The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-25
THIS LAND OF AMERICA.
Kew. Mr.. Southworth Addresses the United
Order of American Mechanics.

sunday afternoon the United Order of
American Mechanics, under the lead of
Councillor Alfred Southworth, attended
the Bethel church in body to listen to
patriotic sermon by the pastor, Rev.
Francis Southworth
before the services began, the pastor
announced that next Thursday would be
thanksgiving, and that there would be
two union services, one at ST. Lawrence
street church, and the other at the First
Parish church.
linen MIR. Southworth welcomed the
special guests of the day. He then re-
ferred to the unique decorations of the
ceiling OF the Bethel, the flags of the
great modern progressive nations of the
earth. Taking the flags for a text for
the moment. the preacher proceeded, say
ing that those nations are most progress
slve whose greatness is founded OF. the
open Bible, the Bible read by all the peo-
pc. The Stars and Stripes represented
the most progressive nation. Next came
England, of. old our foe, now our sister.
He did not speak SO much of..the govern
ment of England as of the common peo-
pie of England. Did not all remember
how, in the days of our national distress.
the hearts of England's common people
beat in unison with our own.
Speaking of his guests, and their order,
that Of the United American Mechanics,
hessaid he did not wonder that thought
full men were standing together, shoulder
to shoulder, when they found some of
the cordial principles of our government
called in question.
After picturing the greatness Of Ameri-
ca, with its free schools, free press, free
speech, individual freedom.
| No American requires pass port to go
| anywhere. The stranger here who minds
his own business goes anywhere. Let
one of you try to do the same on the con-
tinent of Europe. You will find then
what liberty means
You do not see here the flag of Turkey
or Spain. They aresnot free or progress
sive nations. Would that we could now
place in this sisterhood of flags the ban
ners of Armenia Observation-Disclosures
with Its people of our faith and our blood
and Cuba free
How came the foundation of our ma
ton? 1t came by the plan of God. The
old world pressed under tyranny, and a
| cancerous growth of sin had come over
it. Temporal and spiritual tyranny and
despotism had done it's work until final
ly the new land became the only haven
of refuge. God kept this land from the
Spaniards on the South and the Jesuits
on the North; and the men of England
and Holland came to found new ma
| tion Mr.. Southworth described the con-
| fiict between the French and Jesuits
on one side, and the Pilgrims and Puri-
| tans on the other, with the final victory
/, in behalf of freedom.
| We have in America no king, or en-
peror, or pope, or sultan Lexington and
Bunker Hill made that certain. Thanks
to Gettysburg and Appomattox the law
that capital should own labor was over
thrown.
These victories gave land where there
shall be a refuge to the trodden down
and oppressed of all lands, where those
pursued by kings and potentates and
ecclesiastics could come.
. Mr.. Southworth.believed, however, that
there should be qualification of the
suffrage. The patriotic orders were work
ing in the.right direction The politicians,
many of the clergy, college professors,
did not approve these orders; but God IS
truth would surely triumph.