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, a 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 q 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 q quota
ton from 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
nations peril, counted not their lives
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 Sum
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
In L, IL l.
ungrateful, neither should republics.
Ours is not. This annual observance
came not through legislation but by the
voluntary uprising of a grateful people.
The fact that this government has 452, :
557 persons on its pension rolls, and pays
them as it did last year $78, us, S6l .092
Justifies 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. (2)
1t was time for meditating upon the
principles of righteousness which under
lie our American institJ 4, for it is
righteousness that exaItern q nation"
Our fathers sowed to themselves In
righteousness and the rain of righteous
zsees Is upon us. 81 1t is time TO ac-
knowledge the value of our holy rellg-
ion, for the fundamental ethics of our
nation are Christian and there can be no
true prosperity if we act out OF har-
mony with the principles of the Sermon
on the Mount.
He then took view of some of the
problems involved in our national life.
Quoting from recent authority he
named, "Our Population" Free Inqui-
ry," Modern Revolutionizing Tenden-
cles," "The New Functions of Public
Opinion" "The Civil Problem" and
THE Problem of Professionalism" as the
great problems of our time and which it
devolves 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, he
believed Am erica, which had been
equal to every emergency thus far was
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 free christianity.
It comes from Him who gave up his life
for us all. 1t is the spirit of that Sermon
on the Mount, exemplified in the mar
velous life of the Christ, emphasized BY
the tragedy of Calvary and breathed
upon us by the Holy Ghost. If we are
as heroic for truth and righteousness in
the "pIping times of peace" as the "old
guard" whom we honor tonight were
in the days of cruel war glorious future
will be ours. In memory of the days of
suffering, deeds of valor and true devo-
ton OF the "boys in blue" let us swear
sow in risbteousness n and seek the Iord
that he may rain righteousness upon us
and upon our children to all generations.
At the conclusion of the sermon the
choir sang hymn, and the congregation
was dismissed with a benediction by
Rev. Whitney,