“Under the auspices of the
Canadian club of Hamilton, a service of praise and thanksgiving for victory and
peace will be held on the Court House square at three o’clock this afternoon.
The clergy of all denominations will take part in the responsive reading and
prayer. A massed choir will sing and brief addresses will be delivered.”
Hamilton Spectator. November 11, 1918.
While much of the city of
Hamilton was in the throes of spontaneous, rousing and raucous celebrations set
off by the news that an armistice had been signed, and that the guns of war had
fallen silent, plans were being finalized to hold a sedate, prayerful service
of thanksgiving in the afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Canadian Club
representatives were hurriedly dispatched to the offices of the three Hamilton newspapers
to request that a short insertion be placed announcing the service, especially when
and where it was to take place.
Despite the short notice,
when 3 p.m. arrived an estimated 5,000 people gathered in and around the Court
House square, a crowd containing many soldiers in uniforms and men, women and
children, from the very to the very poor.
As the members of the
clergy, the singers of various choirs and the members of the massed bands were
finally in place, the crowd grew quiet, and the service began”
“ ‘He hath put down the
mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.
‘Our soil is escaped as a bird out of the
snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we are escaped.
‘The Lord hath done great things for us;
whereof we are glad.
“Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed
gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.’
“So chanted the thousands
who filled the court house square yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock; and never,
perhaps, were these triumphant and familiar verses spoken by the majority of
those present with so great a realization of their full significance as on this
occasion, when they expressed the measure of a thankful people’s gratitude to
the Most High for deliverance from the horrors of war, and for the coming of
peace.”1
1“Delivered
From War, People Give Thanks : Thousands Attend Service at Court House Square :
Awaiting the Future With Clean Hands and Hearts”
Hamilton Spectator. November 12, 1918.
The Service of thanksgiving
at the Prince’s Square was a complete contrast to the loudly boisterous
behaviors being evidenced just a few blacks away:
“Called by the Canadian Club, this service of
praise and thanksgiving fittingly commemorated the great day that meant the end
of bloodshed and despair, and the dignity and impressiveness of the short
service should have been a silent rebuke to the many citizens whose only idea
of venting their gladness was in noise and rowdyism. Upwards of five thousand
people packed the Princes’ square and streets adjacent during the service, and
a reverent hush pervaded the throng.”1
“Following a sacred march,
played by the bands, and the singing of the doxology, all heads were bared as
his lordship the Bishop of Niagara uttered the invocation. Then came that
wonderfully beautiful and appropriate old hymn, Unto the Hills, after which Rev.
P. W. Philpott led in the responsive reading, which was followed by the singing
of O God Our Help by the massed choirs and the people. Prayers were said by
Rev. Wm. Sparling; and the musical part of the service was concluded by the
singing of For All the Saints (in memory of the fallen); Nearer, My God to
Thee, and the national anthem. The benediction was pronounced by Rev. W. B. Tighe.”1
After religious items were
finished the meeting concluded with some fiery words :
“The speaker of the occasion
was W. H. Wardrope, K.C., president of the Canadian Red Cross, who delivered
one of his characteristic addresses, fraught with devout and fervent patriotism.
“ ‘After four and a quarter
years,’ began Mr. Wardrope, ‘victory rests upon our banners; and we can say,
with Moses of old: ‘The Lord hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath been thrown into the sea.’ Today the citizens of Hamilton and of Wentworth
are gathered together to give thanks to
Almighty God that He is with us.
“ ‘Britain entered into the
war not from any selfish motive: but unwillingly, and striving to avert it. But
when the great power now overthrown threw down the gauntlet, and trampled on
little Belgium – then did Great Britain, and not until then, throw herself into
the struggle. Now, after a four and a quarter years of strife and sacrifice,
and generous giving on the part of the allied nations, we are able to stand here
today and declare that God is with us!’ (Cheers.)
FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE
“ ‘Today William Hohenzollern
is no longer an emperor, czar or king. The only difference between you and I
and William Hohenzollern is this : we stand ere with clean hands; he stands
before the world a culprit, branded as a the greatest criminal the world has
ever known; and those allied with him share his fall, for their guilty
ambitions to rule the world. He of the guilty, unclean name is today a fugitive
from justice, leaving his dupes to suffer the consequences of their crimes.
“ ‘We are gathered together
here today as citizens of a free state, for Britons never will be slaves. We
are here as servants of the Most High God. We have fought a clean and
chivalrous fight against a foe from whom even Satan himself must have learned
lessons in the last four and a quarter years. We are here to thank God that He
has been with us when we went forth into battle and in His name triumphed
gloriously.
“ ‘We ask that we may offer
up thanks to Him for those in our country and in that of our allies who went
forth to defend your rights and our rights. Many have fallen; many have
returned cripple; and it remains to us not to forget those who in God’s name
fought our battles. And while we thank God for our soldiers and sailors, and our
great navy which, year after year, bottled up a navy which William Hohenzollern
gathered up to defeat the world, we must thank also our women – God bless them!
“ ‘Month after month they did their regular tasks, and
made, besides great quantities of comforts for our men. We thank God that these
noble women are fellow-citizens of ours, and humbly we would ask to share in
the honor they bring to us. Faithfully they did the work asked of them, and no
tribute is too great to pay these courageous workers.
“ ‘In all this trying time,
God has been with us, though we have been tried, crucified, face to face with
difficulties which some people thought we could never overcome. France has
shown up gloriously, and backed by Great Britain, and finally by the United
States, has been able to overcome the forces of iniquity.
“ ‘Because of all these
things, it behooves each one of us to say that we are going forward with clean
hands and warm hearts, resolved to make this Canada of ours a great and
God-fearing nation.’ ”1
The Spectator reporter
covering the Thanksgiving service ended his article with the following
observation:
“Large numbers of returned
men in uniform attended the service; and a feature was the huge flag, loaned by
the Right House, which was used to mark off the choir from the rest of the
crowd, soldiers and sailors holding it in place.”1
Wentworth County Court House
Prince's Square in Foreground
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