Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-29
5guruaI arlO Gourier.
Tuesday, May 20. 1883.
Honor to Whom Honor.

Honor to Whom Honor.
Memorial Day Sermon by Rev Charles
E. Harris-A Fine EffOr'.
The crowded state of our columns yester-
day morning prevented even the publication
of an abstract of Rev. Charles E. Harris ser
mon at the st. John street NJ. E. church on
Sunday morning. 1t was SO appropriate to
the coming Memorial ceremonies that we give
it to our readers this morning believing that
it will be read with interest. The eloquent
divine selected for his text Romans, 18th
chapter, 7th verse, Render therefore hon
or to whom honor is DUE"
We are assembled in this sanctuary this
morning to recognize the coming of Memoir
ial day, the day devoted by the nation to do
honor to our brave soldier dead. Before We
apply the words of the text to the soldiers of
the war it may not be out of place to consld-
or for few minutes what was the character
of that war Was it justiiable one? And
these questions have their force when it is
remembered that there were many who did
not believe that the war was either necessary
or iustifable 1t has been extensively as
serted, reiterated and believed, that the late
war was O political one, fostered
and stimulated by politicians for political as
evil, before, and during the war and after
the war, is not to be doubted but to affirm
that politicians organized the war, amounts
to an absolute denial of the sovereignty of
the people, and a contradiction IN term as
well as in fact, of the nature of the govern
ment of the United States, as it is constitu
tionalIy expressed. The origin of the war
was logically defined in the words of one of
the astutest statesmen the country has pro-
duced, as 1.-The irrepressible conflict, that
is, slavery and our declaration of
independence are paradox and
must conflict. History tells us that
nations are moved by divine impulses, if
not as often, vet as certainly as are individ
uals. Corrections and reforms, as by o mys-
FERROUS power, are pressed upon a nation
with the muscle and brain of million men.
Count de Gasparin, one of the clearest think
ers of the century, in his pamphlet on the
American struggle styles it 1.-The uprising of
a great nation" Reforms are sometimes
brought about by the agitation of few lead
ers Rebellion is the work of many both of
rank and file, but national uprising in the in
stinct of people to save itself from extinc-
ton and death has history on its side to call
that divine impulse. When you see million of
men, of all political sentiments and condi-
tions, and almost of all ages, fighting as men
never fought to sustain law and order, l
opine that he must be poor student of his
tory and of the divine economy towards
nations who calls the war party political one.
Upon the many issues which the war chal-
lenges the intelligence, patriotism and piety
of men to take up, there may be diversity
of minds, but as to the war itself, the upris-
ing of the people to save itself from disinte-
grafton and humiliation, you must look for
the reason beyond the petty grounds
of rival political parties for power
and ascendency. It was q war not
against, but in behalf of everything that
could make people self developing, self
perpetuating and God directed. IT'S true,
it has brought US terrible sorrow; how
much God alone knows, but I cannot forget
that in all the divine administration toward
man, both individually and nationally, there
is the blending of pain with pleasure, of
temptation with duty, of death with life, of
the cost with the reward of liberty. Why
that should be SO, it is not the province of
this discourse to inquire into. I simply
state the fact. In the case of our war, it
was the indefnable Godhead administration,
the divine logic edueing good out of evil to
be manifested in the firmer, grander fixed
ness of our Union, and the assured rights of
humanity, the right of equality and liberty
all the world over.
Tacitus says, SIT is the high reward of
those who have risked their lives in just
and necessary war, that their names are
sweet in the mouths of men, and every age
shall know their actions But who shall
tell, not merely of the numbers, but of
few names of our glorious dead, the martyrs
for liberty. How many have fallen in the
contest who can tell God only knows All
we know is that thousands have fallen in the
long and laborious march, thousands by the
fever of the camp and thousands to be multi
piled by tens on tens, when advancing on the
enemy they received the bayonet in their
breasts or, high in hope and anxious of vic
tory, dropped by the cannon or rifle ball. 1t
IL m haTniDaaS tn have had q 0aliDhtful
friendship with many of these noble
men. have knelt with them at the sacra-
mental table. Some 1 have united in the
bonds of holy marriage, and consecrated at the
baptisnal font their dear offspring. Others
l have inscribed upon the records of the
church 1 have heard them speak of the
love of God and of the peace that reigned in
their souls. 1 have heard them pray in the
public congregations and unite their voices
in heavenly praise AS they pressed my
hand good bye, saw the patriot soldier was
in their eyes, and when they said, 'Pray for
us, - I knew that they would not return I'M
less they returned meritorious, for to them a
soldiers death was better than soldiers
shame. I knew that many of the dear band
would never return, not even to come home
broken and crippled to rejoice in the victory.
But also knew God would give his angels
charge concerning them and heaven would
receive and welcome them. What was in
our power We udV0 uOu0 VIII
regard to the bodies of our
citizen soldiers. We have paid them
military honors we have placed them in
their native earth as far as we were able, and
we have come with the spring flowers to dec
crate their honored graves with beauty and
fragrance. Loving hands are unable to adorn
them and sorrowing hearts to come and
mourn over them. But will their countless
numbers of the lost and unknown be forgot
ten by this nation? Never. They will be
remembered by all the coming generations
that shall be made great and free through the
sacrifices of blood and life that
they offered upon the affairs of freedom.
Oh, if it can only be said that those
who go from us to the better world are still
clares it to be SO, is it too much to believe
that now when our red stained fields are
again green and yellow, the symbols of ma
tional prosperity; and the deep toned mis-
erere of war has been drowned in the full di-
apson shout of liberty proclaimed through
out the land to all the inhabitants thereof;
and the cannon smoke has foated up and
away upon the viewless wind showing to us
our torn, begrimed banner in the sky without
the loss of single stripe or glorious star,
arched with the covenant rainbow of
brotherhood and these States
that have struggled in the second birth for
liberty are brought together and girded |
wi the golden band of the federal Union;
and the deep thunder bursting apocalyptic |
chorus of two oceans that wash our Shores |
and the roaring forest trees that wave their
branches as if in joy and gladness and re- |
deemed, happy jubilant nation that in ador- |
ing gratitude lifts its full heart and face to |
God; oh is it too much to suppose, aye is |
it not scriptural and holy to believe that the |
harps of our departed, heaven gone SOL
diers vibrate with a mightier touch and |
their voices commingle with the vocifera- |
tons of the peoples joy, that the |
nation is saved, and that they were counted |
worthy unto death for its salvation. And
let us not forget that while we show all due |
honor to those brave men who have risked |
their lives for our Defense and have been the |
of our deliverance, it is he the |
arbiter of battles, God over all, who hath |
wrought with US, and for US, to whom our |
deepest gratitude and supremest honor are to /
be rendered that he alone is to be acknowI- |
edged as the great original author of our sue |
;esses and deiverancss. To whom be glory
oanor MIGHT roaiacfu and dominion