The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-07
A Notable Sermon on the Prosperity
and Wealth of America.

Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
FREDERICK, Md, Nov. %
Thanksgiving Day was duly observ-
ed in this city by religious services in
the Reformed Episcopal and Pres
byterian Churches. AT the Reform
ed Church ReY. DR.. E. r. Eschbach,
formerly pastor in Baltimore, de-
livered a noteworthy sermon to large
congregation. His theme was 'Grat-
itude an Essential Element of Re
ligion." "Gratitude," he said, Giles
at the root of all virtues. COmplainst
are often the result of thoughtleSs-
ness or ignorance. Since August,
1865, the public debt has been re-
duced about one thousand millions
of dollars, one third of its greatest
total ; the interest account has been
diminished by fifty-tive millions, or
more than fifty per cent. ; five-siXthS
of the government bonds are now
held at home, insuring the payment
of $4,000, 600 more of interest to our
own citizens than in 1871. Customs
and internal taxes have been reduced
S247 900, 000 since 1866 and SCI 100000
since 1878; the increase in the coin
value Of our paper money since 1860
is about Sl85, 900. The total
value Of exports have increased from
1863 900 600 in 1863 10 1853 900, 600 in
or 1878, or 1913 per centum the excess
of exports oyer imports has increas-
ed to S257 900, 900, gain Of over
$400, 100000 since 1871. These things
are occasions of gratitude to God. A
few years ago we were running in
debt at the rate of about Sl0O, 900, goo
veal now we are paying off our
debt at the rate of 500, 900, 900 a year
We are reaching a solid basis on
which to conduct our business profit
ably. Business men are adapting
themselves to small profits and mod
crate gains. The whole country has
been too much given to waiting for
some miracle of legislation to bring
about "fush times" They coulG not
return without the precedent condi-
tiOns of four years war and over a
million of men withdrawn from pro
ductiye industry and set to the work
of destroying property. No reason
able man wants flush times at the
cost of war, either at home or abroad.
Small profits, strict economy, tireless
industry, work somewhere at some
thing and at some price, is the eX-
ample that is being set by corpora
tons, manufacturers and merchants.
Another healthy sign is that people
are growing to love facts. The reign
of gilt and sham is oyer. The whole
financial structure of the country for
the present ten years has been based
upon false values, ground, houses ;
everything has been oyeryalued.
Fortunes have been made on paper ;
regulations have been bOlStered up
by pretension, &c. That day is past.
People are returning to old fashioned
opinions and loyalty. The wealth OF
reputedly rich men is being investi-
gated. Corporations are discovering
that their securities and manage
ment are being questioned. Politi-
clans find that their constituents de-
mand something besides fine oratory.
Churches are learning that magnii-
cent architecture and big debt do not
repsecent spiritual force. No con-
/ fagratiOn has streWn the site of our
homes with cinders and smoulderin g
ruins, &c. The crops of the country,
which are really the great feeders of
national wealth, are of more than
average excellence. AS the result OF
abundant harvests our exports are
more abundant. To the expectation
of cereals and cotton we have now
added the expectation of meat, both
as live stock and in preserved form.
There seems to be literally no end to
this newly discovered outlet for the
wealth that our climate and ouI
agriculture yields. No one would
have dreamed five year ago that
American cattle and sheep and horses
would be selling by the hundreds
and thousand in the sale-stables and
yards of Scotland and England. And
yet it is so to-day. In mechanical
ingenuity and the manufacture o.
cunningly devised implements Of
domestic, commercial and scientific