The New York herald., 1873-11-28
NATIONAL CHARACTER.
DR.. Tinany's Thanksgiving Sermon
Listened to by President Grant.

Listened to by President Grant.
WASHINGTON, Nov. q, 1873.
The attendance at the Metropolitan Methodist
Episcopal church this morning was large, and In
cluded the President and family and many OF the
members Of Congress now In the city. DR.. TIFFANY,
the pastor, discarded the use or a text, and dis
cussed the national character, beginning his dis
course with historical SKETCH in which he called
attention to the national peculiarlties OF the
ancient Greek and Roman and the modern
German, French and English nations, and
said IL think that We may be thankful to-day
that we have neitler the idealism OF the Greeks,
nor the mere practicalism OF the Romans; the
mercurial and excitable temperament Of the
French, nor the conservatism OF England; but that
we have each and all OF these elements. II not In
perfect equipoise, yet in just and well ordered
balance. The practical elements of our character
were developed by the necessities OF our
life and positions the idealstic by the aspirations
OF freedom and the longing for nobler llle
HISTORIC VIEW.
The relations OF these elements in the formation
OF tbe government were traced through the Decla-
ration OF Independence and the formation OF our
constitution. The war OF the rebellion was shown
to be natural and necessary result OF the COL
lision OF these elements, and the reconstruction
was shown to have been based on these equitable
adjustments. With the settlement of the question
which involved the life OF the nation q new diffi-
Guilty appeared. The confidence OF the people
growing out or such an achievement grew amaz-
ingly strong.
DTSCOUNTING THE FUTURE.
Genuine pride in great past bred over con.
ndence in great future. Each man felt that in
securing a future for the country his own future
was assured. Hence men began to live az though
the future had arrived. We expended as though
we already possessed what we anticipated. We
existed. SO came the time OF inflated values
and extravagant specuatons; not, as in
n Ohsa Value O n but on ne
pective embracing OF non-existent values. In In
divdual life this was exhibited in extravaganza in
dress and furniture and living Parlors became
drawing rooms, and dresses robes. In legitimate
business It was seen In over dependence on the
as we as they were only trusted
long enough. 1t caused a general
MAKING HASTE TO BE RICH.
It hurried men into acts the prospective values
OF stocks, species OF gambling with no more claim
to morality than the forms forbidden by law. It
watering" stock, which understand to be max
ing 10 OF one by adding zero to It, Railroads
bonds which would be worth something when the
road was completed.
.ro;n. TIE sPAs. Use QUESTION Of this
ceased to blanch all faces before brutality
thusiasm demanded war with Spain. others.
less ardent, thought war might not DC 30 great
q disaster since we had need OF navA statioh IN
the West Indies great wrone was ), mace ae 70 ap
s S 81
There Is to-day wonderful commouon In printing
houses great agitation in the hearts OF insurgents
and reagees but the people are not
our dockyards, for they nav, nave always mad Just
that the virginius was not bona TIDE an
American vessel. and her intention to mako
avowed, she was not entitled to American protec-
tion on account OF papers fraudulently obtained,
and that, therefore, our government ought not to
be embroiled because OF a technical COVERING at
tempted TO be made good by an unauthorized use
OF our nag. NEa N
PRESIDENT GRANT PUFFED.
The American people will not allow enthusiasm
nor Indignation TO upset their Judgment because
they Know that they have placed on guard vigil
liant and seepless sentinel who would not
who feels that upon the high seas the stars and
Stripes are still our Dag The people have COM
mlttcd the administration TO one VINO, knowing
what war Is ana how to manage IL, has added to
the laurel which he wears the olive he has won.
THE COMING MEN AND NATIONAL GLORY.
And It Is remarkable, too, that the public men
VINO have administered our afairs n tne moment.
GUS crisis OF our history have Deen nttng types OF
the national character, and We may sa1ey predict
that those who succeed them, ana VINO rise as men
be men who In themselves embody that grand
postulate OF all succcss greatness the right bal
ance OF mental forces even az the nation itself IN
TO become grand and historic only as IL realizes
and personal liberties, respected abroad because
OF seifrespect that rises az che involuntary tribute
which justice pays to rights equally distrlbutep,
-nrotected and enloleu.