Democratic messenger., 1893-09-30


that it is not buster for Christ or that
its work is not better appreciated: Let
it come forth 1T that worlds jubilee OF
the nativity. We want n second Phidias
to do for that new temple what the frs;
Phidias did for tie Parthcnon. Let the
marble of Carrara come to resurrection
to celebrate our Lords resurrection. Let
scnlptors set up i'll that auditorium OF
Christ's celebration bas-relicf and intaglio
descriptive of the battles won for our
holy religion. Where are the Canovas
of the nineteenth century? Where are
the American Thorwaldsens and Chan.
trcys? Hidden somewhere. l warrant
you.
Let sculpture turn that place into an
other Acropolis, but more glorious by as
much rs our Christ is stronger than their
Hercules, and has more to do with the
SEA than their Neptune, and raises great
er harvests than their Ceres, and rouses
more music in the heart of the world
than their Apollo. "The gods of the
heather arc nothing but dumb idols, but
our Lord made the heavens" In marble
pure rs snow celebrate him who came
to make us whittier than snow." Let
the chisel as well rs pencil and pen be
put down Mt the feet of Jesus.
Yea, let painting do its best. The for
eign galleries will loan for such jubilee
their Madonnas. their Angeles. their
Rubens. their Raphaels. their Christ
at the Jordan" or Christ at the Last
Supper" or Christ Coming to Judg-
ment," or Christ on the Throne of Uni
versal Dominion" and our own Morans
will put their pencils into the nineteen
hundrcdth anniversary. and our Bier
stadts from sketching THE Domcs of the
| Yosemite" will come to present the
domcs of tho world conquered for I'm
manuel
! Added to all this would havo u floral
decoration on Il scale never cqualed. The
fields and open gardens could not fur
nish it, for it will bo winter, and that
season appropriately chc:en. for it was
! into the frosts and desolations of winter
| that Christ immigrated when no came
to our world. But while tho fields will
be bare. the conservatories and hot
houses within 200 miles would gladly
/ keep the sacred coliseum radiant and
aromatic during all the convocations.
Added to all let there be banqucts.
not like the drunken bout at the Metro
/ poli;an Opera House. New York, cele-
brating the centennial of Washington's
inauguration. where tho rivers Of wine
drowned tho sobricty OF so many SEN
a'ors and governors >nd generals. but n
banquet for tho 20. the feeding of
Sc res of Thousands of people Of world
il ':hich " majority If the inhabitants
h;.,c nev>r yet had enough to eat, not
n LanIIet at which few favored lnen
and women of social or political fortune
san sit, but such n banquet as Christ
ordered when he told his servants to ..go
out into tho highways and hedges and
compel them to come in" Let the may
ors of cities and the governors Of states
and the president of the United States
proclaim whole week of legal holiday
at least from Christmas day TO New
Years day.
Added to this lot there be mt that in
ternational moral and religious cxposi-
tion n mammoth distribution of sacred
literature. Let the leading ministers Of
religion from England. Scotland. Ire
land. France. Germany and the world
take the pulpits of all these cities and
tell what they know of him whose birth
we celebrate. At those conventions let
vast Sums Of money be raised for
churches, for asylums, for schools, for
colleges. all of which institutions were
born in the heart Of Christ On that
day and in that season when Christ gave
himself to the world let the world give
itself to him.
Why do propose America rs tho coun-
try for this convocation? Because most
other lan,ls have Il state religion, and
while I'll forms of religion may be toler-
atel in many lands Ancric:: il the only
country on earth where a:l evangelical
denominations stand on I'm even footing,
and all world have equal hearing in such
al international exposition. Why do |
select this cluster of seacoast cities:
AnswCr-Dy that timc-Dcc. -. 1900
these four cit.cs Of New York. Brock
lyn. Jersey City and IIoboien, by
bridges and tunnels. will be practically
one and with an aggregate population
of about G.e00.000. Consequently no
other part of America will ha:c such
immcnsi;y of population.
Why do l now make this nomination
cf timc and place? Answcr-Decause
such q stupcndous movement cannot be
extcmporizcl. 1t will take seven years
to get ready for such an overtowcring
speedily in churches. in colleges. in leg
islatures. in congresses. il pa.liaments,
in all styles of national as 'mblages. and
we have no time TO lose. 1t would take
three years To make Il programme wor-
thy of such !: coming together.
Why do l take il upon myself to make
such n nomination uf sine and place?
Answer-Bc Because it 70 happens that in
the mysterious providence of God. born
i'll farmhouse and OF no royal or prince
~ descent. the doors of communication
are open to me every week by the sec
ular and religious printing presses and
have been open To me every week for
many years. with all the cities and
towns and ncighborhuods of Christen-
dom. and indeed i'll lands outside of
Christendcm, where printing presses
have bee. established. and feel that if
there is anything worthy il this PROPOSE
tion it will be needed and adopted. On
the other hand. if il bc too s;inguine. or
80 hopeful. or too impractical, am sure
1t will do 10 harm that have expressed
my wisl for such an international lubi-
lee ccle. irativc Of the birth of our I'm
manuel.
My friends. such II birthday ccl,bra-
tiun ut tho close of one century and
reaching into Il new century would bc
something in which heaven and earth
could join. 1t would not only be inter
national. but intcrllanc.ary. interstel-
lar, interconstcllation. If you rcmem-
Der what occurred on the first Christmas
night, you know that it WAS not IA joy
confined TO our world The choir above
Bethlehem was imported from another