Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-29
AMERICAN SPIRIT
IS HELD ON TRIAL
Speaker Declares in Annual Memoir
ial Sermon That Our National
Character is in the Balance.
NAMES A PREPAREDNESS PLEA
Rev. Wilson Says ii Enemies Will Not
Respect Is We Shall Have TO
Drive Them Out

another battle Of principles, quite as
sharp and well defined as the causes
underlying the Civil war, and that
the saul Of the American nation mus:
be saved at any cost, was emphasized
in the annual Memorial day sermon
which DR.. James Edgar Wilson de-
livered yesterday morning at Broad
way Presbyterian church. He made
a plea for preparedness.
The special guests of honor at the
services were members of John Bufori
post, No. 243 G. A. R., Colonel Brack-
EFT circle, Ladies of the G. A R., WO-
mems Relief corps. No. Sc, Siboney
Bay camp, No. S. United Spanish War
Veterans and Helen Gould auxiliary,
No. :. The patriotic bodies met at
Memorial hall at the court house and
marched to the church, led by the
Spanish veterans. At the church the
younger men halted and uncovered,
allowing the boys in blue to pass on
into the church first, where special
seats had been reserved. The church
was appropriately decorated for the
occasion and the choir gave a musical
program that was in keeping with the
occasion. The old favorite We're
Tenting Tonight" was unusually well
given and at its conclusion, DR.. Wilson
touchingly referred to the fact that he
has two cousins fighting in the
trenches Somewhere in France" who
were wishing that the war would
cease.
They enlisted from Canada, which
is DR.. wilson's native land, and he
said that if his work had not lead him
into the United States. he, too, would
probably be out on the firing line
battling for the union jack. He said,
however, that he felt it his unquestion-
ed duty to the flag now giving him
protection, to fight as strongly to de-
fend it, the emblem of the country of
his adoption, if this nation needed
defense, as to fight for the union jack,
had he still remained in Canada.
The Evolution of Freedom" was the
theme upon which DR.. Wilson spoke.
taking as his text I've have heard thai
il was said. thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor and hate thine enemy, but l say
unto you, love your enemies" Matt.
5:43 and A.
The speaker first referred to what
he called the first memorial service in
the worlds history, occurring just al
ter the battle of Marathon, when the
10000 Athenians who had driven back
the countless hosts of the Persians
into their ships, counted their dead
and found that they numbered just
1872. The Athenians decided to bury
their glorified heroes in the field of
victory and over their last resting
place they built a mound some 80 or
40 feet high, which is still visible.
Every year until the downfall OF the
Grecian civilization, the people would
hold solemn exercises.
Gives Picture of War.
After referring in an eloquent way
to Lincoln's Gettysburg speech, Dr.
Wilson declared:
Time in its rapid flight has car
ried US forward until today we the 50
years past those awful days of that
bloody struggle-days, which both to
the north and the south, seemed like
years-days when the sky was black
with smoke, when the air was full of
sulphur when the horizon was red
with fire, and when the valleys were
rivers of blood-days of uncertainty
and darkness, when the fate Of two con-
fliCting, incompatible national ideals
hung in the balance-days never to
be forgotten, for at Gettysburg the
destiny OF American civilization was
at stake-days when the Declaration
Of independence was being weighed
in the balance, and would it be found
wanting?
IF 1iUbfripy in mid
night ocean tempest reveals the abys-
NAL horrors of the deep, so the fash
of the guns at Gettysburg disclosed
the awful abyss into which secession
and rebellion were ready to plunge US.
Our boys in blue, in that memorable
struggle, were not fighting against
their enemies. They were loving their
enemies. They were fighting for their
principles. With them the war was
a matter Of conscience, and not OF
conquest And as the deyOteeS of re-
ligion will give their lives for their
religious convictions, so those martyrs
at Gettysburg laid down their lives
for their national ideals. Think moth,
ing of me- cried Lincoln, but come
back to the truths that are in the
Declaration Of independence. You
may do anything with me you choose,
if you will but heed those sacred prin-
ciples. You may take me and put me
to death. | am nothing But do not
destroy that immortal emblem of hu-
manity-the Declaration of Independ-
ence.
Praises Boys in Blue.
THAT was the spirit, the attitude,
the temper of our boys in blue. They
said: You may do anything with us
you choose. We are nothing. But
preserve the union, and those free in
stitutions, which are the last, best
hope of men And as that young
Greek, musing on the battlefield of
Marathon, exclaimed: 1.-The trophies OF