The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-24

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One of our able New York journals last
spring printed a question and sent it TO
IN any people, and among others to myself:
| Can the editor Of q secular journal be a
| christlanr Some of the newsuapers an
swered, No. / answered, Yes; an lest Won
may not understand me / say, Yes. again.
Summer before last, riding with Mr..
| Grady from a religious meeting in Geor-
& a on Sunday night, he said TO me soma
tAings which J now reveal for the first
time, because it is appropriate now that
l reveal them. He expressed his com
| plete faith in the gospel, and expressed
his asst nishment and his grief that in
| our day 50 many young men were reject
ing christianity. From the earne ,tness and
the tinderness and the confidence with
| which he spoke on these thugs / included
that when Henry w. Grady made public
profession of his ith in Oh ist and took
| his place at the holy communion in the
Methodist church, he was hone,t and truly
christian. That conversation that Sun.
day night, first in the carriage and
then resumed in the hotel, impressed
me in such way that when
simply heard of his departure, with
out any Of the particulars, 1 con-
cluded that he was ready to go. warrant
there was no fright in the last exigency. but
| that he found what is commonly called ''the
| last enemy" a lod friend, end from his
home on earth he weLt TO a home in heaven.
Yes. Mr.. Grady not only demonstrated that
an editor NAV be christian, but that a
very great intellect may be gospelized, His
mental capacity was so wonderful it was
almost startling. have been with him i
| active conversation while a the same time
he was debating to ste iographec editorials
| for the Atlanta Constitution But that
intellect was not ashamed to Jow 10 Chri t,
Among hls last dying utterances was re-
quest for the prayers Of the churches in his
| behalf
There was that particular quality in him
that you do not fl ID in more than one per-
son out of hund eds of housands-namelv.
personal magnetism. People have tried to
define that quality and al ways failed vet
we have al felt its power. There are some
persons who have only to enter a room or
step upon platform or into pulpit aud
you are thrilled by their presence. and
when they speak y our nature responds and
you cannot help it. What is the peculiar
influence with which such a magnetic per-
son takes hold of social groups
and audiencesi Without attempting
to define this, which Is inde-
tinable, I will say it seems to correspond to
the waves of air set in motion by the voice
or the movements Of the body. Just like
that atmospheric vibration is the moral or
spiritual vibration which rolls out from the
soul or what we call magnetic person. As
there may be cord or rope binding bodies
together, there may be an invisible cord
binding souls. A magnetic man throws it
over others as hunter throws lasso. Mr.
Grady was sur harged with this inAueuce,
aud 1t was employed for patriotism and
christianity aud elevated purposes.
You may not know why, in the conver-
sation which had with Mr.. Glads one a
few weeks ago, he uttered these memorable
words about christianity, one of which
were cabled to America He was speaki ~
in reply to this remark. / said: "Mr.
Gla istone, we are told in America by some
people that christianity does very well for
weak-minded men and children In the
/ ifant class, but 1t Is not fit for stronger
minded men; but when we mention Won.
OF such large intellectually, as being a
pronounced friend of religion. we si-
ence their batteries" Then Mr..
Gladstone ssoppei on the hillside where we
were exercising and said: "The older |
grow, the more cuff me am in my faith
eye and uplfted hand. s.alE "a about a the the
questions Of the day, taere Is but one ques-
ton, and that is the gospel. That can and
will correct everything. Do you have any
OF that dreadful agnosticism in American
Having told him we had, he went on to
say: am profoundly thankful that
none OF my children or kindred have
A S4oA9Uo1 Oy Ns am Rlad TO
say THAT about all the msn at the t)p in
Great Britain are christians Why, sir,n
ne said, VI have been IN public position
ffty-eight years, and forty-seven years in
the cabinet Of tue British government. aud
during those forty-seven years have been
associated with sixty Of the master minds of
the century, all but I've of the sixty
were christians" He then named the four
leadlng physicians and surgeons of his
country, calling them by name and re-
marking upon the high qualities Of each
or them and added: "Fhey are all
thoroughly christian" Ny friends, think
lt VIII be quite respectable for little
Longer TO be the friends of religion. Will
IAN Il. Gladstone, christian; Henry w.
Grady, christian. What the greatest of
Il gIishmen said Of England is true of
America and Of all christendom. The men
at the top are the friends Of God and be-
neVerS In the sanctities of religion, the
most eminent of the lawyers, the most emf
nent OF the doctors, the most eminent Of the
merchants, and there are no better men
In all our land than some of those
VINO sit in editorial chairs. And If
that does not correspond with your
acqualntanceship, am sorry that you have
fallen into bad company. la answer to the
question put last spring, Can a secular
journalist be a christianp l not only
answer IN the affirmative, but assert tha
~ SlohL drs INC res eSpOnSlDlutl6S OK that pro-
fesslon, SO infinite I'd eternal the con,e-
quences OF their obedience or disobs iience
OF the words Of my text, take thea great
roll, and write in it wi a mans pen," aud
80 ma y are the surr undl z to nptatio
that the men of no other Profession more
deeply need the defenses and the re-enforcs-
ments Of the grace of God.
And then look at the oppo -tunities Of
journalism. l praise the pulpit and mag
nlfy my office, but state fact which you
all know when / say that waere the pulpit
touches one person the press touches five
hund ed. The vast majority Of people do
not go to church, but all Intelligent people
read the newspapers. While, therefore, the
re possibility Of the ministers Is great, the
responsibility of editors and reporters is
greater. Come, brother journalists. and
ge5 your ordination, not b. the laying on
OF human hands, but by the laying on Of
the hands of the Almighty. To you ia
committed the precious reputation Of
men and the more precious reputation of
women Spread before our children an
elevated literature. Make sin appear disgust
ilg and virtue admirable. Believe good
rather than evil While you show up the
hypocr1sies Of the church, show up the
stupendous hypocrisies outside tho churcl.
Be not, as some Of you are, The IN re echoes
OF public opinion; make public opinion
Let tue great roll on which you write with
mans pen 90 message Of light and