Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-12-04
Religious Department.

lAtuhN9 ~ liIB SefliAO0 uellNefeu III
the Primitive Methodist Church
by Rev. ID. W. Evans. Text
Psalms, GS; 19:-"Blessed be the
Lord who daily loadeth Us with
benefits"
The spirit working in our Nation
al Thanksgiving Is the spirit that
said of old, | will compass thine
altar, 0 Lord, that with 1.-THE voice
of Thanksgiving may publish~and
ted of all thy wondrous works. Oh
give thanks unto the Lord, for he
Is good. Blessed be the Lord who
daily loadeth Us with benefits.
Do we ask for the enumeration of
those blessings! The President in
answer directs our attention to
abundant harvests, health, peace at
home, tranquility abroad, and to
the gradual recovering of the ma
ton from the results Of war. Health,
plenty, peace, tranquility, and the
C.lacing Of the traces of war are
enough to kindle grateful emotions
throughout the land. Were this
all,-were this the sum of our in
debtedness as nation, it seems
sufficient to make the most thought
less say with the Psalmist-"Blesscd
Zee the Lord who daily loadeth us
with benefits"
But we have yet more to kindle
the glow OF profound gratitude,
! regard the great object Of thanks
giving to-day to be that right, JUS
tice, truth, liberty and morality are
advancing throughout the land.
These forces are at work under God
eNalting this nation to a position at
the head Of nations, The English
speaking races have had a. great
past ia Britain, but their great flu
turo Is to be on this continent. The
Irresistible advance of these moral
forces is q sure prophesy of that
brilliant future. Already are we
telling TIE beginning of the end
But are you thinking of the rotten
Iess of intriguing politicians, and
thinking Of their plunder do you
say. No. Protiigacy and col1up-
ton are prevalent everywhere. The
force of evil is overwhelming. Off
cial dishonesty is ruinous to the
public morals, rjce drags the nation
downward in spite of all the moral
force III the laws and the gospel.
Salary grabs follow Credit Mobilier,
and Credit Mobilier is only the
great swindlc in the midst Of host
Of lesser frauds. Defaultcrs escape
Justice, and the bloated rascals who
have been fattening on the public
funds turn with a daring bravado TO
tho officers of law and ask what
viii you do about it! Well, what
viii the nation do about this food
Of iniquity which sweeps down upon
Us from places of honor with its
debasing, corrupting, debauching
influence! What did it do about it
all Can you not DISCERN the signs
of the times Moral force has not
oozed ont Of the public heart. JUS
tice, right, truth and honesty are
yet alive in the public conscience.
Those spiritual forces born of piety
have asserted their supremacy over
the national character. They gave
the nations answer in the late cleo
tons. They declared in those cleo
tons that fraud could not be toler-
ated in the public servants. They
declared that vice could not triumph
over virtue. They declared that
corruption could not go unrebuked.
They declared that iniquity, even
in the strong holds of the dominant
party, could be ferreted out, CEN
sured and crushed.
That was the nations answer to
the question of the great thief,
whose name has become a SYNONYM
for fraud. No, Tweed cannot tri-
umph over the moral forces which,
unseen, work beneath the surface Of
our national life The trial, convic-
ton and punishment of the great
purloiner is a public proclamation
Of the fact that though daring men
may riot in crime, yet stronger men
than they arise by their sides to
s1nito them for their wickedness.
Judge Davies, in pronouncing SEN
tence, showed Us how virtue is
stronger than vice. When the
sheritfs lead Tweed back to his cell
honesty proved Itself mightier than
fraud. The clang of the gates of
the Tombs, as they closed behind
the great plunderer, say to all the
world that vices cannot long escape,
for. instica stands with sword in