The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-06-20

one onfirmation IL worth more than
many denials," So sayh the article
sent me. There is no doubt that |
Ethan Allen was the vulgarist sort OF |
an infidel, for, sitting In Pfesbyte-
rian church, his admirers say he struck |
the pew in front of him and swore ous
loud, so as to disturb the meeting, and |
no gentleman would do that. do not
wonder that Some of his descendants
nre ashamed of him; but of course
they could not help it, and are not to
blame. But ali the decent men OF the
revolution believed in God and our
American congress, now assembled,
will Only echo the sentiments OF the
fathe-s when they enthrone the name
of God in the constitution. We hare
now more reason for inserting that
acknowledgment of Divinity than our
fathers had. Since then the continent
has been peopled, and great cities from
the Atlantic to the Pacific built. and
and all in peace, showing that there
must have been supernal supervisai.
Since then the war Of 1872, and Ours
the victory! Since then the great
financial prostrations, out OF which
we came to greater prosperity
than anything that preceded. Since
then sanguinary 1862, 1863, 1864 and
| 1865, and Notwithstanding the fact
that all the foreign despotism were
| planning for our demolition, we are a
united people, and tomorrow you Will
| find in both houses of congress 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 to their con-
stituents who want to be appointed
postmasters.
The mar, who can not see God in our
American history is as blind OF soul as
he would be blind of body if he could
not at ~ o'clock of an unclouded noon
see the sun in the heavens. AS mat
ter of gratitude to Almighty God, gem
| tlemen of the American congress, be
pleased to insert the four words sug-
gested by the Methodist conferencel
| Not only because of the kindness
of God to this nation in the
past should such a reverential
insertion be made, but because
of the fact that we are going to
want Divine interposition still further
in our national history. This gold
and silver question will never be set
tied until God settles it. This ques-
ton of tariff and free trade will never
be settled until God settles 1t. The
question between. the east and the
west, which is getting hotter and hot
ter. and looks toward a republic OF
the Pacific, will not be settled until
i God settles 1t. We needed God In the
100 years of our past national life,
and we will need Him still more
In the next 100 years. Lift up your
heads, We everlasting gates OF our glo,
! rious constitution, and let the King OF
Glory come in! Make one line OF that
immortal document radiant with On
nipotence! Spell at least one word with
Thronesl At the beginning, or at the
close. or In the center, recognize Hin
from whom as a nation we have re
ceived all the blessing of the past an6
upon whom we are dependent for the
future. Print that word God" Oh
Lord" or Eternal Father" OF
Ruler of Nations" somewhere be
tween the first word and the
last. The great expounder of the
constitution sleeps at Marshfield
Mass, the Atlantic ocean still hum
ming near his pillow of dust its pro
longed lullaby; but is there not SOM
one now living, who, in the white mar
BILE palace of the nation on yonder hill
! not ten minutes away, will become tn
, lrradiator of the constitution by caus
ing to be added the most tremendou
!, word of our English vocabulary, tn
!, name of that Being before whom al
!. nations must bow or go into defea
and nnihiliation-"God?"
v Again before the approaching &C
r iournment of our American congress:
= It ought to be decidedly and foreve
O sc sled that no appropriation be mad
q to sectarian schools, and. that tn
# courtship between church and stat
@ in this country be forever broken NJ
8 That question already seems temp
# rarily settled. All schools and all Ii
o situations, as well as all denomin
It lions should stand on the sam
c. level before American law. Er
r. peror Alexander of Russia, at h
TO Peterhof palace, asked me how mar
y. denominations of religion there wei
n in America, and l recited their mann
$. as well as could. Then he asked
e. the difference between them, and the
ne / broke down. But when l told hi
N that no religious denomination
of America had any privileges abo
n the Others, he could hardly unde
l. stand it. The Greek church fir
is in Russia. The Lutheran chur'
ne first in Germany. The Episcop
III church first In England. L
IN Catholic church first in Rome. Mohal
at mechanism first in Constantinople. L
IN emperor wondered how it was possit
ul that all the denominations In Ameri
Az could stand on the same platform. b
in 30 It is. and so let it ever be. Let the
er be no preference, no Partially, no
us tempt to help one sect an inch high
he than another. Washington and Jef
IL son, and all the early presidents and
in. the great statesmen of the past, ha
m lifted their voice against any such tel
Al. Iency. If a school or an, institution c
MS not stand without the prop of a natioI
bv appropriations, then let that school
in that institution go down. On the o
av er side of the sea the world has
ed plentv of illustrations OF church