The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-30
IN MEMORIAM SERVICES
Sermons at Various Churches Preached
in Honor of the Fallen Heroes.
Rev. Marting's Sermon at the German NJ. L.
Church.Rev. Van Buskirk's Eloquent
Address-Down on the PrOhibitiOnists.

The memorial service for George III.
Thomas Post, o.. A. r., and the Women's
Relief Corps of that post. held yesterday
morning at the First German Methodist
Church, was largely attended, the church
being filled. The post was there in a body
and the ladies of the Relief Corps were also
there. The church was deliberately decor
ated with large American flags and upon
and around the pulpit were plants and
flowers.
The exercises opened with an organ vol
untary. after which the choir sang In
German "Das Banner Jnda." The sermon
and the remainder of the exercises were In
English. The pastor. Rev. j. c. Marting,
took as his textl Timothy. sixth chapter.
18th verse:
Fight the good fight Of faith, lay hold on
eternal life.
During the course of his remarks he said:
81 an glad we have a holiday known as
Decoration day, devoted to such tender.
loving and pleasant a task as the strewlng
OF beautiful flowers upon the graves OF our
national heroes. Some of them fell on the
field of battle: others died in the camps.
prisons and hospitals of the for South.
Again. others. under the protection of their
guardian angel, were permitted 10 return TO
their loved ones and home. and have since.
one by one. crossed tho river to receive
their reward. A few of You are left to
take part In this pleasant memorial serv-
ice, and to teach us, your children and
your children's children the meaning of
these things. Perceptibly your ranks are
or of your comrades are dropping
ont You may make an earnest eff
fort to close up the ranks, but such eff
forts will prove more futile every year.
Soon the bugle-blow of eternity Will sum-
mon you also. and then, after the great re-
view of the grander army above shall have
taken place. If life's battle shall have been
we'll fought, you will be permitted 70 enter
into the joys of our common Lord.
How these memorial days bring back
the sights and sounds of war. We hear
again the shot against Fort Sumter rever-
berating among the hills OF the North; the
confused and angry sounds OF Q great peO-
pie armIng themselves for strife. We see
long lines of volunteers marching TO the
railroad depOts; the embraces, the fearful
partinga. the waving of handkerchiefs, the
last long look after the departing heroes.
and the weeping women going nome along
the streets. We remember the carnage on
the battlefield, we hear the moaning of
thousands In the hospitals. These things
were craven on the brain of these men be-
fore me to-day rs with a pen of iron.
The memory of that gallant soldier.
John A. Logan, is doubly sacred TO his
cOuntrymen Tor introducing and advocat-
ing the annual decoration OF the graves of
our soldiers. There Is no day which ought
to be- more cherished by our people,. We
should not grudge to every honorably dis
charged soldier q reasonable pension. We
ought to be a devoted and thankful people,
both to God and our veteran volunteers.
God was in the last war. He was using
the soldiers to remove the barriers that
prevented III from becoming u great INT
glorious Nation. He sent you to demand
obedience. We often speak of this or that
man as the cause of this or that great
event. We greatly blunder. God is the
cause; men only the instrument for the &C.
complishment of His purpose. Moses did
not emsncipate Israel, but He who spake
To Moses from the bush of fire. Luther old
not transform the church. but He did who
sits on the holy hill of Zion. Columbus
was but the hand of God leading the way
they might worship. none daring to modest
or make them afraid. Lincoln did not
abolish slavery. but He Gid who sent Lin
coin to proclaim liberty TO the captive
and the opening of the prison TO them that
were bound. 1t was not the sword of
Grant. not the determination of his will.
but He who called forth ~ Grant at that
critical hour of our struggle. The same is
true of our Oliver p. Morton. who WILL al
ways be known as the great war Governor
and soldiers friend, despite the efforts of q
certain DIR. WSeth TO the contrary. We
honor the men while we give the glory to
God. 1t was Gods cause and He led his
hosts forward to victory. In no State in
the Union. judging from the results. did
the first blow struck by the rebels produce
q deeper impression than on Indiana. In
nine days from the issuing of the Presi-
dents proclamation calling for $4,000 men.
so prompt was the response. there were III
camp enough companies TO organize nine
regiments. and so it went on till in q short
time Indiana alone had more than Tic, 900
men in the field. 1t was a war of freedom
800 -. -. 80
God decided for liberty and ma
der, who fought in either army,
to-day doubts the righteousness Of the ver-
diet. Then there were four millions of
human beings in bondage. used. bought
aud sold as chattels. crying to God for
freedom-beaten. t~yrranized. often slain
for petty ~offenses. kept in darkness and
degradation. These God intended to free.
The musket. the sword and tho cannon
were the means used to break their shackles.
The defender of his country, the boy in
blue. became the Moses of the black man.
Nevertheless. much as you suffered and
endured. / doubt If anyone who passed
through such a baptism of fire as the late
war would exchange It for a hundred
peaceful and uneventful years. You have
IA rich and rare inheritance In you expert
enee.
I'VE, like the colored mans race. which
He saw. are still in the lin OF battle. Jesus.
our captain, has issued an Emancipation
proclamation which Is JOY to all the world.
The news seems for some too good To be
true. III oil would only permit Him with
the torch of truth and the finger of love to
touch their hearts. they would be all ablaz
with light, and peace. and JOY unspeakable.
We should be like them that dream
flushed is the slogan of your charging
lines, the blast of bugles and the whirring
of your drums. For long years your
shredded and riven banners. that once
blazed in the forefront of battle. have been
furled. Year by year you are being mus
tered into those silent ranks that stand on
the other side of the dark waters of death,
from which there v neither desertion nor
discharge. The last v~estiges of the war are
fast passing away and soon the last sur
viving soldier will lave gone; but not SO
that Union for which you ali fought aud
for which so many of Your comrades
nobly died; and not SO that liberty which
your roaring cannon proclaimed through
all the land. to all the inhabitants thereof.
Now let us also make sure of a home in
heaven. with all the blessed. Let us lay
hold on eternal life. Sword in hand, keep
ing our powder dry. and our eyes on Gods
eternal throne. pushing rward.-why.
our life Will be like Sherman's march from
Atlanta to the sea. one continuous victory
ana Paul-like we can say at it's close: Il
have fought n good light. | have finished
my course. i have kept the faith: hence
forth there Is laid mp for me q crown of
righteousness Then:
After the tempest. the lull Of the waves,
After the battle. peaceful graves,