The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-27
be decidedly and forever settled that no ap-


preparations be made to sectarian schools,
and thai 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 re-
cited their names as well rs could. Then
he asked me the difference between them,
and their broke down. But when told
him that no religious denomination in
America had any privileges above the 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, Mohammedanisn first in Con.
stantlnople - the emperor wondered
| how it was possible that all the denomina-
tions in America could stand on the same
platform. But so it is. and so let it ever be-
Let there be no preference, no partiaiity; no
attempt to help one sect an inch higher than
another. Washington and Jefferson, and all
the early presidents, and NIL the great stateS-
men Of the past, have lifted their voices
against any such tendency. II a school or
an institution cannot stand Wltnoue tug
prop of national appropriation, then let tnat
school or institution 20 down. On the otner
side of the sea the world has had plenty OF
illustration of church and state united. Let
us have none OF the hypocrisy and democrat
ization 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
favorittsm of government. AS you regard
the welfare and perpetuity of our inst1tu-
tions, keep politics out OF religion.
But now that am speaking OF national at
fairs from religious standpoint!1 bethink my
self of the fact that two other gRvnls WILL
soon lift and fall, the one at St Louis and
the other at Chicago. and before these ma
tional conventions adjourn I 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 God who built
this continent and revealed 1t at the right
time to the discoverer. and who has reared
here prosperity which has been given to no
other people. "Oh," says some one. there
are people in this country who do not be-
lieve in God. and 1t would be an insult to
them" Well. there are people in this coun-
try who do not believe in common decenoy,
or common honesty, or any kind OF govern
form is IN insult to them. You ought not to
regard man who does not believe in God
any more than you should regard man who
refuses to believe in common decency. Your
pocketbook is not safe a moment
In the presence OF an atheist. God
is the only source of good govern
ment. Why not, then. say so and let the
chairman Of the committee on resolutions IN
your national conventions take pen full OF
ink and with bold hand head the document
with one significant whereas" acknowledS-
gins His kindness and protection for the
future. Why, my friends. this country be-
longs to God. and we ought in every posi-
bic wayto acknowledge it. From the mo-
ment that. on an October morning In 1882,
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 cluster of berries
(type Of our history ever since. the piercing
sorrows and cluster Of national joys). until
this hour our country has been bounded on
the north, south, east and west by the good
ness OF God. The Hucuenots took posses
sion Of the Carolinas in the name Of God.
William Penn settled Philadelphia in the
name of God. The Hollanders took posses
sion OF New York In the name OF God. The
pilgrim fathers settled New England In the
name Of God, Preceding the first gun OF
Bunker Hill, at the voice OF prayer all heads
uncovered.
In the war OF 1912 IN officer came to Gen.
eral Andrew Jackson and said: "There Is
an unusual noise In the camp. It ought to
Is the noise?" The officer said: ut 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-
canpment. 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," says some infdel ''the northern peo-
pie prayed on one side, the southern people
prayed on the other side, and 80 1t did not
amount to anything!" And have heard
good Christian people confounded with the
inf1del statement, when it IS as plain to me
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
ernnent and giving to the south larger op-
portunitles, larger than she had ever antic-
ipated-the harnessinS Of her rivers in great
manufacturing interests, until the Mobile
and the TallapoosN and the Chattahoochee
are southern Merrima:s, and the unrolllng
Of the great southern mines of coal and iron,
of which the world knew nothing, and open
ing before her opportunities OF wealth which
will give ninety-nine Der cent. more OF afdu-
ence than she ever possessed, and, inst. ad
of the black hands of American slaves, there
are the more industrious black hands of
the coal and iron mines of the south, which
are achieving for her fabulous and untm-
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 up.
Rachei's lament.
Oh, you are stupid maa If you do not
understand how God answered Abraham
Linco!n's prayer in the White House, and
Stonewall Jackson's prayer in the saddle,
and answered all the prayers of all ths
cathedrals on both sides Of Mason and
past. Gods country new! Put His name In
your pronuncicmentos. Put His name
on your ensigns! Put His name on your
city and state and national enterprises! Put
His name in 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 the God OF our American institu-
ticns in the days that ate to come. Oh,
when all the rivers that empty into Atlantic
ami Pacific seas shall pull on factory bands;
when all the great mines OF gold ana silver
and iron and coal shall be laid bare for the
nation; when the last swamp shall be re-
claimed, and the last Jungle cleared, and the
last American desert Edenized, and from sea
RI sea tha continert shall be- occupied by