St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-09

thought advisable to make it part of
the action of the convention. The Off
GERS of the Philadelphia Sabbath ALI
! ance, taking somewhat different, per-
haps, juster, view of the relation of so
eminent a citizen to the nation, last
week addressed to him the following
dignified, courteous and every way ad-
mirable letter. Their action was unani-
mously approved by the Executive
Committee, at its meeting last Monday.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 4, 1879.
GEN. U. S. GRANT:
Hon. AND DEAR SIR.-Permit US in
behalf of the Philadelphia Sabbath AL
lance, an organization representing all
evangelical religious denominations and
instituted to care for the Christian
Sabbath in our city, state and nation,
respectfully to invite your attention to
! the vast social and national interests
which we represent; without which so
cial happiness and national perpetuity
is impossible. The sentiments voiced
by you among all nations in behalf of
liberty, peace and progress have put
such honor upon this people as to be
we'll worth the effort of a journey around
the world. In view merely of your re-
latiOn as a private citizen, we might
not be warranted to thus address you,
but, dear sir, permit us to say that in
our Judgment in special sense, you
are to-day, by the providence of God,
in the eyes of the world, the Represen-
tatiue Citizen of the United States, and
on that account we claim deep inter-
est in your fame and good example as
part of our cherished national inheri
lance. Your reported action in Paris in
declining invitations to participate in
public fetes and races on the Sabbath,
us contrary to your principles" was
so hOnoring to God and the nation You
represent, that all friends of the Ameri-
can Sabbath rejoiced in your testimony
against the prostitution of that God
given inheritance-th jubilee of crea-
tion-one day in seven for rest and
worship. When the heart of the nation
was made glad by your safe arrival
home, one of those surprising upheavals
that so frequently occur on our Pacific
Coast, startled us by the announcement,
not of devOut thanksgivings, such as
went up to heaven from the Mayt1Ower,
to God who had commanded the winds
and waves, and brought you safely to
the haven which you desired to see, but
of excursions and receptions on the
Sabbath, which were so frequent during
your sOjOurn on the Pacific Coast, and
that your journey eastward was COM
menced on the Sabbath morning. Your
participation in these violations of the
Christian Sabbath in our own country,
stands cut in such unhappy contrast
with your American and Christian pro-
test against similar prostitution of the
Lords day in Paris, as to cause much
sorrow to the Christian heart of the ma
ton.
We are now rejoicing in the prospect
of your early visit to this section of our
country. The old Keystone State and
the city of Brotherly Love extend to
you cordial and hearty welcome. And
now, dear sir, in the spirit of friendship
and upon the broad grounds of our COM
mon Christianity and patriotism, we
respectfully remind you that at the
present time, there is great awaken
ing in this country and on the continent
of Europe, with the view of counterfeit
ing Sabbath Dissertation, and an Inter
national Conference is shortly to be
held in this city with the view of con-
certed action for the preservation of the
sacred day of rest and worship. We
also recall to your recollection that in
Difference to the Christianity of onr
country, and the provisions of "Penn's
Great Law" for the protection of the
Lords day, our great Centennial Ex-
position was closed on that day, and it
is believed that no act of that able and
successful management did the nation
greater honor in the eyes of God and of
| foreign nations, or contributed more to
the moral power and unparalleled sue
cess ofour Centennial Exposition.
From the foregoing and many other
considerations we, your friends and fell
low-citizens, respectfully appeal to you
to give to the cause of Christianity,
morality, law and order, your potent
influence and the weight of your exam
pie and the power of your protest
against all parades, fetes, receptions
and unnecessary travelling on the
Lords day at all times during the sea-
sons of your visit to our state, and es-
pecially at the time to which we are
looking forward with so much satisfac-
ton, Nhen with open hands and warm
hearts we will gladly receive you as
the welcome guest of our city. And we
trust and pray that you, sir, who have
been enabled to bear such good testi-
mOny fin foreign lands, may be equally
faithful to God and posterity i'll your
own; and recognizing the public and
private blessings which the Supreme
Ruler of the world has conferred upon
yOn, and through you upon our beloved
nation, we unite with all good citizens
in the prayer that in your own soul you
may enjoy that peace and happiness
which flow from doing good, and from
believing in, and accepting our Lord
Jesus Christ us your Saviour and Re
deemer-whose is the only name under
heaven, given among men, whereby we
can be saved.-[Signed by John Alex
ander, president.