Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-05-29
MEMORIAL SUNDAY.
The Services ut the Episcopal Church

Last Sunday very interesting sermon pre-
paTatory to Decoration Day was preached by
the Rev. Alfred II. Wheeler ut the Episcopal
Church. Erastus Buck Post No. 7S, c. \. r.
and W. K. (. No 80 attended in bodies. The
services were quite impressive and rendered
peculiarly so by the modest. unostcntatious
and quiet manner in which every part was
conducted Rev. Mr.. Wheeler selected for his
text, He hath done all things well"-Mark
VII, 81. His exordum was touching address
of welcome to his Church to the veterans be
fore him, and a graphic picture of the uprising
ut the North at the outbreak of the rebellion,
in which he wove nil classes and occupations
into the army and into an rrcfragable web
of patriotism. He then proceeded to state
that the North did not fight for emancipation
but for the preservation of the Union, but
that emancipation was the means by which
motive of the South to destroy the Union
but to sustain slavery, and the means by
which they sought to do it was by destroying
the Union. The speaker then ran two paral-
lei lines in history, asserting that two dis
tinct lines of civilization or national charac-
teristics met in this country which did not
readily embrace, but, like the waters of the
Mississippi and Missouri. ran separately but
in the same channel, until compelled to mingc
by the rebellion. He suggested that one line
ran down from the Romanic and the other
from the Gcrmanic, and that the Romano
tended to absoutism in society and govern
ment, and to the creation of castles, while the
Germanic was more democratic, and the gen
cral trend of il was more towards the equali'
ty of all men in respect to political rights.
These two distinct characteristics or national
tendencies coming in contact on our soil were
naturally antagonistic. Race and class dis
tinctions were more marked in the South
than in Europe, because in Europe n man
could by wonderful genius or achievement
rise from obscurity to emincncc, but in the
South the color line impossible The
speaker then briefly alluded to the war and
passed to it's results and the present situation
of the country, insisting that the most i'm
portant of means for the safety of the country
was in the general diffusion of education
among the masses; the cultivation of spirit
OF denunCia ton of everything and every man
which or who would assume to dictate or
prescribe rules to guide or control matters OF
government or faith and stringent laws to
govern and restrain foreigners who come
over here with notions which are unaincrican.
Let them come he said, If they will be Ameri-
cans, but america for Americans" America
is to be the leading representatives Of the ma
tions and of the English language, and so let
her insist that her people shall speak the
English Language. Let foreigners leave their
language, laws and institutions behind.
Compel them to attend our schools and con-
form to our institutions. We can respect and
admire the grand patriotism and other noble
characteristics Of a German in Germany or OF
an italian In Italy but, said the speaker,
when they come here let them be Americans.
He alluded to the late scenes in New Orleans
in which the lawless acts Of reckless Italians
had caused the uprising of an indignant peo-
plc as a cloud no bigger than n man
hand, +" and to communism, and the tend
encies to break through the restraint OF law,
and it's inevitable dangers, and closed with
descriptions of praise and thanksgiving to the
sunreme Ruler of all human events for lie
hath done all things well, "and paid tribute
to woman who would mould and direct the
next generation and stamp it with American
characteristics and habits. He assured the
veterans that IL they but served God with
haifthe zeal and courage that they had served
their country they would win victory. not
over earthly cities which would decay aud be
consumed, nor over governments which would
crumble and pass away, but over city eter
nal, filed with far more than earthly rewards
for the Christian soldier. No epitome can dc
the speaker justice because 1t will necessarily
fail 20 develop fitiyrthe theories and illustra
tons ola characteristics sermon which, though
not in entire accord with every ones views
land nobody expects that such sermon
would be- was listened to with the eloseS'
attention and deepest interest, d.