The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-08
Remarks Of Gen. Chiffon.

remarks OF zen. Chiffon.
Friends and fellow citizens, ladies
and gentlemen, from all over this great
American Union of ours. 1t affords
me great pleasure upon the present
occasion to meet and greet and in
the name of the South and manage
nent of this Exposition to welcome
you to this, the first Exposition held
under the auspices of the Southern
Interstate immigration Bureau. The
duty of extending to you fitting well
come has been accorded t,abler hands
than mine, and these distinguished
gentlemen who have kindly consented
to address you will convey in more
eloquent words than can command
the gladness of heart so sensibly felt
by every lover of the South to day.
Among the sweetest there must be a
bitter, and we regret exceedingly to
announce our disappointment over
the absence of the distinguished Geor-
gian who was to be one of our speakers
to-day, Hon. F. H. Richardson, editor
of the Daily ./ou,naI, Atlanta, Ga.
Mr.. Richardson wires that he cannot
/ come.
While regretting the absence of Mr.:
Richardson, we exteEd to him our
heartfelt sympathy, and hope that he
will soon be restored to his usual good
health. In the absence Mr.. Richard
son we have succeeded in inducing
Rev. DR.. ]. ]. Hall, ofRaleigh, to take
his place.
We have prepared for the opening
exercises, programme, all of which
we are satisfied you will be pleased
with, and while we hardly think it
necessary to ask that perfect order be
kept, and tnat all remain until the
entire programme is completed, yet
we do SO, knowing that often many
interfere with such exercises without
really intending to do SO, therefore,
we bespeak for the distinguished gen.
tlemen who will address you that atten-
ton which they so richly merit.
1t is usual in all Christian lands
and especially SO in this great American
Union of ours, in treading untried
fields or beginning any undertaking
whether great or small, to invoke
divine blessing upon all such efforts
and ask that He who rules all things
guide, guard and direct our ways;
therefore the Southern Exposition will
be opened with proper ceremony. The
band will execute a piece of sacred
music, " Nearer My God to Thee;''
after which native son of the old
North State who has been transplanted
to a larger field of usefulness, New
York city. and who ranks, possibly as
the ablest divine of his age on the
American continent day, Rev. Thos.
Dixon, will open the Exposition with
prayer.
After the band had rendered this
beautiful hymn, Rev. Thomas Dixon,
Jr., offered the following invocation
Rev. Thomas Dixon'S Prayer.
Our Father, we thank Thee for the
victories of peace we thank Thee for
this hour and all it signifies, for the
return of prosperity, and Tor the white
banners of peace that reign now su-
preme. We thank Thee that Thou
hast guided and directed the destinies
of this people, that Thou hast guided
and directed even better than we
knew how to ask for guidance. We
thank Thee, our Father, that we can
see to-day in the renewed prosperity
of the South, the answer to the cry of
the souls of the Old South, which Thou
didst not answer in kind, and yet
which Thou didst answer most richly |
and gloriousiy in Thy wisdom, in Thy
providence, in Thine own way.
We ask for Thy richest blessing to
rest this morning upon this Exposition
we ask Thy blessing to rest upon its
promoters and its managers, that they
may have wisdom and discretion and
bring it to glorious results. We ask
Thee especially to bless the Southern
States represented here.
Oh, our Father, we ask Thy choicest
and richest blessing to rest upon this
fair and beautiful land, our own, our
native State. We thank Thee that |
Thou hast blessed it in the past; we
thank Thee especially for the promise
of the present and the future. Let
Thy kingdom come and Thy will be
done here Lord, bring us towards the
Kingdom, until we shall see the waste
places blossom as the garden. Lead
us and guide US until the South shall |