The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-10

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON.
have all been Democrats. When DR..
Sunderland began his pastorate, the part
of the city IL which the First church
stands was the most fashionable in all
Washington. It is not so now, and there
was some surprise when President Cleve-
land selected it as his favorite house of
worship. Perhaps he was so moved be-
cause he had heard the doctor preach
nearly so years ago at Fayetteville. N.
Y, near Syracuse, where the Rev.
Stephen Cleveland was then displaced
as pastor by DR.. Sunderland. At all
events, it is certain that Grover Cleve-
land, then but a lad, was greatly i'm
pressed by the Rev. Mr.. Sunderland's
first sermon at Fayetteville. Its subject
was the fidelity of the eagles in watch
ing over their young.
There is nothing snowy about the
First Presbyterian church Of Washing
ton. 1t is square box, prim and severe
in all its lines. The singing is congre-
gational, but is led by a quartet COM
posed of young men whose music re-
minds the listener of college glee club.
DIR. Sunderland's sermons have been
long, but not dull, for he is a sensible
man and possesses fund of dry Scotch
humor which the president much appre
ciates. Out of the pulpit the doctor is
companionable and pleasant, and his
popularity with his acquaintance is not
excelled by any Washington pastor.
Although, as stated, the First Pres
byterian church edifice still retains its
simple lines OF architecture, it has been
enlarged by the addition of a second
story and is now lighted by electricity,
while its aged and infirm attendants are
relieved of climbing stairs by an eleva-
tor, which was put in some years ago.
Immediately before and during the civil
war this church was the acknowledged
center of Union sentiment i'll the ma
tons capital, and the loyalty of the
pastor to the federal government arous-
ed extremely bitter hostility on the part
of some of the church members. In
1866, when Frederick Douglass secured
the use of the church for a lecture on
the assassination of Lincoln, the street
in front came near being the scene of a
riot. Chief Justice Chase presided at
that lecture, and several members of
the congregation Withdrew from the
church because of it. In explaining why
! hO COAcChNO0 W o1lS eAoO u OAO NhOAOA LII
that purpose DR.. Sunderland said:
Douglass lecture was really the toe
sin of free speech for the negroes, and
there was 30 roof but that Of the First
! Presbyterian chu> h to shelter him. :"
| During the early years of the civil
| war DR.. Sundefland's exertions were SO
severe that in 1868 he broke down COM
| pletely and went abroad, spending some
| time in Paris, where he took charge Of
the American chapel 1t is understood
that he offered then to resign, but his
Washington congregation refused to
have it so and gladly welcomed him
back when his health was recovered
His extra work consisted largely of his
services as chaplain of the senate and of
sermons preached at the military camps
around Washington. 1t was DR.. Sun
derland who preached the first sermon
to the famous Seventh regiment of
New York after its arrival at the capt.
tai This sermon was preached in the
house of representatives, where the reg
iment was then quartered, and the text
was, Endure hardness as a good SOL
der. -
Naturally enough, DR.. Sunderland S
memory is stored with "reminiscences of
the republics great men. He lives in
the house on @ street which was once
occupied by General Fremont, the Path
finder. Seward and Broderick, Chan
dler and Sumner sat under his minis
trations in their day, and Stewart, Tou-
cey, Webster and Benton were all his
neighbors. Besides he has been person
ally acquainted with almost every prom
e
four decades, and he pronounced the
words that made Grover Cleveland and
Frances Folsom one.