, 1873-11-28
WABASH AVENUE NJ, e. CHURCH,

Union Meeting OF South Side Methods
ists-Scrll101l by tho IEev. E)r. TilOnl~
US, Of tho First Church.
Tho Rev. Dr.. Thomas, Of tho First Church
preached In tho Wabash Ayonuo Methodist
Church. He took US his toxt: /" Please tho
Lord, o Jerusalem; praise thy God, 0 Zion."-
Psalm III 18th, 18th, 1Ath, md 18th verses,
aud said they Lad mot in accordance
with tho proclamations OF tho President and Of
tho Governor. These proclamntions rested
purity upon 3 time-honorcd custom, and upon
belief Of tho existence Of d personal God. No
doctrine stood out moro prominently than this
ono THIS persoual God was above, Nature l1o
controlled hor and tho works Of creation, and
aubordinates her elements to His purposes. II
the doctrine which passed for philosophical ro-
1igion-that tIoro is but quaBlonably any God
ut ll-Was true, no life was moro useless moro
sonseleas than tue ONO wo arc NOW leading. Ho
Imagined tllat 1t would bo long while before tho
faith Of agos, tho hope aud trust Of tho human
heart, WIS much disturbed by such light and
leartlcas philosophy.
We should be thankful for onr national secu-
rity. God had strengthened tho bars Of our
gatoa. Two causes had contributed mainly In
tho past to tho overthrow Of nations-foreig1. in
yasion and homo d,sscnsion.. We woro secure
geographical position; from tho second owing
to tho form Of our Government md the character
Of our population. The great problom in all
civilized nations, in founding Governments. had
been to secure strength to tho Government and
at tho sanlo time liberty to the pooplo. In des-
potio Governments tho liberty of tho people was
subordinatcd to tho ntrongth Of the goy-
ornmont. Our Government was established nftor
ranf1 1ria nf ia in, Il
In as the last result Of human wisdom. Wo laya
solved tho problem as nearly as 1t can DO solvcd.
Our Government rules over q territory larger
than fifteen Of tho European Governments, mud
much moro economically Tho States aro MS
FREQ as II they were independents people
nro frco,-yet tie laye the consolidated strength
OF ono man Us q nation. Our pooplo wore not
slaves, but freomon. They were not hero bo-
cause they Ind boon captured in war, but were
lore because they wanted to como. Our tor
ritory, with the exception OF Toxna, was not
acquired by conquest but by purchase or treaty;
hence tlore aro no Bubduod provinces waiting
for an opportunity to riso md regain tho
freedom they lost in battles Of othor yoars.
Our people arc doing we'll, and wlouoyor
mon ars doing we'll they aro disposed
to peace, and to love tho country and tho flag
that enables them to do vol: Nno out Of ten
Of tho foreigners hero have what thcy could not
lxyc i'll tho Old WorId-a home; thoy own
house and lot, md arc accommodating property.
Tile only olo'nent which our fathers looked upon
IN angorous-slnvcry-hR boon crushed out.
Another danger WAS the unifylug and harmonix-
ing Of adverse olemonts Of citizenship. IN this
| l!o saw tho grandost possibilities Of good, and
tho greatest possibilities Of danger. Education
Was tho rcmsly-snch education rs vii! mako
mon tolerant Of tho opinions Of others. Tho old
rulo-cducato tho Kings uud lot tho people tal!o
care Of tlansclyos-had Ioon reversed " th!a
country. Tllo poople rule horo md form tho fontl-
daion tho Government, tho brlgntoat minds
had boon oxcrcised on tbs p1robon' how to cdn.
onto tic ralorsmro present school systoM "as a.
l.armorize the mazsos. We should be patient.
II we oannot bring our German, Irish, aud cpl
osod follow-ctizc,is to think and net III wo do,
wo got out of rat!enco, These pooplo .ayo bcosl
travelling OH co.taiu lineu, and it is not easy to
| loayo t1otn. uod will work tho ol'anso noolod
a,ld MAKO us ono ruorlu,-wi bring out tho high
est aud lost civilization tho world llns over feols.
Wo ought to ho thankful thut wo live in h,lcll II
land mud suoh MI ago,-that NO nso not OIL tho
J verge OF Volcano, or On tho stormy