Page images
PDF
EPUB

The chair having appointed Alderman John S. Tyler and Charles F. Dana as a committee, in behalf of this board, to attend the funeral obsequies in Washington; and Alderman George W. Messinger, John S. Tyler, and Thomas Gaffield, upon the committee of arrangements for a eulogy on the deceased, as contemplated in the eighth resolve, said resolutions were sent down to the cominon council for concurrence, and the board of aldermen then adjourned. Attest: S. F. M. CLEARY, City Clerk.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.

The members of the common council were called to order by the president, William B. Fowle, esq. The message of the mayor having been read, the resolutions adopted by the board of aldermen were then submitted to the common council. Their passage by this branch of the city council was advocated by Messrs. Clement Willis of ward 8, Joseph Story of, ward 5, Benjamin Dean of ward 12, and Solomon B. Stebbins of ward 10, who spoke most earnestly and appropriately on the subject. The resolutions were then passed unanimously, in concurrence, each member present rising in his place.

The chair appointed Messrs. Solomon B. Stebbins of ward 10, Benjamin Dean of ward 12, and Moses W. Richardson of ward 11, delegates, on behalf of the common council, to attend the funeral obsequies at Washington, and the president of the common council, together with Mr. Joseph Story of ward 5, John C. Haynes of ward 9, Summer Crosby of ward 12, William D. Park of ward 7, and Solomon B. Stebbins of ward 10, were joined to the committee of arrangements for the proposed eulogy on the illustrious deceased.

The common council then adjourned.
Attest:

W. P. GREGG, Clerk.

BOSTON, April 16, 1865

At a vestry meeting held this day by the Hebrew congregation Ohabei Shalom, worshipping in Warren Street synagogue, a committee was appointed to draw up resolutions in regard to the late lamentable national calamity, and the following preamble and resolutions were drawn up and passed unanimously:

Whereas it has pleased an all merciful Father to remove from our midst his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of these United States of America, by death, at a moment when the whole nation rejoiced in the promised peace of our distracted country; and

Whereas this death has been caused by the foul hand of an assassin, who came unawares upon his illustrious victim while enjoying relaxation from his arduous duties, in the company of the partner of his bosom; and

Whereas, feeling that this calamity concerns every individual, not alone in this country but throughout the civilized world, affecting as it does the capability of mankind to govern themselves, and dealing a fearful blow against republican institutions: Therefore,

[ocr errors]

Resolved, That we, the congregation "Ohabei Shalom," of the city of Boston, deeply deplore this sad event, and we humbly bow to our Heavenly Father, praying that this last, this "greatest sacrifice of all will suffice "the monster moloch," and that the Lord our God will be pleased to sanctify the death of our Chief Magistrate to the end that no more victims shall be required to end this unholy war.

Resolved, That with grief and horror we noticed the attempted double assassination of the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Seward, and his family, one ripe in years, wisdom and honor; that this attempted assassination is scarcely less to be deplored than that of the Chief Magistrate, whose death

the nation now mourns, and that no words cau convey the deep sorrow which we feel within us that the first officer of the country should thus be cut off from among us at the moment when his wisdom and prudence were about to lead us out of the chaos of war to the paradise of peace.

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the bereaved family of the late most worthy Chief Magistrate, and that no words of ours can convey the deep shock, the thrill of horror, the unspeakable agony with which the sad tidings were received by our community. But we hope that He who tempers the winds to the shorn lamb-He who was from the " "beginning ""the protector" of the "widow and orphan," will also vouchsafe to be the protector of the family of the lamented dead; (dead in the flesh, but living in the hearts of his countrymen.) May he temper their grief, and let them remember, and let us hope, that the good deeds done by him whilst on earth will intercede for him before the throne of Almighty God, and that the crown of martyrdom be sanctified unto him.

Resolved, That the synagogue shall be draped in mourning for thirty days, and that a prayer for the dead shall be chanted every Sabbath day and Mondays and Thursdays during that time.

Resolved, That on the day of the funeral of the lamented dead, a funeral sermon shall be preached in the synagogue, and that we, the members of this congregation, unanimously resolve to close our places of business on that day, for the purpose of keeping it as a day of mourning.

Resolved, That a copy of the above resolutions be forwarded to the widow of the lamented President, as also to the family of the Secretary of State; that they be sealed with the seal of the congregation and signed by the president and vice-president and secretary.

Resolved, That the above resolutions be entered on the minutes of the congregation and published in the Post, Journal and Herald newspapers of this city. Done this 19th day of Nisam, 5626; of the year of the Creation, April 16, 1865. [SEAL.]

S. MYERS, President.

S. STEINBURG, Vice-President.
N. EHRLICH, Secretary.

BOSTON, April 20, 1865.

SIR: The undersigned takes the liberty to send you a copy of the resolutions passed at a meeting of the German citizens of Boston, held on Wednesday evening, April 19, for the purpose of giving expression to their feelings in relation

to the death of President Lincoln:

Resolved, That we, the German citizens of Boston, have learned the tidings of the assassination of President Lincoln and the attempted murder of Secretary Seward, with a mixture of the highest surprise, alarm, grief and indignation.

Resolved, That we mourn in the murdered victim a man who was placed at the helm of the state under the most trying and difficult circumstances, who, in spite of the enmities from one and importunities from the other side, continued his straight course without haste or passion; who employed the liberal means offered by the people wisely for the restoration of the Union, and the validity of the laws of this great republic; who by his proclamation of emancipation has acted in the spirit of the time, and thereby crushed the main pillar of rebellion, but who at all times was ready to grant to the rebels a peaceful return to the old Union, provided they would return to their old allegiance, and who has met with surprising leniency all those who in the chances of war have fallen into the hands of our armies and authorities.

Resolved, That we condemn the perpetrators of this double crime as common murderers, and that we eagerly and confidently hope they will soon be handed over to a just and severe punishmeat.

Resolved, That this horrible crime, even if only a few should be implicated in the direct conspiracy, nevertheless must be traced in its origin and object to the rebel chief Jefferson Davis and his traitorous consorts.

Resolved, That we hereafter regard leniency and indulgence as a wrong to the victims of this crime, as a criminal exposure of our highest civil and military authorities, and as treason against the welfare and honor of the nation.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the Secretary of State, at Washington, and another to the Governor of Massachusetts.

CH. BECK,

F. GELDOWSKY, President.

A. KREISSMANN,
G. FLALLICH,
E. HEIDENREECH,
CH. HESS,

R. LANGERFELDT,
G. PASSENDRIEK,
C. KRAMER,
E. C. F. KRAUSS,

Your obedient servant,

[blocks in formation]

The ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE,

Washington.

JACKSON LITERARY ASSOCIATION,.
METAMORA HALL, ROOM NO. 1,
Baltimore, April 20, 1866.

At a meeting of the "Jackson Literary Association," held this evening, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Whereas, in view of the awful calamity that has befallen the whole nation in the violent and sudden death of its honored and illustrious Chief Magistrate, Abraham Lincoln, who has been stricken down by the hand of an assassin in the midst of his untiring and profoundly patriotic endeavors to sustain the lawfully constituted authorities of his country against the assaults of those in arms against it, we bow with resignation to this sad calamity, and trust in the inscrutable wisdom of Providence to bring light out of darkness, and sanctify this deep affliction to the welfare of the nation: Therefore,.

Resolved, That the officers and members of the "Jackson Literary Associa tion" have heard with horror and indignation the foul assassination of President Lincoln, and add their voice to the general mourning of the nation over the great calamity.

Resolved, That in token of our grief for the nation's loss, the members of this lyceum wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days, and that these resolutions be placed among the regular business of the association, and that a copy. thereof be sent to the Secretary of State.

JAS. S. COURTNEY, Cor. Secretary.

SAML. I. MORGAN, President.

AGED GUARD OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE.

SIR: I have the honor to present you the following declaration adopted by the 66 Aged Guard of 1862, of the city of Baltimore," at a meeting held at the old City-Hall, on the morning of the 19th instant.

An atrocious crime has been committed in our midst. The great, the noble, the magnanimous, kind-hearted, and too forgiving President, Abraham Lincoln, has been in a most cowardly and dastardly manner murdered by the order and with the connivance of traitors.

While we acknowledge the retributive hand of an Almighty and righteous God in thus afflicting us for our national sins, we also recognize our national duty to drive from our soil the men who have been mainly instrumental in bringing on this great people this heart-crushing calamity.

We hereby tender to the deeply afflicted widow of our late beloved President, and to all the bereaved members of his highly honored family, our heart-felt condolence, hoping and praying that the Father of mercies and God of all consolation and grace will sustain and comfort them under their overwhelming sorrow. With the honorable Secretary of State and with his suffering family we would sympathize, and would affectionately express our deep sorrow for the portion of this great crime inflicted upon them, praying to Him with whom are the issues from death, to grant unto them a speedy and perfect restoration. May the highly valued life of the honorable William H. Seward be preserved for many years, an honor and blessing to his country.

We must here congratulate the loyal citizens of our whole country on having such a worthy successor to the lamented President Lincoln as Andrew Johnson, who said in the Senate of the United States in 1861, in the face of traitors, “Let it be engraven on every heart that treason is a crime, and traitors should suffer the penalty." And further," the halter to the intelligent and influential traitor; but to the honest boy, the deluded man, who has been deceived into the rebel ranks, I would extend leniency." The stability and future permanency of our Union demand the rigid enforcement of these principles, and no better man is needed than Andrew Johnson to carry them out.

Pledging ourselves in conformity with and obedience to law to do whatever is necessary and in our power to crush out this wicked rebellion, and to put down all who give aid and comfort to those engaged therein, we order that these our sincere expressions of condolence and sympathy, and this our firm resolution, be most respectfully presented to Mrs. Lincoln and family, to the honorable Wm. H. Seward, and to his Excellency Andrew Johnson, President of the United States.

Signed by order and on behalf of the Aged Guard of 1862 of the city of Baltimore, on the 20th day of April, anno Domino one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.

From the record. A true copy:

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State.

SAML. CHILD, Captain.

JOHN W. WOODS, Secretary.

BOONE COUNTY, MISSOURI.

At a large meeting of the loyal citizens of Boone county, Missouri, holden at the court-house in Columbia, on the 22d April, 1865, on motion of Hon. James S. Rollins, Professor J. H. Lathrop, LL.D., was elected president, and Rev. Isaac Jones and General Joseph B. Douglass vice-presidents, John F. Baker and Robert L. Todd secretaries.

On motion a committee consisting of Hon. J. S. Rollin, Elder F. M. Allen, Dr. M. R. Arnold, Judge David Gordon, and Colonel James R. Shields was appointed to submit resolutions for the action of the meeting

Major Rollins, on behalf of the committee, submitted the following, accompanying the same with an earnest, eloquent feeling tribute to the memory and worth of Mr. Lincoln, after which the preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Whereas Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, on the night of the 14th instant, was stricken down by the hand of an assassin, and removed by a violent death from his exalted position of usefulness and honor; and, whereas the simultaneous attempt to take the lives of other eminent public men indicates concert of action with a traitorous as well as a murderous intent; and whereas it becomes a great people, whom God has set up as an example to the nations of the earth, to purge themselves from all taint of sympathy with this crime against civilization, and also to give utterance to their sense of the national bereavement: Therefore,

Resolved, That we, in common with our fellow citizens throughout the country, hold up to present execration and perpetual infamy, as enemies of the human race, the procurers and the perpetrators of the savage and revolting murder of the Chief Magistrate of the American republic, and other like crimes simultaneously attempted but mercifully averted.

Resolved, That our gratitude is due to Almighty God for the leadership of the distinguished dead in the period of our country's peril; for the exemplary purity of his private and public life; for his just appreciation of the national crisis; for the admirable temper with which he met its exigencies in defeat as well as in victory; for his heroic faith in the exalted destiny of the American people; for his self-devotion to the cause of human liberty, even unto death; and for the consolation which we cherish that now, in the triumphant moment of bis eminent public service, the hand of the assassin has failed to impair the value of his official work, and has been only able to commit to the historic page the name of Abraham Lincoln as the second founder of the great republic.

Resolved, That, although this attempt has been made by traitorous hands to reach the life of the country, through the assassination of its distinguished public men, we have unshaken confidence in the speedy restoration of the national authority over every acre of its soil, and the termination of the shock of arms in the formation of a still closer Union; in the establishment of a more comprehensive and authoritative justice; in the assurance of an enduring domestic tranquility; in a more effective provision for the common defence; in a more vigorous promotion of the general welfare; in the immovable security of the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, and in the extension of the benefit of our great example to the nations of the earth.

Resolved, That we recognize in Andrew Johnson the chosen instrument of the American people for the promotion of these great national ends, a patriot

statesman,

Among the faithless faithful found,"

and commend his incoming administration to the generous and persistent support of every steadfast heart that tempers the sorrow of our national bereavement by an undying confidence in the integrity, the perpetuity and the ever progressive greatness of our American Union.

Resolved, That in testimony of our respect for the memory of our fallen chief, the public buildings of Columbia be draped in mourning for thirty days; and to this end the resident curators of the State University, and the county court of Boone county are respectfully requested to carry into effect this resolution.

Resolved, That we tender to the widow and family of the illustrious dead our heartfelt sympathies for the great loss which, in common with the nation,

« PreviousContinue »