Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-03-07

lists. and get your ordination, not by the
laying on of human hands, but by the
laying on of the hands of the Almighty.
To you is committed the precious repu-
tation of men and the more precious
our children an elevated literature.
Make sin appear disgusting md virtue
admirable. Believe good rather than
evil. While you how up the hypocri-
sizes of the church, show up the stu
pendous hypocrisies outside the church.
Be not, us some Of you are, the mere
echoes of public opinion; make public
opinion. Let the great roll on which
you write with q mans pen be q message
of light and liberty and kindness and
an awakening of moral power. But who
is sufficient for these things? Not one
Of you without divine help. But get
porters can go up and take this world
for God and the truth. The mightiest
opportunity in all the world for useful
ness to-day is open before editors and
reporters and publishers, whether of
knowledge on foot, as in the book, or
knowledge on the wing, as in the news
paper. I pray God, men of the news
paper press, whether you hear or re ad
TINS sermon.that you may rise up to our
full opportunity and that you may be
dlvinely helped and rescued and
blessed.
Some one might say to me: How
can you talk thus of the newspaper
press, when you yourself have sometimes
been unfairly treated and misrepre-
sented?' answer that in the oppor-
tunlty the newspaper press of this
country and other countries have given
me week by week TO preach the Gospel
TO the nations, l am put under SO much
obligation that I defy all editors and re-
porters, the world over, to write any
thing that shall call forth from me one
word of bitter retort from now till tho
day of my death. My opinion is, that
all reformers and religious teachers, in
stead of spending so much time and
energy IN denouncing the press. had
better spend more time in thanking
them for what they have done for the
worlds intelligence and declaring their
MAGNIFICENT opportunity md urging
their employment of it all forbenefcent
and righteous purposes.
Again, remark that Henry W. Grady
stood for Christian patriotism prospect
i've of political spoils. He declined
all official reward. He could have been
Governor of Georgia, but refused it.
He could have been Senator of the
United States, but declined it. He re-
manned plain Mr.. Grady. Nearly allthe
other orators of the political arena, as
soon as the elections are over, 90 to
W~ashlneton' or Albany, or Harrisburg,
or Atlanta, to get in city or State or ma.
tional office reward for their services.
and not getting what they want spend
the rest of the time of that administra-
ton IN pouting about the management
OF public affairs or cursing Harrison or
cleveland. When the great political
campaigns were over Mr.. Grady went
home to his newspaper. He lemon
strated that it is possible to toll for
principles which he thought to be right,
simply because they We're right. Chris
tlan patriotism is too rare q commodity
IN this country. Surely the 10y of liy-
ing under such free institutions as those
established here ought to be enough re-
ward for political fidelity. Among all
the great writer's that stood at the last
presidential election on Democratic and
Republican platforms, you cannot recall
IN your mind ten who were not them
selves looking for remunerative APP
polntments. Aye, you can count them
all on the fingers of one hand. The
most Industrious specimen of that style
OF man for the last ten years was Henry
W. Grady.
Again, Mr.. Grady stood for the new
south and was Just what we want to
meet three other men, one to speak for
the new north. another for the new east
and another for the new west. The
brayest speech made for the last quar-
ter OF a century was that made by Mr..
Grady at the New England dinner in
New York two or three years ago.. 1 sat
with him that evening and know some
thing of his anxieties, for he was to
tread on dangerous ground and might
by one misspoken word nave antagon-
lied forever both sections. His speech
was a victory that thrilled all of us who
heard him and all who read him. That
speech, great for wisdom, great for
Kindness. great for pacitication, great
for bravery. will go down to generations
with Webster's speech at Bunker Hill,
William Wlrts speech at the arraien-
ment of Aaron Burr, Edmund Burke's
speech on Warren Hastings, Robert
Emmets speech for his own vindica-
ton.
Who will in conspicuous action rep
resent the new north as he did the new
south?Who shall come forth for the new
east and who for the new west? Let old
political issues be buried. let old
grudges die. Let new theories be
launched. With the coming in of a pew
nation at the gates at Castle Garden
every year, and the wheat bin and corn
crib of our land enlarged with every
harvest, and a vast multitude of our
population still plunged in illiteracy to
be educated, andmoral questions abroad
involving the very existence Of our Re-
public, let the old political platforms
that are worm eaten be dropped and
platforms that shall be made of two
planks, the one the Ten Commandments
and the other the Sermon on the Mount,
lifted for all of us to stand on. But
there is a lot of old politicians grum-
bling all around the sky who don't want
q new south, a new north. a new east, or
a new west. They have some old war
speeches that they prepared in 1861,
that in all our autumnal elections they
feel called upon to infict upon the
country. They growl louder and louded
in proportion as they are pushed back
further and further and the Henry W.
Gradys come to the front. Butthe mar
date, L think, has gone forth from tie
throne of God that a new American nl-
ton shall take the place of the old ard
the new has been baptized for God and
liberty and justice and peace and moral
ity and religion.