men OF mind and men OF
might, who endured privations and sac.
rlhces, who braved multiplied
dangers rather than belle their
cohsciences or be untrue to their God,
men who laid on the broad foundation OF
truth and justice the grand structure Of
c!vil freedom. We praise Thee for the
closing century, Tor the founders
immortal Washington and his
grand associates, for the wisdom with
which they planned and the tirmness and
herolsm which under Thy blessing led
them to triumph and success. Tnou
vast their shield in hours OF danger,
their pillow OF cloud by day and pillow
OF fire by night. May we, their
sons, walk In their footsteps and initiate
their virtues. We thank Thee fOr social
and national prosperity and progress,
for valuable discoveries and multiplied
inventions for labor-saying machinery,
relieving the toiling masses, for schools
free as The morning light tor the rising
generations, for books and periodicals
scattered like leaves OF autumn over the
land, for art and science, for free
dom TO worship God according
to dictates of conscience; bless Thou ,
United States and his constitutional
advisors, Judges OF the Supreme Court,
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress, the Governors Of our sew
eral Commonwealths, the officers
OF the Army and Navy, anu all
who are in official position throughout
our land. Guide them, we pray Thee,
with counsels Of wisdom, and may they
ever rule in right. We ask Thy bless
ing to rest upon the President,
all the Centennial Commission, and
upon those associated with them in the
various departments, who nave labored
long and earnestly amidst anxiety and
Indifference for the success Of this
enterprise. May Thy special blessing,
oh Thou God or all these missions OF
the earth, rest upon our national guests,
our visitors from distant lands, and
We rejoice at their presence
among us, whether they come to exhibit
science or art in the development or
Industries and in the produclssof civ
ilization. Preserve Thou them, we be-
seech Thee, and may they be welcomed
by loved ones again to their own native
lands"
PHILADELPHIA, May 10.--At the close
OF the prayer, the Centennial Hymn BY
Whittier. with music by John h. Paine,
was sung by the chorus of over one thou
sand voices. General Hawley presented
the building to the President OF the
United States, VINO, on rising to re-
spond, was greeted with loud and con.
tInued cheers.
His address concluded as follows:
One hundred years ago our country
was new, and bat partially settled. Our
necessities have compelled US to chiefly
expend cur means and our tire ii,
telling forests, subduing prairie, and
building dweliings,s factories, ships
docks, warehouses, roads, canaIa
machinery, .eto, Most of an
schools, churches, libraries and asv.
lums have been established within n
huAdred years. Burthened by thasa
great primal Works :. necess,tv which
could not be delayed, we yet have done
what this exhibition will show in the di-
rection OF rivaling older and more ad-
vanced nations, in Law, ,medicine, and the
ology; in science, literature, philosophy,
and the fine arts. While proud of what
we have done, we regret that we have
not done more. Our achievements have
bsen great enough, however, to make it
easy tor our people to acknowledge su-
perior m crit wherever found.
And now, fellow-citizans, hone
careful examination OF what is about to
be exhibited TO you will not only inspire
you with profound respect FOR the skill
and taste OF our friends from other ma
tions, but also satisfy you with the at
tainments made by our own people dur
ing the past one hundred years.
l invoke your generous cooperation
with the worthy Commissioners to se-
cure brilliant success to this Interna-
tional Exhibition, and to make the stay
of our foreign visitors, to whom we ex-
tend heaity welcome, both profitable
and pleasant to them.
declare the International Exhibit on
now open.