Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-14
DR.. GUNSAULUS.
An Able and Eloquent Lecture at the
Opera House Last Night.

Opera House Last Night.
1t speaks well for the literary tenden-
cies of the city that such large audi
ence-one that almost filed the Opera
House-greeted the gifted divine, Rev.
+. w. Gunsaulus, of Chicago, last
evening, as one of the chief attractions
in the Y. NJ. C. A. course OF winter en-
tertainments. The subject Of the lee
ture was "A Chapter in the History OF
Liberty" and with words of power and
eloquence the speaker held his audience
as in spell. DR.. Gunsaulus is A
speaker who. looks in earnest.
His deeply penetrating eyes flashed
with vlgor and fervor and his word
painting was beautifully impressive. He
looked the ideal orator. His black coat
was buttoned from top TO bottom and
his pale face and white, graceful hands
seemed all the more intense in their
color when compared with his black
and glossy hair. Every movement he made
was TO emphasize some point and many
times during his lecture the immense au-
dience applauded heartily and vigor-
onsly, so deep down In their hearts and
so straight to the mark did the speaker
send his words. The substance Of his
remarks are given in brief.
When Louis Kossuth was in America
he was told that Faneuil Hall in Boston
was the Cradle Of Liberty" He instant.
ly replied, "Cradle of liberty. that sayors
Of old age, that hints that liberty may
SOME DAY GROW OLD
and die. No, Liberty is immortal, and is
eternal as the throne of God. KOssuth' 5
criticism is aimed at all nations of liberty
which do not see that Liberty has its orr
gin in the purpose of heaven, and its era
die is the human soul. John Stuart Mills
had like conception in spite Of his oOiec-
tion, TO what most OF US except as pure
Christianity For having finished his book
on Liberty, he told the husband Of George
Elliott that ii was impossible to write the
story of Freedom without beginning with
the scene where the Gallilean pheasant.
Jesus of Nazareth, perished on the cross.
What are the great ideas which were
gathered together for the first time and
made TO constitute our new energies in the
worlds history at the cross! What were
the new conceptions of power on earth and
in heaven, which then for the first time as
sociated themselves for an everlasting tri-
umph.
First-a new conception of aristocracy-
its worth and its worthlessness. This has
its finest utterances in Jonn the Baptist,
who was one of the greatest of political
thinkers, born revolutionist Of the type
of Samuel Adams. Men attempted 10
FORCE UPON HIM
the recollection of the past, and the mem
ory of its great men. He fully appreciated
them, but he felt that the past did not hold
the golden age II lay In the future. Abra-
ham represented the finest aristocracy
The world began with the aristocracy OF
the brute, the aristocracy Of muscle; then
came the aristocracy of what muscle
could do 10 hold it. IL survives in modern
times as the aristocracy Of cash. If Bos-
ton sends her chief citizen, Mr.. Sullivan,
to Congress and the colleges continue to
make base ball, foot ball and tennis second
ary to their studies, this old time aristocra-
cy, regret TO say, may yet be revived.
Next came the aristocracy of family be-
cause property could descend along the
avenues of blood. Then came the arist0c-
racy of brain. The last and greatest aris-
tocracy is that Of character and conscience.
Abraham's aristOcracy was OF the grandest
sort, but John knew that one Of the best
services which ever Abraham can perform,
having lived is TO die, and that the value of
such a man lies in the fact that he
makes a greater and
BROADER MANHOOD
possible. Christ stood for the true aristOc-
racy The political aristOcracy OF his time
sent spear into his side after the religious
of his time had put him upon
the cross.
The speaker next worked out the idea Of
the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood
of man. Before Christ came the concep-
ton of the Divine Faith bad taken its
place in the human mind But the idea of
human brotherhood had not touched the
thought of the leaders of humanity. Christ
saw that the deepest stream in human
nature was the stream called prayer; that
il He We're 10 influence strongly the poll
tics of the future, He must put into mems
prayers new conception of power-the
power that rules. So He said when we
pray say, "Our Father" Man can pray
''Mu Father and be individual in his life
and hope. When he prays .''oT Father
he becomes social and includes the great,
is monarchy; "OiT Father is democracy.
The third point made by the speaker was
a new conception of liberty. The worlds
institutions of politics and religion
HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED
largely upon the idea that liberty was a
gratuity and concession. The result was
that crowns, kings and despots held free
dom in fee simple, and doled 1t out as they
thought proper. Here came man who
said: "Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free Man must
achieve liberty by acting truth.
The fourth idea worked out by the
speaker was that institution exists
for the sake of humanity, and
that humanity does not exist for the
sake OF Institutions. The next and fifth
idea worked out by the speaker was that
Of the equality of all men before any just
Not until the Cross came in
sight was the idea OF equality Of all men
before the highest law living one before
the world. These five ideas are like five
fingers on an omnipotent hand. Their
grasp crushes despotism and protects pop
ular government.