138 THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.
“ Resolved, That the proposed religious amendment,
so far from tending to a union of Church and State, is
directly opposed to such union, inasmuch as it recognizes
the nation’s own relations to God, and insists that the
nation should acknowledge these relations for itself, and
not through the medium of any church establishment.”
Of the fifth annual Convention at Pittsbureh, Feb
4, 1874, Eld. J. H. Waggoner, who went as a cor
respondent from the S. D. Adventists, says, in the
Advent Review of Feb. 17, 1874: —
“This was a meeting of delegates, but was largely at-
tended. The number of delegates holding certificates
was 641; non-certified, 432; total, 1,073, representing 18
States. Petitions to Congress, partially returned, as I
understood, footed up over 54,000 names.
“It has been strongly impressed upon my mind that
we have underestimated, rather than overestimated
the rapid growth and power of this movement. Those
who think we have been deluded in confidently looking
for a great change in the nature and policy of our gov-
ernment, could but he convinced that we are right in
this if they would attend such a meeting as this, or by
other’ means become acquainted with what is actually
taking place in this respect. The reason assiened for
calling a delegated convention is that no place could be
found large enough to accommodate a mass-meeting of
the friends of the cause. But it is proposed to hold
mass-meetings in the several States, and have a general
grand rally in 1876, the centennial anniversary of our in-
dependence.
“The animus of this meeting cannot be understood
nor appreciated by any one who did not attend it. It
was a large gathering of delegates and others, and for
enthusiasm and unanimity is rarely equaled. This feat-
ure can be but feebly described in any published report;
and I notice that some of the most significant and stir-
ring expressions are left out of the most complete reports
of the speeches yet given.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 139
“The officers of the Association for the coming year
are, President, Hon. Felix R. Brunot, Pittsburgh, with
9 Vice-Presidents, wong whom are 4 governors,
State superintendents of public instruction, 9 bishops, 15
judges of higher cowrts, and 41 college presidents and
professors, and the others are all eminent men ; Gen-
eral Secretary, Rev. D. McAllister, N. Y.; Correspond-
ng Secretary, Rev. T. P. Stevenson, Philadelphia.”
In his opening address, the president of the Na-
| tional Association, and chairman of this fifth Con-
= vention, Hon. Felix R. Brunot, said that their ‘cause
. had made the progress of twenty years in five;” and
= the general secretary, D. McAllister, said of the past
i year that it had “numbered a larger array of acces-
ions to our ranks than any two, or three, or perhaps
five, preceding years.”
Instead of a large national convention in 1875,
four conventions, more local in their nature, were
. held in different parts of the country, as follows: —
One in Tremont Temple, Boston, Mass., Dec. 16,
© 1874; one in St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 27 and 28, 1875;
. onc for Kansas and adjacent States, Feb. 10 and 11;
= and one for Ohio and adjoining States, early in
* March.
Of the meeting in St. Louis, the Christian States-
man of February, 1875, said: —
“The Convention of citizens of Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri, and neighboring States, in the city of St. Louis, on
the 27th and 28th of last month, was a triumphant suc-
cess. In a city where there was but a small constituency
committed in advance to the support of the proposed
amendment, public attention has been earnestly drawn
bo the movement, a large audience was called out at all
the sessions of the Convention, and full reports of the
able addresses delivered have been published in the city
papers. By special arrangement, the St. Louis Globe