The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-07
DIR. SUNDERLAND'S CHURCH.
Presidential Favor Restored to the Presby-
terian Denomination.

Presidential Favor Restored to the Presby-
terian Denomination.
Washington Letter.
After an interval of twenty years presidential
favor is restored to the Presbyterian denomina-
ton, in the First Presbyterian Church on Four
and-a half street The restoration takes the pres
Dental church going to quite another and less
fashionable part of the city from that whore
Abraham Lincoln, the last Presbyterian Presi
dent, worshiped. Miss Cleveland's selection
of the First Presbyterian Church is not without
interest, and, as will be seen, not without sent-
ment. 1t is the plainest church of any size at
the national capital, but probably has the larg
gest seating capacity 1t was before and during
the war that DR.. Sunderland stood up in this
church and preached his stirring sermons
against slavery and for the Union, in the face of
the secessionists among his people, many of
whom left him and never returned His radical
Abolitionist sentiments depleted the congregation
but he never backed down" from that day to
this
With all the changes which twenty years or
more have brought to loyal and disloyal doml
MES of that day, DR.. Sunderland is the only one
in the city who has kept his church edifce with
out interruption. He now stands in the same
spot to preach his sermons in which he stood
thirty-two years ago. Time has been kind to
him. His small, 1.-the figure shas the activity of
youth. His smoothly-shaven face, and dark
hair scarcely touched with gray, make him look
much younger than he is. When the President
sent down to the First Presbyterian Church for
a diagram from which he choose the family pew,
nobody was surprised as the pastor himself.
All through the campaign he was bold in his de-
nunciations of Mr.. Cleveland. He had talked
against and written against him. But here was
the man who he had said was not fit for the
White House about to heap Goals of fire" on
his head, and knocking at his church door, as
worshiper.
'Of course I was astonished" said the little
dominic. 'He knew and they all knew what
had said Everybody knows 1 will speak my
mind right out My congregation has fallen off
to mere handful. Some have gone up town
to more fashionable churches. Many have
gone away from the city for good. Those who
are left are mostly clerks and l expected, when
the Democrats came in. their heads would come
off, and then my congregation would be smaller
than ever But l can't refuse to receive the
President or any one else who wants to come to
my church. And you know how fashions go.
The Presidents presence will bring others, and
no doubt it will build up my church very much.
But. after all, was so surprised"
1t may be diplomatic in the President to win
the good will of the minister who was so pro-
nounced in his i'll will, but the real reason is
this: The Rev. DR.. Sunderland was the pastor
of the Presidents mother, when, as a young
minister, he preached in Batavia, N. Y. Mrs.
Cleveland ihad great regard for him, and re-
membering this, Miss Cleveland selected the
First Presbyterian Church, and made her moth
er's pastor her own.