The Portland daily press., 1895-11-29
UNION SERVICE.
Recognition of Thanksgiving at the
First Parish.

A Large Congregation in Attendance Yes
terday-Admirable Address by Rev.
DR.. Dalton-Fine Singing by the Choir.
The churches in Portland west of
India street united at the First Parish
yesterday in a Thanksgiving union SER
vice. There was very large congre-
CATION in attendance at II O'Clock. the
hour named for the services. In the pull
pit recess was noticed Rev. Dr.KJenkins.
of State street, Rev. MIR. Samson of
Free street Baptist, Rev DIR. Blanchard
of Congress square, Rev. f. c. Rogers of
Pine street, Rev. Mr.. Kimmell of the
Church the Messiah, andsgthe pastor
of the church, Rev. j. Carroll Perkins.
After the invocation by Rev. Mr..
Rogers the singing of Hymn 634, read by
DR.. Jenkins, the reading of Gov. Cleaves'
proclamation, and the Scripture read
ing from Isaiah, both chapter, by Rev.
Mr.. kimmelI, and prayer by Rev. Mr..
Samson, DIR. Dalton delivered an ad-
mirable address on 1.-THE Necessity of
leadership, of which the following
is the substance:
Texts: Isaiah 90: ii have given him
to the people for a commander and lead
err" St. Matthew Is; 14-"Let them
alone. They are blind leaders of the
blind. And if the blind lead the blind
Z they shall both fall into the ditch
These passages, said the preacher, bring
to our notice two kinds of leaders, the
enc leading to victory, the other to de-
feat. But leaders and leading are as
sumed throughout the Scriptures and
recognized outside of them in every past
age and in all countries. In our day.
however, the idea is somewhat obscured
by the assump ton that the advent of
Demos and the Declaration of indie
pendence have superseded the necessity
of leaders, who, henceforth, must take
q back seat or, at least, march with the
popular procession, and be careful to keep
step to the tune which it pleases the peo-
pie to set.
dissent from this view, and believe
that it will not bear examination, but
may be easily and conclusiVely refuted by
facts. All admit both the fact and the
necessity of great leaders in the past,
and up to the 10Th century. The Ameri-
can and French revolutions are popularity
supposed to have so efectually destroyed
the old order and established new and
better with civil rights and general edu-
cation, that the Emasses of mankind are
sufficient unto themselves. fully colnpe-
tent to take careaof themselves and others
too, on the principle that Zone man is as
good as another perhaps better. 1t
would be Irrelevant to refute this conten-
tion from ancient presidents, for they
are not "up to date" 1t was only yes
terday that men and women discovered
v hat singular gifts they possessed. and
how easy it is for them to Ego as they
please" if they only have mind to, and
the courage of their convictions
! propose this morning to prove the
contradictory of all this, and hope to
show that leaders were never more neces-
sary and never rendered better service.
Now to the proof. My first appeal is to
united Italy, which was only "a geo
graphical expression" as late as 1870
when it became one country for the first
time But how did it become one coun-
tryf Chiefly through the leadership Of
Cavour. There were other leaders, but
Cavour contributed more than all the
rest Austria presents different picture,
an empire composed of different races
antagonistic to each other. yet firmly
held together by the skillful leader
ship of the Emperor, doubtless the wisest
and ablest living sovereign. Still more
convincing is the case of Germany so
long diEided by internal brois and
French diplomacy, yet united at last by
the good sense of the Prussian king, the
VI DlSIItICh suQ Ul0
genius OF Won Molt1e What a combi
pation of talents, all uniting to restore a
lost empire and even create it anew.
The French illustrate the evils of bad
leadership in the same crisis. The i'm
portance of good leadership in their
case was made conspicuous by its alb
Gence and so the second empire fell, no
more to rise.
Turn we now to England, (which cuff
cred from selfish leadership in the 18th
century till Pitt became prime minister,
when all was changed. With Pitt as
prime minister, Wolfe in Canada and
Give in India, new face was at once
land and France The power of France
was broken, east and west. That was
the turning point which made England
mistress of the seas. =" After the fur
ther and final struggle with Napoleon,
England was muon exhausted, and
France more so. England was the first
to recover by entering at once on her
new career as the leading manufacturing
and commercial country of the Old
World, to which the old aristocracy had
to succumb. 4
Golden and Bright led the way, S ir
Robert Peel followed, Disreali educated
the old squires, and Gladstone led the
Liberals The result is seen in the
growth Of population and power beyond
all precedent in the history Of the old
World. ''The Old Order" changes slower
there, than here, but faster than elsewhere.
and England is now crowned repub-
lie, a monarchy in form, republic in
fact.
For final proof, we turn to our own dear
country. No need here to proclaim 1.-THE
mighty deeds" of our fathers through
the leadership of Washington and his
generals, of Paul Joues, on the ocean, or
OF the Provincial Congress in Phila-
delphia. We have the high testimony of
Gladstone that the services ard states