Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-06-03

ber has truly said
''rhe perpetuity Of the American government is an
object Of supreme concern to every American. This
government took a century and half to build and
when II was finished, and our fathers, after long and
painful toll turned 10 look at the work Of their hands,
and behed It's massive foundations and ita fair pro-
portions they were wont, in their enthusiasm, to ex
claim Esto perpetud II IL for us ther children, TO
preserve it. To keepi as II was designed IL Of
the greatest political problems Of our time. There
can hardly be greater, since 1t affects the welfare Of
not only all the millions born aud 10 be born between
these oceans but Of all elsewhere who might profit by
their example, Why should we, as Americans, desire
this perpetuity Why should others, not our coun-
trymeD, desire it7 Because Of all the bodies polite
that existed, this s the only federative union
wide as continent and because, more than any other
government In the world, IL offers an asylum to the
people Of other lands aud promises to all ample pro-
lection with the largest freedom
You see, then, to have done something to
prevent the overthrow of this federative union,
is to have done something for the well-being
of humanity. It will not, therefore, be out
Of place for us to-day to consider somewhat
the principles and ideas which seem to be
fundamental to the life and permanenoy Of
this union, the nation of which we form an
integral part, and remind ourselves of the
duties and responsibilities of American citi-
zenship. l take for my text words found in
the book Of Psalms, Xxx, z:
"some trust in chariots and some In horses but we
will remember the name Of the Lord our God"
In presence of men who, az soldiers,
have periled their lives for the republic, it
would seem like gratuitous insult TO speak
disparagingly of the profession of arms. And
yet, as a minister OF the Prince of Peace,
should be disloyal to my divine master were
l to speak Of war as other than sad calami-
ty. l know of no greater evil which can
overtake a nation than that Of fratrcidal war
except 1t be the malign social and political
forces which lead to war. For war is but
symptom of horrible disease in the body
polite the cause of the disorder is the deep
er and darker evil. But no men are more
anxious to avoid war than those who know
from experience what it is. For while a hor-
rid thing in itself, and horrible to engage in,
its evil does not stop with itself. While it is
the result Of evil causes, when it comes, in
turn, it becomes itself cause, or parent of
many other evils, so that no thoughtful man
can speak lightly of it, or regard it other than
a serious misfortune to be avoided by Chris
tan men at all hazards, except at the sacri-
fee of eternal principles of justice and right.
II seems a terrible thing and like forsaking
Of the principles of our chosen religious
teacher and guide, to set ourselves in deadly
array against our brother and imperil his life
and our own, and yet there come times and
occasions in the history of nations, when, not
to do this would be recreancy to the sacredest
voice which comes to us. Few men can be
found to-day, who would not sanction the
course pursued by the men who periled the
lives and fortunes Of themselves and their
brothers at the birth of this republic The
Christian world approves and spplauds their
spirit and their deeds. 1t did not at the time
Half the civilized world called il treason and
rebellion. And Christian men the world over
will sooner or later, approve and applaud the
spirit and the deeds OF the men who periled
their lives to preserve and perpetuate the un-
ion of states which the fathers fought TO
make q nation Of hundred years ago. Still,
we have reason to thank God that the roots
and seeds Of the horrible disease which
brought on the necessity of such surgery as
as we witnessed, and took some part in, we
have reason to thank God, say. that that is
all behind us now, and every true man must
be moved by the recolections of that time, to
pray God that this nation may be spared
such another necessity. Aud it surely seems
that, if the people of these states are only
true and faithful to the ideas and principles
which must underlie all stable government,
there will be no further necessity for resort
to the arbitrament Of the sword.
And this leads me TO the question as 10
what may be the ideas and principles TO
which We are TO be loyal in order TO be good
American citizens and further the interests of
peace and all that tends to make a nation
great, good and permanent. Said the man
who had como up from the humble position
of shepherd, to the proud position of king of
Israel, said he, 'Some trust in chariots and
some in horses, but we will remember the
name of the Lord our God" and in saying
this, with his understanding of it, he said the
the same thing as we should If we said to-
day, "Some trust in heavy battalions, in large
nAvies and large standing armies, but let us
be faithful TO the eternal principles Of JUS
tice, truth and right, the laws of the eternal
and holy One, our God. David meant the
same thing as we do; meant that the militia
ry prowess of the people was but feeble re-
| 1iance to maintain the life and stability Of
the nation, if the nation were disloyal to the
eternal laws Of heaven. And he was right.
And doubtless he had come to this belief
from the school Of sore experience. Israers
! greatest troubles came from an inside, and
not an outside enemy, internal corruption
| and dissension distracting counsels at home
| paralyzed heart, and soul, and arm, and made
them an easy prey to outside influences. And
it does the same thing to all nations. Stu
ated as we of this republic are, SO distant
from the nations one of whose chief interests
seems to be war, We are apt TO lay a consol-
| ing JUNCTION to our souls that we have little to
dread in the way of armed enemies to our ma
TONS life and prosperity. And surely we are
favored in this respect but let us not fancy
| we are therefore altogether safe. Though no
outside foe may dare to attack us, yet more
| subtle and more dangerous foe may be all
the more readily at work, sapping our true
| life and making us an easy prey to an enemy
from which there is no escape by military
prowess, either chariots or horses or ships of
war or heavy ordnance. -
We are little apt to pride ourselves on
our material prosperity, our mechanical, ar
tistic, and scientific progress. : We point ex-
ultingly to our rich and teeming fields of the
West,-the granary of the world-our won
dertul development of railroads, our tele-
| graphic communication, our utilization of
steam and electricity. While doing this it is
worth while to remind ourselves that poor
old decrepit Egypt was once the granary of
the world, but that did not prevent her from
becoming o tributary colony to Rome, nor
did the prowess of Rome nor the skill and
| wit of Greece, prevent both aud altogether
from passing through all the stages of cor
ruption, decrepitude and disintegration. And
unless we shall see to ii that we have some-
thing more than fertile fields, busy work
shops and skilled mechanics something bet
ter than scientific knowledge and philosoph-
ieal wisdom something other than military
prowess, 10 conserve and perpetuate our ma
tional life, we can have but poor guarantee
that our institutions can long survive. Ours
is but an experiment yet 1t is not yet quite
hundred years since the grip of Great Brit
ain was relaxed.from the American colonies.
A hundred years is but the boyhood of ma
tion, not its vigorous manhood. And we
have not escaped some of the extravagant
follies of the boy, and to-day we are suffer
ing some of the consequential sorrows. We
may yet SOW more wild oats. Let us learn
wisdom from our own follies and from the
failures and successes OF nations older than
we are.
We may not initiate the political system OF
any other people in existence, because we
may honestly believe that our own system
for us is best, but let us pray God to be de.
livered from the ruinous conoeit which would
allow us to suppose that all the virtue and al
the happiness Of earth is ours. Our system,
to my mind, for us is the best, but cannot
blind myself to the fact that under it i
| haa haan nnaaihla To fnsLar q mnlinn annia