The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-09
THE PRESIDENT.
Aoity Bowed in Prayer for His Recovery

Yesterday the citizens Of Portland, irrespec
tive of party or creed, bowed down in prayer
in the churches, Offering up their petitions fol
tho recovery of the President. During the
hours, between 10 and IL in the forenoon, the
business of the city was suspended as fully as
on Sunday.
At the Free Baptist church, Casco street,
there was large attendance. The service
which was solemn and impressive throughout
was conducted by the pastor, Rev. j. M Low
den. Brief and appropriate remarks were
made by Mr.. Lowden and by Hiram j. Preble,
Esq, of Bangor. Earnest prayers for the re-
covery of President Garfield were offered by
the pastor and Mr.. Preble and by Deacons
Rufus Deering, Joseph Watson, N A. Wat
son and w. C. Barrows, and by Messrs. Il. A.
Bowdoin, o. W. Fullam and others. There
was no singing during the service which was
closep by all repeating the Lords prayer and
the benediction by the pastor.
AT Plymouth church there was very full
meeting. DR.. Seward presided. After read
ing the scripture he made brief remarks re-
lating to the condition of the President He
thought that there should be special thanks
giving for his successful removal to Long
Branch. He spoke of the unity of the people
in their sympathy with the President and ex-
pressed entire confidence in the safety of the
nation in the case of life and death There
were prayers by several members of the
church, and hymns appropriate to the occa-
sion were sung
At st. Luke's Cathedral there was large
attendance. Bishop Nicely made appropriate
remarks and read passages>of scripture relat-
ing to the healing of Hezekiah and of the
centurion. Special prayers were also made for
the recovery of the President.
At the Second Parish yestry there was so
large an attendance that the room was not
able to hold all that came. Rev. Mr.. Dickin-
son read the 103d Psalm, ma appropriate re-
marks and prayer. Rev DIR. Carruthers
also made brief remarks followed by prayer
There was also singing of appropriate hymns
and prayers by different members of the
church.
At the First Baptist church, the pastor, Rev
Mr. Anderson, read the scriptures and made
brief remarks, followed by prayer Several
members of the church also offered prayer.
There was no singing.
A very large union service of prayer was
held at State street church at 1880 o'clock.
Williston church uniting with them. Rev. F.
E. Clark conducted the meeting, He spoke
in happy way in regard to coming with sad
ness in our hearts, but said that there was joy
in the fact that loving God had power to do
all things for our beloved President. The
meeting was solemn yet hopeful and the many
prayers offered for the recovery of the Presi-
dent were full of earnestness and faith.
AT 1880 a. m. very appropriate service was
held at Free street church, conducted by the
pastor, Rev. Mr.. McWhinnie There was
good attendance and the exercises were deeply
impressive. The scriptural selection, com
mencing with the Goth chapter of I'd Kings, and
the comments by the pastor were especially ap-
propriate. Towards the close of the service
the morning bulletin from Long Branch was
received by the pastor and read for the en-
enlargement of the congregation. The SER
vice closed with the singing by the congrega-
ton of the national anthem to the tune of
America. At this church there were a num-
Der of United States officers in the audience
There was a full attendance at the prayer
meeting at the Bethel church. Rev. Mr..
Southworth conducted the services.
At St. Lawrence street church there was a
very large attendance. Rev. Mr.. Wright
made appropriate remarks and prayer. Several
members of the congregation also offered
prayer.
At the Cathedral of the Immaculate Con-
ception and st. Dominics, mass was celebrat-
ed. After mass the litany was read for the
recovery of the President
At Bradley church service was held, in
response to the Governors proclamation. Mr..
Morgan opened with short address, explain
ing the cause of their being called together.
He said that during the last war between the
Turks and Russians, battle took place in
which the Turks appeared to-be overwhelmed
by the terribly superior number of their
enemies; hen the Turkish general, turning
to his bugler, ordered him to sound "the APP
peal to God, = the Turkish war cry in -extremi-
ty. This was done, and the little company of
two thousand Turks drove the Russians, ten
fold more numerous, down the hill from their
position. We were assembled together this
morning to sound in the hour OF American
need, the appeal to God,'' to Him who alone
had power to aid. After singing and prayer,
Mrs. Morgan read / Tim. IL: Ii, and spoke of
the duty of praying for all Sin authority"
Paul here taught Christian Jews to pray even
for their oppressor the Roman emperor; and
the Jews during the old Babylonish captivity
were commanded by God to pray for "the
place Of the city whittier they were carried
-, A.. j
have peace" Americans had an easier duty,
namely to pray for one of their own people, as
the head of their nation. No party feeling
should interfere with the performance of this
duty. The speaker, as one by nationality and
feeling, apart from the different political
section of this land, reflected on none, med
died with none but expuonded the law and love
of God addressed to all. Those who, from party
feeling, could object to pray for the life of
their President, placed themselves on level
with the murderer. Those who, only from
party spirit, prayed for his restoration, as for
valuable machine could not expect an answer
totheir prayers, as God promises to grant no
requests but those offered 'in the name" of
the Lord Jesus; and this means, not merely
closing formal prayer with the mention of
His name, but speaking out the spirit of the
blessed name, praying with tender, loving
aud unsel6sh sympathy with the human pain
of that sufferer at Long Branch The Presi-
dent was something more than a political
machine, he was. human body in pain,
human soul to feel care. The speaker prayed
that during his enforced retirement from the
usual duties of his Office, he might have pour
ed out upon him such spirit of grace and
supplication for himself, his family and his
country, that America might receive rich
blessing in the conversion of sinners and in
the growth of Christians as the consequence of
pra yers offered in that quiet ROOM
A union service of prayer for the recovery of
the President was held in the Congregational
church, Gorham, yesterday forenoon
By the kindness of Manager Lvermore the
Western Union morning bulletins were sent