Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-05-30
GAVE INSPIRING
MEMORIAL SERMON
Dean Wn. McVettie of Grace Episco-
pal Church Listened to Most
Attentively by Large
Audience.
DELIVERED SERMON WHICH
APPEALED TO ALL
The Past and Present Touched Up.
on With Most Modern
Thought.
CONTINUED from first page.)

Christ preached a gospel to human
souls which would fit them for eter-
nal life. He intimated such con-
duct would incur persecution and
tribulation in this word. but babe
them be of good cheer, because He
had overcome the world. Now ma
ton is not an individual, it has no
soul nor eternal life. 1t is an organi-
zation of men, which has for its pur-
pose the administration of justice
and the conserving of liberty in this
world. The government must de-
pend upon the laws, prisons and
physical force to subserve its end.
Physical courage and the passion
ate battle for liberty has had its re-
ward in the constitution of every
free government in the world. The
code of morals given by God to ma
tions are "the Ten Commandment"
and the best nations enforce this
code by physical force. The same
reasons which send a squad of po-
licemen into the jaws of death to en-
force social order, must send bat
tallion of soldiers into the field to
enforce international justice The
trouble lies in the fact that many
fail to discriminate between the
Gospel as applied to individuals and
the law as applied to governments.
When in defense Of human justice
and liberty or TO extend these privil-
eyes to others, it is our duty to act
fight. This need not in any way
interfere with our duty to God. We
know war is a terrible thing and
should never be engaged in, except
| in cases of absolute necessity. And
we further know that the cruelty of
war grows with the progress of in
vention. 1t is no argument against
war that it has been abused. So have
marriage aid money and meats.
They are all necessities that may be
used and should not be abused. So
war, like most things, has been
abused, but nevertheless it remains
true that through wars waged in
righteous cause have come human
! liberty and social justice.
The United States has no NOR
cenary motive in this war but the
belief that it is necessary for the
preservation of social justice and
human liberty. Never did a nation
try more honestly to play the part of
friend to all the parties engaged in
war. And now while profoundly
moved, how quietly we move, for
though "out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaketh," out
of the superabundance of the heart
the mouth says nothing, but just
presses its lips in grim defiance and
determination and silent prayer, for
II ir
because our president il his address
to congress, that greatest deliver
ance 10 which this nation has ever
listened. said its all for humanity s
sake. So sacred VAS this declara-
tioa that he had the right 10 MAXI
1T on Good Friday This nation has
mounted a cross of vicarious suffer
ing and is following Him who suf-
fered willingly for all His people. In
the solemnity of Holy Week this
nation of hundred million people,
heard God calling to the American
people to arise and defend princi-
Piles worthy of men created in the
image of God. And from our people
goes mp the prayer, take this nation
o God of love and might and use il
as thine own instrument to fulfill
thy purpose" Like David in the sure
confidence that the God of justice
the God of love reigns il heaven and
takes the destinies of nations in his
hands, we take our stand in the name
of God and are willing to risk ev-
erything, to do our bit, whatever II
may be and whatever sacrifice ii may
Involve. And to so continue until
, the ubiquitous conspiracy of the
, German dynasty be crushed into
dust never to rise again. l believe
that universal peace can never be-
come a realty until the deposition OF
the German dynasty and perpetual
; revocation of secret diplomacy is &C
. complished. Today, forgetting al
differences, you and / must stano
absolutely behind the President
There are now only two classes o.
citizens among us-Americals an(
traitors. 1t would be we'll to remem
Der that if Germany finally prevailed
she would il her own words If still
: found unprepared, leave us nothing
but our eyes to weep with. So fal
back as 1897 at a banquet given IL
, the city Of Berlin. to celebrate tbs
) birthday of Frederick the Great
Kaiser William amid deafening ap
plause declared nothing must hap
| pen in any part of the world withoa
my consent" AS compared with the
ideals of American liberty, wha
must be the ideals of the man who
| will say to his countrymea-there !.
/ only one master in this country ant
| Il am he, l viii tolerate no other
/ Whoever opposes me l will crush
{ There is only one law-my law
the law which /, myself, lay down
t If you wish to verify these and
multitude Of similar declarations, NJ
less startling, read The Germa:
l Emperor" as shown by his public
: utterances published in 1914. So t.
escape such tyranny this war mus
be won by every woman, every man
yes and every child doing our bit
The boys of today are just as brave
and determined as the boys Of g
and in the same spirit rally rount
our flag. AS we look out upon thu
world today the powers of evil, hate
bitterness and violence and amDi