Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-30
ONE CENTURY OLD.
Presbyterians Celebrate Their Cfass-ch
Centennial in America

Centennial in America.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, May 24.-This was
the centennial day of the Presbyterian
Church, and the members of the two
general assemblies united in great mass
meetings in the Academy of Music and
Horticultural Hall. The ceremonies be-
gan in both buildings at 10 o'clock this
morning, and the crowds in attend
ance at both were enormous. The inn
mense Academy Of Music, with it's
seating capacity of over $500, was Jam
med to suffocation and every inch of
standing room was occupied by a strug-
CLING mass of humanity anxious to have
g part III the first reunion of the two
great bodies of the Presbyterian Church
In America since the division more than
a quarter of a century ago.
In the Academy of Music the Rev. J.
j.. Bullock, D. D., moderator of the
Southern General Assembly, presided,
and seated with him on the platform
were the Rev. VIM. II. Roberts, D. d.,
stated clerk of the Northern GEN
eral Assembly. Rev. Joseph T..
Smith, D. D., of Baltimore, ex-
moderator of the Northern Assembly;
Rev. James McCosh, D. d., president of
Princeton College; Rev. John Hall, d.
D., of New York; Rev. Charles H. Stod-
dard, editor of the New York Observer.
and many others.
The great audience was apparently
made up in equal proportion from rep
resentatiyes of the two assemblies
and when Rev. DIR. Bullock was intro
duced IS presiding officer, there
were thunders of applause. He was
presented by Or. Smith, ex-moderator
of the Northern Assembly, and when
DR.. Smith said in welcoming the South
ern guests that the audience should re-
member that the members of both
these great assemblies were Presbyte-
rians above all things and that the
brethren from the South had crossed
Mason and Dixon's line almost without
knowing where the division was, there
was another round of enthusiastic APP
plause. They were Of the same ances-
try, the same faith, the same glorious
history. Then the 5000 people rose and
sang PRAISE God from Whom all Bless.
ings Flow"
DR.. Bullock, as the representative of
the Southern Assembly, made a brief
but eloquent address cordially recipro.
eating the fraternal sentiments of the
brethren from the North and said
that whatever might be the final
disposition of the question of
organic union, there was no feeling of
alienation or prejudice or want Of faith
IN the doctrines of their sister assembly.
There was no obstacle that he knew to
fraternity and fellowship. Then the con-
gregation sang can People That on
Earth Do DWELL and "All Hail the
Power of Jesus Name"
Rev. DR.. Cuyler, O. Brooklyn, was the
first orator and spoke for an hour on
the History Of Presbyterianism.
1The Work Of Presbyterianisn Tor the
Future" was the subject of an address
by. Rev. I. Dwight Witherspoon, of
Louisville, KY.
A great audience also crowded Horti-
cultural Hall, adjoining the Academy,
and here too, there was the same com
mingling of the blue badges of
the Northern assembly and the
blue and white Of the representa-
tives from the Southern branch.
The same fraternal feeling was
manifest among the commissioners of
both bodies. Rev. DR.. Charles L.
Thompson, of Kansas City. the moder-
ator of the Northern Assembly, was in
the chair, and seated with him on the
platform were eminent divines repre-
senting both branches.
The opening ceremonies were brief
but fervent, and when Moderator
Thompson introduced Congressman
William G. Breckenridge, of Lexington
College, there was much enthusiasm.
He spoke on "Calvinism and Re-
ligious Liberty" and eloQuently
sketched the work of the church in
advancing civilization and great moral
truth. His references to church union
were received with extreme warmth.
When he had finished there was
whirlwind of applause. Rev. Howard
Crosby, D. D., followed with an address
on 'Presbyterianism and Biblical schol-
arship.'
Mrs. Cleveland occupied a seat in the
upper right hand box. She was with
the family of Rev. Charles Wood of
Germantown, whose guest she is during
her stay here, and bole the battery of
opera glasses aimed at her with compos-
ure and was evidently deeply inter
est ed listener and spectator.