Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-05-09
WORDS TO CONGRESS-.
rev Or. TALMAGe ON "eeFoRe THEY
ADJOURN"

rev. Or. TALmAGE ON "6EFoRE THEY
ADJOURN
He Wants Some Things Done and Some
More Undonc-A Grand and Hopeful
sermon OF Interest to National Legisia-
tors.
WASHINGTON, May 9.-Dr. Talmage will
preach tomorrow from the following text:
"And teach his senators wisdom, Psalms
CIV: ~.
senators IN tnis text stand FOR lawmaK
Crs. Joseph was the lord treasurer Of the
Egyptian government. and, among other
great things which he did, according to
my text, was to teach his senators wisdom,
and II any men on earth ought to be en-
lowed with wisdom IL Is senators, whether
they stand In congresses. parliaments or
rcichstags or assemblies or legislatures.
by their decisions nations go up or down.
Lawmakers are sometimes so tempted by
prcjudiccs, by sectional preferences, by OPP
portunity Of personal advancement, and
sometimes what Is best Ia do Is so doubtful
that they ought 10 be prayed for and en-
rouragcd I'm every possible way, instead of
severely criticised and blamed and exec
rated, as is much Of the time the case.
Our public men arc so often the target 10
be shot at, merely because they obtain en-
inence which other men wanted, but could
not reach that more injusticcs are hurled
Mt our national legislature than the people
Of the United States can possibly Imagine.
The wholesale bclying Of our public men
Is simply damnablc.
BY residence In Washington l have come
90 find out that many Of our public men
are persistcntly misrcprcscnted, and some
Of the best Of them, the purcst In their
lives and most faithful In the discharge of
their duties, are the worst DETAINED. Some
day / want To preach a sermon from the
text In ii Peter: "They are not afraid to
speak evil of dignitaries. whereas angels,
which are greater In power and might,
bring not railing accusation against them
before the Lord. But these, ms natural
brute beasts, made to be taken and de-
stroycd, speak evil of the things that they
understand not" So constant and malig
nant Is this work Of depreciation and scan
dalization in regard to our public men
that all over the land there are those who
suppose that the city of Washington is the
center Of all corruption, while, what with
its parks, and its equestrian statuary, and
its wide streets. and its architectural
symmctries, and its lovely homes, II Is not
only the most beautiful city under the sun,
but has the highest style of citizenship.
have seen but one intoxicated man in the
more than six months OF my residence,
and do not think any man can give sim
liar testimony of any other city on the
American continent.
God In the Constitution.
The gavcls Of our two houses of national
legislature will soon fall. and adjourn
ment of two bodies of men MS talented, as
upright, and as patriotic as ever grnccd
the capitol will take place. The two or
three unfortunate outbreaks which you
have noticed only make more conspicuous
the dignity. the fraternity, the eloqucnce,
the fidelity, which have characterized those
two bodies during all the long months OF
important and anxious delibcration. We
put a halo around great men of the past
because they were 80 rare In their time.
Our senate and house Of representatives
have five such men where once they had
one But it will not be until after they are
dead that trey will get appreciated. The
world finds IL safer To praise the dead than
the living, because the departed, having a
heavy pile Of marble above them, may not
rise to become rivals.
But before the gGvcls OF adjournment
drop and the doors II Capitol hill shut
there are one or two things that ought TO
be done, and let us pray God that they may
be accomplished. More forcibly than ever
before congress has been implored to nc
knowledge God in our constitution. The
Methodist church, "A church that is always
doing glorious things, has in its recent
Wilmington conference requested our con-
gress 10 amend the immortal document,
which has been the foundation and wall
and dome of our United States govern
ment, by inserting the words, Trusting
in Almighty God" II that amendment
Is made 1t will not only please all the good
people Of the country, but will plcase the
heavens. IL was only an oversight OF n
mental accident that the fathers who made
the constitution did not insert "a divincly
worshipful sentence. They all, 50 far as
they amounted to anything, believed in
God. the Father Almighty, the Maker Of
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his
only bcguiten SON" The constitution
would have been failure had IL not been
for the divine interference. The members
of the convention could agree on nothing
until, in response To benjamin Franklin's
request that the meetings be opened by
prayer. the Lord God was called on TO in
tcrferc and help, and then the way was
cleared, and all the states signed the docu-
mcnt, "a historical fact that all the rat ter
riers of modern inildelity cannot bark out
OF existencci / know that there was an
exception to the fact that the prominent
men Of those times were good men. Tom
Paine, "a librrtine and "A soi, did not be-
licve In anything good until he was dying,
and then he shrickcd out for Gods mercy.
And Ethan Allen, from one of whose de-
scendants | have received within n few
days "a confirmation Of the incident men
toned In u recent sermon, as saying 10 his
dying daughter that she had better take
her mothers Christian religion than his
own infldclity.
The article sent me says: The story
has been denied by some Of the Allen fam
lily, but the bronson family, some of whom
were with the dying girl, affirm that II Is
substantially true. In such matter one
confirmation Is worth more than many
dcnials" 30 says the article sent me-
There Is no doubt that Ethan Allen was
the vulgarcst sort Of an iniidcl, for, sitting
in n Presbyterian church, his admirers
say he struck the pew In front Of him and
sworc out loud 80 rs 10 disturb the meet
ing, and no gentleman would do that. ]
do not wonder that some Of his descend
pnts are ashamed of him, but of course
they could not help IL and are not 10 blame
But all the decent men OF the Revolution
believed in God, and our American con-
grcss, now assembled, will only echo the
sentiments of the fathers when they en-
throne the name Of God in the coDstitu-
ing that acknowledgment Of divinity than
than our fathers had. Since then the con-
iinent has been pcopled and great cities
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific built, and
all in peace showing that there must have
been supernal supcrvisal. Since then the
war OF lsl2 and ours the victory! Since
then the great financial prostrations, out Of
which we came To greater prosperity thar
anything that preceded. Since then san
culinary 1869, 1863 1864 and 1865, and not
withsianding he fact that I'LL the foreign
dcspotisms We're planning for our dcmoli-
tion, we are united people and tomur-
row you will lind in both houses Of CON
grcss the men who fought for the north
and the south, now sitting side by side.
armed with no weapon except the pen,
with which they write home 10 their CON
stiiucnts who want to he appointed post
masters. The mnn who cannot see God In
our American history Is as blind Of soul AS
he would De blind Of body II he could not