Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-12-05

cations, therefore, of the peoples
minds and hearts as that through
which we have so recently passed are
by no means unmitigated ills. They
sound the long roll before the tents
where the sleep for the Peoples
virtues as we'll as for their vices.
They draw off the ligbtnings of
our passions which might other
wise destroy and kill in COM
paratively harmless discussion. If
they bring us loss they also enrich
us. If they throttle commerce for a
time, they give intelligence and pa
triotism and liberty new births into
ever wider and higher life.
But what l wish to say this morn,
ing with great emphasis and what /
do say now with great Joy is that it is
still good to be an American. l will
detain you with scarcely more than
the barest mention of a very few
things that make it good to be a cit
izen OF the United States.
Consider the extent Of our territory
DIR. Josiah Strong says "What then
should we>say of'a republic of eigh-
teen States, each as large as Spain;
or one of 81 States each as large as
Italy; or oneNof 80 States each as
large as England and Wales What
confederation of nations!" he ex-
claims. Take five of the six first
class powers of Europe, Great Brit
ain and Ireland, France, Germany,
Austria and Italy; then add Spain,
Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark and
Greece. Let some greater thap Ma
poleon weld them into one mighty
Empire, and you could iAy it all
down in the United States west of
the hudson river, once and again and
again-three times" Mr.. Gladstone
declares that we have "a natural
base for the greatest continuous EN-
pire ever established by man."
Consider the richness of our soil.
1t is deep ss we'll as wide. Those
skilled in agricultural calculations as
sert tina. it is capable of supporting
in comfort thousand millions of per-
sons or two-thirds of the present pop.
ulation of the world.
Consider our mineral resources.
We have coal and iron with which to
supply ourselves and the whole world
for centuries to come. We furnish
one-h half the worlds product of gold
and silver. Our mining industries
are larger than those OF any other
nation aud exceed "those of all con.
tinental Europe, Asia, Africa, South
America, Mexico, and the British Col
onies collectively"
Do not forget our inland water
ways. sour rivers ana lakes occupy
ing larger area than Great Britain
and Ireland ARE said to contain nearly
one half of all the fresh waters on the
globe" We have more than twice as
many miles river flow east of the
Rocky mountains as are in all OF
Europe.
Consider our climate and scenery
Who can speak temporarily of their
Variety What has God put into airs
of any land Of tonic or soothing, OF
the biting of the frost or the per-
fume Of the flowers, of the terror of
the storm DOR the glory of the sunset,
that Is not here? TO whom has He
given prairies Of wider sweep or more
voluptuous swell; more stately forests
or. mightier rivers; more beautiful
glens Of more pastoral quiet or more
awful mountain sleeps; brooks OF
more limpid flow, more graceful wind
ing, of softer murmur in brighter
beds or more majestic and thunderous
cataracts?
If man have eyes to see let him
look out upon the American land,
scape and up into the American sky
and he will behold shapes and colors
which may yet give the American
painter a boldness and originality
that Rembrandt might have envied
and technique beyond that OF
Titan. If man have ears to hear
let him but listen and he shall catch
theme and meth d of treatment fol-
every sort Of music from simplest
ballad to grandest oratorio. If man
have a heart to feel let him fling the
gates of it wide and he shall be filled
with sense of his country's great
ness. 1t comes from shores Of
coral and fields of ice. 1t comes
from the mighty east and the bound
less west. 1t comes with the sweet
ness of the morning song of birds il
ten thousand groves. 1t comes with
the dash of the Colorado and The
roar of Niagara. 1t comes W
from the mines and down from tn,
stars.
Thus in soil and that which is un
der it, and in climate and scener,
God has laid for us such solid an(
extensive natural foundation as HI
has not laid for any other people
What has he helped us to build upol
lit2 Wood, hay and stubble? Ye
muck-too much of these we hav,
put into our buildings, 80 much tina
we shall be many years in taking i
out and in the meantime must suffe
offense and loss on account of il