The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-26
BIRTHDAY OF EMERSON
CELEBRATED AT GEN.
TRIAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The Meeting Held Under the Ausufce.
Of the Plymouth Church
Congregation.

Last night, DIT central CHRISTIAN Clurcn,
the congregation of Plymouth Church cell
ebrated the one-hundredth anniversary Of
the birth of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The
exercises consisted of music by a large
chorus and addresses that breathed the
spirit of Emerson. William A. Bell pre-
sided, and in speaking of the significance
Of the occasion, he alluded to the fact that
Emerson stood pre-eminently for things
spiritual and. therefore. it was appropriate
that the Christian Church should celebrate
this anniversary.
Religion" said Mr.. Bell, ..has two sides.
One is the practical and the other is the
high spiritual vision. Emerson represented
the spiritual side. He said, Hitch your
wagon to a STAR which, being interpreted,
means seeing the relation between the COM
mon everyday humdrum life and the great
central truth of the universe. Seeing this
relation makes drudgery divine. He was
a great revealer of truth. By his spiritual
insight he saw the truth and proclaimed it,
He did not argue Ii. He did not defend it.
When criticised he never answered back
He thought that If what he said was true
the truth would stand and needed no de-
Tense. If lie was not true it ought to fall
The Rev. Worth NJ. Tippy held that EN-
erson was an emancipation of human life.
His greatest service was that he gave to
America under God a new birth of free
DOM" More than any other man he brought
about the spiritual independence Of the new
world from the old.
Emerson" declared Mr.. Tippy. had his
limitations. 1t is true, to a degree, that
great and vagrant insights take the place
of varied, progressive, objective discovery
OF God and of Gods world in the highest
wisdom of the race. But that was not his
function. Thank heaven, he was not that.
That is given to other men in the universal
division OF labor. He was one of Gods
angels sent to drive out the terrors from the
world. He talked serenely upon Gods beau
tiful earth, as a son upon his fathers es-
tate The sun shone for him, the world
was beautiful for him. the Father spoke
to him, and he walked without fear. Sci
ence had no depression, the past no bond
age, death no terror, and the future no
cloud. 1 would that every man on the
green earth might be as confident, as free
and as noble
MRS. CLARKE'S RESPONSE.
Mrs. Grace Julian Clarke responded to
the sentiment:
Life is too short to waste
In critic peep or cynic bark,
Quarrel or reprimand;
Twill soon be dark;
Up, mind thine own aim, and
God speed the mark"
DIR. A. W. Brayton spoke of Emerson as a
spiritual and intellectual force in the COM
munity and the Nation. His power was i'm
his gospel of hope and courage; his belief
in happiness through virtue and right liv-
ing. DIR. Brayton adverted to the compare
tive influence of Emerson and CARLYLE and
quoted Matthew Arnold's belief that Car
lyle would be known to the future by his
correspondence with Emerson rather than
by his own writings.
Following. DIR. Brayton's talk the large
chorus, under the direction of Mr. Fritz
Krull. sang the Boston Hymn" The solo
part was by Mr.. William Busy Miss Mary
Nicholson talked of Emerson and his work
and Rev Elmer Z. Newbert, of all Souls
Unitarian. Church. gave contribution on
the life of the poet. You may think of
Emerson as philosopher. cold and critical
he said. You may think of him as our
gest Plato; his deity may seem impersonal.
But Emerson Is greater than Plato; he is
more than philosopher, more than the
Jesus. for he is master of SOUL Go to him
for the great God and you will worship
with him in the house not made with
and you will enter a world of heart and
light and splendor of beauty loneliness of
imagination and Wilderness of vision. Go to
him for assurance of good and you will
world is not a prison house, but home"
SCOT BUTLER'S TRIBUTE
President Scot Butler. in speaking of
Emerson, alluded to his attitude on the
question of war. Emerson loved not
war;" Mr.. Butler said, ''he says it is the
ignorant and childish part of manhood that
Is the fighting part To Emerson the
patriotism of war is sacrifices, and when
he wrote the lines from which I have
quoted 1t was in reference to an obliga-
ton that war was then imposing, and which,
to his mind. a man would better die than
fail to meet. IT'S mans perdition to be
safe when for the truth he ought to die
Emerson does not say when for his coun-
try he ought to die War to be sure. pre-
sents in sharpest lines the orderings of
destiny. yet life has battlefields other than
those OF war, and TO such a mind as Emer-
sons patriotism itself is not the high test
of spiritualized manhood. Grants great
est battle was fought not in the presence
OF embattled hosts. but when. after death
had marked him, he sat In the silent sick
chamber and with the pain and WEAKNESS
of coming dissolution pressing on him.
wrote out his story that those near to
him in life might yet be safe when he was
dead" Mr. Butler said that Emerson illus
trates devotion to duty and self-sacrifices
most in his patriotic addresses referring to
our wars. War did not appeal 10 Emerson.
His soul revolted at its cruelties and its
grossnesS.
AT the close of the exercises the chorus
gave 1.-The Concord Hymn The pulpit of
the church was decorated with evergreens
and flowers and a large bust of Emerson
occupied a prominent place in the decora-
tions.