The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-29
HONOR TO THE DEAD.
Patriotic Sermon to and a Blessing i
yoked ON the G. A. II.

Patriotic Sermon to and a Blessing In
voked ON the G. A. r.
The Rev. H. G. Cronin. Pastor elect of
the Second Presbyterian Church preached
patriotic sermon last evening to his
future flock. The church was crowded.
The subject of his sermon was "Our
Nations Dead" and he took
his text from Numbers XVI. 10.
The preacher said IN part:-
';In the Bible we reau or many memor :
ial days and onservances. In the pres
ence Of great events, great actions, great
heroism, great magnanimity, men ever
seek to perpetuate their grateful and
profound emotions in some worthy and
lasting memorial. The great facts in He
brew history are memorialized In striking
and significant services. Does the des-
troying angel pass over the houses OF the
cuildren of Israel while in every Egyptian
house there is one deadf The Passover
is the annual speaking memorial observ-
ance. Does the American republic es-
CAPE disruption and destruction by the
devoted services of her Citizen soldiers?
Decoration Day is the fitting memorial
observance of grateful nation.
Decoration Day Is older than the G. A.
r. In 1864 the graves of the Union SOL
diers were scattered through all the
South, aud no man did them honor. In
the spring of that year the women OF the
Confederacy went forth to scatter flowers
on the graves of their dead. The re-
Gently emancipated freedmen, with
! val recognition OF the sacrifice OF the
Union dead gathered from the woods
the wild flowers In their beauty, and
under the cover of the night they stole
softly, silently. by the light OF the stars,
to the last resting place of our fallen he
roes aud laid. with hands OF blessing
upon those graves, the offerings of their
unspeakable gratitude.
'There are three reasons why we ought
to live, and. il need be, die for our
country. First, because it is our home;
we cannot think of the dear ones who
dwell beneath our roof tree without
thinking of our country. Here we were
born. here we live. and here we hope
to be buried. Accused be the man
who can think with indifference
of any danger that threatens this
common mother and guardian OF us
all. Second. our country is religious
countrY. America was planted by
were our forefathers who planted
New England. Pious Hollanders
settled New York. Maryland was taken
possession of by large-minded and open-
handed Catholics. and Jhe Carolinas were
settled by the Hugenots. This early
SplrtG has grown Win our grown anu
strengthened with our strength and en-
bodied itself in all the civllizing aud
humanizing agencies that have influenced
our caresr. Third, our country Is the
seat Of liberty. our immortal decla-
ration says that God endowed men
with right to live, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. These
are the legitimate ends of cover nment,
and that is the best government which
most perfectly subserves TO these ends.
The dangers to be guarded against are
despotism ON the one hand and anarchy
on the other. La our country these are
avoided. We have a government of the
people, by the people, and for the people
the freest and happiest land the sun
shines on. GodI make US all Americans
worthy of the past and the Apostles Of
grander futurel
MAY the God of Heaven bless the G. A..
r., and may this service. and that of the
coming Decoration Day, but add to the
sanctity of a welded affection for tue
Land OF the free and The home of the
brave and may it cause US TO pledge
eternal fidelity to each other, and to the
honor OF the dear ole flag, that some of
you followed 10 war, and which we all
cherish in peace"