New-York tribune., 1874-03-23
SUSPENSE OF NATIONAL FAITH.

The w. Chadpt a. the Sseond URaridn Church Brootya
The Rev. John w. Chadwick preached on
the Suspense OF National Faith" at the Second Unita-
Church, Brooklyn yesterday morning. Righteous
ness exateth nation but sin is reproach to any peo
pie" was the text.
Tho hundredth anniversary Of the Declaration OF
American Independence said he. Will soon be upon Al
ready there esound the din OF preparation already the
General Government has been strenuousy besought to
subsdize great International Exhibition TO be held
Philadelphia for the glory OF the nation and the emolu
ment of tho managers There will doubtless be some
sort of great exhibition, and If we DO not, they ala
at Vienna Kill the goose that laid the golden eggs there
Will be many features OF which as a nation We may we'll
be proud. A century seems considerable time when
standing at the end and looking Backward and
II seems all the longer when consider OF the
all in ali. the story of our first centennial
will be story OF quite wonderful growth and progress
sell satisfaction does not 10 be the order OF the
day In spite of all this prores we are suffering from
suspense OF national faith There Is great deal OF
dissatisfaction Ia view Of the condition in which We as
a nation find ourselves. What Mr.. Spencer calls the
"bias of ant.patrioism" IL the bias Of the hour. We
are apparently to witness the melancholy spectacle OF
nation with such splendid history as ours at the end
OF first century. full OF doubt and trouble as 10 the
character of its institutions The presen: dstrust
is all the remarkable In contrast with the 0rd0r
that sustained us through our civil strife We look back
regretfully that time when the crisis impending
and leaders were marshalng us first for the moral
and then for the physical encounter.
But shall uDd In these very victories something to
recount part for depression and
tional faith With individuals and nations 1t is almost
to come-this pause after exhaustive labor and IN
the pause dull pain mysterious sadness Our time
il not the only time OF national depression. The revo-
tonary struggle and the foundation OF present Gov
ernment followed by no such period of rejoicing
we might suppose. There was much less confidence In
republican institutions then than there is now. Re-
volutions always have tendency to roll backward.
But it would be too fattering to the actual state OF
things 10 account for antpatrotism OF the tne entire
ly the result OF reaction from the exalted mood
In which sustained by the Democratic Incidents
OF the rebellion. Another cause OF 1t has been the
gradual discovery that the only stage In
the great work OF AntiSavery REFORM and that 10 has
entailod upon imposing list Of sOrrows and humi
liations- But there we're those who SAID
what prosperity! Business was never so
good ~ now I" And few months ago there were
found TO advocate war with spain because II would
give such~an impetus 20 business" Ii Is no wonder
diminished according the time ministers TO pecunisry
adv aDtage demands some sacrifice are suffering from
some abatement OF the ardor that possessed them In
times that tried mems souls and simultaneously filled
their pockets.
Another cause fs TO be found in the Of INTEL
lectua aesthetic culture. And in 30 far II arises from
this cause II IA phenomenon not 70 be depiored Ii
argues better things for than the patriotism which
found sufficient inspiration In the extent oil our terri
tory and the increase OF population We have talked
too much IL our mountains were OF our own building;
like dogs who bury bones afterward 10 e1hume
them had buried In the earth the coal and lead and
iron and gold which we arc digging out oil IT, well
coming TO that broader culture will do more
for patriotism than broader territory The decay of
patriotism Is assisted too by the fact that have be-
come nation OF travellers Last blmmer our New Ork
steamers took the New World a. 900 Americans.
All hail TO the dissatisfaction that Ia growing every day
will DO tho fruitful mother OF order OF results
Tho best suggestion for tho Centennial celebration Ia