Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1890-11-28
A THANKSGIVING SERMON.
REV. w. \. II. BRY ~ AT THl;
PR CHURCH.

PR ESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The BLESSINGS That Have Come I,
the Nation and to the south
Trusts and COniIbinatiOns-Th
Negro Problem.
Rev. W.S. p. Bryan, the pastor, con
Quoted the Thanksgiving services at TIN
First Presbyterian church yesterday
morning and preached an interesting ser
mon on the advancement OF the south
His text was:
Let the people praise Thee, o God let all
| the people praise Thee. q let the nations be
gad and sing for 10y; for Thou shalt judge
tions upon earth. Psalms LXvII 81.
"Thc power of uttcring Gods praise
distinguishes the man from the brute, u
he said; "thc habit of uttering that
praise distinguishes the dcvout man from,
the scornful man. Gratiru,le is a fitIny
measure of picty.
"Thc text, however. summons us To
praise in II special relation. Other pas
sagcs address the individual believer, the
congregation OF the righteous and the
house of Israel; but here the people, ;
the nations are called to Gods praise.
What then have we as a nation to he
thankful for?
BLESSINGS AS A NATION.
apart from the general blessings this
year has been marked by three special
ones-one is the defeat OF the lottery.
The veto of Gov. McI:ncry. the wise and
thorough law passed at the last session
ofcongress and the recent action of the
Adams Express company will cticctually
defeat the corrupting influence of this
shameful business.
Another is the surrender OF Mormon
ism. The declaration Of submission to
the laws of congress by President Wood.
ruff has been endorsed by the Mormon
conference and polygamy in the language
of Utahs governor, is dead beyond res
urrcction.'
The other is, The revival oi patriot.
ism.' Patriotism is something more
than Fourth OF July enthusiasm; Ger.
tainly something more than the tri.
umph oi any political party. 1t is n
lofty and disintcrcstcd spirit which
rises above party advantage in its zeal
for the public good and which employs
parties only so tar as they are instru-
mcnts Of national welfare. There was u
time not long ago when the patriot
seemed to he last in the partizan; when
greed aud the lost of power appeared to
take the place long held in the history of
pur country by a noble and honorable |
political activity: when sectional issues |
were iomcntcd III order that private gain |
might bc made out of u divided country, |
and when dishonest and trcachcrous men |
were able to hold their places despite the |
protests of the upright. II was u time
when the political iuturc looked dark in-
Iced and when the prophets saw signs OF
decay.
But n change has taken place. The
political atmosphere is purcr aud the
LIQUIDS have lifted. When men cast their
votes not according to party lines but
with certain principles which
.hcv hereby hold when they rise superior
20 the bribcs offered directly and indi.
'cctly; when they recognize the length
md breadth Of their country and feel u
confidence in, a sympathy for and a kin.
'hip with their brethren in OF her sections;
when they hurl from power the thief and
he trickster. whatever his politics bc:
when they throttle the monopoly that
ccks tn prostitute political virtue to its
,wn sordid ends and drive men like sheep
It its own will then there is q revival of
u quickcning of political re-
ponsibility in the conscicuccs of the pco.
be, n return Of the robust and viric pub.
,lic spirit which animated our athcrs and
moulded the institutions which we have
from them. In this Sc can all
ejoicc, irrespective of political differences.
Patriotism is higher than partisanship
md il is patriotism that rcjoiccs. For
his let us bless the God of nations.
BLESSINGS on TuR sorTn.
The material improvement Of our bc.
owed land has been constant and sub.
tantial. Unfortunately the figures of
he country at large have not yet been
ompctcd in the census office and We
must bc content with general statements.
rhc figures for the twelve southern states,
lowcvcr. are at hand gathered from the
cports of the auditors and governors.
md are reliable They show that the
lctual wealth Of the south this year IN
80. 15S. 200, 900, asagainst 81, ,3tt .OO0,-
400 in 1850. which is m increase of 100
,cr cent. in ten years. This wealth dis.
ributcd equally would give To every
nan S652.11 rs against S3S5.62 IN
$40.
"Thc total indcbtcdlcss of the south,
tate, county municipal is 81 1S2. .i26. .565,
decrease since 1850 OF S35. 5.267 900.
The average taxation is 4.O3 as
Igainst t.6O in 1850, n decrease of over
,nlf u cent. The revenue Of the different
tatcs aggregates S2O,3l2, 2,730, an in.
rcasc of 53.3 per cent. The banking
apital is Sl52 ,l25, 900, an increase Of
iI.5 per cent. The school revenue is
,l3, ,G36, 300. an increase OF 1863 per
cut and the number of pupils enrolled is
!, ,2l2, 2SG, an increase loi GIL per cent.
There are 55,03i manufacturing cstab.
ishmcnts IN the south rs against ~.
'63 in 1850, their products amounting
% S675. 1872 900, nm increase over 1850
,imorc than 100 per cent.
"What is the meaning Of these fabulous
igurcsI They mean for ono thing that
he south is equal IN resources to any
cction OF the country, that where for u
cntury oui fathers were content to till
he ground for cotton and corn and to.
,acco in industrial dependence upon re.
note sections, We their sons have gone
indcr the soil and found riches that are
attracting the interest Of the industrial
world and making the south n source oi
'upplics instead Of n mere market for
'upplics. Surely the earth has Welded