Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-26

promise has never been broken. II there has
been shortage of the crop in one part of the
world there has been superintendent crop in
another part Here the speaker referred TO
Gods preserving care of the-nation from pest-
lence and war. Eourthly, he said, Christians
are called upon to thank God even in times of
adversity and affection, and. a. illustration,
used Job, Old Testament, 1T is easier to bless the
hand that gives than the hand that takes" but
let us also remember that the same hand that
takes also gives.
The doctor concluded by referring to Gods
great unspeakable gift of a Saviour TO the world.
HONOR TO THE FLAG.
Rev. Frank Sewan breaches . Sermon on
Loyalty.
The Rev. Frank Sewall, at the Church Of the
Holy City, Dupont circle, chose for his Thanks
giving day theme the need Of the American ma
tional spirit and how to cultivate it. Taking for
his text the words, IF 1 forget thee, o Jerusa-
lem, let MY right hand forget its cunning" he
proceeded to speak of the love of country
next in importance a. an element Of character
to love to God.
People with no country ties lack always the
proud inspiring motives of living for something
outside Of themselves and they lack the delight
that comes Of feeling oneself part Of a larger
life. The whole spiritual community Of souls
picted as a country and loyalty to God has its
truest type in loyalty to ones native land.
Render unto Caesar the things that are
C@sars and unto God the things that
are Gods is our Lords word to those who
would betray Him into some expression Of con-
tempt for nationality in the face Of Gods
wider claim on mankind; as If to say that each
is necessary to the other; that no man can be
truly loyal to God who is not loyal to his
country nor truly loyal to his country who is
not loyal to God"
LESSONS OF HISTORY.
Among the means of STRENGTHENING the ns-
tional sentiment among ourselves may be men,
toned the study of our own national history,
the gathering and preserving of monuments
and rites of interest and the preserving Of local
records; cornmemorating by monuments and
anniversaries the great heroes OF our nations
career; the organization of such societies as
the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution;
the familiarizing OF your youth with the
gems of an American patriotic literature, such
as the poems of Longfellow and Lowell and the
speeches of Webster and Clay and Everett.
Probably no man in the country has this senti-
ment and the need of cultivating it more
deeply at heart than the present President of
the United States. and it becomes all truly loyal
Americans t. favor and second the worthy
efforts he is making in this direction. No one
could have heard his addresses to the people of
the various states of the Union his visit the
south and the Pacific without feeling that the
speeches came from and appealed to a senti-
ment wider than that of any single state OF Sec
ional or party interest He spoke Of the chief
OF a great people devoted to their common
service and was listened to with the respect
and love which individuals owe to the nations
calls us together today there is the voice OF a
heart warm with the glow of a true national
spirit The President reminds every Ameri-
can citizen of the duty of thanksgiving to
God for the preservation of those institu-
tions of civil and religious liberty which He
gave our fathers the wisdom to devise and es-
tablish and us the courage to preserve" May
We not send up with our Thanksgiving prayer
to God that He will still give us courage
to preserve this precious heritage of
the past; that in the sordid love of
OF wealth and the glorying in material pros
perity we do not forget the high ideals and
sterling virtues that formed the basis of our
life as a republic, and that alone can make our
nation great In other senses than in extent and
population. May We not forget that peace
than war; that a listless, selfish indiffer-
ence TO- the purity of our legis-
lation and the abandonment of the reins of
government to bad men whose business it is to
thrive on our negligence, and our tacit con-
sent to the principle that private interest is
the only means OF securing any public measure,
that this is the secret enemy in our midst
1t has been a faint among the older nations
whose national spiri. has been cultivated by
the bloody wars, labors and other sacrifices Of
many centuries that America has not true ma
tlonallty and hence can have no national spirit
no patriotism in true sense; that we are a
mere accidental gathering of adventures
from other nations engaged in a
common scramble for wealth and cultivating
politics as a means Of making money; that no
man knows anything about love, veneration or
devotion to the nation as a unit, to
the common good. common glory;
that our career has been too short
our population too diversified and our
aims too selfish to allow for the growth of any
high national ideals, any patriotism in the true
old sense The war of the rebellion did some
thing to remove this impression. But that is
getting to be q thing of the past. How can We
best disprove the truth of such a charge as APP
plying to the present time? Grand Army en-
campments, worlds fairs, an increased navy,
are all useful in their way, but the trouble is
they are like formal parades, gotten up for
occasions, and are not the spontaneous express
sion Of everyday sentiment
THE PATRIOTISM THAT THRILLS
What we want is that constant love of country
and zeal for her honor and good name that
would make our hearts thrill every day at the
sight of our national emblems, that would
prompt U.S. following cur Presidents dignifed
example, to stand up when our national anthem
is played, and that our national flag should be
decoration; that it means a call to every youth
aud every citizen of the country for loyal
service in time Of peace no less than in time of
war.
1t is regulation on board the ships of our
navy that the flag on being lowered is never
allowed to touch the deck. So should it be
with our patriotism, of which the flag is the
glorious symbol II should never be allowed
to touch the ground Of sordid, mean and mar
row sentiments. We should never think of our
country as a means of our private advancement
or gain, but of our country as the neighbor
God has given us to serve and to honor our
selves in serving
An idea seems to have prevailed among us
Americans that unless we have a great war on
hand or are celebrating the memories Of a war
we do not need any patriotic spirit. or that it
is enough if when the country wants soldiers
there shall be a big army forthcoming, and
that meanwhile we have only to forget that we
are q nation and think of ourselves only as SO
many individuals, each striving to push his own
interests to the utmost, and to spare as little
time and trouble as possible for any common
national necessities.
THE ARMIES OF PEACE
In the same way were we not coming to look