The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-26
HIGHER LIFE OF THE NATION
THEME OF REV. LEYI GTLBERT'S
 DISCOURSE YESTERDAY,

Union Services of Trinity and First Metho-
 dist Episcopal Churches Held in the Latter Edidce-Many Potent Reasons
 Given for Being Thankful-Abstract of Dr. Gilbert's Discourse.
 The Rev. pr. Levi Gilbert of Trinity M. F. church preached the Thanksgiving discourse at the First M. E. church and spoke along the following lines;
 What are the highest things to be thank ful for? We might give in figures of millions an estimate of our crops and food | supplies, and we ought to be grateful for the largeness of our haryests and that no famine like India's has come to US. We might trace the course of the revival of ! business and note the incidental disciplin- ary benefits which have come to individuals and the nation by passing through hard times. We might rejoice over the discovery | or new regions of gold. We might be glad on account Of Increasing population, the eX- pansion of vast cities and the vastness of our imperial domain. But man is not to live by bread alone, and neither mans ire nor nations s consists in the abundance 1 ot the things possessed. The kingdom of God Is not meat and drink. The utllitarian conception of it held by certain socialists Of to-day is gross. Their god is their belly.  lation or changed environment alone, ignor- ! ing sin and the necessity of character. | We should be thankful first of all for any government at all when we think of the long l process Of it's creation and it's cost. Our K country may now be said to be out of its experimental stages. Every crisis success It has a great task in fusing heteroge- neous into . homogeneous people. There Is | an imperative demand for q strong senti" ! ment of patriotism. There must be, without | lngOiSm. nDwaYflIl national pOnSciOnS- ness. To assimilate our people the teach | ing Of our own history and the significance ot our national days must be general; Pil- l grimages to historical shrines should be l frequently arranged for our youth. The | city should be full of statues of our great men. Our indebtedness to New England and the spread of the civilization of the Pilgrims over the whole country should be l made, clear They should have a pride in the glorious history ot this little State and know, its contribution to the ideas con tained in the United States constitution, it's l splendid record of bravery in the Revoll- tionary and Civil wars.
 | We ought to be thankful for the rising tide of civic conscience and the devotion of our young men to ideal ends in politics. the pi,f victory of Tammany is to be deplored. ernment, with the vigilance opposing it, it cannot be as bad as it gave before.
 l., ,l We rejoice, despite the failure of the Ar. peace. The oIeen's jubilee spread a de- @ sire of amity. Venezuela -perplexes no more. Just now Madrid and Washington are corresponding in friendliest fashion. Japan has sent no war-ships. The sealing conference has held successful session. An era of good feeling leads to measures toward reciprocity with Canada.
 The strike in the coal district led to no general sympathetic strike. There is no longer an anticipation of any general uprls-
 ing of the labor element or fright from time the sympathies of the people are with the toilers and permanent peace can only come through righteousness. Government Such tragedies as that at Hazelton are de- plorable and ought to be avoidable Law lessness of riotlng and ynchings in north and south must be suppressed.
 We should be grateful for the increasing Iorce of public opinion, and the high stand ard-not only here, but throughout this
 whole whole parallel of latitude-of our public training instruction. Our high schools are
 better than the colleges of twenty-f five
 After last Saturday Yale might be excus- able for thinking herself the only large col lege but great institutions are now firmly Of numerous small colleges is beyond esti- mate. The outcome of the discussion over
 President Andrews insures freedom of ex-
 pression. On the surface athletics might seem to be the dominating influence; but, underneath, solid, quiet work is being con , stantly done. Great libraries are being | AOuScu III uODle buildings III Ill our large cities. The country towns are following the example; rural districts have circulating the best books.
 One wishes he could speak encouragingly of present day journalism. All honor to the brave and clean papers that resist the ten dency to a depraving sensationaism that is debauching literary and aesthetic taste and corrupting morals.
 We can note, despite the disgusting Ne yada prize-fght and its demoralizing picto- rial reproduction and the polygamc revival F in Utah, an advancement in morals-in SUD- pressing lotteries, in social purity and tenn perance. The anti-saloon league is com bining the best elements against the drink curse.
 Despite their burdens of debt the churches have been aggressive, and the meeting of the American Board here was distinctively inspiring.
 We should be thankful for the heritage of heroic, self-sacrificing men. Said Lincoln
 "Gold is good; but living, brave, patriotic men are better than gold'' Hero worship is better than mammon worship. The main things to be thankful for are character home, family life patriotism, intelligence and education, God, Christ, the church. the Bible, freedom, law, the will set on virtue a high dealism which transfgures our ma terial existence.
 There should be individual consecration to the noblest ends of our national life. No State can be better than it's citizens. Make the units good and the whole will be good Let the prayer of each be
 "rhou, too, sail on, o Ship of State!
 Sail on, o Union! strong and great!'