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MORNING, SESSION.
Saturday, May 16, 1891.
Mr. Bonner:
The Congress will now come
to order. We will be led in prayer by the Rev. Dr. Woodside, of Pittsburg.
Dr. Woodside:
Let us unite in prayer.
Almighty God, we return Thee thanks today for Thy kindness to us all, for
Thy marvelous liberality in supplying our wants, in all that Thou has done
for us, and for all the promises Thou hast made to us respecting the
future. We bow before Thee as our fathers' God, and as our own God, the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three persons in one God, and we worship in
the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son. We return Thee thanks, O God, that we
are here today, and that we enjoy so many privileges in this place and in
this land. We bless Thee for peace and prosperity, for the growth of our
nation, and for the increase of our product, for Thou hast blessed the
labors of the husbandman as well as the mechanic. We thank Thee for Thy
goodness to us, bringing good out of what appears to us to be bad, and
making the people of the earth to praise Thee. O God, we thank Thee for
the fidelity of those who have gone before us; we thank Thee for these
pleasant meetings; we thank Thee for the privilege of meeting these
brethren from different parts of the land and different countries, and we
pray Thee that Thy presence may be near us in these meetings, and O grant
that this Society may be a source of great power for the accomplishment of
glorious results in the future. Let Thy blessing rest upon all its
officers and members, and increase its membership, O God, and bring us
more to Thee in our mind and in our heart than we have ever heretofore
been, and grant that all sectional differences may be removed, and the
time may soon come when the nation will be included in one high church,
and the various branches of churches represented in this Society may be
brought with one heart and one mind before God. Continue Thy
loving-kindness to us all; blot out every sin, and accept our presence and
services through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mr. Bonner:
Before proceeding with the
regular addresses, Dr. MacIntosh has something to say which I think will
be of peculiar interest to the ladies.
Dr. MacIntosh:
Mr. President: During the
last twenty minutes I have been exceedingly uneasy; the fact of the matter
is, sir, proposals have been made to us by the ladies present, and, that
Dr. Hall and myself may not be placed in an embarrassing position, I think
it is better that we should understand one another at once. I have been
asked whether there is any possibility of effecting an alliance. Why there
is all the possibility in the world; we want to have the ladies with us in
our work; if we can only associate them with us in this work, our success
is not nearly, but is assured. The question has been put: "Can ladies
become members of the National or General Society?" Answering this
question, I will say that any lady with Scotch-Irish blood in her veins is
eligible to membership, and Mr. Campbell, the Assistant Secretary, will be
found to my right hand, right back there where the placard is. I recognize
the right of the ladies to make this proposal.
Mr. Bonner:
We have been listening to
admirable addresses from gentlemen of the South, from the West, and from
the North; we are now to have the pleasure of hearing an address from the
Rev. Stuart Acheson, of Toronto, Canada, on the Scotch-Irish of Canada.
Rev. Stuart Acheson:
(For Mr. Acheson's address,
see Part II., page 195.)
Mr. Bonner:
It is with very much
pleasure that I introduce a very distinguished lawyer, who really needs no
introduction to a Kentucky audience. I refer to Judge William Lindsay, of
Frankfort, Ky., who will speak to us on the Scotch-Irish of Kentucky.
(For Judge Lindsay's
address, see Part II., page 191.)
Mr. Bruce:
Ladies and Gentlemen: A
lady who thought, I suppose, that she had the right to comment on the fact
said to me just before coming here this morning that it seemed to her that
I had had to say something every time there had been a meeting, but I can
assure you it is not of my seeking. A meeting of the Scotch-Irish Society
of Kentucky was held this morning in accordance with previous
arrangements; and though I was not there, having been kept away by other
duties, yet certain resolutions were passed which it has been deemed
advisable to have read here in order that those who were not there in
person can understand what was done. I will simply read them as they have
been written and handed to me.
1. Resolved, That the
Scotch-Irish Society of Kentucky appropriate of the funds received and to
be received from dues for membership $100 for the purchase of one hundred
copies of the first and second volumes of the proceedings of the national
Congresses held in Columbia, Tenn., and Pittsburg, Pa., said copies to be
sold as fast as can be by the Secretary of the State Society.
2. That the Secretary
procure the form of application for membership as used by the National
Scotch-Irish Congress and mail to each new member elected recently, and
also inclose them a circular stating that they should have the first and
second volumes of the proceedings of the Congress, and can procure them of
our State Secretary at $1 each.
Mr. Bonner:
This meeting is now
adjourned to meet at 8 o'clock this evening at Polytechnic Hall. |
