The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-05-31
IN M EMORIAM.
The Union Memorial Services at the
Baptist Church last Evening,

The union memorial services at the
Baptist church Sunday evening passed of
very smoothly. Every seat in the
church was occupied and many persons
were obliged to leave for lack of room.
Wilkin Post formed at the post room
and marched over to the church in a
body, occupying reserved seats. The
services were opened by reading of
scriptures by Rev. Cory, couple of
hymns by the Baptist choir and prayer
by Rev. Barbour. Rev. F. M. Rule
preached the memorial sermon and it
was as fine discourse as his hearers
had listened to for some time. Both
matter and manner of delivery COM
bined to make it a notable effort. The fol-
lowing is but brief synopsis. He chose
for text:
Sow in righteousness for it is time to
seek the Lord, till he come and rain
righteousness upon you.-Hosea 1912.
He introduced his sermon by a quota
ton from a poem the last line of which
was,
"There is nothing lighter
than mere praise"
and said if the annual return of memoir
ial days brought nothing but mere prais-
es for the men who in the time of our
dear unto themselves that they might
maintain our glorious liberties, they
would soon cease to be observed. Since
May 1868, Memorial day had been OBJ
served with increasing interest, and Sun
day preceding May 30th has come to be
called Memorial Sunday. There was a
fitness in these things. ~ 1t was time
/ for recalling the worthy services of
braYe men. individuals should not be
ungrateful, neither should republics.
Ours is not. This annual observance
came not through legislation but by the
voluntary uprising of grateful people.
The fact that this government has 452, :
557 persons on its pension rolls, and pays
them as it did last year $78, 775 1861. 092
Ijustifies the statement. America, great
in agriculture, great in mercantile inter-
ests, great in manufacturing, great in
peace, is also great In caring for her
manned and helpless heroes, and in re-
membrance of her fallen worthless. ~
1t was time for meditating upon the
principles of righteousness which under.
lie our American institutions, for it is
righteousness that exalteth a nation"
Our fathers sowed to themselves In
righteousness and the rain of righteous.
sees upon us. (5) 1t is a time 70 &c
knowledge the value of our HOLY rellg.
ion, for the fundamental ethics of oul
nation are Christian and there can be nc
true prosperity if we act out OF har-
mony with the principles of the Sermon
on the Mount.
He then took a view of some of the
problems involved in our national life
Quoting from a recent authority he
named, "Our Population" Free Inqui'
lry," Modern Revolutionizing Tendon
cies," "The New Functions of Public
Opinion" "The Civil Problem" and
''The Problem of Professionalism" as the
great problems of our time and which il
devolyes upon America to solve. He
traced the history of these problems
showed the relation of each to our ma
tional life, and, although the magnitude
OF the problems was marvellous, and the
forces and forms of evil appalling, ht
believed Am erica, which had beer
equal to every emergency thus far wal
equal for these things. We need only
visit the battle-felds of the revolution
and the late war to see that we have
reached the utmost limits of human
heroism, and that there is no measuring
the power of this great people. The
power of this age and people is infinite
for it is the power of a free christianity
: 1t comes from Him who gave up his lif'
for us all. 1t is the spirit of that Sermon
on the Mount, exemplified in the mar
: velous life of the Christ, emphasized b.
: the tragedy of Calvary and breathet
upon us by the Holy Ghost. IF we ar
as heroic for truth and righteousness il
the "piping times of peace" as the "ol'
guard" whom we honor tonight wer
in the days of cruel war glorious futur
will be ours. In memory of the days o
suffering, deeds of valor and true devo
ton of the "boys in blue" let US swea
3 allegiance to every American interest
I SOW in righteousness and seek the Lord
4 that he may rain righteousness upon u
: and upon our children to all generations
At the conclusion of the sermon tn
! choir sang a hymn, and the congregatio
was dismissed with a benediction b
. Rev. Whitney.