Evening capital., 1907-06-03
THE NAVI'S DACCALAUREATE
CHAPLAIN cLARK'S FAREWELL
SERMON TO GRADUATES.
Congregation Present Numbers I-5oo
Persons Naval Life-lfs
Trials and cOmpenSaii0nS
STRONG, F0RCEFUL SERMON
AT THE NAVAL AcAD-
EMY CHAPEL.

not To mention fair maidens from
attending the services yesterday morn
ing at the Sayal Academy Chapel
IL i estimated that fifteen hundred
people were present At the services
Every seat was occupied and the
seats usually taken BY midshIpuen
were nlled BY visitors some time Re-
fore the hour of service arrived The
occasion was the navy's baccalaureate
sermon and the Rev H. H. Clark
Chaplain OF the Naval Academy.
preached to the graduates \ srr05Z-
fOrceful discourse. full ~ Bible truths.
earnest thought and practical appIi-
cation.
Chaplain CLARK spoke earnestly and
fmpressiyeIy and was listened 70 with
marked attention By the large eongre-
CATION. lie took for his text And
when We bad taken our leave one ~
another. We took ship Acts xxi s.
lie said in part.
This refers 10 a leave taking on
the sandy beach at Tyre ~ PauI
and bis companions had spent n week
with the few Christians u that noted
city, and B0w that the vessel that
had brought them there was about
to sail, there vas q farewell meeting
upon the shore. Especially touching
were the farewelIs, for there was
great anxiety for the welfare d the
great champion Of the faith The
love Of the Christians for him Was
deepened and enriched by a common
sOIicitude. The shore On which the
fareweIls took place, the ship that
was 10 bear It. Paul and bis company
away, tire sea whose mystery we can
never define seem to make us one
with the little group gathered upon
the sandy beach at Tyre
THE scene, therefore, suggests -
us a topic for this last Sunday u the
academic yssr-navaI life. its trials
and its compeusatiODs. As in the case
Of these ancient vOyagers il Is . life
Of leave taking; life Of farewells
more than of greetings, 81 going more
than OF coming. The shore, the ship
the sea that seemed in the back
ground Of the picture suddenly appear
IN the foreground. There is again
the little gathering upon the shore, to
say over once more the old faTeweIls-
Then away from home men are
subjected TO the greatest moral trial
A man comes to know how intrinsI-
calIy strong or weak be IS He learns
how nsuch a man fs morally upheld
At home By the restraints, the alice
ffOns, the soffenfng Influences Of the
household, and how little By his own
will and character. a life that re-
qnires such frequent and prolonged
absence demands knfghtiy qualities 10
be true 10 its exaetiOns and IDEALS
ut is life that denies those enter
ing upon IL many opportunities that
belong to the private citizen. For e1-
ample il IL life that does not open
20 wealth. The love Of gain - God
given. It Is 10 make its way By in
dnstry, skill, enterprise, up 70 an
nence. THE ability 10 get money -
divine gift. The Lord thy God
giycth thee power to get wealth
Bat the naval officer can not enfer
into the struggle. The naval profes-
son excludes body II men u nne
physical equipment. u careful mental
training, 0f superior character from
among the wealth makers u the eOun-
try. The naval officer must fOrezO
the privilege " the private citizen ~ .
creator ~ enterprise, an aecumulator
~ property. a controller u finance
'sIt Is the habit 10 speak - Our po-
lifical life IN terms 81 Encouragement
or contempt. This shows how narrow
can be the range u patriotic thought
bOw npbecomiBg the speech q eIti-
ems under the best u gOveTums1ts.
40 citizen could have q higher asDirs-
fiOD than - Re an honest, earnest par
tfclpant IN OuF statesmznsbip. To -
a worker with God in looking after
the good u -, 600. 600 Of people - No
mean ambition. But none u the polit-
icaI duties, privileges and hoo0rs -
citizenshIp are open 70 the ofbcer ~
the navy. lie can scarcely cast his
gOte unchaliengsd- He - questioned
in the use ~ this right more than the
most nnnafionaIized If not the most IN
BatuTaIized upon orr shores.
Furthermore. the life u sGbordI-
nation and restraint % which the IA
yal officer is bound BY answering
principle and loyalty - a life under
the yoke. T5y nature the heart q man
Il nnsurbOrdinate and IaWIess- Tie
dearest thing in life Is 10 have ones
own way but ones own way in naval
life would be Insurrection, mutiDy-
II IL a life, therefore. 0f constant put
ting down in ones self ~ every
thought, every feeling, every impulse
that could II any way be in conflict
VIII tHt N4ED 4t&t1A1 " nav - EAtaAA-
ter. the high ends of naval command
But every tFue life is q giving
up Of lesser for higher things This Is
true Of a naval career 90 IL - full 81
reward.
.'What reward lies IN the eOncsious-
ness Of honest preparation for such .
career. What foregieams Of happy an
tfcipation this casts.over IT. 50 when
you speak your GFst farewslIs upon
the shore congrafulatiOns viii miBgle
With them that you have been count
cd worthy. 70 enter upon a service 81
such name and character a. that u
our navy.
1T is a life sIsO ahOTding 0ppor-
tunity for a noble seif-education- In
naval life a m4D may become broad
Of mind, generous Of soul. magnanf-
nous. cultivated, a man Of fnfiexibIe
integrity, man as Trustworthy as
gravitafion. An officer Of the navy
takes his post graduate course in the
university Of the world, and the
years he gives 10 il are many.
Then as he goes abcut t@c wCsf6
he sustains representative relations
that 4phasize his Iige- IN other
lands sse IS conspicuous because be
..