The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-17
COLUMBIAN SUNDAY.

In view OF the approach OF the Column
bian-day demonstration this week, DR.. II.
A. Cleveland held services OF q special
nature yesterday. In addition TO the regu-
lar sermon, the services were of o nature
to bring out the characteristics of the great
discoverer. They were somewhat of a brief
historical review of the events, interspersed
with appropriate songs by members of the
congregation.
DR.. Cleveland's discourse yesterday morn
ing was a plea for the higher education of
the masses and was In the interest of the
American University located by the
Methodists at Washington city and de-
signed to be equal to the best European
universities for postgraduate studies.
The plan contemplated the taking of col
l~ections and subscriptions in every Meth
odist congregation this month as O Column
bian Offering, and as far as possible on the
10th. yesterday.
In his remarks he said: I'VE begin our
struggle of life equipped only with facul-
ties. 1t is only by the recognition and use
OF these we can 60 forward in any manly
career and society can make any rational
and continuous progress. Upon the
courageous training and manly use or our
faculties hinges all our better good In this
world. There must be an intelligent care
OF the body as well as of the mind, else
neither the individual nor society can pro-
coed In noble. secure and prosperous ways.
Matter is not the enemy of man nor of God,
/ but is a mode of God and is meant to be q
servant of man. In all manly culture mind
and heart, In relation with q healthy
physical condition. are things of supreme
Importance.
Culture is the development of the manli-
est tnat Is In US. 1t is knowledge. 1T Is re-
fnement, ir Is taste; it is also trustfulness
trust in our own faculties. and trust in
the universe of which we are a part. Fear
Is born of Ignorance. Culture faces danger
and defies passion. 1t Is the function of
on nature, and TO put fear behind him. Ihe
great souls who appear in history were
courageous. trustfuI and hopeful, and
bravely ventured In action. They feared
no ghosts. no demons, no treacheries. They
freely breathed heavens air. and bathed
In heavens sunshine; their only fear was
that they did not enough trust their own
faculties, and the friendliness of nature,
and the hearts of their fellow-men, and the
munificence of Gods intentions. Manly
culture is not suspicious: 1t Is not pessimis-
tic, nor cOwardly. nor selfish, nor egotistic;
but interests itself In things that oelate to
the common welfare. Matthew Arnold
says: Culture is not primarily q scientific
passion for knowledge. but is q moral and
social passion for doing good;' and John
Morley says: The end of education is not
to make o man o cyel0pedia, but o citizen
and Cardinal Manning says: Culture
brings with 1T q power and a grace which
enables US to be more useful Cult
ture that does not do this is
an unmanly and spurious culture,
and fails of its function and fails of itself.
| The greatest things that have been done in
our human society have been lone by in
dIvIdual man, who has had O higher cult
ure and vision and a larger thought than
his neighbors have had, and has been to
the tronble of making his visions
and thoughts to become his neigh
boris also. 1t is thus that all the
great social elevations and advances have
| been effected. 1t Is not the textbooks of
the school that refine and uplift, but
rather the vitalizing influence of the indl-
vidual teacher In bis relation with the In
| dIyidual pupil. We remain what we are
and as we are until the better and more
vital man comes out and touches US with
his larger thought and inspiration. 1t was
the cultured man who brought fire from
heaven and taught US it's uses. 1t was he
discovered the corn among the common
grasses and taught us TO plant il, to garner.
to grind and to bake 1t; he laid the keel on
the great waters and fastened the needle
| to the north star; il was he broke the bonds
of Egypt and led the way to the land of
milk and honey. He stood out from the
convention and the majority. 1t was by
following him that men have attained TO
their present civilization. :
Thus all progress in better things has
been made. The educated man has led off,
| and the people, touched by his influence,
vitalized by his life and strengthened by
his strength, have followed him. In AL
better things the people must have q lead
er. For him we all wait. Work and wages
wait for him: capital and politics wait for
him, and in the complexities and perils of
our advancing life we may be sure that al
ways when new difficulties and dangers
arise somewhere the new brain has been
added that Is equal to the new emergency.
md UharA aholl Ua lnnR fnr fhra n a w ma
If not to our universities He must be a
man who knows the problem, and is equal
to it's solution, and In whose heart is the
love of the people and the moral urgency
peliIng him to join himself to the people
for their benefit. Only the home and the
university can produce such a man. A
mere secular education does not produce
such q man. And here is the argument for
a Christian university. The road to prog
ress Is through individuals, not the masses.
The few have led the many. and the
many have ~foliowed; hence the lead
education that they may lead wisely and
for the general good and be equal to the
problem, and TO giving themselves to the
task OF working out social and political
benefits. do not plead for an aristocracy
of culture. but for O Christian culture
within our democracy that shall make it
self adequate To the needs of our growlng
people. The Christian culture that does
this becomes thereby an illuminating and
realizing force in the Nation that nothing
can defeat. nothing withstand. The Inf1u-
ence of such a culture is creative as that of
the sun. There arc about $500 900 OF Meth
odist children In the various schools of our
land. Who can estimate the possible in
fiuence as they so forth into the great
fields of the worlds activities. No finite
mind can measure IT. Can you calculate
the force of q sunbeam Ii is as silent as
the football OF d shadow. yet it comes upon
the bosom of the earth with the authority
and energy of the sun, and is backed by all
the forces of the universe. And what
miracles follow its track. The dull clod
quivers with hope beneath its wand. By
It's presence the face of the earth is light
ed and inspired, winter loses his
hold, the brooklets leap, the forests
swing out of their collins. countless
tons of water are lifted into the air from
the rivers and lakes, and are forced back
in blessings upon the fields and meadows;
all round the earth joyous life breaks forth
into song and shout. A sunbeam docs not
seem worth much attention. but it is IN
league with the sun, and thus with the
central forces of the universe. and SO is
irresistible. So 1t Is with the forces of
higher culture"
The evening services were directed to
especially bring out the personality of
Columbus and TO show his distinct indi-
vlduality, the advance OF his ideas as
shown by the manner of his reasoning on
the probabilities OF the existence of an un-
known world. the steadfastness of pu rpose
which he displayed In the maintenance of
his ideas and his ability as q leader of men.