The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-19
THE PRESIDENT AT CHURCH.
ATTENDED MORNING SERVICES AT
WESLEY MONUMENTAL.

Crowd Saw the Presidential Party
Leave the De Soto for the Church.
Mrs. Mckinley, Owing to an Indis-
position, Did Not Attcnd-Secty.
Long at ST. Johns, Secty. smith at
the Independent Presbyterian
Church and secty. AIger and Gen.
Shnfter at the First Presbyterian
Church.
President Mckinley attended divine SER
vice yesterday morning a Wesley Monu
mental Church. Mrs. Mckinley, on ac-
count of cold contracted the day be-,
fore, did not attend. She had been expect
Ell, and her failure 20 appear was disap-
pontment to those who would liked to
have seen both the first lady and the first
gentleman of the land at church.
The Presidents party left the Harris
street entrance of the De Soto a few min
utes after II O'Clock to take the carriage
for church. Some time before the street
in the immediate neighborhood of che car
riage and the approaches by the sidewalk
had been cleared by the police and pro
vost guards and an open pathway was
thus afforded.
A considerable crowd had gathered to
see the President set out. A slight delay
in his coming had increased the air Of eX-
pectancy, and his coming was to the re-
lief of the spectators, some of whom had
been waiting for quite a while. The Pres
ident came out with Capt d. G. Purse.
Following them came MIR. Porter, private
secretary to the President, and Mrs. Por-
ter They occupied one seat in the carriage
and the President and Capt Purse the
other.
The church was comfortably filled, not
crowded, by the congregation. The SER
vice had been delayed for the arrival OF
the President. Pews had been reserved
toward the front of the auditorium. TO
these the presidential party was ushered
The President was shown to a pew thar
he occupied ali alone, while Mr.. and Mrs
Porter and Capt Purse sat in another
pew.
The coming of the President was the sig
nal for the service to begin. AN elabor-
ate programme had been arranged, ana
the service was pleasing and interesting.
The voluntary was played by Miss Annie
Haines, after which the choir which was
large and composed of excellent voices,
sang. The congregation then joined in
the long meter doXOlogy, upon the con-
cusion Of which the hymn, My Coun-
try, IT'S of Thee" was sung with feeling
and expression.
The service was conducted by the pre-
siding elder of the Savannah district, Rev
DIR. John A. Thompson. DR.. Thompson
and Mr.. Mckinley are acquaintance, the
President in the times of his private citi-
zenship and his winter visits to his home
at Thomasvil.e, where DR.. Thompson was
formerly pastor, having several times at
tended services at his church On an oc-
casion when Mr.. Mckinley was ill., DIR.
Thompson attended his bedside
Prayer was offered by the presiding ed-
er, in which he invoked the blessing of
God upon the President of the United
States, the members of the cabinet, the
justices of the Supreme Court and tho
members of the legislative bodies and
prayed that when the time comes for
them to render an account on high for
their stewardships, 1t may be such as the
Lord and the angels in heaven may re-
ceive in gladness. He thanked God that
He had brought about reunion of the
country and closed with the Lords Pray
er, in which the congregation Joined.
The offertory was admirably sung by a
quartette of the following voices Messrs
r. K. Demmond, first bass; Fred King
second bass; w. A. Reeves, first tenor
and Frank Keilbaeh, second tenor
Father i'm Hea ycn' was the selection. in
which Mr. Reaves led
DR.. Thompson took his text for an adj
mirable sermon from the sixteenth verse
of the First chapter of Romans: For l
am not ashamed of the gospel Of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth." He began
! by a description of the power and glory
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO which Rome had
attained at the time Paul wrote; of tho
universal empire that had been builded by
the military genius of her great generals.
From this he came to more modern times,
| instancing the results that have been
wrought by the idea Of universal empire.
and closing this portion of his sermon
with resume of the achievements OF
Napoleon.
Drawing a contrast of an idea of uni
versal empire as conceived by man to the
idea as conceived by God, the preacher
spoke of the greatness of the plan as
evolved by the Most High and predicted
its magnificent execution by the instru-
ments in whose mouths He places His
word. II will be but matter of time DR..
Thompson said when Gods name and au-
thority will be pronounced over the entire
world and living captives will be brought
to the feet of the lowly Nazarene This.
he said is not an empire 10 be won by
force, for not in a word or suggestion of
the Christ, from the time he was u until
he died on the cross is there mention OF
| compulsion.
Prayer was offered at the conclusion OF
| the sermon, and hymn was sung by the
| choir and another by the children of the
Savannah Female Orphan Home. The
young voices sang in subdued notes that
fell sweetly upon the ear, and their hymn
was one Of the musical features of the
service.
DR.. Thompson announced that as the
| presidential party was in the church, upon
the pronunciation of the benediction the
| congregation, for the convenience of the
visitors would be expected to resume
their seats until the party reached the
door, 1t was desired that the President
might avoid crowding. This was done.