Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-28
Solemn and Impressive Ceremonies

Solemn and Impressive Ceremonies.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Was appointed for the joint worship of the |
congregations of this church and the First |
Baptist Church The church was very
tastefully draped about the pulpit and organ
with black and white drapery, also with bows
at each gas jet along the walls, and, in adj
dition, bunch of evergreens in front of the
pulpit. There was a large attend
ance, the church being well filled.
Chung soprano, Mr. T. o. Deaderick tenor,
MIR. Frank Barker bass, with Miss -
Crozier as organist Rev. G. H. Strick-
land, D. D., pastor of the Baptist Church,
was prevented from attending by sickness,
but Rev. Dr. n B. Goforth, of Carson Col
lege, Messy Greek, occupied the pulpit with
Dr. Park
The service opened with beautiful solo
by Mrs. McClung, and accompaniment,
"They Will, o God, be Done" Prayer
was offered by Dr. Goforth. DR.. Park gave
out, ana the choir sang the 320th hymn,
Nearer, my God, to Thee"
DR.. Park next read the lesson from the
35th chapter of the book of Numbers, be-
ginning at the 9th verse, after which he
offered prayer, and the sos hymn was sung
by the choir.
Dr. Park, the pastor, then spoke as fol-
lows:
We are assembled in this sanctuary to-
day in concert with our fellow-citizens all
over this broad land; from Maine to Texas
from Carolina to California from the gulf
on the South to the lakes on the North
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in accord
| ance with the proclamation of the Presi-
dent of the United States, to celebrate
the obsequies of James A. Garfield,
! the I'd day of July, 1881, Just four months,
lacking two days, after his Inauguration as
, the Chief Executive Officer of this nation,
as q Federative Government, was stricken
! down by the hand of nefarious regicide,
assassin and murderer; and who, after about
| so days of suffering and Distress 0Ii the
! 10Th day of September A. D. 1881, yielded
: up his spirit to Him who gave if J: and
whose mortal remains, at this hour, are to
be consigned to the grave, to rest until the
morning of the resurrection and the judge
ment of the great day.
| I cheerfully concede all that can be
claimed for the honored dead, as virtuous,
commendable and praiseworthy, in
| the various relations he sustained
in life; as a dutiful, reverential and
obedient son of a widowed MOTHER as a
| true, loving, devoted and faithful husband;
as kind indulgent, watchful and affection
ate father; as brave, generous and true
soldier; as a loyal, patriotic and worthy
! citizen; as refined, educated, cultured
| gentleman and scholar; as faith
| full, honest conscientious and
| Ec,~ h,IcfI
Intelligent and incorrupt statesman and
Senator. as the legitimate, constitutional
and worthy President of the United States
| of Amsrica, from whose administration,
cheerfully admit, we had more to hope,
and whose broad, statesman-hke, unsec-
tional bipartisan policy, promised more
and better things for the future OF the
American people than that of any other man
who has occupied the Presidential chair
since the days of Jefferson. But our bust
ness now, in the service in connection with
the obsequies OF General Garfield, late
President of the United States of America,
| whose death was procured by the hand of 9
nefarious assassin and by bloody murder,
is not to pronounce a panegyric upon the
life and character of the murdered
man, nor to eulogize the honored dead but
to make such improvement OF the Divine
Providence of the dispensation as shall proys
beneficial and salutary to ourselves and our
country. And, therefore, ask you to &C
company me in the sober and serious con-
sideration of the subject presented in that
passage of the Divine Word which, is recorded
IN Exodus, 21st chapter and 14th verse, viz ::
but if a man come presumptuously
upon his neighbor, to STAY him with guile !;
thou shalt take hi NJ from mine altar, that
/ ba NOV 5ia -
After a very full and logical discussion of
the subject presented in the text, DIR. Park
concluded his discourse in the following
sentences:
Generally, almost universally, the. laws of
every civilized nation Of the world have de-
nounced the penalty of death for this crime.
BY the Divine law it is declared to be, of all
oifenses, the most objectionable. AT the
hand of every mans brother will l require
the life of man Whose sheddeth mans
blood. bv man shall his blood be shed. "
Gen. 8: 5, g. ''Ye shall take no salts
faction for the life of a murderer; he shall
surely be put to death. So ye shall not pol
lutte the land wherein We are; for blood de-
fileth the land, and the land cannot be
cleansed of the blood that is shed therein
| but by the blood of him that shed it."
And it stands upon record, here III Gods
Word, that He sent the Chaldeans, the Sy-
rians, the Moabites and the Ammonites
against the Kingdom of Judah to destroy
it, for the sins of Manassah and for the III
nocent blood that he shed, (which the Lord
7 would not pardon" Under the old econo=
my-under the Mosaic dispensation, nc
sacrifice was ever appointed for the crime
l of murder. Heather affairs and temples might
afford protection to murderers who sought
asylum there but the God of Israel and our
t God allowed no sanctuary bereath His
alter for him whose hands were stained
with blood, And hence we read in l.
Kings, End chapter, that when Joab, one Of
q David's most valient men and greatest gen
t erals, who had always been loyal to David
q crown and David's S. interests, when Joat
:, learned that the blood of Abner and Anasa
Il whom he had murdered, was to be required
: the Lord and caught hold on the horns o.
a the altar" But under Godi
righteous administration, that wa
hands were dripping with the gore of hi
fellow-man; for by command of King
, Solomon, in accordance with the law O.
y God, - they fell upon him and slew hin
/ there" And had he been the high prizes
:, engaged in sacrifice, if guilty of wilfu
|, murder, he would have been dragged from
= the very altar of God and put to death. NJ
. sacredness of place, no sacredness of thing
, under Gods law to His ancient people
y could afford cover to murderer or protection
a to one who shed innocent blood. What
$ then, is to be said of the arrogance O
Z. Popery, which, under the light of tn,
: gospel dispensation, has SO often claimed
hat &ba of har aofb I,.ol