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73 1/2.--meeting at Union Square, New York.
The Rev. Dr. Spring, of the Brick Church, of the city, was invited to offer the opening prayer.
The venerable gentleman, before offering prayer, said:--
I think myself very happy,
Mr. President and fellow-citizens, that, as a native-born American, as a son of one of the revolutionary officers, as a member of Christ's church and one of His ambassadors, I am permitted to bear my testimony in favor of this noble cause.
My past views on the agitated questions of the country are well known to those of you who are familiar with the press.
I have seen no occasion to alter them; I adhere to them now. But the question now is not between slavery and anti-slavery — between republicanism and democracy; it is between law and anarchy — between government and mere phantoms, that sink into nothingness compared with the main question of government or no government in this favored country.
And, Sir, it is that my feeble voice, in the behalf of that church which I represent, may be heard to-day, that I cheerfully accept the invitation to open this meeting with prayer.
When I think of the little band of men who took such a noble part in the struggle at
Fort Sumter, maintaining the flag of their country while burning fires were about them--(referring to
Major Anderson and the other officers present)--I feel cheered.
(Cheers.) Your faces here to-day cheer me. The dead lips of that
Father of his Country speak to you and to me
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And what do they say?-“United we stand-divided we fall.”
Let us lift up our hearts to Almighty God for His presence and blessing.
Prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Infinite One, we are Thy creatures; Thou the Infinite and Eternal Creator, the
King Eternal, Immortal and Invisible; the
Great Emperor of heaven and of earth, doing Thy counsel in the armies of heaven and amid all the inhabitants of this lower world.
We know we are unworthy; as a people we have to confess our sins before Thee, and come to Thy throne in the name of
Jesus Christ, the great Mediator, who is Himself
the Prince of the kings of the earth, that we might have an interest in Thy pardoning mercy, and under the blessings of our God and our fathers' God, we address ourselves to the exercises of this day and to the struggle to which Thy holy
Providence calls us. Oh, God of our fathers, remember this favored land.
We have reason to thank Thee for the spirit and success which Thou didst impart to our fathers in the revolutionary struggle; and may some of that spirit of our revered fathers and sainted mothers come down to their descendants on such occasions as this; and may that portion of the people of this land who, in the spirit of revolt, have gone from us, understand that we are but one people.
Oh, God, we commit the cause in which the noble men — young men and men of middle age — have gone forth to fight the battles of this country and resist the aggressions of the foe, to Thy care, to Thy favor, to Thy providence, to Thy protection.
Smile upon them and upon us, through
Christ our Redeemer.
Amen. (Responses of “Amen.” )
These preliminaries having been arranged, the meeting was formally organized as follows:--
Mr. McCurdy put in nomination for
President Mr. John A. Dix.
The following list of officers was then put in nomination, and acceded to:--
Vice-Presidents.
W. B. Astor,
Greene C. Bronson,
Peter Cooper,
W. M. Evarts,
W. C. Bryant,
Pelatiah Perit,
Geo. Bancroft,
John A. King,
Moses Taylor,
James Boorman,
Stewart Brown,
John J. Phelps,
R. B. Minturn,
Henry Grinnell,
O. D. F. Grant,
W. E. Dodge,
Watts Sherman,
Edwin Crosswell,
L. G. B. Cannon,
John D. Wolfe,
Seth B. Hunt,
Edwin Dobbs,
Joseph Stuart,
R. H. McCurdy,
Joseph W. Alsop,
E. E. Morgan,
Willis Blackstone,
Nath. Hayden,
John Lloyd,
Chas. H. Russell,
Robt. Ray,
Benj. L. Swan,
John Q. Jones,
David Hoadley,
Robt. J. Taylor,
Jas. N. Phelps,
Jas. Low,
John Ewen,
Jas. A. Briggs,
John D. Jones,
Wm. C. Bryce,
Henry F. Vail,
Frederick Bronson,
F. A. Conkling,
A. J. Williamson,
D. H. Arnold,
Geo. Folsom,
Andrew Carrigan,
A. C. Kingsland,
Isaac Ferris,
J. Auchincloss,
M. Franklin,
D. R. Martin,
Wm. Chauncey,
H. B. Chaflin,
Wm. Bryce,
A. S. Hewitt,
S. B. Althause,
Peter Lorillard,
Erastus Brooks,
Joseph Schleigman,
Schuyler Livingston
W. H. Osborn,
A. A. Vanderpoel,
W. W. De Forrest,
A. B. Baylis,
Elnathan Thorne,
W. B. Maclay,
Fred. Kapp,
Anson Herrick,
Theodore Fowler,
Daniel Leroy,
S. L. Mitchill,
Augustus Schell,
Chas. Christmas,
J
