Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-05-29
PRE-MEMORIAL SERVICES.

vice was held Sunday evening at ST.
Mary's church, with a fine address by
the rector, the Rev. T. j. Leonard
The members of the William P. Russell
Post, No. 80, and associate members
and the members of the William P.
Russell Circle, No. 5, Ladies of the
G. A. R., gathered at their rooms al
seven o'clock, being joined by the Holy
Name society and escorted to the
church. The procession was in the fol.
lowing order: The Holy Name society,
the William P. Russell Circle, the asso.
ciate members of the post and the post
commander. Charles E. Youtt led the
line. There were 100 of the Holy Name
society, 25 members of the circle anC
rs of the post and associates. The
seating capacity of the church, which
is 800, was taxed to its utmost. The
entrance 10 the church was decorated
with flags and pictures of Lincoln,
Columns and Washington. The altar
80 ''i0iiii'i"'S" WIZ l,e
blue electric lights. Father Leonsru .
stirring sermon was on the subject,
The Nation and the Kingdom That
Will Not Serve Thee Shall Perish, ="
the text being found in the 18th verse
of the sixth chapter of Isaiah. The
sermon was distributed in pamphlet
form.
Rev. Father Leonard said in part:
Veterans of the Grand Army, Ladies
and Gentlemen: 1t is a pleasure and a
privilege for me as an American citizen,
an exile of Erin, and above all, as a
Catholic priest, to see you assembled
here this evening in this beautiful
temple dedicated to the honor and glory
of Almighty God; and to have the honor
of addressing the gallant sons and de-
tenders of this nights nation which has
furnished home and place of refuge
to the oppressed and prosecuted of all
nations. There is no man who knows
the history of this great country but
would feel pleased and gratified at such
an honor; but for an exile of Erin and
Catholic priest, for one who has seen
and suffered from the tyranny and in
justice of goddess and heartless op-
pressor. for one who knows the Christ
like charity and open-hearted generosity
held out by the citizens of this great
land to his forefathers in the days of
famine and persecution; for one who
knows the spirit of fairness and of re-
ligious liberation set forth by our In
mortal Constitution and the most illus
trious men of this great nation; it lis not
merely an honor but pleasure and
privilege that you have conferred upon
me by coming here this evening.
From every part of this vast Republic
prelates, politicians and people join
heart and hand in the impressive cele-
brations which recall to the minds of
all the memory of the most important
and in many respects the saddest event
in the history of this mighty nation, 1t
is we'll for us also, my brethren, on
this memorable occasion to stand aside
for little while before that great mile
stone reared upon the foundation laid
in that propitious hour, a milestone
whereon are recorded the deeds which
offer to the thoughtful mind food for
= the past with all its
its failures and its victories;
the present with its joys and thanks
giving; the future with all its hopes and
fears, its boundless possibilities and its
divine ideals.
| shall not undertake to relate to you
the many acts of heroism, self-sacrifice
and patriotism of those noble soldiers.
whose lofty aims tore them from their
lcme and loved ones, to lead them to
he battlefield in defence of their coun-
Try. The blood which has been shed so
Freely, the limbs which have been lost
and the comrades who lie buried on the /.
many battlefields are more eloquent
han words; they are a living testi- |
nonial to our generation and to genera
ions to come that the men who re-
ponded to their country's call, at that
ritical moment, represented the highest
ype of citizenship.
What touching scenes we behold on
his day in our peaceful cemeteriesl
We celebrate no war of conquest, we
ejoice over no spoliation of defenceless
men, women and children. we place no
aurel upon the brow in flesh or in
raven stone of an Unsuitable conqueror.
rather comes to our minds the gentle
rant placing in the hands of his de-
eated opponents the sword which the
nightly Lee had surrendered that no
lore lives should be needlessly sacri-
ced. But dear as is the recollection
f our great generals, today's tributes