The record-union., 1897-01-13
THE MARCH OF CIVILIZATION.
Last Nights Lecture by Bishop John
Newman.
Fate of Republics in the Past, and
the Outlook for the
Future.


church was we'll filled with very atten-
tive audience, who frequently applauded
the eloquent divine.
The Bishop commenced his lecture
by speaking of the fate of republics in
the past and quoted the aphorism, The
Fate of Republics is Empire" This had
been true in the past, said the lecturer
but there was no reason Why 1t should
be true in the future. The great ques-
ton of the day was, however, whether
or not there was enough craftsmanship,
enough patriotism, enough political sa-
gacity and political honesty, and enough
love of liberty to save this country from
the fate of its predecessors.
1t was for his audience and the people
of whom they formed a part, to reverse
the history Of the past and inaugurate
a new era in the history of republics
In order to do that the individual must
be moral, and out of that individual
morality would come the morality of
the aggregation.
1t must be borne in mind that civiliza-
ton was an abnormal condition, and
there had never been an instance when
it was normal 1t, however, eliminates
in all that is true and pure and good. 1t
was well to ask if our civilization is
normal or abnormal. What is now the
dominant thought in the 100000 of
freemen in any Presidential election?
Was it to do all in their power to i'm
prove the condition of the race? No,
the underlying principle was commerce,
money and finance.
True civilization brought modesty in
the place of insolence, justice instead of
cruelty and patriotism then rose above
selishness and blended into philanthro-
ply. There was a millennium coming
and all great thinkers had predicted it.
Bacon had predicted the time when
man would be master of all the forces
of nature. Another great thinker be-
Iieved in the perfectibility of humanity.
Another believed in an eventual cor
porate immortality. Mankind as an ag-
gregation live forever, always thinking,
always growing. 1t had been reserved
for America, glorious America, to say
that all men are created free and equal,
and this was the keynote of the revolu
ton that should bring about that mil
lenium when justice and modeSty and
peace and thrift should prevail
After reciting the history of the three
great divisions of the human race he
said there never has been and never can
be an atheistic age. The incarnation of
Christ was a proof of the ultimate per-
lection of the human race. The culture
of a people never rises above the culture
of the individual. The reform must
come from the individual.
All great movements had come not
from, b,1f from i1ri5
uals. The motto of all reformers had
been Excelsior Their contemporaries
called them insane and cranks but the
verdict Of history reversed the verdict
of their own time. When we know more
about psychology we will cease to call
men of genius insane. The Almighty,
when he has a great work to do, always
calls on one man or one woman.
Time is an essential element in prog
ress. The Great Ruler is never in
| hurry. The Hebrews had to wait 400
years in Egypt before being called out
| to make a great people. Then it took
| another 800 years before the glories of
| Solomon's Temple could be unveiled
Another 1000 years elapsed before
! Christ appeared and 300 more before the
! Christian religion made considerable
Roadway and then another ] 900 years
| elapsed before Martin Luther appeared
| Then 800 more years had to elapse be-
| fore this great Republic could be born.
/ 1t could not have been born before
| Therefore people should never grow i'm
patient. In times of revolution old
/ forms and customs disappeared and yet
nothing dies. While arts may be lost
| the genius Of those arts remains with
| humanity.
! There was now more brain power on
earth than ever in the past The aggre-
| cation Of intellect was greater than ever
| before. While wars might come there
was always a better future beyond the
/ fields Of blood. The Bible saying that
without shedding of blood thqre can
/ be no remission of sins" was still true.
Wars We're a logical condition of the
condition of society
! 1t had, however, remained for Ameri-
/ ca to master the day when THE sword
! shall be turned into the plow-
/ share" And the lecturer was glad that
in the last days of the term of President
I Cleveland an agreement had been made
by which all differences with Great
Britain would be settled by arbitration
! NttHouL LtlS sword, ana TINS was only
! the beginning. Before long all other
nations would Join in and the glorious
millennium would dawn.
He had been the pastor Of that great
man, President Grant. and when dying
/ the General had told him Of a dream of
a World supreme Court where all ma
lions would stand and adiudicate their
I difference. The question was often ask
ed; Is the world ;mproving?" En-
/ phatically 1t was. Contrast the world
| of hundred years ago with the world
OF to-day and the Improvement was at
once visible.
He had been in most parts of the
world and had seen a number of revo-
lutions and everywhere the spirit of lib
erty was becoming triumphant.
He had a dream OF a Parliament Of
/ Nations, when men would come together
in some great capital and meet to adj
just their differences-whent they should
have solved that. wars should cease and
crime should be no more