The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-13
DECK THEIR DEAD'S GRAVES
NEW HAVEN GRJYS' SYST ANNIVER-
 sAEY YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY.

Impressive Services Rt Evergreen and
 Grove Street Anniversary
 Sermon by Rev. Stewart Msans-Names
 fthe HonOred Dead Reme,n bered-Out-
 Ing to Branford Point To-day.
 The New Haven Grays began the eel ebration of their elghty-first anniversa- ny yesterday with beautiful service in St. Johns Episcopal church. The an- niversary sermon was preached by Rev Stewart Means, rector of the church. The sermon is printed in part below.
 At o'clock in the afternoon the com pany assembled at the arnlory, togeth- CT with the American band. Every member of the company and a number of veterans each carried two wreaths and two large beautiful bouquets. The wreaths were borne on the shoulders, and as the company, in their natty uni forms of gray coats, duck trousers and black caps, marched up Meadow street, they presented a remarkably fine ap- pearance. Thousands of admiring spectators lined the streets all the way to the Grove street cemetery. The band very appropriately struck up Onward, Christian Soldier,' on leav- ing the arnory.
 Upon arrival at the cemetery the company broke up into five details, to each of whom a number Of graves had been assigned for decoration. Each
 detail on coming to @ grave of their
 dead would come to rest and stand thus while one of the detail placed @ wreath and bouquet on the mound. When all the dead had been thus hon. ored the company again fell in and the march was taken up to Evergreen cem- etery, where the same. programme was carried out. About 125 dead were re- | nembered, and their names are given | below.
 To-day the steamer Margaret has | been chartered to carry the Grays, ex- Grays and their friends to Branford 1 Point, where shore dinner will be served and good time enjoyed. The boat will leave at p. m. from Belle | dock, and the return start will be made at o'clock. The veterans will assem- ble at the armory at 1 o'clock.
 Rev. MT. Means took his text from the first book of Samuel, 17:47 "All this assembly shall know that the Lord 1 saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lords and He will give you into our hands" The preach | CT spoke of the struggle that is contin- | ually taking place throughout all forms of life, and said that it could best be characterized as war. That is the i'm pression that it has made on scientists l minds. He said that turning from the l study of nature to the study of man, ] the same impression remains as his I characteristic feature. He said this was evident from mans struggles | against hostile conditions, adverse cir. l cumstances and against his own ma
 ture. The story of these struggles and l the way in which man has conquered
 is the story of civilization, for civiliza-
 tion is the result, not of mans efforts
 and not mere growth, but comprises l his struggles, his victory over nature
 and his efforts to establish his right tc l live against the selfish schemes of oth.
 CT men, and the victories over his own
 nature, which is the most serious. Con.
 tinuing, MT Means said:
 l When man becomes civilized then
 and then only, does he become fit fol ! society. Our respect for men rests only
 on their ability to fight. on what they | have accomplished, and not on what l has been given them; and as civiliza- l tion advances mans work becomes l more specialized. Civilization does moi grow by some inherent quality, but is
 the result of the achievements of ages
 And this defence of civilization is the l function of the soldier, and defence il
 must be against the conflicts that are
 waged from without and from within
 The soldier is the conservator of oul | latter-day civilization. Never was hi: l task so distinctly allotted as now. This | primary instinct of fighting has beer
 enlisted in variety of causes, but al
 ways in the interests of civilization" l Mir Means then briefly rehearsed the accumulated results of the struggle: for material advancement by the ma
 tions of antiquity, mentioning the
 Medes and Persians, the Greeks ant | Romans.
 '"The story of war has been one tha' has disgusted man, because 1t ha: 1 seemed to lack dignity and justifica
 ton, filled as 1t Is with selishness, van | ity and all the fierceness of mans low
 CT nature. I have taken these word: | for my text because the speaker was g l profoundly religious man and believed
 in the business of his cause. And the
 fiercest fight he ever fought was agains
 his own nature, and in words that burr l he tells of that struggle.
 "The heroic elements of human ma
 ture never grow oldfashtoned. Ina which was true bravery awakening the
 respect of men in the past does so now | for mans highest reverence never l changes. The religious element of hu
 man nature has often been supposed tt
 be that element which should be elimi mated from the nature of the soldier
 He is looked upon as one who has nt
 need of those things. By religion wish you to understand that sense O 1 God in the soul which is the highes conviction of men everywhere, an(
 which aids man in the struggle agains
 those things which war upon their bet 1 ter selves. The soldier Is often suppos | ed to be reckless and dead to the bette 1 and nobler influences, yet look bacl