Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-28


posed of Mrs. William S. Gibson, soprano;
Miss Matte E. Gray. alto; A. Jay Marsh,
| tenor, and William L. Wilson, bass, with
Prof. Wilbur Fisk Dales, organist, rendered
excellent music. An offering was taken for
the Methodist Home Rev. Hugh Johnston,
DID, pastor, delivered an interesting SER
mon, the theme being "a Goodly Heritage" +"
the words being taken, the preacher said,
from what is known as the Golden Psalm
THE text is appropriate" he said, ito
this Thanksgiving day, when, at the call of
the President of the United States, we meet
together to extol the love and care of our
Heavenly Father throughout the year.
Surely, we cannot but feel the Importance of
this AS a governmental recognition of God.
We are Christian people, and civil govern
ment never puts on holier veStments than
when, interpreting the deepest convictions
of the people, it steps forth in the person of
its chief executive and sets apart a day of
thanksgiving and praise to the giver of
every good and perfect gift 1t is a goodly
custom-ths national feast, and clearly mir
rors our national character. To our old
saxon ancestors feast was a coarse and
drunken revelry. The highest festivals of
Greece were the Olympic celebrations; the
roman holiday was in the amphitheater;
but here nation finds it's chief joy in family
reunions. in gifts to the poor and in graft
tude to Him who daily ioadeth us with bene-
hts What throngs of mercies rise before
us.
Individual and General.
Il. There are our individual blessings A
nation is but the aggregate of individuals
This day is for personal gratitude. AS the
ocean tide, yelling up and flowing ill., fills
every rive and stream to the brim, so let
the high tide of emotion and praise fill all
the channels of our being
- There S the heritage of home mercies
Ihe Tha lksgiVing dinner brings together
fa
OF us cannot join in these family reunions
but along the lires of memory, swfter than
Hy1hg train or telegraphic message, the
wings of imagina ton bear US to the loved
above Home. home. sweet sweet home'
j. There is the heritage of religious bless
inSS. The proclamation of the President
calls US to assemble IN our accustomed
places of worship. About cne-third of our
population-2t. oo0, ,0C0-are Christian beliey-
ers, and of these over 100000 members OF
Protestant churches. AS NIethodis:s we
have reason for thanksgiving. The little
company of six has in a century and a
quarter grown to FIVE millions of communi-
cants, with 100000 under Its teaching and
influence. Great will be our condemna ton
II II we prove unfaithful to our trust. re-
igious and well-instructed people is the
best preservative of a nations greatness
- This brings us to our goodly national
heritage. Patriotism is noble sentiment
next to that of piety. If the Jews were
Gods ancient people, surely We are his
modern people. Think of this country four
times as large China. larger than the
continent of Europe, with its exhaustless re-
sources, its agricultural and mineral prod
ucts, with its mountains and valleys and
wide-sWeeping praries to be troddcn by the
free-born feet of millions; ard if that is not
enough to kirdle national pride and make
lne bic Cd stir in the veins, / know not what
will. Occupying the belt of power-the
magic zone between the Both and 5Oth par
allels-the sentinel angel from the watch
tower of the skies never saw before a spec
t;ot, t.,
mass, extending from ocean to ocean, with
an invigorating climate. an overwhelming Z
commerce, ana care er of progress unpar-
aIielea; all under one free government,
most majestic nation this globe has ever
borne.
A Great Domain.
Suppose that with this opening Thanks
giving day the area of the republic had
turned toward us. At sunrise there would
have rolled into light the Atlantic states
from Maine to Florida; westward. as the
morn advanced. the states about the great
lakes. the middle states of the Ohio and
mississippi valleys, and the southern states,
Where cotton is king and sugar prime min
lister. Farther OIL, the boundless prairies of
the vast, frcm Montana to Texas, stretch
ing up to the very slopes of the Rockies
Beyond this California--the Ell Dorado of
the Worll-Wfth the rich forests of Oregon
and Washington. Look, too, at our herit-
age OF race characteristics. We belong to
the dominant people-the English race.
The English assimilate. but are never as
simulated. We have not borrowed our Ian
guage-it is our mother tongue Prof Fisk
has well said that the conquest of the
North American continent by men of the
Erg.lsh race was the most prodigious event
In the political annals of mankind God S
providence moved the English colonsts for
ward into an Independent national life The
revolutionary heroes We're acting not mere
~ Tor themselves, but for an innumerable
brotherhood yet to be born the nheritors
of the English name and traditions Have
you realized what heritage it is to belong
to race that has the future of the world
in its keeping?
The Home of the Race.
Two hundred years ago this people num-
bered less than 6,Oo0,O0O In the year 1900
they had increased to 2O,oO0,O0O. Now they
humber lll,H0,OOO. and OF these more than
lo,oOO,o0o are on this continent The home
of this race for the future is America
When there are SOO0Oo,Ooo of English peo-
pie here, there will be only 200, 100000 of
THESE people III the rest of the world No
wonder Prof. Bryce calls this country The
land of future and that John Bright said
The future belongs to America There are
dangers threat ening.
Danger from irrelig,on 1900 900 belong
to the non-religious and anti-religious
classes, and less than 30 per cent of our
people regularly attend upon divine wor-
ship. We call not only upon all Christians
but all patriots and public men, to stand
by the principles of eternal Righteousness
Another danger is social re.olution, Wide
open and unsuarded stand our gates.
Floods of people come from other lands
without our moral code, our Sabbath laws
and it is dangerous thing to trust them
with absolute self-rule. Great social and
industrial problems confroht US. There is
the unnatural duel between capital and
labor lawlessness is on the increase, and
the enemies of all order would undermine
the foundations of our free institutions.
fhe saloon power is another danger
There is also the assault upon our public
school system. The school house stands
hard by the house of God. Our form of
government demands the highest degree of
intelligence, for wherever man counts
one every citizen must be educated. He
must think and be ruled by moral convic-
tons. The ballot without Intelligence is a
menace to our freedom. This institution is
being assaulted by an allen power. Our
mission is the legend inscribed the old
liberty bell: Proclaim liberty through all
the earth to all the inhabitants thereof
We do rot despair of the future, we unite
in the faith of Browning: