The times., 1897-05-31
Eloquent Tributes to the Soldiers
Who Died in Battle.
SERMON OF DIR. JOHNSON
The President and Many Distin-
puished Persons Among His Audi
tors-Rev. DIR. Couaty breaches al
PauI's ON the Mission of America
aud Work of Patriots.


ory OF Gems. Grant and Logan, PRESIDENT
Mckinley yesterday morning joined tile
congregation OF that church in memorial
service in honor OF the heroes who fought
and died that their country might not De
destroyed. None of his family or Official
household accompanied Mr.. Mckinley.
The church was crowdedavith tnose who
had cone TO assist in the patriotic duty.
Among other relatives OF dead warriors
present was Mrs. John A. Logan. Kew.
Hugh Johnson conducted the services. as
sisted by Rev. DIR. Milburn, the blind chap
lain of the Senate.
Chaplain Milburn opened the service
with a prayer, in which he thanked God
for the great liher ties enjoyed by the people
of this country.
DIR. johnson next gave his memorial
sermon, taking as his text, Be thou faith
ful unto death and / will give thee crown
of life - Revelations II:X.
.These animated words of PROMISE, he
said, were addressed by John the Baptist
to the cong gregation Of Christ In the beau
tiful city of Smyrna. The MESSAGES tnat
OF the Master, whose face is more re-
splendeut than the sun
..The message further tells them what
they will have TO undergo the prison, the
torture chamber, the pangs of hunger but
when they have passed the Test success
fully, they are 10 receive their reward
And all this Smyrna did endure, but in The
very heel of oppression it gave out The
sweet perfume OF faith. and today Tie
light of Smyrna, as one OF the seven
al IA
tinues to burn Sylnrna today is known
among the Turks as Infidel Smyrna, mean-
ing, OF course, Christian Smyrna.
"But this appeals not only to thechurch,
but TO each of us, members OF the church.
The duty enjoined is faithfulness; it elm
braces the whole circle of duty, family,
public, secular and church,
''The relation of the Christian TO the
Saviour lis that of a servant TO master.
The faithful servant renounces other allie
glance and serves his master as the iaith-
full Christian ren ounces the world and serves
Christ What a Lessen is that OF the slave
In the late civil wari
Though he longed for freedom there
was no seTvile insurTection. He toiled on
the farm while his ma ster was away
fighting, not for his liberty, but for his
contin uance in bondage, and waited for
higher power than his own TO set him fIee
'.There is another relation between the
Christian and Christ; that of the soldier
to the ca plain of his company. The duty
here is courage and obedience. True, there
is no beat of aims or waving of plumes;
no sound OF guns or panoply Of war; but the
South had no battlefield like that of God
against setan, sin and the world, and there
are battles TO be fought more glorious than
those whose fields are soaked in blood.
The battle and eventual triumph over self
and the flesh
Besides faithfulness In all the direc-
tions enumerated there is still a frm6her
faithfrlness, persevering faithfnlness;
'even unto death In adversely and in
sickness it is required that we he faithful
Some Christians are faithful only in pros
perity. What is the good OF that kind OF
faithfulness?
True Christianity is faithfulness through
all. That was the kind of Christianity
practiced by the martyrs. Faithfulness
unto death. Their martyrdom proved their
Christia nifty"
Dr. johnson next turned to the special
meaning of the day, and said that the
thought W hich seemed to him most fitting
with regard to his text and the day was
that one which animated the G.. A. X and
the country with them to decorate on
Memorial Day the graves OF those who
were faithful unto death to their country.
"It was a genuine inspiration Of Gen.
Logan's," he said, (which caused him 10
set ASIDE this day to do honor to our
heroes These fallen defenders, who lie
under bloody battlefields from Gettysburg
to the Gulf OF Mexico, were faithful 10
death. They died that the nation might
live 1t is fitting that the mounds rnder
which they sleep should be covered with
flowers.
"Thcy were not only patriots and heroes,
but saviors of their country. They were
not fighting for victory only, but that
their country and glorious principle might
survive.
And not soldier however obscure, died
IN vain Not a silent soldier is neglected,
and on Memorial Day the flowers are
strewn on officers and privates alike.
.Thirty-two years ago the war came to
g close. We sometimes forget this fact
And the world has never done justice to
the two great armies who disbanded in a
1HOlHeuO db tue WOlu ~ SOllliiduu OHc Udy
the greatest military force on the face of
the earth and the next day they had van
ished And how beautiful was the thought
of Gen. Grant when he gave back TO the
cavalrymen their horses that they might
use them TO plow their farms
And no less inspiring are the words of
Gen. Lee when he said: Il have never
cherished toward the North a vindictive
feeling, and not a day has passed but 1
prayed for them His prayers were more
effective than his sword
.'Ihen let us have peace. Not South
ern man today would restore slavery if
he could; not one would advocate the
secession of a State.
Peace to their ashes who thus restored
peace and a unity to this country. Let
us cover their graves with flowers and
that though the flowers may
wither, patriotism viii live on forever.
same love of God and native land that
inspired the souls of our fallen heroes,
and though we may be charged with
different work. we may yet receive the
reward Of the faithful, the crown OF life..'
At the close of the address the congre-
CATION sang my Country followed by
the doxology.
The services were then concluded with
. benefiction by Chaplain Milhurn.