The herald., 1898-02-07
SERVICES AT ARMORY
A LARGE AUDIENCE AT THE RE-
LIGiOUS E0ERCISES
Chaplain Clark Discourses on the
Sharpened and Furbished Sword.
Formal Opening Tonight

Old Glory floated for the first time to
the breeze yesterday from the Flagstaff
of the new armory of the National Guard
at the corner Of Spring and Eighth
streets, and the advent of the glorious
Stars and Stripes at the highest pinnacle
of the new home for our citizen soldiers
was greeted by a salute, guard Of hon
or, and music by the Seventh Regiment
band.
Divine service was conducted by Capt
Alfred S. Clark chaplain of the Seventh
regiment, who is also rector OF Christ
church, in the very large drill hall Of
the armory, in the presence of Brig
| Gen. c. F. A. Last and staff Col John
r. Berry and staff, and a large con-
course of officers and men of the regi-
ment and of the signal corps, as well
as many friends, both ladies and gem
tlemen, Of the organization. The vocal
| music was rendered by the Christ
church choir quartet, and the regimental
band furnished the instrumental music.
The drill hall was profusely decorated
with the Stars and Stripes, and along
the halls wides strips of blue and red
bunting were entwined. large shields,
formed with bayonets, crossed swords
and crossed carbines, ipterspersing the
colors. To the right from the hall en-
trance, upon a raised platform, were
grouped Chaplain Clark, the choir and
several officers. A large American flag
concealed the ceiling, and two stands of
arms, composed of rifles and sabers,
and topped by bugles, stood on the sides
of the desk which was used by the di-
vine. A picture of Governor Budd
graced the wall back of the estrada.
After the religious services the chap
lain spoke shortly to its participants.
He chose for his text a verse from the
Bible, "A sword is sharpened and is
also furnished" Before launching into
his subject the reverend gentleman
thanked the regisment for having given
him, after his many years of service,
such token Of personal regard and af-
| fection as to have requested him to con-
duct on this evening the religious ex-
ercises, and he greatly retoiced thereat.
He asked his hearers If 1t was not sur
prising that from the beginning to the
end of the Book it should deal so much
with fighting and with war. 1t stood
to reason that at the very beginning of
civilization there should have been con-
tests of man with man. But, after such
long strifes, one would have thought
that when the religion of Christ became
perpetual, war would have ceased. 1t
was not so, because whatever is worth
having must be gained by contest and by
victory. At all times when we desire
peace, we must be willing to fight for it,
to- f,.,
spiritual or temporal
The sword he said, stood as the insignia
of authority. Man, in his religious and
political life. as a Christian and a citi-
zen, was amenable to authority. The
American people had we'll learned the les
son. Struggle as we might for party su-
premacy, when the will Of the majority
had been declared, this loyal nation was
always willing to submit to its mandates.
And obedience and discipline were the
best things for our common human ma
ture. 1t was, at first, very hard and very
grievous to be borne, but hard as was
the lesson, it was the most blessed les
son that man ever learned.
In glowing words and deeply moving
language, Chaplain Clark illustrated
this proposition by referring to the
charge of the Light Brigade at Bala-
klava, where 600 men rode into the very
jaws Of death at the command of their
chiefs. He paid an eloquent tribute to
the sailors and marines of the German
man-of-war which went down with all
hands while they presented arms and
sang a patriotic song. He also spoke Of
the discipline of the federal forces at
Gettysburg, compared with which the
glorious conduct of the Greek cohorts at
| Thermopylae paled.
He adjured the men to stand up at all
times for that which is true, honorable
and virtuous, and in so doing he felt
| that he was appealing to the best feel
| ings of the Christian, the citizen and the
soldier. Through all our struggles the
sharpened sword and the furnished
| should give US peace at last.
The formal opening of the armory
| takes place tonight at 9 o'clock, at which
| time the public will be afforded an op-
portunity of inspecting the new quar-
| ters.
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| ~ vrpan IN