Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-06-03
MEMORIAL SERMON.


SERMON BY THE PASTOR.
Arrangements were made by the
Post, in pursuance of the general
request made by the Department,
that a sermon be preached ON a pa
triotic topic, and the large congre-
CATION which attended evidenced
the interest which is felt by the
community at this time in the old
soldiers, aroused, no doubt, in part
by the fact that our young men are
now going out to suffer the priva-
tions and dangers of war The
church was tastefully decorated
with flowers and the National EN-
blem. The Post assembled and the
war worn veterans marched in
body to listen to the patriotic and
eloquent sermon which fell from
the lips of the pastor, Rev. Thos.
Nichols, who, after prayer by Rev.
w. r. Neff, and singing, "Shall We
Meet?" by the choir, took his text
from Numbers, 80 chapter, 20, 81,
and % verses and Luke 1 74-75.
The theme was the gain to Ameri-
can citizenship from the success of
our armies. In the General Assem-
bly,, now in session at Winona, Ind,
a motion was made to request that
so far as possible battles be avoided
on Sunday. The assertion was
made that this was holy war, and
on a vote the motion was lost.
The speaker asserted his belief
in the everlasting righteousness
of the cause for which the Union
soldiers fought. 1t was a war for
liberty, the liberty of the slaves, as
is the present war one for the liber-
ty of the Cubans. The success of
our army saved to us our American
citizenship, and that conveys more
to us than it did to our fathers. 1t
| also established the fact that the
Union is stronger than the individ.
ual State. Jackson solved the ques-
ton as to single State, but the war
for the Union demonstrated it as to
the number of States south of Ma
sons and Dixon's Line. It also Gre
ated a deepening of our sentiment
of loyalty-developed the material
resources of the Union and Of the
South. 1t broadened our humanit Y
and our cry should not be "Remem-
Der the Maine, but Remember the
Cubans remember humanity Oul
success caused the sections to re-
spect each other, and established
the right, so well asserted by Presi-
dent Cleveland, to put down insur-
rections no matter in what section
of the country, if they become det.
rimental to National interests. AS
the war was instrumental in bring,
ing about these gains he hoped il
could be said that it had brought
greater accessionS to the church
1t is hardening in it's operations on
the mind, blunts the sensibilities &c
suffering and while it arouses pa
triotism, awakens a keener love OF
liberty and broadens a sense of right
but does not create religious i'm
pulses, which the speaker hoped
might come, and in earnest words
urged upon his hearers. Regarding
the present war, it is for the prin
ciple that all men should be free tC
throw off yoke of tyranny ant
oppression, and for the same princi
pie for which our forefathers fought
The condition of the Cubans was
intolerahle, and we could not, as
Nation, look with Indifference OF
their struggles. We are right in thu.
aiding them, and should render oul
moral support to the government
which, after the failure of diplom
acy, looked upon armed interven
ton as necessity, Not adherinl
TO Decatur's words, my Country
May My Country Always Be in til,
Right but, Right or Wrong, My
Country ;" but giving our aid arC
our prayers because we believe sh,
is eternally in the right in her pres
emit effort to aid an oppressed peo
pie to enjoy the. same freedom
which the God of battles enable,
our armies to win for us.