The San Francisco call., 1897-07-05


Episcopal Church Rev. Mardon d. Wilson
preached a patriotic sermon. He said In
part: -.
ITO BE Roman citizen in the days Of
Roman prosperity was in It's way the
u greatest thing in the world. For varl:
Gus reasons The Roman republic and the:
Roman empire faded away, lost their place IN
the world and are only history now, and with
them, though passing very slowly, faded the.
glory and power OF Roman citizenship. :.
The last 100 years have seen the develop
ment OF the mightiest republic the world mas.
ever known. The freedom OF man has worked
itself into prominence and dignity and a
power in this great Nation which had no
equal in the history of the world.
Those VINO are struggling for human free
dom have watched our experiment with the
deepest interest, because bound up with our
success or failure is the success or failure OF
human aspirations the world over. AS we
succeed and develop the lovers of human
freedom In every land thank God and take
courage and grow tirmer in the conviction
that in time ali shackles of tyranny and bond
age and oppression of man by man shallfade
away. lit should prove that our experiment
at sef-government should fail then the cause
of human liberty would have received blow
from which it would require many long
year for the world to rally.
W ;uld put this as strongly as / could. be-
cause there seems such tendency to UNDER
value our privileges and dignities as Ameri-
can citlzens; because | believe God bas
chosen this wonderful Nation as the place in
which is being worked out the solution of
many of the worlds problems, especially be.
cause here has been developed the idea of q
man, as citizen and q Christian, who can
live both lives, as l may say, without allowing
either TO infringe upon the other; because
this noblest conception of human freedom Is
being worked out here, and now say | glory
in my American citizenship and thank my
God for my privileges, and urge my fellow-men
to more active and positive recognition of
their privileges.
The very exuberance of this noisy Fourth OF
July demonstration is in the right direction
tits we'll that once in the year our boys should .
be encouraged TO patriotism and to the devel-
opment of the National idea
And so in the light of the Fourth OF July
and in the conviction which 1t brings again
and sgain that we are working out little Of :
the divine plan for the perfecting of human
character-for this IS that for which our Amer
lean manhood stands-we all become Opt.
mists We revive our Iaith in God and in his
goodness. We JOY in the greatness of the Ma
tion to which belong And we are always
ready to see the brightness of the silver or
times seem for a little while to hinder our
progress and our prosperity.
Particu arly this year, grasping the dignity
and the glory OF American citizenship, let us
each and all follow the example of the present
Secretary or the Treasury and be on the watch
for the indications of the turn of more pros
porous days than we have seen for a few years
past. Remember that large share OF ''good
times is in the belief that times are growing
better. And remem Der that the dignity of
American citizenship must always tend to up
lift the man and bring him into better mar.
mony with his surroundings, and therefore
the moro we recognize our high heritage as
become, and so help On the return of "better
times"