The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-23
TEN PLAQUES OF EGYPT.
SIMILAR CURSES THAT AFFLICT
THE CITIES OF TO-DAY.

Inc Last ana TIE 1lESN DOEu 1Os-
smitten by the Modern Afhiction-
The Gambling Evl - Thousands
Stolen to Crafty the Passion 10 Get
something for Nothing.
NEW YoRK, Feb. ga decided sensa-
ton was produced in this city and in Brook
lyn to-day by Dr. Talmage's announcement
of a series of sermons which he proposes to
preach on The Ten Plaques Of These Three
Cities" In this sermon, which is the hrst
of the series, he pays his attention 70 the
prevalent curse of gambling. He preached
il in the Academy Of Music in Brooklyn, in
the morning, and again this evening at The
Christidn Herald service in this city. His
text was taken from Exoduse {: Is, a: LET
my people 90 that they may serve me; for
/ will at this time send all my plaques
Last winter in the museum at Cairo,
Egypt, saw the mummy OF embalmed body
of Pharaoh, the oppressor of the ancient Is
raelites. Visible are the very teeth that be
CRASHED against the Israelitish brickma kers,
the sockets Of the merciles' eyes with which
he looked upon the overburdened people Of
God the hair that hoated in the breeze OF
the Red Sea, the very lips with which he
commanded them 20 make bricks without
straw. Thousands of years after, when the
wrappings of the mummy were unroued,
old Pharaoh lifted up his arm as II in im~
plorauon, but his skinny bones cannot
again clutch his shattered scepter.
Il was to compel that tyrant
to let the oppressed go free
that be memorable Ten PLACES were sent
Sailing the Nile and walking amid the
ruins Of Egyptian cities saw no remains Of
those plaques that smote the water or the
air. None Of the frogs croaked in the one,
none of the locusts sounded their rattle in
the other and the cattle bore no sign Of the
murrain, and through the starry nights
lowering about the pyramids no destroying
angel swept his wing. But there are ten
plaques sill singing and befouhng and
cursing our cities, and like angels Of wrath
shifting not only the first born but the last
born.
Brooklyn, New York and Jersey City.
though called three, are practically one.
The bridge already fastening two Of them
together will be followed by other bridges
and by tunnels from both New Jersey and
Long Island shores, until what is true now
will, as the years 20 by, become more
emphatically true. The average condition
Of public morals in this cluster Of cities is as
good, If not better. than in any other part
OF the world. Pride Of city is natural to
men, in all times, If they live
or have lived in metropolis
noted for dignity or proves Cesar
boasted Of his native Rome; Lycurgus Of
Sparta; Virgil of Andes; Demostheues of
Athens; Archimedes OF Syracuse; and Paul
of Tarsus. / should suspect q man Of base
heartedness who carried about with him no
feeling of complacency in regard to the
place of his residence; who gloried not in its
arts or arms, or behavior; who looked with
no exultation upon its evidences Of prosper
ity, its artistic embellishments, and its
scientific attainments.
have noticed that men never like place
where they have not behaved well. Men
who have free rides in prison vans never
like the city that furnishes the vehicle.
When l see in history Argos, Rhodes,
Smyrna, Chios, Colophon, and several,other
cities claiming Homer, l conclude that
Homer behaved well Let us not war
against this pride of city nor expect TO build
up ourselves by pulling Others down. Let
Boston have its commons, it's Faneuil hall,
and its magnificent scientific and sduca-
tional institutions. Let Philadelphia talk
about its mint. and Independence hall. and
GiTard College, and its old fami-
lies, es virtuous as venerable. When
/ find man living in one of those places,
who has nothing to saw in favor Of them, 1
feel like asking him, "What mean thing
did you, that you do not like your native
cityr New York is a good city, and. when
say that, l mean the region between Spuy-
tea Duyvii creek and Jamaica in one direc-
ton, and Newark flats in the other direc-
ton. That which tends to elevate a part
elevates all. That which blasts part, blasts
all Sin is giant; aud he comes TO the
hudson or Connecticut river, and passes it,
as easily as we step across q figure in the
carpet The blessing of God is an angel !;
and when it stretches out its two wings,
one of them hovers over that and the other
over this
L. "a 49, lie IL
down by the banks of the Hudson. Its in
fancy was as feeble as that of Moses. sleep
ing IN the bulrushes by the Nile; and, like
Miriam, there our fathers stood and watched
il. The royal spirit OF our American COM
merce came down TO the water to battle:
and there she found it. She took it in her
arms, and the child grew and waxed strong /;
aud the ships of foreign lands brought gold
and spices TO its feet; aud stretching itself
NJ into the proportions of metropolis. it has
looked up TO the mountains and off upon
the sea-the mightiest of the energies of
American civilization. The character of
the founder Of city will be seen for many
years in its inhabitants. Romulus I'M
pressed his life upon Rome. The Pilgrims
relaxed not their hold upon the cities of
New England. William Penn has left
Philadelphia an inheritance of integrity and
fair dealing; aud on any day in that city
you may see in the manners, customs and
principles OF the people, bis tastes. bis coat,
his hat, his wifeis bonnet, and his plain
meeting house. The Hollanders still WELD
an influence over New York
Grand old New York. What southern
thoroughfare was ever smitten by pestilence
when our physicians did not throw them
selves upon the sacrifice! What distant
land has cried out in the agony of famine,
and our ships have not put out with bread
stuffsl What street in Damascus or Bey-
rout or Madras that has not heard the step
Of our missionaries What struggle for
national life in which our citizens have not
poured their blood into the trenches
What gallery of exquisite art in
which our painters have not hung
their picturesl What department
of literature or science to which
our scholars have not contributed! l need
not speak of our public schools, where the
children of the cordwalner, and milkman.
and glassblower stand by the side of the
fattered sons Of merchant princes; or of the
insane assylums on all these islands,
where they who went cutting themselves,
among the tombg, now sit, clothed and in
their right minds or OF the Magdalen asy-
lums, where the lost one Of the street comes
10 battle the Savior's feet with her tears,
and wipe them with the hairs of her head
conhding IN the pardon OF
him who said: LET him who
Is without sin cast the first stone
at her." need not speak Of the institu-