The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-26

Christmas sermon to observations on cur
rent events. The events selected were
chiefly those that have arisen from the
Venezuela controversy and the observa-
tions were gloomy DR.. RICHARDS believes
that on the 25th OF December, 1895, the
Christmas message, son earth peace and
good will toward men," was a singing
satire, = reproach and repuke To
quote DIR. RICHARDS: "Not in the
darkest days of the Rebellion, and some
OF them were dark indeed, did your
speaker find himself SO near despairing of
the republic as at the present hour"
Not that DR.. RICHARDS fears war. That
is not the point. II war were actually
upon us, we are confident that DR.. RICH
ARDS would not despair OF the republic.
We believe that, recalling the counsel Of
the wise and experienced PoLoNIUs to
his hot blooded son, DIR. RICHARDS would
be veritsble genius of war il the quar-
rel were just and were once begun. We
are sure he would fight and drive those
OF his psrishioners who were OF age out
of the church door to march to the de-
fence OF their country and shut the
door on them IL they hesitated.
But the occasion for the despair OF DR..
RICHARDS is the attitude today, as he
regards it, OF the two great Christian
nations, the United States and Great Brit
sin--sstanding on the alert for instant
quarrel; ready to fly at one another's
throats and set the world on fire."
We feel that DIR. RICHARDS rather ex-
aggcrates this attitude, although the
unanimity with which the American pco-
pie, the American press and the Ameri-
can pulpit have risen in support of the
| position OF the Government may well as
| tound the few of us who hold the views
| OF DR.. RICHARDS that it is no part OF the
duty OF the United States to concern
themselves with other folks troubles.
DIR. RICHARDS points out that We have
troubles enough OF our own. But 1t ap-
pears to us that the situation that DR..
RICHARDS thus unwittingly, perhaps,
dep!ores as SO contrary to the spirit OF
Christianity and Christmas as to
cause MIN to despair OF the republic
is really the true Christian spirit, the
spirit OF peace and good will and Of
Christ that DR.. RICHARDS would
himself exercise il he, for instance, were
the United States, some other fellow were
England anofa third wretched little party
were Venezuela, and the conditions were
as they are today.
The spirit OF let-alone is not the true
Christian spirit, is it, DR.. RICHARDS? The
spirit of not botheripg about your broth
er's troubles because you have troubles
enough OF your own is not the Christmas
spirit, is 1t Doctore But you said, IL you
are quoted correctly:
"Let England's responsibility for the shame.
full situation alone. This is not the place 10
weigh her fault or measure out her claim.
Grant that she may have been arrogant: that
| her rulers have been curt of speech. lacking
in diplomatic suavity, that she has been un-
duly peremptory TO a sister republic, and
! having n giants strength she has used 10
! tyrannously. All that were n grave fault and
| will entail "A grave penalty. They tell us she
| has more 70 lose than we i'm case Of war.
4 htil- hA Al ho.-CAu III lbhu III knnn VI -snSuT
the blame ~ the wise for rislsng IL. But that
| Is not our concern. Let her own teachers tell
her that. History will take care 10 tsll her
that. We need not enforce the lesson. We
havo work enough at home we have ourselves
| 80 look to-
How long has 1t been, Doctor, since the
under dog appealed in vain to humanity
and to Christianity? IL is deplorable i'm.
deed IL the two greatest Christian ma
tions Of the earth should be "standlng
! on the alert for instant quarrel" but
what has brought 1t about? Has
not one Of these big Christian nations so
far forgot the spirit Of Christianity and
of Christmas as TO browbeat and bully n
I