Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-21
COMPANY NJ ATTENDS
CHURCH TO LISTEN
TO PATRIOTIC TALK
Rev. James ElYin, Of FirSI
Congregational Church,
Delivers Address

Washington 3 birthday services were
observed by the members of Company
NJ, o. n. c., by attending the First
Congregational church i'm full dress uni
form. Rev. James Elvin delivered pa
| triotic address, " Lexington and Con
cord ~ in which he extolled the virtues
of the Father Of His Country. Headed
by the nigh school band, about 60 mem
| bers of tine company marched from the
armory to the church where section
was set aside for them. The custom OF
the entire company attending church
officially on special occasions was in
stituted last year and will probably be
come an established custom for the To-
cal militia.
Rev. Elvin s address is given in full:
The birthday of Washington ought
never be allowed to pass withOu some
celebration in his honor. | was brought
up in a city where every year Washing
| ton s Birthday was observed with ap-
prOpriate exercises. 1t has been well
said of Washington that providence
left him childless that the nation mignt
call him father. He is indeed the 'Fath-
er of His Country first in war, first
in peace, first in the hearts of his fel-
low country men.
He was great general. With an un-
disciplined force, he won our inrepend-
ence, in a war against a great nation Of
Europe. He was a great president. lie
led the thirteen divided colonies, into
the unity of a nation. He was a great
kcitizen He left nome and wealth,
met every sacrifice loyalty and bravely,
accepted no pay for his services and
thus he stands for our study and con
temptation one of the most unselfish ex-
amplcs of self-denying patriotism the
world has ever known.
We must not be allowed to forget
that Washington was a man of faith
and prayer. Like Lincoln, he too, again
and again was driven to his knees when
his own wisdom and the wisdom of
those around nim failed and he had no
where else to go.
He too, like Lincoln, believed it to be
good thing to be on the side Of the
Lord. Not many years ago statue OF
Washington was unveiled in Wall street
in New York City and the great patriot
is revealed in the attitude Cf prayer.
Washington, because Of his trust in
God, believed that this country had a
future full of hope and mighty purpose
needing only courage and faith tC
bring it to that greatness, for which
God had destined this republic.
That faith in God sustained Wash
ington in the dark hours of defeat when
starvation threatened the little band OF
patriots. That faith sustained him
when envy and jealousy sought to de
fame him. Tnat faith held him true
when ambition tempted him to sacrifice
the public good for private gain. Faitt
in God and fidelity to the public gOoC
are the characteristics of Washington
In order that the future of this country
be what God wills it to be these are
the characteristics that must distinguish
every true and loyal American.
1t was my good fortune to live for 9
number of years in the section of oul
country known as New England a part
of the country that even in our day is
alive with reminders of the Revolution
larry War and Washington. In the city
of Boston the spot where the first blood
was shed in "The Boston Massacre is
today sacredly remembered. Old Gem
eteries in the very heart of tne business
district containing the monuments Of
James Otis, Samuel Adams and JOIN
Hancock viyidly remind one of those
patriots of an early day. The British
were so incensed at the minister of the
Old South Church that they turned his
churcn into a riding academy and useC
his books and sermons and addresses fOl
fuel to warm themselves. The churcf
is still an object of great interest to Wis
itors. SamuelAdams and John Hancocb
were among the couses of the battle OF
Lexington and Concord for the British
troops were on this way to arrest thest
leaders when Paul Revere in his flmOu'
ride alarmed the countryside aRC
aroused the minutcmen. Today Bostor
trolley cars follow the route of Pau
Revere S historical ride.
1t was in the month of May 77j that
the second Continental Congress met a
Philadelphia and accepted the Ameri
can forces around Boston as the Con
tinental army and on motion of join
Adams it appointed George Washing
ton to be commander in chief of al
the aries raised or to be raised, The
great leader took command of the fore
es part army part mob-in Cambridge
July 3, lIIj under the old elm tree still
standing and lovingly remembered a:
Washington S Elm, When | plucked 6
handful of leaves from that sacred tree
and pressed them in my Bible, | fell
that was a better patriot than | hat
4 MI all