Milford chronicle., 1904-07-08
Calm1aqe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnaee. D. D.


great ones of our nations history are
recalled, the preacher. chooses for his
theme the career of Marcus Whitman
through whose heroism and self sacri-
fee the great empire of the northwest
was added to our national domain.
The text is Matthew xxi. u, "The stone
which the builders rejected, the same
is become the head of the corner"
Every Fourth of July it is the Gus
tom of patriotic speakers to eulogize
the names of George Washington and
Samuel Adams and James Otis and
Joseph Warren and Patrick Henry and
DE Witt Clinton and John Adams and
John Hancock and Robert Morris and
Benjamin Franklin and John Wither-
spoon and Thomas jefferson and Ma
thandel Greene and Alexander Hamil-
ton and John Jay. These were the
mental giants who hewed out of the
new worlds qaarries the titanic stones
which became tie foundation layers Of
our national government. But these
were not the only men in those early
days of our national history to whom
we, as a people, are indebted. We
ought TO be careful lest the glory of
those luminaries blinds us to the grand
eur Of character of patriots less con-
spicuous. whose courage, devotion and
self sacrifice helped to establish our
liberties or to extend our opportunities.
Tomorrow we shall celebrate our ma
tionai holiday. Let me present to you
today a name which ought to be familiar
70 us all, but which is seldom placed
in the rank it ought to have on the roll
Of the nations heroes. While we honor
the men who cleared away the debris
and dug out the foundation stones Of
our national capital let us spare. too,
few words OF praise for Il man to
whose daring and perseverance it is
due that at least one if not several
stars were added to those that glitter
on our national flag. place my wreath
of iumortellcs today on the grave of
Marcus Whitman. who practically,
single handed. saved the states of Ore
gOI and Washington to the Union. To
the Lerocs Of Bunker Hill and Saratoga
and Yorktown We owe it that our
eastern shores are tapped by the
waters of the Atlantic; to Marcus
Whitman we owe it that we hold on
our western shores the crystal gates Of
the Pacific. l praise the Marcus Whit
man of 1912. who placed the despised
capstOne OF Oregon upon the tOpmOst
pinnacle of the Washington legislative |
halls, made up Of the stone Of many
states.
Nations Debt to Marcus Whitman.
How did Marcus Whitman save Ore |
gOn to the United States? First by
needing the Macedonian gospel cry of
helplessness. Like the pilgrim fathers
be Obeyed the direct summons which
came to him in the voice Of many
to carry Christ's message
Of salvation even unto the uttermost
parts Of the earth. He eft his home
among the beautiful hills of central
New York state, not out of a spirit of
adventure, as a Chanler Astor might
plunge into the African jungles to hunt
big game. lie left it not, as did John
to dangle before the avarl-
cious eyes Of North American Indians
his prizes. which would make the red
skinned hunters more expert in set
ling their traps and bringing in their
)iles of furs. He left it not as did the
English gentlemen who came to James
own. Va. in the hope of becoming
aristocrats i'm a new world.
n as did the Spanish marauders, who,
n their conquest Of Mexico, stole upon
he land what the pirates of old used to
teal upon the seas. But Marcus Whit
nan and Samuel Parker dared cross
be American continent because from
he farof Willamette valley came the
tory of the bitter need there was for
be gospel Of peace to be preached to ]
he Indian war chiefs, with scalping /
nives and tomahawks at belts. who, ,
y their actions, said: I'VE need the I
'hite mans book of heaven. We need !
be white mans Christi" !
a Strange Quest. t
To describe how that Macedonian cry l
helplessness came to Marcus Whit
ian, let me transplant you in imagina-
on back to the little frontier town
{ St Louis. Mo-, and. like the shad
~ On the dial Of Ahaz, turn back $
me until the year 1892. We viii 5
:arosa. ia order to make the wild, S
gi.d scene we are about to describe !
3re yivd. that the old Indian fighter i
lJ territorial governor. up to 1921. Is
.1 the United States superintendent t
tlu lal.ans. from 1921 to 1888, Gen a
'ai William Clark, is spending n so {
al evening with two Of his old /
lends. who followed Lewis and him O
,lf 70 their famous journey of the far a
o. Awcst. Suddenly messenger '
ins at the door. In answer to the T
-uT call. Come in" there enter four G
lachead Indians. Two of them are |
-ed warriors, two young stalwart /
raves. Where are you from, my 9
cn| asked the general, eying them I
ON head to foot. "From the mur- e
uriug waters Of the Columbia? I'm C