Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-12-16
(Fromithe baltimore Sun.l
A Blessed Nation.
A STRIKING COMPARISON BETWEEN AMER
ICA AND OTHER LANDS.

W
IcA AND OTHER LANDS.
Rev. G George Crrrie, rector of Christ
Protestant Episcopal Church In Baltimore,
Thanksgiving day. preached to largo con
gregation on "a Blessed Nation" telling
Of Americas great advantages over other
lands. "Ne.er siuce human history be-
gan, I" he said, "has so large a nation, speak
Ling one tongue aud havipg oBe life, been
gathered together in land so rich and ia.
vored. say this in no spirit of vulgar
boastfulness, bat ra.her in spirit of solem
nifty and fear. The empire of Nebuchad
ntzzlr or Of Cyrus was the greatest Of re
mote antiquity. 1t was actually insignificant
10 comparison with tie extent snd resources
If the United States, and with one excep
tion, all modern naiions are likewise i
sigriicaut. Take five ont of the six frat
class powers of Europe Geeat Britain and
Ireland, France, Germany, Austria apd
Itaiy-add to these Spain, Portugal, Den
mark. Switzerland aud Greece, and ws-e
they all welded into single kingdom, that
enormous empire could be deposited three
times over in that portion of the United
States west of the Hudson river. This ter
rtory is actually capable of sustaining
population of a thousand million of human
souls. Onr gold is one half of the gold Of
could supply the world with iron.
"What country is this! But mind ia |
more than matter. The unmaterial adyar.
tages and endowmeu.s bestowed on this |
land by our Heavenly Father are even more !
significant than it's material wealth. Other
civilized States are to-day ringing with the |
tramp of armed men. If our situation re-
semblsd theirs, the banks of the Potomac,
the Chesapeake, the Mississippi and the
Ohio would be lined with forts, the bound
aries of our States would be pace d by SEN
tneis, ard the labor cf the land would be
drawn upon to support the ap-
paratus of war.
"On the contrary we bask in the sunshine
of uubf6ken public peace. True, our land,
both North and South, Is not without its
soldiers graves. We carry forward with
Us into the future the memory of tens of
Of sufferers for the ideal destiny
Of their country. Though practical ma.
ion as We are called, no psople on earth
have suffered more for patriotic ideals; yet,
hanks be to God, we have left suffering be-
hind US now and good has come out Of it,
AL, not evil. Next to the peace whose
has been sealed in blood is our
heritage Of freedom, which, like bodily
health or the air itself, is the necessary
vi 'iS sLo siOWeh hihh VI
oihsr countries, Turkey, for example; above
all, of Russia. Think of country whose
public press, whose newspapers and reviews
throughout the empire continually advocate
The raising of army taxes, the systematic
logging of the peasautry; which say that
famine or no famine, the taxes must be
paid. No less than thirty districts of Rus
sia are today. We are told, on the edge of
which means that population
half that of cur own country is in dire dis
tress.
''We are all more or less given to grum
bling about the condition of things at home
and spend good deal of breath in CRITICS
ing this and that. 1t is true enough that
vigilance is the price of liberty; but in the
uame of decent gratitude let us value and
teach our children to value-or rather let Us
principles, institutions and
liberties of our own country, What a glori-
Gus picture it is, to be sure. When l zee
the vast resources of wealth piled up, so to
speak, apd its wide acres; when l see the
waviog-@ fE4ds' of grain, that after feeding
our own people are the grana,es of Europe
besides, the whole shining in the sweetness
snd light of peace. the glad. proud freedom
over all, and the com Portable homes of the
masses, is fills me with sort of solemnity
and fear, lest, unfaithful to our steward
ship, We should forget the Lord our God,
and the government of the Divine Son who
las given us this inheritance to enjoy"