New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-07
DEPREC4TING THE NEW NAVY.
THE REV. DIR. DA CoSTA'S IDEA OF PROPER
COAST DEFENCE.

DR.. b. F. Da Costa, of tie Church Of st. John the
Evangelist Elevcnhst. and Wavcrey Place, spoke to
a moderately large congregation yesterday on " Tile
Nations Danger and Defence 1t was unnecessary
he said, TO dwell at length the dangers OF TINS
country. They apparent 10 all thoughtful men,
hIt they might be- divided into the visible and the
moral dangers. The vast extent of our territory was
a grave danger. Few people reflected upon the
great responsibility incurred by the admission of state
after state to the great number which the stars
and stripes already nOated The long existing lmml-
grafton OF the worst elements OF foreign countries to
the United states a second danger. These people
came to these shores far more rapidly than the Nation
could assimilatc them. still another danger lay In
our low standard of morality and in the prevailing
tendency OF the people 10 irrehgon. so rapid and
certain was this tendency that unprinciplcd men we're
led and induced TO begin and promugate schemes
hostile to the people and the public interests And
more than that, even wellknown public men. con-
WINGED that the people Of The country were to snk 10
a deeper moral level planned Undertakings averse TO
their interests. Bnt these men were wrong In th"r
calculations. Statements such as politics are in
corrigbly corrupt" and This city is governed better
than it deserves to be governed" and Magnificent
selfcontrol alone kept the authorities from using the
bludgeop on the municipalities critics." were the
declarations of highwaymeI.
DR.. Da Costa believed that this country was
destined 10 become better Ii had touched ite lowest
moral point and had begun TO rebound Tn" trouble
was that the people Ignored the character and teach
ing Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many men acknowl-
edged the divinity of Christ but they did not acknowl-
edge or accept His humanity. 10 them Jesus Christ
the son Of tod and Jesus Christ the carpenters son
were different persons They uampled upo' ChilSts
humanity. But appreciation and love o. the humanity
of Christ were necessary. God worried through human
agencies.
But DR.. Da Costa did not think much OF force IN an
agent of defence. The OF force past. the axe
OF reason WAS upon Us. Force a false defence
Historically. force failure. IL produced no
revolution in the kingdom OF thought france ana
Germany had engaged in war; but they were ready
TO spring again az anotler'> troats. Ihc war
had accomplished nothing. Again. force was over.
reaching itself. that ii must be dismissed Tor tat
rcasOu Inventions were making war 80 terrible mat
nations would not dare 10 hight with one another
Science making small nation strong a. a Big
one. But ply steal force was also false, because IL
did not apprccat that there was force superior 10
it, Real defence often found where least eN
pcctpd Our 5000 miles of deiencclcsS COAST hal
been called & danger But the mountains round abolt
Jerusalem defence might every mic Oh our
dcencelcsS coast boc0nie terror 20 Other countries
our exalted place among the nations was also dc-
fence our officers cried for greater Navy. owners
OF shipvards trenlblCd. but the people did not. a
small navy necessary, but not large one: 'hr>
tan statesmen called for additional steel cruisers anu
all that kind OF trash on July L.
They would better remember That the world moves
soon museums would be Necessary Tor the eNlEIitph
~ steel cruisers 10 show little this Nation knew
now Of the right kind Of defence lie Pnlhdciphd
had already performed IT. greatest work by giving
Measure 10 large number OF men on lis trial Trip
I'VE sholld not forget he TeVer the principle OF )dsucc
We should be just to Nicgn nations We
lust TO The men who saved this Union. The men who
went TO the front. who suffered all trials and trlbul-
tons. should AZ least receive reward Tor thclr
actions. There should be a service pension.