National Republican., 1881-07-11
THE oEApLArN,s SERMON.
wbaI the Lesson of JuIy = Tenehes us-An
Able sermon.

"The I'd of July. What 'oesit teach
usr' was chosen for discourse last evening by
Rev. W. p. Harrison Mt the Mount Vernon Church.
The speaker, who is also chaplain OF the House OF
Representatives, said at might be difficult to
determine truly what constituted n national sin,
but not so dfcult to ascertain national faith It
is easy to determine what the people arc by look
ing at their rulers. Eight days ago the whole
world was shocked by the intelligence Of the assas-
slnatlon of the President Of the United Stqtes.
In very few hours this intelligence
flashed through every portion of our country,
crossed the seas, was published In the centres Of
Europe, traversing two continents simultaneously.
Everywhere 1t created horror, and from every por-
tion Of the globe came expressions of sympathy.
In churches Of all denominations prayers wero
offered up to God that He would spare the life Of
the President feeling OF suspense prevailed,
but in this sore trial was exhibited
spirit of heartfelt sympathy and earnest
prayer which showed our country to It's citizens
and abroad in one Of its most pleasing forms.
Party feeling and personal bitterness was buried,
and, us one man, the whole Nation prostrated
itself before the Throne OF God. A single crime
had placed this country In a singular position, yet
no sane man believed that any one else was con-
cerncd In II other than the miserable creature who
perpetrated Il. II was also known that single
life which disease might cut down in week or
another assassin destroy alone intervened between
us and anarchy. 1t had pleased God,
however, to rescue us from immediate danger, and
the feeling OF every man throughout the length
and breadth of this great land one Of gratitude
for this dciverance. 1t was In the power of any
maniac to take human life whenever he listed, and
In this instance the victim was the President OF
great Nation and n man upon whom great
events depended II could not be de-
med that politics in this country had been cor
rupted and debased. He referred to the question
able political methods employed during canvasses,
and said that the whole political machinery was
thus turned over TO bad and irresponsible men,
Matters had reached such climax that the
idea prevailed among those who declined
to enter politics that the country would
live and prosper in any event. and their interests
would be conserved without their paying any at
tention to them. 1t would be terrible day for
this country when such an idea was carried
Another phase Of the question of politics was that
TO the victors belong the spoils. This should not
be So yet the teachings of politics that the
men who worked hardest for the party should be
rewarded. They think they deserve Office and
have claims upon the country. This evil was
broadening and deepening, and to-day the spectacle
Is presented of two million men expecting office
at the hands the people. They look forward to
a change in the Government for subsistence, and
are ready to use any means to give success to the
party to which they belong. When the contest
many were disappointed because the offices did not
hold out The disappointed man then conceived
grudge against some one who he thinks has
thwarted his plans for preferment. Another lesson
taught by our politics was that the President is
esteemed and honored by the whole people. No
matter how bitter the contest has been, when II Is
over the minority accept the verdict gracefully
and obey the will Ofhe majority. Another national
sin was that we were too Indifferent regarding
human life, and murder was not abhorred as 1t
should be. Every morning we read of dozens Of
cases of ofhomicide, and the pnblic, becoming used
to 1t, was hardened. Another national
sin was sympathy for the criminal, murderer
though he might be. We dismiss the victim with
few words, and then turn our attention to his
slayer. He Is photographed interviewed, and given
to prominence, which tends to make him notori-
ous and feed his egotism. Every word he utters,
every meal he eats and every moYement in his
cell Is reported over the land. Th 10 details are
crayed by the people, otherwise GsIy would never
see the light. All this panderibs to n mawkish
sentimentality should be stopped. Sending flowers
to murderer and craving admission to
his prison did not have q tendency to make
people abhor his crime. One of the ques-
tions now before this people was what
to do with the prisoners overrunning the
jails and penitentaries, and catering to their de-
sres was surely not the way to solve the problem
In this country II is thought by those across the
sea that liberty means license, no matter how in
famous 1t may be- There are men upon our
shores who meet together to adopt resolutions de-
claring assassination to be right, and nothing is
done to them. Liberty without law meant
| anarchy, and without law morals and society
would be In u state Of chaos. This must not be a
land Of unlimited license. Statutes must secure
us from ofienses that men can commit no where
else save in this land of the free
The lesson taught by the occurrence of the ID Of
July was that as one man the people respected,
revered, and honored their President, and that no
sympathy or mawklsh sentimentality should pre-
vent justice being meted out to the villainous as.
sassin, whether sane or insane"