HAMBURG COUNCIL, No. 74, O. U. A. M. At a meeting of the above Council, held May 13, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: WHEREAS, At a time when all hearts were jubilant, from the fact that the Constitution and laws had been triumphantly maintained, and the glorious prospect of establishing peace and concord throughout the length and breadth of our whole country, obtained through the blessing of Almighty God, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and the only potentate we acknowledge to rule over us as a nation; and, whereas, all hearts were made sad by hearing that ABRAHAM LINCOLN had fallen by the hands of an assassin; he upon whom the nation has relied through all the dark hours of the rebellion, the exalted patriot, the wise, vigilant, and incorruptible statesman has been stricken down, causing us to bow with sorrow in our hearts, and a nation mourns for her noble son, her second WASHINGTON is no more; Therefore, be it Resolved, That we as a Council of brethren express our veneration of the deceased, and acknowledge the debt of gratitude we, in common with our fellow-citizens, owe him, while we deeply sympathize with his afflicted family, with his associate rulers, and the defenders of our country. Resolved, That we, as a brotherhood, unite in bowing before Almighty God, and humbly confess and repent of the sins which has brought this great calamity upon us; and we implore Him to look in mercy upon us and our nation, and bring us out of our troubles; that He will give strength and wisdom to him who is now our executive officer, and all who are in authority; that he will speedily restore to our nation the blessings of peace and unity, sustained by his all-mighty arm, and that He will restrain the wrath of man, and cause the remainder thereof to praise Him. Resolved, That in our beloved President, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, we recognize a noble ruler, whose heart was so capacious as to embrace the whole human family, who extended his sympathy to all, and through a desperate and cruel war, bore aloft the glorious Stars and Stripes, trusting in God that they should again float over a united people, unsullied, and resplendent with victory. Resolved, That having penned the Emancipation Proclamation, by which was broken the chains of millions of the human race, from the heights of victory he was permitted to behold the land of promise, with its beauty and happiness, and the glorious destiny reserved for us as a nation. Resolved, That we cannot refrain from expressing our heartfelt and unceasing thanks to God, who hath given us the victory, through just and good rulers, brave and experienced soldiers, in preserving us from anarchy and foreign wars; in giving confidence and conviction of right and our duty, enabling us to make so large a sacrifice of treasure and blood for the preservation of our national life, and by graciously ordering every thing, even our defeats and humiliations, that the glory might be given to Him alone. Resolved, That we pray the peace of God may reign in the hearts of the family of the deceased, that the Lord will bless the widow as she bows under a stroke (without his strength) too great to bear, and that he will embrace her in his arms of love, that he will bless the children, endow them with wisdom, prepare them for usefulness here, and a blessed rest hereafter, that they may appreciate the virtues and example of their parent, and follow in his footsteps. Resolved, That we venerate our heroes, both civic and military, who have fallen in this struggle, and given their blood to maintain our Government; we will remember their great sacrifice, and honor their memories, and a grateful country will provide for their widows and orphans. P. C. BAUM, Committee. Wм. D. SHOмO, C. Attest, P. C. BAUM, R. S. JEFFERSON COUNCIL, NO. 75, O. U. A. M. At a regular meeting of the above Council, held June, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: WHEREAS, Almighty God in his wisdom has seen fit to remove from us our dearly beloved President, who, by his purity of heart and his lofty patriotism, has secured a place in the hearts of his countrymen equal to the Father of his country; Therefore, be it— Resolved, That while we sincerely lament this fearful deed, a deed unknown in the history of this country, a deed without a name, that in an unexpected moment, struck down our venerated President, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, and that has thrown gloom and sorrow over every loyal heart, and while we sympathize with our fellow-citizens, in the severe loss this country has sustained by his death, we bow submissively to the inscrutable wisdom of the Almighty, knowing that his dispensations are righteous and kind, even though they seem to be severe. Resolved, That we sympathize deeply with the family in the irreparable loss they have sustained. Resolved, That treason, armed or unarmed, North or South, whereever it may be, should be punished, and righteous retribution visited thereon, in vindication of the dignity, power, and justice of the country. JOHN R. LEAR, JOHN S. STEM, SAMUEL F. WELDEN, Attest, JOHN R. LEAR, R. S. } Committee. JOSEPH L. WISMER, C. SPRINGVILLE COUNCIL, No. 76, O. U. A. M. At a stated meeting of the above Council, held April 22, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted: WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty to remove from this life, by the hands of an assassin, our Chief Magistrate, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, we deem it proper to place on record our estimate of the services and character of the illustrious deceased; and, whereas, we are called upon in common with all true Americans and patriots to express our profound sorrow and regret on the occasion of this great national calamity; Therefore, be it― Resolved, That while we humbly bow to the will of Almighty God, who, in His Providence worketh all things for good, yet we deeply mourn the loss of him, who, by his simplicity of manner and kind disposition, has endeared himself to every true American and patriot, and who after he had piloted the Ship of State through four long years of carnage and strife, and when about to enter the haven of peace, was suddenly and violently stricken down without the privilege of enjoying the fruits of his enduring patience and fidelity to the truest interests of human liberty. Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be forwarded to the Secretary of State Council, to be used by the State Council as they see proper. DAVID G. WELLS, WM. H. COULSTON, Committee. Attest, WM. H. COULSTON, R. S. FRANCIS LATSCHar, V. SINKING SPRING COUNCIL, No. 77, O. U. A. M. At a stated meeting of the above Council, held May 30, 1865, the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted: WHEREAS, In the mysterious providence of God, the late Chief Magistrate of the United States has fallen by the hand of an assassin; Therefore, be it— Resolved, That whilst we humbly acknowledge that, as a nation, we have deserved the chastisement of the Almighty, yet we deeply deplore the calamity that has taken ABRAHAM LINCOLN from the head of this nation, thus removing from us a good, great, honest, conscientious, righteous, and intelligent man, whose earnest patriotism and sincere devotion to the land he loved so well, has won for him the affection and esteem of every true citizen, and has compelled the respect, and in some instances, the unwilling homage of every nation on earth. Resolved, That we are proud to say that Sinking Spring Council, No. 77, O. of U. A. M., of Pa., has never had within its ranks one disloyal member, or one who was not willing to lend beart and hand and influence to the support of the Government, and that henceforth and forever we will not receive or tolerate among us any one who shall, in any way, by word or deed, evince a want of patriotism, or any unwillingness to give his unqualified support to the Administration of rightful authority in this land. Resolved, That the noble example of our late President shall incite us to emulate his virtue, to love our country more, to be more determined advocates of right and truth, and to purge from the various offices of trust and profit under our National or State authorities, every man who is not pure, truthful, and competent. |