Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-05-23

tHal question alre2ly seems t1iupoInIAs
tied. l wish it might be. completely and for
ever settled. All schools and all institutions:
as we'll a. All denomlnatlons. should stand
~ The same level before American law. En-
peror Alexander OF Russia. at his Peterhot
palace, asked me how many denominations
OF religion there were. in America. and | re-
cited their names es yell - Iectld. Then
be ASKED us the difference between them.
and their I broke down. But when told
him that no religious denomination in
America had any privileges abovethe others.
he could hardly understand it. The Greek
Church first in Russia. the Lutheran Church
first in Germany the Episcopal Church first
IN England, the Catholic Church frst In
Rome, Mohemmedanism first IL Con.
santlnople : the emperor wondered
how it was possible that all the denomina-
tons in America could stand on the same
platform. But so it is. and SO LET II ever De.
Let there be no preference, no partIality. no
attempt to help one sect an inch higher tnan
another. Washington and Jefferson, and all
the early presidents. ard ell the greet states
men Ct nc past. nave lifted their voices
against any such tendency. II a school Or
an institution cannot stand without the
prop OF national appropriation. then let that
school or institution 90 down. On the other
side OF the sea. the world has had plenty OF
Illustration Of church and state united. Let
rs have none Of the hypocrisy and democrat
III il lIdt III lIltS, StAo "
tie Atlantic. Let that denomination come
out ahead that does the mos, fer tie cause o.
from whom es . hatlon we have received all
the Blessings Of the past and Upon whom we
are dependent for the future. Print that
word God or Lord or eternal Father
or "Ruler OF Nations somewhere between
the first word and the last. The great cy2
'pounder of the -cn5titutlon sleeps at Marsh
neld. Mass. the Atlantic ocean still hum
ming near his pillow Of dust its prolonged
lullaby. But is there not some one now liv-:
ing who in the white marble palace IF the
nation Oh yondcr tHm not ten minutes away
will Become the irradiator Of the constitution
by causing to be added the most tremendous
word in our English vocabulary, the name
OF that being before whom all nations mus
bow or go into defeat and anuibilation-
"GadP'
Again, before the approaching adjourn
ment Of our American congress-. it ought to
God and humanity. men. institutions and
religions getting wha- they achieve by their
WI right arm OF usefulness and not by the
favoritism of government. As you regard
The welfare ard pei ptt,iity Of our ins.itu-
lions. keep politics out Of religion.
But now tt at 1 am speaking of national af-
fairs frem 6 Ieiiglous standpoint bethink my
self Of the fact that two other gavels will
soon lift and fall, the one at st. Louis and
the other at Chicago. n before these ma
tional conventions adjourn [ ask that they
acknowledge God IN the platforms; The
men who ccrstruct those platforms are here
his morning or will read these words. Let
no political party think it can do its duty
unless it acknowledges that Col who built
this continent and revealed il at the right
time to the discoverer, End vh5 has reared
hero & Prosperity which has been given to no
other people. "Oh," says some one. there
are people in this country yho do not be-
lieve in a God. ind it you'd be an Insult to
them" Well. there are people in this coun-
try who do not believe in common decensy;
or common honesty, or any kind Of govern
ment, rrefCTriiig anarchy. Your very plat
form is an insult to them. You ought not to
regard a man who does not believe in God
any more than you sho aid regard a man who
refuses to believe in common decency. Your
in the presence Of an atheist. God
is the only source of good govern
ment. Why not, then. say SO and let the
chairman of the committee on resolutions in
your national conventions take a pen full of
INK and with bold hand head the document
with one significant whereas" acknowledge
ing the goodness of God in the past and Deg
ging His kindness and protection for the
future. Why. my friends: this country be-
longs to God. and we ought in every posi-
bic way to acknowledge it. From the mo-
ment that, on an October morning in 1892,
Columbus looked over the side of the ship
and saw the carved staff which made him
think he was near an inhabited country, and
saw also q thorn and a cluster of berries
type of our history ever since, the piercing
sorrows and cluster Of national ioys), Until
this hour our country has been bounded on
the north. south, east and west by the gotd-
ness of God. The Huguenots took posses.
sion OF the CarOlinas in the name Of Ged.
William Penn settled Philadelphia in tie
name Of God. The Hollanders took posses-
sion of New York in the name Of God. Tie
pilgrim fathers settled New England in the
name OF God. Preceding the first gun Of
Bunker Hill, at the voice Of prayer all heads
uncovered.
In the war Of 1912 an officer came to Ger
eral Andrew Jackson and said: "There is
an unusual nOise in the amp It ought to
be stopped" General Jackson said: "What
Is the noise2" The officer said: ut is the
voice OF prayer and praise" Then the ger
eral said: God forbid that prayer and
praise should be an unusual noise in the ell.
campment. You had better 90 and ioir
them" Prayer at Valley Forge. Prayer a,
Monmouth. Prayer at Atlanta. Prayer a
South Mountain. Prayer at Get ysburg
"Oh," says some infidel tine northern pee.
pie prayed on one side. the southern people
prayed on the other side, and 20 it did no
amount to anything,," And I have hear,
SoOu CuIlSliau peDIlt C"DUlOuDUeI WITH tQt
infidel statement. when it is as plain to N,
as my right hand. Yes. the northern PEG
pie prayed in one way. and the southerr
people prayed in another way, and Coz
answered in His own way, giving to tn
north the re-establishmenr of the gov
eminent and giving to the south larger OF
portunities. larger than she had ever antic
ipated-the Harvesting of her rivers in grea
manufacturing interests, until the Mobil
and the Tallapoosa and the Chattahooche
are southern Merrimacs. and the unrollin
of the great southern mines of coal and iror
Of which the world knew nothing, and oper
Ing before her opportunities of wealth whic
will give nlnety-nine per cent. more of af1u
ence than she ever possessed. and. instea
f Of the black hands OF American slaves, Their
are the more Industrious black hands {
, the coal and iron mine. of the south. whic
are achieving Tor her fabulous and min
Rgined wealth.
And there are domes Oft white blossom
where spread the wIle tents.
And there are plows in the track where til
war wagons went.
And there are songs where they lifted u
EacheiS lament.
. On. You are a stupid man ii You DO n.
understand how God answered Abraha,
, Lincoin's prayer in the White House, al
: StonewaIl Jackson's prayer in the sadd}
w. w AL VIA ~ II