The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-03
OurFOrun.
CAN THE NATION SURVIVE.

ora, III Jan. y, ISSUE, Is Il SbuHuc.. IL
is a terrible record. 1t seems to me
that no true patriot could read that
article without very serious thoughts
1t started me into Retrospective and
prospective historic muSing, and the
following is the result.
CJyetouSness. cuipablity, callous-
ness and care leSSneSS, are the cardinal
crimes that have been the ruin of i'll
diyiduals and nations. from the
earliest per DDS Of history. Covctou;-
ness is the in0rdnate desire for other
peoples property without giving
legitimate returns. Culpability is the
cOnsummat!on Of inordinate desire
either on the person or property OF
another, W.Ii!c callouSncSS to others
wrongs j. Il result of the pregnant
feeling and action OF the above men
toned crimes. Ca1c!eSsness is the
crime OF tie multitude, who will not
vigiIantiy watch over their individual
duty ard the rights Of mankind:
hence. injustice and oppression reign,
righteousness is oycrmatchcd, and
ruin is tie result. | put my thesis in
this allticrltivc form, as the jingle is
more c; 5 .iy remembered by those who
wish to remember to do right; but to
those who wish TO do wrong and pre-
serve al easy conscience, l advise
them MT read any further, for | in
tend to raise a solid LuiIding OF facts
on the above rock OF truth. 1t may
properly be asked here, do you set
yoursell up IS public censor, and in
tallibic Judge of all right and wrong?
by no means. | am simply student
of History and believe that | have
learned me Of its lessons. Also that
it is my duty as a sentinel to give
warning Of coming tribulatiOn, for al
of us are TO a certain extent our
brothers, keeper. The great question
then is, i there an unvarying stand
ard by WliCh all moral and social
question can be measured, and if so,
what i it: We believe there
is an unvarylng standard. and
that the moral law, socalled,
is the standard measure for all &C
tions, national, economical and social.
Who can tell what is right or what is
wrong without standard? Ii is very
generally believed and taught, that
these laws originated With the Jewish
idNElFcF, moses. 0uCn however, is
not correct, IN fact, they are as old
and as universal as the human family;
but hiSturt appears to give him the
honor OF prDpagdtlng them in ii con-
crete and permanent form. They
were the constitution on which all
the Jewish laws were first founded.
They are the solid rock on which all
just laws must be founded. | shall
however take my arguments from
events when occurred prior to the
time in which Moses lived. In sup
port of my thesis | cite you to the He
brew scriptures, Gen. III, and /, in
which are set forth the facts of covct-
business, theft Of the Lords property,
Smitten c1nSCicnccS. and the attempt
to cover M the culprit's shame, while
from the 18th verse on is recorded
their punishment. This deed also in
volYed violation Of the fifth law of
Moses, being violation Of the honor
and obcdjonc due the creator and
lawgiver. | cite as my next argument
Gen. N ), etc. in which is set forth
the crime Of murder and its conSe-
Quent punishment. This was q direct
result of CUVctOusneSS, for Cain covet-
ed the favOrs accorded to his brother.
From cove tOuSneSS to jealousy is but
step. ana but one more to murder.
The same evil steps are practiced be-
fore our eyes daily. | cite you next to
Gen. VI, l. ,, t, l. and -, where it is
shown that covetousneSS led to incon-
Thence. rapine, violence. corruption
and the consequent punishment.
This is the sacred record of the hu-
man race from its cradle to the great
cataclysm in which the human family
took new start, and in which history
70 hor
been no standard law, there could
have been no crime, consequently no
punishment could justly have been
melted out. The history Of all nations
mentioned in the sacred history is
but repetition of these Stages of ma
tlonal formation, progress, corruption
violence and dissolution. Ii we search
through prUfane history. we find but
repetition Of the ins stances recorded
by the sacred historians. All nations,
being descended from one common
centre, have with more or less light
recognized the principles contained in
the moral law, and none have grossly
violated them without coming to con-
dign punishment. Pick up your his
tory and read of the ancient nations,
Persia, Media. Babylonia, Lydia,
Phoenicia, Judea or Egypt, Read al
SO that Of ancient Greece, then turn
to Lidd"ll and Gibhon for that Of
Rome, and you will find the history Of
one natl n TO be that Of every other
In the words of Byron:
''First freedom. and then glory. When that
fails,
Wealth vice. corruption; de spotism at last
And History with all her volumes vast,
Hath but one page"
1t IS from the womb of trbulation
that nation is born. 1t has its
periods Of infancy, adolescence and
maturity, and while it maintains and
observes the principles OF the moral
law retains its vigor, but as soon as
COvctOusnc>S with its cancerouS cor
ruption takes the place Of industrial
purity and frugaiity, then wealth ac-
cumulatcs in places, and poverty and
vice ahIIndS in its cities and fields.
A despotiSm may be set up, but cor
ruption and death have already fast
ened their fangs on its Yitals and
sooner or later dissolution is the re-
suit. AS this is the tory of all an
cient nations, so it is being re-enacted
among the moro modern nations of
the world. Look at Turkey, Egypt,
Spain and some others. Their rotten
ness is so mal-odorous that all good
people hold their noses while the
stencil asccndS to heaven, calling for
the vengeance of the Most High. And
yet these nations will not reform,
Prophets have proclaimed truth.
righteousness and justice in every age
and nation. but they have been unable
to stem the tide of corruption for
more than short neriod Whom Tho