Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-07-29
A RED HOT SERMON.
Bishop Newman breaches upon
Politics.
(From the Phila. Press OF July 81,


the beach front. Rev. George J. Min
charge of the meeting.
The address was delivered by Rev. DR..
John P. Newman, one of the bishops OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church. His
theme was "Our Country's Mission,
and he took occasion in his address to
berate the Democrats soundly for their
attempt to undo the good work accom-
plished by the patriots who built up
America and made it the grandest nation
on the face of the earth.
Nine-tenths of the audience agreed
with the distinguished speaker, and at
frequent intervals applauded him to the
echo, although number of Democrats
unable to stand the scathing arraing-
ment to Candidate Bryan, left the build
ing.
The Bishop, in opening, said: 'sNever
before since the war of the Rebellion has
there been "a greater necessity for an
American citizen to understand his OBJ
legations to the Government and ap-
preciate the perilous times which con-
front us, than there is at the present
day. Never before, since the days OF
Lincoln and Grant, have we needed God
chosen leaders more than we do now.
'There comes a time in the history OF
the world when men shall forget their
church, and there also comes time
when patriotic men shall forget party
and stand by the country, and if a man
can't stand by his country when his
country is in peril, then he should get out
of the country, TOR he is not worthy OF
his country"
The bishop then referred to the great
ness of America. "Our land" he said,
'the land of the free, under certain con-
ditions, is the face of the earth, and our
per capita wealth is larger than that of
England, and any man who attempts
to interrupt the prosperity of America
should be interrupted himself.
"The founders of America commenced
where other great nations left Off and
gave US form of government that has
challenged the admiration of the world.
OF the fifty-nine giants who prepared
our constitution, twenty-nine OF them
were university men SO it is no wonder
they did their work well, and we have
maintained this high standard of in
tellect in our rulers, except in one or two
instances, whereby accident, others have
succeeded in occupying the chair once
graced by Washington.
ITO maintain this standard of in
telligence among our rulers is the duty
of all good citizens, but the standard
must be maintained by men of mature
years, men who can be trusted to take
proper care of our finances"
This sentiment was greeted by ap-
plause.
Continuing, Bishop Newman said ::
"The Revolutionary War exhausted the
right of revolution, and there should
never have been another war in this
country. Every war since that time
has been O crime against. But the
Americans believe in the law of selfde-
tense, and there may be, before long, a
iustifable war to protect the consti tu-
ton of the United States and the rights
of our citizens"
The Bishop said he was not opposed
to men of forgein, birth becoming citizens
of the United States. for when we were
struggling for independence the coun-
try, eagerly accepted the services OF
Montgomery, Paul Jones, Lafayette
and Rochambeau.
There should be no prejudice against
men of foreign birth becoming citizens of
the ''United," he said, providing he is
born again when he arrives here, and
renounces all allegiances to foreign pow
ers. When he gets here he should be no
longer a German, an Irishman or an
Englishman, but patriotic American,
the peculiar citizen of a peculiar country.
"The American citizen does not recog-
nize his rights as coming from super
ior to an inferior, for here we have no
superior except God Almighty. America
reqnires no large standing army to de-
fend her citizens for every citizen is a
soldier in disguise, and his right to de-
fend himself is as justifiable as n saint S
prayer.
"There may come instructions and
mobs, but we are all soldiers and we
want war to make up these soldiers and
make them ministers to preach patriot
ism among the people. The time has
come to awaken the lawyers, and edi-
tors, the merchants, the bankers aud
have them understand that America
was not born to die.
"The Cross Of Jesus Christ" the
bishop said, "was designed to be the
symbol of the atonement, and was never
intended to be the emblem of q political
party, to be used to teach anarchistic
doctrines. The crowd of thorns was for
the Savior's brow and not for those who
would overthrow the best Government
on earth.
81 predict, too, that the man who
dares to blaspheme the sacred cross will
find written on the wall of his chamber
some night the words, Meme, meme,
tekel upharsin-thou art weighed in the
balance and found wantiug," and no
man who has been educated to respect
hiscountry and its financial credit with
sister nations will betray his country
for thirty pieces Of silver
The audience went wild at the Bishops
reference to candidate Bryan's famous
metaphor, and the applause continued
with equal vigor, when the speaker
said
"Moral corruption always preceedes
governmental ruin. This holds true
with the Greeks and the Romans, and
and America with all its glory will
prove no exception to the rule. The
hope of America is not in it's army, its
administration, or its public school, but
in private virtue and public morality.
The question for us to decide is whether
we have the power to reverse the YER
diets of history"
In closing the Bishop inferred that
the Populists, whom he called Pops
were anarchists and were not, there
fore, good citizens.
A man in the audience jumped to his
feet and trembling with excitement, re-