The herald., 1898-05-30
MEMORIAL SERVICES
0n. WENDrE PREAcHED A PAT
nIOTIC SERMON
HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN
Posts and Corps Of the q. A. r. Attend
Simpson Tabernacle-Solemn
Ceremony at st. Johns

"
held q memorial service preparatory to
Decoration day. The large congregation
Included the National Veteran Reserve
for whom seats were reserved. There was
appropriate decoration Of flags and flow
ers An elaborate program of responses,
hymns and poems followed. The pastor,
Rev. C. w. Wendte, contributed to 1t sew
eral patriotic hymns, of which one was en-
titled 1.-THE Cuban Patriots Prayer" and
was effectively sung, with other selections.
BY q male quartet and the church choir.
In his discourse Mr.. Wendte said: "It is
no festival of military pomp or prowess
that we observe tomorrow; 1t is not de-
signed to keep up the annals of triumph
or defeat. 1t is simply service to the
memory Of men who strove and suffered,
and bled and died in behalf of their coun-
try; who were willing martyrs to cause
which to them was SO high and holy that
they were ready to give up all, even life
itself, for Its vindication. Surely this is Of
itself a sufficient warrant for our service.
To find In this material. money-making
age such loyalty to ideas. such courage and
self-sacrifice, such endurance to the bitter
end-and all for the sake of their fellow
men and God-it is this which entities them
forever to the loving admiration Of poster
ity. In this spirit let US pay tribute of
admiration also to the brave men who OPP
posed them on the field of battle The Con-
federate gray, as well as the Union blue,
sheltered brave. manly, unself1sh hearts.
Death has rendered void all distinctions.
ended all our animosities. We lay our
wreaths impartially on the common
mother earth that has received them with
equal tenderness into her bosom. and as we
do 30 there comes to US the weighty word
Of the scripture: Greater love hath no man
than this, that man lay down his life for
his friond. This Christian devotion was
theirs and 1t Is this which makes them our
great American atonement for the sins of
our people, not in the usual theological
sense, but in that broad, devout reading of
providence by which we recognize thst
these men suffered and died to atone for
the wrc doing Of their forefathers and
to exp The criminal indifference of their
own { alton to the rights of man and
the laws Of divine justice. Thus their sac
rifice paid the penalty Of nations misdo-
ing. We were healed by their stripes, re-
deemed by their most precious blood.
"Their sufferings on battlefield, in camp
and hospital and prison, reconciled our ma
ton with Gods unelterable and just de-
crees, and gave 1t q new birth Into freedom
and righteousness and peace.
''Never can we forget the record Of their
noble devotion; never can 1t fail to kindle
US anew to manly effort for human rights,
to more complete conservation of our
fortunes, our lives and all that we hold
dear to the sacred cause of our country.
Then We shall not call up in vain the mem
cries Of that great struggle which con-
vulsed the nation with Its varying and IN
tense emotion; then there will be mean
ing in our service as from year to year we
strew fragrant flowers upon the graves of
the nations dead-fowers whose perfume
Is eclpsed by the gracious memories they
perpetuate.
1.-THE solemnity of our service is greatly
increased by the reflection that brief as has
been the duration of the present war. 1t
has already added to the list of the nations
dead. Even while we meet here this morn
ing. the awful naval struggle which we
await with bated breath may be taking
place and hundreds. II not thousands of our
American soldiers and sailors. as well as
of our Spanish foemen, may be sinking
beneath the ocean wave, victims of this
tragic conflict which we wage in vindica-
ton of our national honor and the liberties
Of mankind. Let US remember them In our
thoughts and prayers this morning and
morrow.
"Our armies and navies go forth not to
revenge the Maine"-a paltry sentiment