ore Roosevelt, President of the United States,
do appoint Thursday next, September 19, the day in which the body of the
dead President will be laid in its last earthly resting-place, a day of
mourning and prayer throughout the United States.

"I earnestly recommend all the people to assemble on that day in their
respective places of divine worship, there to bow down in submission to
the will of Almighty God, and to pay out of full hearts their homage of
love and reverence to the great and good President whose death has
smitten the nation with bitter grief."

The funeral of President McKinley was a most imposing one. The body was
at first laid in state in the City Hall at Buffalo, where President
Roosevelt and fully a hundred and fifty thousand men, women, and
children went to view the remains. From Buffalo the remains were taken
by special funeral train to Washington, and there placed in the Rotunda
of the Capitol. Here the crowd was equally great, and here the services
were attended by representatives from almost every civilized nation on
the globe. Outside a marine band was stationed, playing the dead
President's favorite hymns, "Lead, Kindly Light" and "Nearer, my God, to
Thee," and in the singing of these thousands of mourners joined, while
the tears of sorrow streamed down their faces.

From Washington the body of the martyred President was taken to Canton,
Ohio, where had been his private home. Here his friends and neighbors
assembled to do him final honor, and great arches of green branches and
flowers were erected, under which the funeral cortege passed. As the
body was placed in the receiving vault, business throughout the entire
United States was suspended. In spirit, eighty millions of people were
surrounding the mortal clay left by the passing of a soul to the place
whence it had come. It was truly a funeral of which the greatest of
kings might well be proud.

The taking-off of President McKinley undoubtedly had a great effect upon
President Roosevelt. During the Presidential campaign the
Vice-Presidential nominee had made many speeches in behalf of his fellow
candidate, showing the high personal character of McKinley, and what
might be expected from the man in case he was elected once more to the
office of Chief Magistrate. More than this, when Assistant Secretary of
the Navy, Mr. Roosevelt had done his best to carry out the plans
formulated by the President. The two were close friends, and in the one
b