The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-11-27

wealthy few generations ago. This good
,s ,woaS VIII 90 on until comparative equal,
% vi fortune Is established. This will
oonle py evoution.-or by revelation.
~. dalton came next to the question,
Law, lave We degenerated mentally? You hear
nass mscn, ne said, Of the blgotry and narrow.
noss OF the Puritans. But they established
. oomnOn school for every 80 families and
Ths.a hs.ammar school for every 100 families.
@ anen followed Harvard college. Our COM
na,1oo nvl scnools are 50 good that the European
hatVns nave followed our example, Eng
h tand last Of all. Germany established
d. aun system when ground in the
Ss SSuss Dy the might Of Napoleon, by the la
DvLs VI great minister who saw that edu-
Sa.inn was the only means of restoring the
aalion 70 Its place. Germany's system Is
% uson better than ours. We have had too
taocn, aacn mere head education and too little
S Stecanlcal education. The Europeans will
Ttt psat US In the trades II we are not careful
nHetsiiy extension Is hopeful move
ao ment tnat has been underway In Europe
~ years and Is extending here. The theo-
~ VI tnls system Is that to everyone should
pe opened the opportunity of knowing the
poss, Doss 70 oe Known. 1t is system of great
we may not have had so many great schoi-
Sls Sn as foreign countries; but there have
veen good number Of learned men in
america. Here DIR. Dalton referred to the
iato Dr. Hill as great scholar, the dear
taeParted man whose death we all deplore
Dr. Dalton then,came to the last mint
our position with reference to morality and
IeIglon, as compared with the positions OF
otner people. He quoted Agassiz's refer
ence TO the general honesty OF our people.
as observed by that distinguished man who
knew well the people Of continental Eu-
rope. and considered our people superior to
tnem In honesty. The speaker then re-
lerred to our honesty as our nation, our
rapid and scrupulously just payment Of
our national debt, the splendid credit of
the national government, aud the fate that
befell popular soldier who tried to run
for the Presidency upon platform which
advocated the payment Of our for
eign obligations In depreciated cur
were more moral In this respect.
In our family life we are also more moral
than foreign nations, although In this lay
10 us peril greater than that from the
evils OF intemperance. Down to this time
such purity Of family life had never been
known In any nation as that OF the people
OF New England. But there has OF late
been great change in this respect; and
tnere are those, who, under provence Of
claiming greater freedom for woman
would lead her to obstruction. No great
people ever grew up who did not spring
from pure homes.
Lastly DIR. Dalton spoke Of our religious
status. Attacks upon religion like those
made by Tom Paine are no longer made.
ln their place had come dissent by many
wht do not belieye In miracles, and who,
Dy the progress Of scientific investigation,
have been led to doubt some points OF the
scriptures. This difficulty Is an intellec-
tual one, and we cannot help 1t. This Is
an age OF transitions. But these symptoms
do not necessarily signify decadence of
religion among us.
The speaker thought rather that the
religious condition OF the people was
better than ever. There was more frateI-
nifty among different denominations. The
attitude OF the other denominations regard
them more fayorably. There was time
when many Pr0testants in this city be-
lieved that the Catholic church taught i'm
conceded that the Catholics are doing good
In this city and that It would be worse
place without them. There never
Will be any trouble be-
tween Protestants and Catholics
unless some rash demagogue should lead
the latter in an assault upon the common
schools.
DR.. Dalton referred to the bitter contro-
yersy that in times past had existed between
the First Parish (Unitarian) and the
Second Parish Congregationallst) and
compared it with the present service
where the successor of the beloved DIR.
Hill officiated in the Second Parish pulpit.
The live question today was whether the
Scriptures are inspired. In this controv-
ersy Is the question going against us? No.
The progress Of education and learning Is
not shaking the old belief. DIR. Hill, who
had just died, was the most learned man
IN Maine. Did his learning make him lose
faith Il have haard him say repeatedly"
said DIR. Dalton, that he believed in the
miracles and In the Inspiration Of the
scriptures" There was DIR. Carruthers,
eulogized by our distinguished ex.Speaker
as always in his mind as the ''model Of a
Christian minister" He held to the old
belief. There was also DIR. Peabody, the
patriarch Of Harvard College, Phillips
Brooks, first scholar OF Massachusetts now
that Lowell is dead, Bishop Simpson and
DR.. Storrs-all examples of high intellect
firm in the old faith.
At the close of DR.. Dalton's remarks,
Rev. Mr.. Wright gave out the last hymn,
my Country, tits of thee"