St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-25
MEMORIAL DAY.
Sermon by Rev. RI. f. Forbes at the
IacIrSoa, Sfraat Oh

sermon DY rev. EOIDeS Inc
Jackson Street Church.
A large audience, including fully one hun
dred members of the Grand Army of the
Republic of the three posts of st. Paul,
coupled all the seating capacity OF the
Jackson street Methodist church last even
ing, and Rev. r. Forbes selected as the
subject of his memorial sermon Psalms
xxx, IL: ''The Lord will give strength to
his people; the Lord will bless his people
with peace"
1t was fitting, he said, that Decoration
day had been added to the holidays of the
nation wherein the people should call to
remembrance and do honor to the dead and
living soldiers. AS year follows year these
latter are growing less and less in numbers,
and rapidly, one by one, are going down to
the low green tent whose curtains never
outward swing. 1t is only question OF a
few years when only here and there will be
found living survivor of the Union armies.
Macaulay says that a nation which does
not memorable and glory in the deeds Of its
ancestry will have nothing in their de-
scendants to be proud of. War was the
primitive state of man, and had been
waged by him all through the history OF the
world, on the principle that might makes
right, but God had made even these bar
barian strifes to work together for good
and build up civilization on the desolation
thus wrought. But there was a wide diff
ference in wars of conquest and those of
defense of freSides, Gods truth and ma
tive land.
THE PLANTING BY GOD
of the Puritan seed at Plymouth Rock,
with culture, convictions and intellect, Sc
lected by him in the old world, made
the life of a great civilized ma
ton begin just where great bar
barous nations had left off. Our forefathers
made some mistakes, one of which was the
institution of slavery, but the late war was
for the saving of the Union which they
founded, in which the adjustment of slavery
was an incidental feature. AS in the Revo
luton, the success of the Union arms was
due to the citizen suddenly improvised into
a soldier from the trades, the professions and
the farms and was equal to any emergency.
There were always men in the ranks who
could step out and build bridge, preach a
sermon, set broken limb, make
shoes and build house, for they had the
power of strength. In their response to
duty their quick transformation into soldiers
their readiness to do and die surprised the
world But greater surprise to the world
was their laying down the musket and the
uniform and returning again to the peaceful
walks of life as though they had never
smelIed powder OF heard the whizzing bullet.
This was as great glory to them as when
they so grandly rallied at Lincoln's sum-
mons.
WHILE GREAT HONOR RESTS
upon the Union leaders, yet the thousands
on thousands of those resting in unknown
graves saved the country. They met foe
men worthy of their steel, for they met
brothers whose principles were as sacred to
them, and at the bottom of the desires of
both armies was desire for peace and good
government. God ruled that such was not
to be had in confederation of states, but
in united nation, and every battered BAN
ner, rrlsted cannon, empty sleeve
and soldiers grave bears witness to
the costly sacrifice which welded it
together, never to be broken aSunder. This
sacrifice, though terrible, was not too great,
for it was for fifty millions of freemen, and
for millions piled on millions whose tramp
will be heard in the coming centuries on
this Western continent.
THEREFORE,, WHILE WE STREW FLOWERS
upon patriot graves on Saturday, we have a
right to rejoice over what these brave men
have done for us. AS the poet has sung Of
the three hundred at Thermopyla, the six
hundred at Balaklaya, oh, that we had a
Tennyson to sing of the brave three hum
dred at Charlottesville who charged on
.Jackson's 20, 900 men to save ten minutes
time for Siegel to muster his 10000 Union
troops in line, and who to a man fell dead
in their stirrupS.
But the glory Of this nation no longer
lies in military achievements, though its
SONS be ready at the slightest call to rise up
again from the peaceful walks Of life to its
defense. Its glory is in its schoolhouses,
it's churches. its asylums, it's reformatOries,
its orphan homes and in the protection of
its people from bad government, immortality
and vice. in prayers and honest and noble
efforts in all the walks of life to perpetuate
those principles which our patriot fathers
and sons have died to perpetuate and
maintain.
The speaker concluded his most interest
ing remarks by reading a memorial poem
entitled Decoration Day."
AT PACIFIC CONGREGATIONAL. CHURCH.
Garfield post, escorted by the camp of the
Sons of Veterans attended memorial serv-
ice at Pacific Congregational church yester-
-day morning. Rev. Mr.. Evans conducted
the service and preached an elaborate and
eloquent discourse, directing his remarks
largely to the post itself.
The Catholic Cathedral.
Confirmation was administered yesterday
at the cathedral by Bishop Ireland in pres
ence of a large congregation. Some of the