The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-05-27
MEMORIAL SUNDAY.
It's Observance by the Veterans in This
City.

Weeping Skies Affect the General Church
Attendance-Very Large Turnout of
Old Soldiers-Decorated Churches-ser-
mons Appropriate to the Day.
By singular coincidence, Memorial
Sunday, this year, fell on May Goth, the
thirtieth anniversary of the closing scene
in the War of the Rebellion, the date on
which Kirby Smith Surrendered the trans
Mississippi army of the Confederacy to
the United States authorities, the last
army of the South to lay down it's arms
and acknowledge the supremacy of the
glorious flag of our Union
Weeping skies in the morning yesterday
showed that the Heavens were dropping
silent tears for the memory Of those who
died that the Nation might live. While
this state of the wea ther deferred many
from attending church, where memorial
exercises were held, it had no effeot- aipon
the veterans.
PINE STREET CHURCH.
At Pine street church there were present
toilisten to the memorial sermon of Rev.
f. G. Rogers, pastor of the society, Pos-
worth Post, G. A. R., Commander e. G.
SWEET, 100 strong; Shepley Camp, Sons
of Veterans, Captain Arthur M. Soule,
about 40 strong; Ladies Relief Corps,
about 80 in number, and the Ladies' Aid
to the Sons of Veterans, some 20 in all
Besides these representatives of the Union
Army, the pews on the floor of the house
were well filed by the members of the
parish and visitors. There was fair at
tendance in the galleries
The pulpit recess was handsomely fes-
TONED with the national colors, and in
the centre, where the festoon was caught
up by the Grand Army badge, was placed
the coat of arms of Maine. Just beneath
stood a fine marble bust of the lamented
Lincoln, and on either side were stands
of arms, drums and other military en-
blems, set off by potted plants and
flowers. Here and there among the
decorations could be seen the various
corps badges.
The exercises began with an organ
voluntary followed by the invocation and
Bible reading by the pastor. Mr.. W. B.
Mayberry then rendered fine cornet solo,
followed by PRAYER Dr. H M. Nicker-
sons sweet tenor was heard to great
advantage in solo, "The Promise of
Life. y After the scripture lesson hymn
No 563 Onward Christian Soldiers, y
was sung by the congregation. Rev. Mr.
Rogers then spoke as follows:
ELEMENTS OF GRANDEUR IN A
NATION.
Highest, noblest, truest patriotism is
not love for ones country merely because
it is the land of his birth or adoption;
not pride and interest in all which makes
for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of his country in
the eyes of other nations. Highest,
truest, patriotism is love for ones country
because of what is right in its history,
right in it's principles, and lofty in its
ideals. Nations have their ideals, their
conception of what should be initiated,
realized or attained. The ideal is ex-
pressed by the prevailing sentiments and
aims of the people. With many people
it has been the glory of arms, and sue
cessful battles have given the brilliancy
to their record. Defeat in war to such is
endless humiliation. So France has
ceaselessly agitated war with Germany
to recover the glory lost in the last strug-
gle. Russia has standing army of mill
ions; so also has Germany, and these with
other European powers are counting
their Krupp guns and ships of war
Wealth was the sum of ali good with old
Spain whose lust for gold sent her adj
venturous sons to this hemisphere to load
Mexico. / have said nations ideal is
expressed by the ruling aims and senti-
ments of the people Private citizens
shape public opinion. "Our lives go to
make up the sum total of the nations
spirit and temper. "
Now there are some things which
nations prize and of which they boast, |
that are not elements of grandeur, nor
do they promise perpetuity.
Antiquity is held by some to be an
element Of grandeur. In many things
age seems to give grandeur and glory as
it does richness of flavor to wine.
Nations, dynasties families boast of
early origin. Egypt, India, China, though
in the procession of nations are far in
the rear, and new people lead the world
in science, literature and all that makes
for the highest civilization, boast of be-
longing to the oldest races. But America
with only hundred years of history stands
III Ule IFOnb Tanks. "A lie neeu not De long
to be illustrious. Jesus Christ died at
thirty three.
f'We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts,
not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on dial.
We should count time by heart throbs
He lives most who thinks most, feels the
noblest acts the best. !"
Great land and naval ornaments, har
bors filed with torpedoes, forming forti-
fications, which indicate warlike temper
rather than disposition to adjust all
questions by peaceful arbitrations rich
mines of metals, the intelligence of
people, a productive soil, and asllh our
Success has come to Cleveland's