Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-23

OF the permanency of national institutions
Whenever men have grown cosmopolitan In
their ideas and have cared more for the
security of trade than for the standing OF the
nation and more for the filling of purses than
the purity of institutions nations have fallen
and tyranny has hourished. One OF the great
sources of England's vast power and un.
broken success has been the tremendous
conviction of the value, importance and
superiority of everything English that fills
the mind of the average Briton. We are
amused, and sometimes annoyed, at this
English assumption and pretension, but IT IL
Just because OF this quality OF the English
mind that the morning drum beat OF Great
Britain encircles the globe today and her
voice is always potent in the councils of the
nations.
Governmental institutions are not greatly
better than the men who frame them. A
patriotic people will, in the long run, work
out for itself "A strong, serviceable and fairly
well administered government. But no in
stitutlons, no matter how elaborate, will au-
tomatically work out desirable results. They
must depend for their efficiency upon the
quality OF the citizen ship that Is behind them.
The work fundamental to the success of all
good government is the laying of deep and
strong foundations of true patriotism in the
minds aud hearts OF the people. without be-
ing pessimistic, and without instituting any
comparison whatever, we must admit the
existence OF certain ills and dangers that
threaten our country's future. More immi-
grafton OF certain kinds than we can prompt
ly assimilate, widespread corruption and
intimidation OF the electorate, that constant
" increasing proportions OF the liquor lprob-
lem, the extent to which party politics take
the place of statesmanship in the councils of
the nation, all these and other things are so
many storm centers, each of them capable
of developing into a tornado OF most form
idable character. While IL is wise To treat
these ills specifically, I cannot help regard.
ing them as largely what our IN edical friends
would term symptomatic disturbances, and
however great the relief obtained by the
treatment of symptoms merely, IL Is always
desirable to address ourselves to the task of
building up the general health OF the patient.
| IL we can MI the American mind with a
sterling patriotism and an earnest desire TO
promote the true welfare of the country, n
patriotism that viii override all meaner con
| siderations and drive straight at the great
ends of national growth, as did the patriot
| ism which famed out so brightly in 81, we
shall soon find these questions in fair way
= toward solution.
| II is just in this field that the clergyman
| has one of his grandest opportunities for use
| fulness. His position and his equipment
| alike qualify him for large usefulness. His
| country needs his service. Shall they be
| witheld2 The question comes on the pro
| priety OF clerical service in this cause. Why
| should we look 10 the pulpit for leadership
l In this cause9 On the ground that every eff
| fort for the help and Improvement of men
has "A right to look for the active cooperation
| of the Christian church, Its ministry and its
| laity. 1t is the duty of the church to labor
for the social as well as the individual saliva
| ton of humanity, and II is the right OF n suf
fering humanity To demand that that labor be
| put forth. There is much objection to a
| political pulpit, and certainly partisan pull
| pit, pulpit devoted to the service and de
fence of some political organization, Is ex-
| tremely Objectionable, but pulpit devoted
| To patriotism, instructive rs to the higher
| ideals of national life and insistent as TO the
| sacred responsibilities of citizenship In the
hands of the citizens of free country Is
| neither Objectionable nor out of place.
| think am justified in saying that the church
does not exert an influence in the direction
| of making its members and hearers better
| citizens, and so make itself "A power for
| good in the political life of its community
| forfeits one of its chief claims TO the allegi.
| ence and support of the people.
| Not only so, but the State itself Is an insti-
| tuition of divine ordination for the accom-
| plishment of distinct high ends. II is one of
| the means that God has created whereby, as
| st. Paul says, men may seek the Lord, If
| they might feel after him and find him.
The national and religious lives of humanity
| are grOwths out of the same soil and from
| the same root. The State and church are
| bound to each other by indissoluble bonds
| and while neither should control the other
| or meddle with the details of the others AT
| fairs and administration, IL IL "A fundamental
| duty of a State 20 be religious and IA church
| to be patriotic. As long ~ there continues
| to be need OF patriotism the duty of cult
| waiting and inculcating il must lie upon the
| church, and here, as elsewhere, the pulpit
| must lead. If the religious forces of the
| country will arouse themselves and work
| together I'm this IA after il is possible to make
! every sunday school n nursery of patriots
| every church tower of strength for pure
| and devoted citizenship and every pulpit Il
| pillar of fire leading Gods people along tn,
| way to the full accomplishment of their di
| vinely ordained mission.
He was heartily applauded and was fol
lowed by Rev. DIR. ,. w. Fsunce, ID. ID.
ex-Gov. Davis, Judge Tillinghast, Mayor
Tiepke and others by remarks which
brought the evening to pleasant close.