Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-06-02
PLEASANTVILLE, N. j, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1897.

Address, Comrade George Fl. Williams
Song, clay me down and save the Flag, y
Miss Lulu Luffbarry.
Address. Rev. J. M. Ferguson
Singing, The Star Spangled Banner"
United ChOirs.
Address, Rev. James Luffbarry,
St. Johns NJ. p Church
Singing, ''Nearer, My God, to Thee"
Choirs and Congregation
Benediction, Rev. Arthur Douglas.
The soldiers detailed to decorate the
graves of their fallen comrades visited
the several cemeteries in the forenoon,
attended to the duty assigned them, and
returned and took part in the afternoon
exercises. Services were held in the
Churches at English Creek and Port
Republic, and, as stated elsewhere, at
Salem Church in the evening.
CHURCH.
There was a special Memorial Service
on Sunday, at st. Johns church, which
was largely attended and of an interest
ing character. The church was hand
somely decorated with flowers and flags
and delegations from the Red Men,
Knights of Pythias, and the Junior
Order Of Mechanics were present besides
the soldiers who fought in the war.
The Pastor, Rev. James Luff barry,
preached sermon appropriate to the
occasion, and took his text from First
Chronicles, 5th Chapter, LIST verse.
sand many were slain because the war
was of God" He said, in part. eve
are told that there have been wars
justified by God, and believe that the
war in which you and |, comrades,
fought as common soldiers, was q " ar
OF that character. 1t was brought
about in consequence of the institution
of human slavery. God heard the cries
of the slave as he did the children of
Israel in Egypt when in bondage-and
he gave them Freedom. The church
was the first to lead in the crusade
against slavery, and the movement was
inaugurated in the New England States,
The agitation against it spread until it
reached Congress, and spread all over
the country. The South wanted to push
slavery into free territory which the
conscience of the North would not per-
NIT. Slavery's aggressiveness reached a
eliminating point when it struck down
Charles Sumner upon the floor of the
United States Senate and showed itself
ready to commit murder. Slavery was
contrary to the conscience of the Nation,
and when Liberty Bell pealed forth
"proclam Liberty throughout the land"
it proclaimed a lie because this was a
nation that tolerated human slavery.
The war of the rebellion came with all
of its terrible horrors and bloodshed,
and the nation was scOurged as never
before and almost every family through
out the land was in mourning for it's
slain. God had heard the prayer of the
oppressed, but not until Lincoln's Pro-
clamation of Emancipation did their
freedom come. Previous to that event
disaster seemed to follow the Union
armies, but after, victories became more
frequent until the hour of final triumph.
The principles laid down in the Bible
led George Washington and his armies
through the darkest hours of the Revolu-
ton, and so they led our later armies in
our fearful struggle from 1861 to 1865.
We do well to commemorate this day
sacred to the memories of our dead CON-
rades and set apart to do honor to the
deeds of heroism that this country may
have an existence. Let us strew their
graves with flowers, recount their deeds,
and honor them as long as they live.
These men do not deserve to be called
"paupers." The soldiers of the Union
Armies as a whole were the flower of
the land at the time they took up arms
to fight for their country. Do not
begrudge them the thirteen dollars a
month they received in paper for their
services, for they gave their time, their
health and their life that we may enjoy
the blessings of constitutional liberty.
Their numbers grow less and less year
by year and in a short time the last one
will have answered to the final roll-call.
Mr.. Luff barry thanked the Orders for
their presence, and impressively address
ed each one in succession. in forcible
language adapted to the occasion.