The Portland daily press., 1893-05-29
MEMORIAL SUNDAY.
Interesting Services at Several Port
land Churches.

Tho Addresses at Pine Street and Plymouth
Churches Handsome Decorations =
Large Attendance of the Grand Army
Posts and Sons of Veterans.
Yesterday was Memorial Sunday. The
morning was marked by services at sew
eral churches in memory of the heroic
dead who gave their lives for their
country. The morning opened gray
and chill but during the exercises there
were glimpses of sunshine that beamed
through the windows and threw halo
of glory over, the decorations.
AtPlymouth Church.
AT Plymouth church the sacred ediflce
was packed with congregation COM
posed of Bosworth Post, G. A. (which
turned out with, full ranks under Com
mander Williamson 4 and the usual
worshippers The organ stands at
the rear of the pulpit recess
and on it's front were festooned
the national colors. The tablets on
either side were also festooned with
flags. The front of the reading desk was
draped with flags. the fields caught up
in the beak of a snow-white dove. On
either side of the desk were stacks of
arms, canteens and drums, and large
pots of Towering shrubs. The whole ar
rangement was marked with good taste.
The usual church service followed
with the exception that special choir
composed Of Messrs. Merriman, Steward,
Misses Nellie and Lizzie Aagerson,
Mabel Lewis and Florence Greedy, Messrs.
M. Cox, W. Sturgis, H. II. Cromwell,
Steward, o. W. Fullam and John Fisher,
with Mr.. Fisher as conductor, rendered
the music of the day finely. Especially
was this the case with the anthem
blessed is the service where God is the
Lord" and the occasional Coward
Christian Soldiers
At Pine Street Church
At Pine St. Methodist churc h in the
morning there was very large congre-
cation. Thatcher Post, G.. A. R., the
Relief Corps, and Shepley Camp Sons of
Veterans, assembled to listen to me-
mortal sermon from Rev. M. House, pas
tor of the church. The decorations,
both martial and floral, were in excellent
taste, and the music very attractive. The
solos by Miss Nettie May Morrison and
Mr.. Fred E. Dow. Rev. Mr.. House then
delivered the memorial sermon.
Mr.. House took for his text, Exodus,
12:14, "And this day shall be unto you
for memorial
If we recognize the truth stated by St.
Paul when he stood on Mars Hill, that
God hath ordained the habitations and
the boundaries of nations, we must &C
knowledge that in His infinite wisdom
and goodness, He has selected for us
the most desirable, the most beautiful
portion of this earth. This is seen in
our location. We have been placed upon
fresh continent, separated by mighty
oceans from the ambitions and despos-
tisms that come to the nations of the
Old World. He has made our continent
the seed field of the globe. Here are
mines of coal, iron, silver and gold, that
enrich us, and makes us the wealthiest
nation of the earth.
God has entrusted to us the idea of po-
litical equality and freedom of speech.
Under these conditions a mighty nation
was developed. But while our constitu-
ton claimed that all were free and equal,
it was not true. Men and women, be-
cause they were black, were held in bond
age. Good men were troubled; an agi-
tation was begun, which only could be
settled by an appeal to arms. 1t came.
On the 18th of April, 1861, Fort Sumter
was fired upon, and the Stars and Stripes
were hauled down for the first time by
our own countrymen. Grand Abraham
Lincoln issued his proclamation. One
grand, patriotic impulse thrilled, stirred
the nation. Soon splendid army, COM
posed of the flower of the nation, was
collected ION to Richmond was the
cry. But they met worthy foemen, and
four years went past before the South
would yield to the superior North.
The nations redemption cost tive nty-
seven billions of dollars, large sum to
and have largely repaid since the war.
But who shall count the living hearts
that broke, the agonies of the struggle?
What power shall open those lips whose
words ran out in blood drops: those
voices silent, yet ringing through the
world by deeds of heroism done?
Of those boys who marched to the
front in the old days, full of life and Wig
or, more than 100000 are gone. Where
are they?
"On fame eternal camping ground,
Their silent tents are spread
And glory guards, with solemn round,
| The bivouac OF the dead"
The great leaders, Grant, Sheridan,
Meade, Sherman, Mcclellan. Burnside,
Hooker, Mcdowell and Hancock, are all
gone. More than half, doubtless, OF
those who took part in the grand review
are now at rest, while among the snrvi-
vors the shafts of death are falling faster
today than than they fell in 1924.
| And those who come up to the house
of the Lord today, how changed the
aspect. Enfeebled limbs, ashen and
shrunken cheeks, furrowed brow and
gray hair. 1t was not so thirty years
ago. Your day of duty is over. You
are mustered out of service, and are so
enfeebled by years, disabled by wounds,