The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-30
CONVICTIONS OF The PAST.
Fidelity TO Them Consistent With the
National Feeling Of To-Day.

Rev. @. n. Strong breaches an Able
/ Sermon on the Memories Suggested
by Memorial Day-The Youth of the
South Should BE Taught Loyalty to
the Convictions of the Past-Can
Commemorate Our II eroes and Main
tain the National Spirit of To-Day.
Rev. Charles H. Strong, of St. Johns
church, preached a highly interesting
and instructive sermon last night upon
ideas suggested by Memorial day. His
text was taken from Proverbs X, I, ''The
memory of the just is blessed"
Rev. Mr.. Strong said that the time had
come when all could look back on the
events of the war and see both sides of
the issues. The bitterness engendered
by the struggle has, he said, largely
passed away, and all can look calmly on
the perspective of the past There are,
however, other dangers to be feared.
The true story of the civil war should be
impressed on the minds of the people
of to-day The loyalty to the convictions
of the past should be maintained.
A MATTER OF HISTORY.
ut is good thing" he said, chat the
things of the past are constantly being
brought before the young in the history
and orations of to-day. This is a luxur-
ious age. So it was in Greece in the
time of Pericles. The young men of
Greece in that time were fed on the his
tory of the past of Xenophon aud other
heroes. So it should be with the young
men of to-day. Teaching them loyalty TO
the convictions of the past is not
incompatible with loyalty to the
nation as it is now. The
true cause Of the civil war should be
taught them. II was not rebellion. The
word rebellion should be stricken from
the history. II was not war TO preserve
| the institution OF slavery, as that ques--
| ton could have been settled by mutual
concessions without force of arms. The
ceuse of the struggle grew out Of the de-
sire for the preservation of the southern
interpretations of the constitution.
THE soUTH's RIGHTS.
81 have read speech after speech of
jefferson DAVIS" said Mr. Strong. He
holds that under the constitution this
country was formed a confederation of
free and independent states; only certain
powers were delegated 10 the general
government and the rest were reserved
| to the states themselves. This, Mr..
Davis held, was the idea of the
founders of the constitution. 1
believe, as did all the southern
men, that it is the only Interpretation,
but | am quite willing TO admit, never
theless, that it is not the expedient inter
probation for to-day The tendency with
all government is toward a more CEN
tralized form. l am willing to go further
and say the preservation of the union is
the true idea, the national idea. | am
willing to admit that this was settled by
the arbitrament of war, but that does
not settle the question as to whether the
southern people were right or wrong"
THE CAROLINA TROUBLE.
| Rev. Mr.. Strong referred to the in
| ternal troubles of South Carolina and the
| power that state might have had to with
| draw from the union under other circum-
| stances. He spoke of the heroism of the
women and the bravery Of the men of the
| south, of the beautiful decoration of
| Memorial day. and the numbers that
were out to do honor TO the confederate
dead. During the great struggle the
| southern men were on the field of
| battle, and the protection was with
| drawn from almost every woman
of the south. They were dependent on
their own resources, and on the fidelity
| of the slaves themselves, among whom
there was not within his knowledge a
single case of a violated trust. If Uncle
! Toms Cabin needs any refutation, said
| Mr.. Strong, it could be found in this fact,
that there was not on record a case of a
violated trust on the part of slave
| NO DIVISION IN THE CHURCH.
Mr.. Strong spoke of the surrender of
Lee, of the innumerable kilograms that
went over the country conveying mes
sages of sadness, just after which, he
said, he entered college In the north and
passed to the scenes of the exultation of
that section over its victory, where there
existed the most bitter feeling against
the south. He spoke of the fact that the
conflict caused no division in the
Episcopalian church, as it did in
some other churches, as every action
of the church both in the north and
south was ratified just after the close of
the confiict-by the convention of bishops
A perfect loyalty to the convictions of the
past and to the cause, he said, required
three things, a correct statement of it's
history, a correct statement of the condi-
ton Of the men and the women and a
full statement of the causes of the con-
test.