Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-05-22
"a decidedlv and forever settled that no ap

be decidedly and forever settled that no ap'
propriations be made to sectarlan schools,
and that the courtship between church and
state In this country be forever broken up.
That question already seems temporarily set
tied, l wish it might be completely and for
ever settled. All schools and all institutions
as we'll as all denominations, should stano
on the same level before American law. EN-.
peror Alexander Of Russia; at his Peterhol
palace. asked me how many denominations
of religion there were In America; and re-
cited their names as we'll as Could liner
he asked me the difference between them
and their I broke down: But when tol!
him that no religious denomination II
America had any privileges aboTetne others
he could. hardly understand IT.. The Greer
Church first in Russia. the Lutheran Onurci
arst in Germany the Episcopal Churcn mrs
in England, the Catholic Church first IN
Rome, MohampIedanism first In CON
stantInople - TIE emperor Wonuereo
how it was possible that all the denomina
tiCns in America could stand on the same
platform. But 80 it is. and so let 1t ever De-
Let there be no preference, no Partially. no
attempt to help one sect an inch higher tnan
another Washington and Jefferson, aud al
the early presidents, and all the great states
men of the past, have lifted their voice:
against any such tendency. Ii school Oh
au Institution cannot stand wltnout tne
prop Of national appropriation; then let that
school or institution 60 down: On the other
side of the sea the world has had plenty OF
illustration Of church and state united. Let
us have none OF the hypocrisy and demoral.
ization born OF that relation on this side OF
the Atlantic. Let that denomination come
out ahead that does the most for the cause Oh
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 welfare and perpetuity of our institu-
tons, keep politics out of religion.
But now that am speaking OF nltional at
fairs from religious standpoint bethink my.
self Of the fact that two other gdvels Will
soon lift aud fall the one at st. Louis aud
the other at Chicago; aud before these ma
tional conventions adjourn ask that they
acknowledge God IN the platforms. The
men who construct those platforms are here
this 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 1t at the rigni
time to the diseoverer, aud who has reare
here prosperity which has been given to nc
other people. "Oh," says some one. There
are people in this country who do not be-
lieve in God, aud It would be an insult to
Them" We'll, there are people in this coun'
try who do not believe in common decen3y
or common honesty, or any kind OF govern
ment preferring anarchy. Your very plat
form is an insult to them. You ought not to
regard man who does not believe in God
any more than you shodld regard d man who
refuses to believe in common decency. Your
pocketbook is not safe moment
in the presence OF an atheist. Coo
is the only source of good govern
ment. Why not, then. say SO aud let the
chairman of the committee on resolutions in
YOUR national conventions take a pen full oil
ink and with bold hand head the document
with one significant whereas, acknowledge
ing the goodness of God in the past and beg
gng His kindness and protection for the
future. Why, my friends. this country be-
longs to God, and we ought in every poss-
bic way 10 acknowledge it. From the mo-
ment that, on an October morning in 1892,
Columbus looked over the side of the snip
aud saw the carved staff which made him
think he was near an inhabited country, and
saw also thorn aud cluster OF berries
(type of our history ever since, the PIERCING
sorrows and cluster OF national loys). until
this hour our country has been bounded or
the north, south, east aud west by tho good
ness or God. The Huguenots took posses
sion of the Carolinas in the name OF GOD
William Penn settled Philadelphia In thu
name of God. The Hollanders took posses
sion of New York in the name OF God. Tit
pilgrim fathers settled New England in thu
name of God, Preceding the first gun
Bunker Hill, at the voice Of prayer all beads
uncovered.
In the war OF 1912 an officer came to Gen.
eral Andrew jackson and said "There is
an UNUSUAL noise in the camp. 1t ought tc
be stopped" General Jackson said: "What
is the noise?" The officer said: at is the
voice of prayer and praise" Then the gen.
eral said: "God forbid that prayer and
praise should be an unusual noise in the en-
campment. You had better go and join
them" Prayer at Valley Forge. Prayer at
Monmouth. Prayer at Atlanta. Prayer al
ooh" says some infdel 1.-THE northern peo'
pie prayed on ons side, the southern people
prayed on the other side, and - it did moi
amount to anythingp' And l have heard
good Christian people COMPOUNDED with ths
| inf1de1 statement, when it is as plain TO me
as nv right hand. Yes, the northern peo'
| pie prayed in one way, and the southern
| people prayed in another way, aud God
| answered in His own way, giving to the
north the re-establishment OF the gov
eminent and giving to the south larger op'
portunities larger than she had ever antlc'
| ipated-the Harvesting of her rivers in great
| manufacturing interests, until the Mobile
and the Tallapoosa and the Chattahoochee
are southern Merrimacs, and the unrollina
of the great southern mines OF coal and iropi
of which the world knew nothing, and open
ing before her opportunities OF wealth whicE
| will give ninety-nine per cent. more oil anu.
ence than she ever possessed, and, INST &C
| of the black hands Of American slaves there
are the more industrious black hands o.
fine coal and iron mines Of the south, which
| are achieving for her fabulous and unim
agined wealth.
And there are domes oft white blossoms
where spread the while tents,
| And there are plows in the track where the
war wagons went,
And there are songs where they lifted VI
Racheps lament
Oh. you are q stupid man ii you do MOI
understand how God answered Abraham
Linco!n's prayer i'll the White House, an1
Stonewall Jackson's prayer in the saddle
and answered all the prayers OF all tn;
cathedras on both sides OF Mason ano
Dixon's line Gods country all the way
past. Gods country now! Put His name III
YOUR pronunclamentos. Put His name
On your ensigns! Put His name on your
city and state aud national enterprises! Put
His name 10 your hearts. We cannot sleep
we'll the last sleep until we are assured that
the God of our American institutions in the
past will be thu God of our American institu'
items in the days that ale to come. On,
f4kA flnT1f Ia