The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-20
TO BE IN SESSION TO-DAY.
SONS OF THE REVOLUTION HERE
FOR BUSINESS.

Assisted in the Services by Bishop
NeEsOn-The Society to Discuss the
Question of Union with the Sons
of the American RevOlutiOn-The
Banquet Tonight.
About fifty Of the delegates. who will
attend the triennial meeting OF the gen
eral society Of the Sons Of the Revolu-
ton TO be held to-day. arrived in the
city yesterday.
Others were expected on the late trains
last night and some will come in this
morning. Out Of a total Of 40 delegates
appointed il is expected that at least sew
enty or seventy-five Will be here when
the meeting is called to order.
Delegates from the Massachusetts, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Mary
land. District Of Columbia. Virginia and
North Carolina societies reached here at
night about 7:s0 O'Clock via the Southern
and Florida Central and Peninsular rail-
roads. They came in two special Pull
man cars attached to the regular train,
which arrived about two hours and a half
late
The special reception committee appoint
ed by Col John Screven, president of the
Georgia society, met at the Central rail-
road depot at o'clock In the afternoon;
but IL was soon found that the train had
been delayed. The committee met at the
depot again on the arrival OF the train,
and the delegates were escorted TO the
hotel in carriages. They had just time
10 get up their baggage and make prepa-
ration TO attend services at St. John 8
church, which began at $50 o'clock.
The services were conducted by Rev.
Chas. II. Strong. assisted by Bishop 9. X.
Nelson of Georgia Rev. Air. Strong Is a
member Of the Georgia Society. The other
ministers, members OF the society VINO
were 20 have assisted in the services, tele-
graphed at the last moment that they
would be unable TO be present. KIT. Rev.
Henry ,. Whipple, bishop of Minnesota,
was TO have been present, but was not in
the city. Bishop Whippe was here three
or four days ago, stating at the time that
he expected to return on Sunday. He was
looked for during the day but did not ap-
pear.
The services were varied some
what from the usual ritual. There
were special prayers and scripture read
jngs and al the conclusion of the prayers
and collects, was collect for the Sons Of
the Revolution as follows:
o, thou, who turEest the hearts OF the
children to the fathers, and hast declared
that the righteous shall be had in ever
lasting remembrance, we thank thee for
the Inspiration which called into exist
ence the Society of the Sons of the Revo-
luton; and the blessing which has hither-
10 attended IL And we pray thee 10
continue 10 aid out society in this, and
succeeding generations, in the pious work
OF p9rpetuating the memory Of the sacri-
fathers, through which our priceless herit-
age was won.
And finally. when we also shall have
served thee in our generation, may we be
gathered unto our fathers. having the
testimony Of a good conscience; in favor
with thee, our God, and IN perfect charity
With The world. All which we ask through
Jesus Christ, out Lord. Amen.
Rev. Charles II. Strong preached from ST.
John viii, 81, And ye shall know the truth
ana the truth shall make you free"
A nations noblest freedom, he said, is
won through truth. In all questions So
clal, political and economical there is a
right and wrong way, a true and a
raise; one leads to success and freedom,
the other to desoiation and ruin. Our
mated and controlled by the belief that
God controls the affairs OF men, They be-
lieNed God made man to be free and in
dependent. When they threw the tea
overheard in Boston harfbor they were
leading up to, and demonstrating the
truth that men should not be taxed with
out representation. When the question
arose 1t was realized in the eyes of this
government that all religious and politi-
cal bodies should be separate and indie
pendent In the path Of the discussion
OF these truths our forefathers found a
mass OF ruins. Ruskin says in one of his
works that he declined to visit this coun-
try because 1t had no ancient ruins, no
relics of the past.
Rev Mr.. Strong spoke of the ruins of
ancient buildings of the old countries and
compared them to the ruin of ideas and
systems, which are met with In this coun-
try. The memory of these, he said, could
stir to patriotism and love Of country 1t
has been said that apparently patriotism
Is growing weaker in the tide Of material
prosperity and that the heroic sense out
OF Whlcn sprang the noble deeds of the
past Is being lost. In conscience, he said
We must ask ourselves are we really LOSING
that spirit which SO strongly character
lied our ancestors. There must be some
thing TO sustain that love Of country or
II viii disappear. The love of truth will
hberate- a nation from those pitfalls
hafnra ma e1alr ha
truest, the highest, the noblest solution
OF national problems then are we follow
ing in the footsteps of those OF the revo-
tuition who have gone before u.s. This
society, he said, is established TO perpet-
uate the memory of those heroes and the
sentiments surrounding their lives and
deeds. II is a sentiment which goes out
wherever liberty is battling against op-
preston, and we are quick to appreciate
az nation, the sufterings and the wrongs
Of the oppressed.
The love Of country should bring a love
OF truth. Time will bring a settlement Of
questions which via continue 10 vex us
until we ind their center of gravity is
TRUTH and we can always find the true
way. All men believe in causaton, and
il is strange they viii not seek always to
apply this principle TO the working out of
moral and national questions as well as
70 those that are physical. Class legis-
lation win bring us to ruin. The enforce
ment of the idea that we can buy dol
lar for less than dollar will tend to the
same end. The spells system is a source
of corruption. II is only through what
is right and true that our nation can reach
success. He spoke of the discomfort
which has resulted in various
movements There is an outcropping of in
Telligence on the part of the masses which
is imPelling the people to seek the truth.
He entered an emphatic protest against a
mans allying himself with a party and
Platform because IL is his party, when he
knows that platform contains a radical I'M
truth. II is only by desertion from their
ranks that parties can be taught the ne
cessity for truth. He spoke of some of the
Institutions Of the country, and the ne
cessity for treating them in their true light
and from a standpoint of truth We are
the heirs, he said. of all the ages in the
foremost lines Of time. He concluded with
uhe quotation from LOngfellow And Thou,
Too San on. o Ship of State, etc.
After the Gloria Patri, Mr.. W. A
Reaves sang most effectively a tenor
oblgato, Seek Ye the Lord" followed by
the national hymn by the choir and con-
eregatiOn, Our Fathers Cod To Thee -
10 the tune of America.
The altar, chancel and organ were beau
tifully decorated with Easter lilies roses
and evergreens. The delegates occupied
the front seats. and the other seats on the
middle aisle were taken by the members
of the Colonial Danes and Daughters of
the Revolution A1essrs. Louis NJ I,eHartlV