Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-06-15
Memorial Day sermon at Rochester.


square miles of territory, with every varie-
ty of climate, soil and mineral products.
Numerous great rivers naVigable for hun
dreds, some for thousands, of miles inter-
sect it and furnish cheap and speedy trans
portation for the products of the soil
Here is a land capable of producing grain
enough 10 feed the world, cotton enough
to clothe the races, coal and oil sufficient
to heat and light the habitations Of men,
iron to furnish the workshops OF the
world, gold and silver sufficient to fill the
Golfers of all nations. Here is the materi-
al foundation on which may be reared the
very highest civilization attainable by
men. And the earth has not such anoth-
er.
1 The philosopher, Buckle, wrote his his
/ tory of civilization on the theory that
character is the result of outward circum-
stances. Soil, food and climate could ac-
count, so he believed for all the variations
between races and nations even the most
diverse. He measured civilization by iso-
therms and gave the sun-the material
god OF ancient faith-credit for shaping
the destiny OF the earth's inhabitants.
According to his theory. the dwarfed Es-
quimau, the huge Patagonian, the slug
gish Mexican, the shrewd and quick-wit-
ted Yankee are natural products of their
environments.
Now, without going to extremes in this
matter, as Buckle did, it is perfectly plain
to us that there is some truth in this theo-
nv; part at least is founded on facts We
all know that climate and soil nightly
affect peoples life. The Bedouin on the
plains OF Arabia must necessarily be a
rover: the sterility of the soil compels
him 10 wander from place to place in
search of pasture for his flocks. The peo-
pie who inhabit the islands OF the Adri-
attic must needs be sailors. The Esqui-
mau must be q hunter; the circumstances
OF his life force such vocation upon
him. These and similar instances, which
might be named, are facts which no one
can deny, and although they do not war
rant US in saying that character IS the re-
suit of outward conditions. yet they do
force US 10 admit that sun and soil pow
eTiully affect q peoples life. II must be /
apparent to al that the same forces, the |
valor, the prudence, the virtue, which 1
build up a fiourishing civilization on a
fertile territory, would utterly fail to ac
complish anything Of the kind on des- |
ert. suppose that Buckle would have US /
believe that the people Of the United States |
were elected and predestned to demo- |
cratic equality and universal freedom be-
cause they live betweel the twenty-fifth |
and forty-ninth parallels of north latitude
on continent three thousand miles wide, |
which is unified BY network OF mighty
rivers.
The genius Of the American people is /
nothing that has grown up out OF the soil. /
Our love OF freedom is not an inspiration /
that has travelled down 10 us from the sun;
but the extent OF our acres, rich with dis
similar products, indented by beauteous
bays and commodious harbors, and irri-
gated by majestic streams, furnishes the
conditions favorable to the de-
of magnificent civilization.
Surely q land SO favored by nature, with
a virgin soil fruitful with abundant har
vests, exempt from the feuds OF past CEN
turtles and populated By free, intelligent
and contented people, has great mission
to fulfil.
Its contribution to the material pros
perity Of mankind and TO the worlds
stock OF heroic and immortal thought
must be something very great.
IL has been America mission to redeem
its children from the thraldom OF that old
tyrant, Poverty who for ages held his
scepter with firm hand and managed to
sway II with commanding power over the
nations, over all except proud and haugh
ty aristocracy whose numbers were few and
" hose wealth was jealousy guarded by
laws of primogeniture and entail.
The colonization aud development 81
America broke that selfish rule Of the few
and gave the masses, for the first time in
an opportunity TO win for them
selves a competence and place in the re-
gard Of the world.
This land, in its primeval state, had no
attractions for the pleasure monger of
Europe. whose blood had become effete
through dissipation. It's invitation was
,nly to men OF nerve and muscle, men of
virtue and industry. Consequent
v, America began its career with the best
and womanhood that the Old
World could furnish. True, there was
work to do before riches could be gained; !
,ut the land promised 10 reward the toll !
IND To- ~ nj material daNal- 1
,pm1t and prosperity opened to man,
vhidN could not be directed by any arts ;
ocracy save that composed OF Natures |
loblemen.
The development OF our hemisphere's !
ichDess was sure TO prove fatal TO the old /,
otion which arose out OF Eastern dark I
less, that matter is evil and riches an !
in the sight OF the Lord. God
reated man in his own image ana COM
handed him to subdue the earth and have
ominion over it, and il has been in ODE
fence to this command that the American !
eople have developed on so grand scale .
he vast and varied resources of this con- :
inent. The material prosperity which
our people is one of the first a
equisites to the stability of great repuO- .
c and II rebounds to our glory and not &
) our shame. Wealth is a magnificent U
lessing and is indispensable to civiliza-
ION. The hypocrisy that affects to de-
plSe IL Is as Oulous a. TUE CoTTupliOnS 10
hitch it sometimes leads.
The old monkish theory taught that
here was natural hostility between P
ealth and virtue; ii pointed to the rich
ian as a son OF perdition. n
The minister who should discourse from
ne of our pulpits on the blessings of pow
-ty would be considered un-American. <
e would be looked upon by all sensible
nd energetic men as fossil belonging to m
ne dark ages and to an effete civilization. 81
am not unmindful OF the fact that ii
lere are some evils arising from the pow p'
which great wealth creates, out he must /.
E blind who cannot see that the remedy b.
,r these ills is not less wealth, but more b.
ealth in more hands. Just in proportion
wealth IS created and distributed, the W
sngers arising from its abuse are de- ST
'eased. Let the majority of the people of
~ land win for themselves a competence
"a the government of that land is safe.
The American people are AS a rule above -.
Dverty, and / see in the fact guarantee VI
the perpetuity of our institutions. ,
iaicp Vyh 7 look nnnn the homes NJ hur Ia