Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-05-16

1ttitIl Alien was the yulgarest sort of
an mfidel, for, sitting in a Presbyterian
church, his admirers say he struck the
pew IN front Of him and swore out loud
SO az to disturb the meeting, and no gen
tieman would do that. do not wonder
that some of his descendants are ashamed
Of him, but of course they could not
help II aud are not to blame. But all
the decent men of the Revolution be-
neved IN God, and cur American con-
gress, now assembled, will only echo
the sentiments of the fathers when they
enthrone the name of God in the cougti-
tutlon- We have now more reason for
inserting that acknowledgment of di-
vlnlty than our fathers had. Since then
the continent has been peopled and great
cites from the Atlantic to the Pacific
built, and all in peace, showing that
there must have been supernal SUPER
vlsai. Since then the war Of 1912. and
ours the victoryl Since then great finan-
cial prostrations, cut of which we came
20 greater prosperity than anything that
preceded. Since then sanguinary 1862,
1868, 1864 and 1865, and notwithstand-
ing the fact that all the foreign despot-
isms were planning for our demolition.
we are united people. and tomorrow
You VIII find in both houses of congress
the men who fought for the north and
me south, now sitting side by side.
armed with no weapon except the pen.
with which they write home to their
constituents who want to be appointed
postmasters. The man who cannot see
Tod IN our American history is as blind
OF soul as he would be blind Of body if
ne could not at IL o'clock of an uncloud-
ed noon see the sun III the heavens.
AS matter of gratitude to Almighty
God, gentlemen Of tie American CON
gress, be pleased to insert the four words
suggested by the Methodist conference.
Not only because CT the kindness of God
to this nation III the past should such
reverentlal insertion be made, but be-
cause OF the fact that we are going to
want divine interposition still further
IN our national history. This gold and
silver question viii never be settled un-
|. til God settles it. This question of tariff
and free trade will never be settled un-
til God settles it. This question be-
tween the east and the west, which is
getting hotter and hotter and locks to-
ward a republic of the Pacific will not
be settled until God settles it. We
needed God in the 100 years of our past
national life, and we will need him still
more IN the next 1870 years. Lift up
your heads, ye everlasting gates of our
| glorious constitution, and let the King
Of Glory come inl Make one line of
that immortal document radiant with
omnlpotence! Spell at least one word
with thrones! At the beginning, or at
the close, or in the center, recognize
him from whom as nation 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 "Rul-
er of Nations" somewhere between the
first word and the last. The great ex-
FOUNDER Of the constitution sleeps at
Marshtield, Mass, the Atlantic ocean
still hunming near his pillow Of
dust its prolonged lullaby But is there
not some one now living who in the
white marble palace of the nation on
yonder hill not ten minutes away will
become the irradiator Of the constitu-
ton by causing to be added the most
tremendous word Of our English vocab-
ulary, the name of that being before
whom all nations must bow or go into
defeat and annihilation-stG od?'
Church and State.
Again, before the approaching adj
! journment Of our American congress, it
ought to be decidedly and forever set
tied that no appropriations be made to
sectarian schools. and that the court
/ ship between church and state in this
country be forever broken up. That
| question already seems temporarily set
1 tied. Iwish it might be completely and
forever settled. All schools and all in
stitutions, as well as all denominations
| should stand on the same level before
American law. Emperor Alexander of
Russia, at his Peterhof palace, asked
/ me how many denominations of reli-
| gion there We're in America, and re-
cited their names as well as I could
Then he asked me the difference be-
tween them, and there l broke down
/ But when l told him that no religious
| denomination in America had any priv
| ileges above the 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 first
in Rome, Northumberland first in
/ Constantinople-the emperor wondered
how it was possible that all the denom-
| nations in America could stand ON the
same platform. But SO it is, and so let
it ever be. Let there be no preference,
no partially, no attempt to help one
sect an inch higher than another.
| Washington and Jefferson, and all the
early presidents and all the great states
men Of the past, have lifted their voices
against any such tendency. If a school
or an institution cannot stand without
the prop of national appropriation, then
let that school or that institution go
down. On the ether side of the sea the
world has had plenty Of illustration of
church and state united. Let us have
none Of the hypocrisy and demoraliza-
ton born Of that relation on this side
Of the Atlantic. Let that denomination
come out ahead that does the most for
the cause Of God and humanity, men,
institutions and religions getting what
they achieve by their own right arm Of
usefulness and not by the favoritism of
government. AS you regard the vel
fare and perpetuity CT our institutions.
keep politics cut Of religion.
National Conventions.
But now that an speaking of ma
tienal affairs from a religious stand
point l bethinl1 myself Ct the fact that
two other gavels VIII soon lift and fall,
the one at st. Louis ard the other at
Chicago, and before those national con-
ventions adjourn l ask that they ac-
knowledge God in the platforms. The
men who construct those platforms are
here this morning or will read these
words. Let no political party think &c
can do its duty unless it acknowledges
that God who built this continent and
revealed it at the right time to the dis
! coyerer. and who has reared here a