The Penn's Grove record., 1896-05-15

VI tibN ONlht bNtOAS WYNN 80 49, 1850
bow or go into defeat and annihilation-
"God2'
Again, before the approaching adjourn
ment of our American congress, 1t ought to
be decidedly and forever settled that no ap-
propriations be made to sectariaH schools,
and that the courtship between church and
state in this country be forever broken up.
That question already seems temporarily set
tied. / wish 1t might be completely and for
ever settled. All schools and all institutions.
as we'll as all denominations. should stand
on the same level before American law. EN-
peror Alexander of Russia, at his Peterhof
palace. asked me how many denominations
Of religion there were In America, and l re-
cited their names as we'll as l could. Then
he asked me the difference between them,
and their I broke down. But when l told
him that no religious denomination in
America had any privileges abovethe others,
he could hardly understand 1t. The Greek
Church first In Russia, the Lutheran Church
first in Germany, the Episcopal Church first
In England, the Catholic Church first in
Rome, Mohammedanism first in Con-
stantInople - the emperor wondered
how 1t was possible that all the 'denomina-
lions in America could stand on the same
platform. But 50 1t is. and so let it ever be.
Let there be 20 preference, no Partially. no
attempt to help one sect an inch higher thar
another. Washington and Jefferson, and all
LIo OhIt1 hhh III IN hANNA tAhS
men of the past, ave lifted their voices
against any such tendency. If a school or
an institution cannot stand without the
prop Of national appropriation, then let that
chool or institution go down. On the other
side of the sea the world has had plenty of
Illustration OF church and state united. Let
as have none OF the hypocrisy and democrat
cation 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
iavoritism Of government. As o regard
The welfare and perpetuity Of our institu-
ions, keep politics out of religion.
But now that I am speaking of national at
airs from a religious standpointlI bethink my
Ielf of the fact that two other gavels will
loon lift and fall, the one at st. Louis and
The other at Chicago, and before these ma
ional conventions adjourn l ask that they
acknowledge God IN the platforms. The
men who construct those platforms are here
his morning or will read these words. Let
40 political party think it can do its duty
lnless 1t acknowledges that God Who built
| this continent and revealed it at the right
! lime to the ~discoverer, and who has reared
| here a prosperity which has been given to no
other people. "Oh," says some one. there
ire people in this country who do not be-
| l6N6 Ill Il SOus anu II hOhNu u tA h'u ~
| HEM" Well, there are people in thisc oun-
Try who do not believe in common decensy,
Or common honesty, or any kind of govern
| nent, preferring anarchy. Your very plat
| .orm Is an insult to them. You ought not to
.egard a man who does not believe In God
my more than you sho1ld regard a man who
| refuses to believe In common decency. Your
IN the presence of an atheist. God
8 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 OF
Ink and with bold hand head the document
with one significant "Whereas," acknowledge
ing the goodness of God in this past and beg
| ging His kindness and protection for the
future. Why, my friends. this country bo-
! longs to Goo, and we ought in every posi-
BILE way to acknowledge it. From the mo-
| ment that, ON an October morning In l45z,
| Columbus looked over the side of the ship
and saw the carved staff which made him
| think he was near an inhabited country, and
saw also a thorn and a cluster of berries
type of our history ever since, the piercing
| sorrows and cluster of national joys), until
| this hour our country has been on
the north, south, east and west by the good
ness OF God. The Huguenots took posses
sion of the Carolinas in the name Of God.
William Penn settled Philadelphia In the
name of God. Tho Hollanders took possess
sion of New York IN the name OF God. The
| pilgrim fathers settled New England 10 the
name of God, Preceding the first gun OF
Bunker Hill, at the voice OF prayer all heads
uncovered.
In the war OF 1912 an officer came to Cen
bral Andrew Jackson and said: "There is
an unusual noise in the camp. 1t ought to
be stopped" General Jackson said: "What
Is the noise2" The osicer said: at is the
voice of prayer and praise" Then the gem
eral said: "God forbid that prayer and
praise should be an unusual noise in the en-
eampment. You had better go and join
them" Prayer at Valley Forge. Prayer at
Monmouth. Prayer at Atlanta. Prayer at
South Mountain. Prayer at Gettysburg.
"Oh," saws some inidel ''the northern peo-
pie prayed on one side, the southern people
prayed on the other side, and - it did not
amount to anythingi" And L have heard
good Christian people COMPOUNDED with the
inidel statement, when it Is as plain to me
rs my right hand. Yes, the northern peo-
pie prayed In one way, and the southern
people prayed in another way, and God
answered In His own way. giving to the
north the re-establishmenr OF the gov
eminent and giving to the south larger op'
portunities, larger than she had ever antic'
ipated-the Harvesting OF her rivers in great
manufacturing interests, until the Mobile
and the Tallapoosa and the C~hattahoochet
| are southern mbETluldcS, any IA uhtOliih
Of the great southern mines OF coal and iron
Of which the world knew nothing, and open
ing before her opportunities OF wealth whlct
will give n~inety-nine per cent. more OF anu
ence than she ever possessed, and, INST az
Of the black hands of American slaves, Their
are the more industrious black hands o
the coal and iron mines of the south, which
are achieving for her fabulous and unim
agined wealth.
And there are domes oft white blossom
where spread the white tents,
And there are plows In the track where th(
war wagons went,
And there are songs where they lifted vi
Rachels lament.
IN, you are a stupid man If you do no
understand how God answered ABRAHAM
Lineoln's prayer in the White House, AM
Stonewall Jackson's prayer in the saddle
and answered all the prayers OF all IN
cathedrals on both sides of Mason anI
Dlxon's line! Gods country all the wa.
past, Gods country nowl Pu His nam il
your pronunciamentos. Put His nam
on your ensigns! Put His name on you
city and state and national enterprisesi Pa
His name in your hearts. We cannot sieeI
well the last sleep until we are assured tina
the God of our American institutions in tn
past will be the God Of our American instttu
lions in the DAYS that ale to come. On
when all the rivers that empty into Atlanti
and Pacific seas shall pull on factory bands
when all the great mines OF gold and silve
and iron and coal shall be laid bare for tn
nation; when the last swamp h be re
claimed, and the last jungle cleared, and tn
last American desert Edenized, and from Sc
to sea the continent shall be occupied b
more than 1900, OOO, 900 souls. may it b
found that moral and religious Influence
were multiplied In more rapid ratio than III
population. And then there shall be fou
doxologies coming from north and scout
and east and west, four ~dexologies rolltn
toward each other and meeting midcot
tinent with such dash of holy JOY that the
shall mount TO the throne
And heavens high arch resound again ?
With peace on earth, good will to men.
Itake a stop farther and say that befor
the gayels OF our senate and house OF repre-
sentatives and our political convention
pound adjournment there ought TO be passe'
r a law or adopted a plank OF intelligent help
fulness for the great foreign population
which are coming among us. II Is too lat
now to discuss whether We had better lie
them come. They are here. They are comin