Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-03
GL0BIFYING GARFIELD.
Laying Of the Corner Stone of the Garfield
Memorial Church in Washington-Nom.-
nations and Oonfirmatfons
The Garfield Church.

WAsHINGToN, July 2.-Thc corner stone OF
the Garfield memorial church was laid this al
ternoon on the site formerly occupied by a
small frame structure on Vermont avenue,
known as the "Christian Church." which the
late president and his family attended. Before
the hour appointed for beginning the exer-
cises the church grounds and street adjacent
were occupied by nearly 5000 people. After
singing the hymn "Coronatien," in which
nearly all present joined Rev. J. q. Butler read
a Selection from the scripture and prayer was
offered by Rev. Ii. ID. Clark, Of the Christian
church, of Baltimore. Rev. Fred ID. Power,
pastor of the Vermont avenue Christian
church made the address. He said: "While
this anniversary is a sad one it is also an
occasion of grateful joy, Here our children
have gathered 10 do honor to the holy child
Jesus; here our young people have confessed
their faith IN the son of man; here many have
Joined IN our prayers and praise with
voices that no longer blend
with ours in the songs of the sanctuary. but
have been added to the anthems in our
Fathers heavenly house. Still another asso-
citation, which gives to this pathetic signili-
canoe, and which is indissOlubly bound up
with the work which we Nave here begun, is
that connected with the laIc5ated leader of the
people, whose familiar form, crossing this
street to the little frame chur IN, with his
mother on his arm and his wife at his side,
rises before us to-day, and whose constant
presence here is the best recollection of his
lifelong, looked for crown. OF many Iabors
is This the work. Since 1S49 a handful Of
people, known simply as Christians, have
met weekly first from house to house and
finally in the little frame church which stood
on this spot. From dozen they have grown
to 400 youths. Rich in faith but not in gold
they have worked and waited with anxious,
prayerful hope. they have anticipated this
hour. When one of their number was raised
by the people TO the highest dignity of the
nation and the eyes Of men were in some meas
ure turned upon them as his brethren they
felt their long cherished wish about
to be realized. So work was
begun and help came in from many who felt
with us; but our day of increased blessings
secured only to the dawn when its sun was
clouded and that which was TO have been
reared with rejoicing must have history, like
all histories, with its elements of sadness.
President Garfield was a trustee of this
church, and within the past three days an,
other commandment of this body Hon. Mr..
Hawk OF Illinois, man of pure life and
loyal devotion, passed away. Months come
and go but Gods work continues. Thus far
ground is ours and 900 are ready to go
into these walls; $4,000 more are
needed to complete the structure. We will
go forward faithfully discharging our trust
and asking and expecting great things from
our God"
Rev. Mr.. Power then laid the corner stone
This ceremony was followed by an address
from Rev. b. A. Hlnsdale, president of Hiram
college, who gave sketch Of the origin and
history of the people known as Christians and
of the church TO which they belong. In clos
ing his address President Hinsdale said: "This
church is a memorial to the late lamented
Garfield; its corner stone is laid upon the first
anniversary of his assassination and this
makes it an object of wonder and tenderest
sympathy to his host of personal friends, to
his religious brethren, nay, to the vastly larg
er world, which was SO deeply impressed by his
great career and so deeply stirred by
his cruel fate; this Christian temple will be
the shrine around which will cluster the
tendrils of the heart, while brick, stone aud
iron shall defy decay. These foundations, the
walls TO DC laid upon them and the spire that
they will lift toward the sky will speak OF the
widows house in the woods of Ohio, of
HIramE school and of Williams college, of
the army, OF the halls of legislation and the
chief magistrate chair; they will speak of
the Inauguration, OF the last letter to the
white haired mother, OF eighty days
OF accomplishing anguish, of death
at Elberop, and the majestic funeral march
WHICH Dolt tHe luoItdiy WHICH uju .OSU Inc
immortal, to its last resting place at Lake
View. Do you ask me to say more? In the
words of Hueas TO the CIrthageuan queen,
you ask we to recall unutterablc sorrow. Not
often ID me build structures which common.
crate SO much as the church whose corner
stone we lay to day.
Addresses were made 10y Representatives A.
ii. Pettibone and A. 8. Wallis, kentucky, aud
the exercises closed with the benediction by
Rev. w. ii. Schcll.