The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-04-14

because of its sacred worth he will honor all men
Whatever their circumstances and condition ac-
| cording to them that respect which is the lust
| tribute to simple manhood, and putting himself
at their service as it may be required and always
| coDduct1ng himself with high sense of honor
ableness in every relation of life. He will keep
the second of the two great commandments on
which hang all the law and the prophets-loving
| ones nelghbor ones self. The ideal of knight
| hood is answered at its highest have thought in
what has been called 1.-THE Christian command
ment of HONOR as given in the New Testament
| Scriptures: "See that you despse one of these
little ones,'' which is illustrated in that finest
| "lesson of courtesy and true gentilty of con
Duct "unsurpassed" as some one has said, sin
all the poetry of thivalry," in the words OF Jesus
concerning the gift of a cup of cold water only
| the least of the disciples. The story of Sir Philip
| Sidney, whether mythical no, is rightly the
classical illustration of the nobest chivalry. The
| ing the cup that it may be bestowed on poor SOL
dier, fainting like himself, and as needy of the
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and tender.
| Knighthood at its best is just this thoughtful
ness of the rights, claims and feelings of others,
and tenderness in devotion to the very neediest
| who can lie helped by brave heart and strong
hand, whatever the personal cost sacrifice.
It is apparent whence the soul of valor comes.
To be without courage ould be to be knight
at all. The knight of old had courage of superb
| quality whatever else he lacked. This we have
seen and herein at least every knightly spirit to-
day is of ancient lineage. The character of this
| courage has finer moral element. 1t is more
than physical hardihood and the daring of ven
| turesome exploit. 1t was more than that in the
| olden time. believe with him who true
| knight of the cross. But very manifestly
| the nobler moral element stands out. To respect
ones self for what really is and to be kindly
| and loving and helpful to every other being made
in the divine image, demands sometimes that a
man be vaorous i'll quick response to the call of
| duty He may now and again have to wear a
sword-not for ornament merely not as threat
ever but for use in righteous cause.-the sword
Excalibur which the blameless Arthur wore in
| Tennysoh S vision of the ideal knight,
"Who reverenced his conscience as his king;
Whose glory was redressng human wrongs
His is a courage that will think and speak
and act the truth, courage neither prompted
| nor hlndered by any teachings merely worldly
wise, which will dare and die if need be for the
right.
You have listened very patiently to these pre-
| cepts. Permit me to point the moral with the
| illustration which had in mind from the begin
| mig. 1t has seemed to me that the attitude of
| nation in this troubous, exciting time and the
temper of this great American people, as this at
titude and this temper have their somewhat varied
| display, are in perfect demonstration both of
| what true knighthood is and what it is not. We
stand upon the very brink of war, if latest ad-
| vices are to be trusted, and this we have
| ticipated through so many weeks of rumors and
| discussions and war-like preparations that
we ought to be fully persuaded in our own minds
| as to what would be just and best in view of all
| the circumstances which shall develop. The
| heart of every sober, earnest man of u.s. of every
true patriot among us,whose patriotism is thing
OF principle and not OF swagger and noise and
bluster, must be heavy within him at the thought
of war as war. And in proportion to our genuine
| knightllness of character must protest indig-
nantly at that war spirit which has been rampant
in our Congress and viclously, haring in the
for simple lust of gain to the basest pas
sions OF the human soul-that war spirit which
wants war for its sake, for the glory of show
ing spectacuarly to the world what it can do in
killing ano wrecking, for the satisfaction of an
unreasoning desire for vengeance Bellicose
congressman and vituperative editors and frothy
street shouters, who would he the first stay at
home to manage their private businesses in the
event of war; or the first to run if by chance
they were found in an actual hlood-letting
| scrimmage at the front, are glaring examples of
what knighthood is not. The thirst for battle.
the passion to KILL the fury to destroy, the love of
all the proud pageantry of of this feel
ing possesses the heart of the true knight in this
! modern day. He is man of peace-Ieace with
honor, but he gives that word "honor' Its proper
emphasis and infection. When he talks of honor,
he is not thinking of honor among duelists
and prize fighters, nor does he 90 back the
barbarous ages for his ethical standard. When he
talks of honor he speaks as moralist and
ri>tian. But on the other hand. that disposi-
tion which deprecates war simply because it VIII
cost something, which would keep the peace and
be cool and comfortable let all the world perish,
which cares more for commercial values tli.n for
the bodies and souls of the starving and the tortur
ed, which is so extremely humane TO itself that it
will permit inhumanity to be practced on some
body else, which prefers peace and happiness at
home to the care and responsibility OF be
ing brothers keeper,-nelther IS that the
true knighty temper; 1t is an Individual indg
only and you will receive ii for what ii seems
worth-you VIII have also thought and rie't to
weigh these matters dispassionatey, but it Is my
firm Convcton with the light | have at this
present time. that in neither Of these TWO extreme
parties do We find the exhibition of that chlvallic
spilt which We are eXalting to-day. Who is more
the incarnation of it, however than our President
who must remind some of You of that President
of old, Abraham Lincoln in his wisdom, tact,
patience, moderation and courage; who says as
President Cleveland Suggested before him, that
We have national duty to suffering Cuba who is
a man of peace restraining those who would mad
ly rush INTO war, and seeking to win by firm,
cautious, fair proposals reliet for the starving
and oppressed yet a man who puts justice and
humanity before peace il thev found to be in
Is pW m jr-
able words to tn representatives OF the Powers of
Europe, that it is the Governments earnest and
unseltish endeavor to fulfil duty to humanity by
ending situation the indefinite prolungaton of
which has become insutferabe.' Towering above
the clamorous throng, some of whom sordid,
and some revengeful, and some po,itic-not all,
but some-keeling splendid silence and perfectly
selfpoised, Yet determined to do what is right as
God shall point the way ,as between man and man,
nation and na ion, President Mckinley is an illus
trous present-day ex nipple of true knIghthood.
And Just as year ago the Christian pulpit in this
lana and in England was appealing to the con-
science of the British government and asking that
something be done at once for the rescue of bleed.
ing Armenia by force, if necessary, TO impress
upon the Sultan what he seemed not able to re-
ceive in any other way to-day the pulpit of
America is calling to the conscience OF this great
people to stand by the President and those who
think and purpose with him-for peace if that be
possible, but if war must come. failing everything
ese for only in the interest of humanity.
Are preachers mistaken? AS we understand
it. we are preaching knghliness and Christianity.
The time hardly serves ME for what planned to
say in reference to this day of special hope and
gladness. but in a closing word may sugsest
the thought which was in mind at the beginning
OF this sermon, which | would have you carry
away for more fruitful meditation Easter Day
may be to us no more than pagan festival, for
the celeb alton OF the return of spring, the days
If fresh new life and joy. But surely it oughi to
lie more than that. To myself it brings anew
the vision of the matchless man who could not
die and of the right to immortality of all men,
and of the pledge we have in the resurrection of
Jesus Christ that we too shall Immediately escape
from the Imprisonment OF the grave to amper
air, celestial sphere. But the loftiest Easter
thought is not that of the simple Immortality of
the soul Rather is it of the ripening and glori-
flying of that life which is inherently death
less y here earth yonder in the skies
or anywhere i'll thr unmeaSured universe of
God. The resurrection of Christ teaches more
than persistence after death. 1t teaches that
man who lives as He lived must rise He rose
into state that is blissful and work that is ex
alted He becomes crowned victor. He has
achieved eternal lte which is something quite
different from everlasting living 1t is the triumph
OF purity and unsefshness and self sacrificing
| love. 1t is the reward of him who hears: "Well
done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou iuto
the Joy of thy Lord Now the Christ, what
| ever doctrine we may entertain of Ills person,
was in the lowest estimate of Him, the knight
| lest soul that ever trod this earth. He had in
| its perfection that triple spirit of which
| have been thinking. His integrity so
| clearly conceived OF and firmly believed
| in by himself that he would not swerve
one hairs breadth from the path az point
eU IN lal thrpu n I,,,,,