Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-06-04
Memorial Address of Rev. Wilson
Waters,

and graduate of Marietta College:
Sunday morning 81 members of the
Chelmsford Veterans association II.
5. Perham, commander, attended di-
vine service at All Saints church and
listened to an excellent discourse by
the rector, Rev. Wilson Waters. In
recognition of the special occasion
there were tasteful floral decorations
and the national colors were conspic-
uously displayed. The singing of the
choir of young women under the di-
rection OF the rector was very good,
special number being, blessed is the
people whose God is the Lord Miss
Emma Paasche was organist. Mr.
Waters text was a part of the ninth
verse of the eighth chapter of Matthew
Il am a man under authority having
soldiers under me-" His theme was
Lincoln as leader and an example of
obedience to a higher authority.
After hastily reviewing the life end
words of Lincoln, Rev. Mr. Waters
showed how Lincoln dwelt constantly
on the moral aspect of the cause of the
| Union, and on the second inaugural as
greater and more characteristic than
the famous Gettysburg speech. No
American President had ever spoken
such words to the American people.
Lincoln was quick witted, successful
and good; he had the charm of being
unlike other great men. But none of
these things made lin great. He was
great, first, because he had a large
mind to take in and feel the full force
of the truths and impulses moving in
lne hearts and minds of his country
men. He was able to say and do what
thousands were unable to express and
do for themselves. He was a true
leader because he could call up from
within the souls of men the powers
chat were living and working deep
down in those souls. He put into
clear language the secret voices of
many minds and brought into vigorous
activity the secret longings of thous-
ands of hearts.
lac knew the needs and desires of the
people and keenly sympathzed with
them. So Moses led Israel. Hide
brand brought the church into power.
30 Washington interpreted and be-
came the exponent and realizer of the
sentiment of his time.
To this largeness of soul Lincoln
added deep convictions, strong to meet
and resist obstacles such as only lead
ers meet, that sort of faith in his cause
which sent martyrs to the stake, which
must resist the force, prejudice, inter
est, and passion even from those
whose consciences had to acknowledge
him. Feeling the deeper impulses of
the hour, he must oppose the shallow
er currents of opposition.
Further ale had strong will. Moth
ing could turn him from his grand
purpose to carry the war to a success
full end. To this he bent all his
thouhts and energies.
His greatness was largely due to his
insight into truth. He knew that he
had right on his side, that he was in
ne with the great purpose of God.
lie thus listened ever to the voice
of conscience His one desire was to
do has duty.
The crown tina. must be added to all
these qualities, which made him truly
great, and true to. mis- own greatness,
was his obedience to the voice of God;
his loyalty to a higher power, the Civ
ing of hOmself to the cause He could
say, II am man under authority,
having soldiers under me-" The great
man who is simply borne along on the
stream of his own large impulses or
who uses his greatness for selfish ends
and debases the truth as "a ladder for
worldly ambition, is but tool used by
God for the advancement of truths and
then thrown aside. But he who "ded-
icates his greatness to the cause which
makes him great, who surrenders his
will and his life to its service, his
greatness is a part of himself and not
merely cloak upon him. He obeys a
higher authority"
The principle of obedience gives to
pollty its stability, to life its happiness
to faith its acceptance, and to creation
its continuance. The principle of tbs
universe is not liberty, but law, and
freedom to obey that law "The ma
jesty of things in the scale Of being
is measured by the completeness of
their obedience to the laws that are
set over them" The greatness and
majesty Of the life of the Son of Man
is in his perfect obedience to the will
of God.
Is ii not in the stern scnOol of war,
rather tnan the school OF peace, that
men more often learn the obligation
and success OF duty? THE path of
duty is the road TO glory.
Perhaps the chief benefit of the late
Spanish war to US Is that II has taught
thousands of young men the meaning
of the words duty. and obedience, and
reverence for authority.
In closing the preacher said: This
day IN the church calendar. Trinity