Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-25
GIVE THANKS.
How the National Holiday is OBJ
served in Rock ISL
and.
UNION SERVICE At MEMORIAL.

Patriotic Singing by a Large Chorus oil
School Children, Offering for the Poor
and an Eloquent Sermon by Rev. W. 5
Marquis-At the Episcopal and Roman
Catholic Churches.
The people in Rock Island in differ
ent WAYS expressed thanks 20 the
Giver Of ali for the harvest of good
they had reaPed during the year. 1t
was in every respect an ideal Thanks
giving. Nature seemingly entered in
TO the spirit of the occasion. and fur
nished a bright, crisp, sunshiny day
In the morning the Protestant con-
greGatiens of the city joined in a I'M
ion service at Memorial Christian
church. The edifice was filled 10
Overlooking. The interior was pref
tilv decorated with chrysanthemums
flags and smilax. The service was of
a patriotic character. A chorus OF
100 school children under the direc-
ton of Prof. f. l.. Philbrook sang the
Star Spangled Banner, the Battle
Hymn of the Republic and Hail
| Columbia When it came to the
singing of My Country IT'S of Thee, >
nearly every voice in the congrega-
| ton was heard, and the result was II
swell of harmony such as would stir
the patriotism of any American. The
invocation was pronounced by Rev.
| &. f. Taylor, of the First Baptist
church, and there were responsive
readings by Re-. G. .. McCulloch.
of the First Met hodist, and Rev. d. L..
McNary, of the United Pres byierian.
Rev. W. S. Marquis, of the Broadway
Presbyterian church. delivered the ser
dress. and Il beautiful and eloquent
one it was. He teok for his subject
The Hand of God in American His
| tory
.:Washington in mis- first inaugural
declared, No people can be bound to
acknowledge the invisible hand which
conducts the affairs of men more than
the people of the United States, 5"
quoted Rev. Marquis in beginning his
sermon. If these words We're true
then, how much truer are they after
more than a century of divine bless
ing has made us greater nation than
ever Washington dreamed we could
be. True Americans do indeed, as
Prof. Bryce has said, deem the gen
eral acceptance of christianity TO be
one of the main sources of the nation
al prosperity, and the nation a special
object of Divine favor There may
be some imported unbelief which talks
of fate and destiny and law, Is though
there were no God in heaven, but the
nation as 4 nation. believes in God; q
God Who Is the sovereign of nations
as well as individuals, and this day
is set apart by national and state au-
thority. that we may formally and
gratefully acknowledge. like Nehimi
ali of old, that our prosperity i due to
the good hand of God upon us
There may he philosophy OF spirit,
but it is only God working out HIS
will. Every thoughtful student of the
past can recognize a trend of his
tory great gulf stream of purpose,
mysterious and powerful, flowing
down through the ages. and setting as
the poe. with president eve has seen.
toward one far of divine event.
Continuing. Rev. Marquis said the
hand of God is visible in the
history of America before there
was any America. Long before
the discovery of this land He
had begun to fashion the principle of
righteousness and liberty which con-
stitute the framework OF our ship of
state" The speaker here reviewed
the discovery of America, and told
of the ultimate necessity on the part
of the people of the United States 20
drive from their shores the French and
the Spanish, of the enacting of the
last act in this great struggle the past
summer in the conquest of Cuba and |
Porto Rico, and the election OF Spain |
from the western hemisphere.
The Monroe Doctrine Broken Down.
God Himself has broken down the |
Monroe doctrine wherewith we
walled ourselves in to enjoy His gifts |
in selfish unconcern to all the prob |
lens of the old world. - said Rev. Mar |
uuis. He has lifted our standard |
and planted it on Hawaii and the Caro-
lines. III the Pacific, on Cuba and |
Porto Rico in the Atlantic. And he |
saws to us: L have not made YOU /
free and rich. and mighty and hap
DIV for YOUR own sakes alone. but that |
YOU might be the bearers of christian |
light and liberty to the dOwn-trodden /
O. the world If we follow the flag
where God has planted it. with the holy |
purpose in our hearts, that flag viii |
never be lowered in defeat or dis
grace, and the new lands over which |
it floats will rise to a new liberty and |
a nobler life.
A common danger has drawn us
together as north and south. east and !
west, strengthening faith and love rs
The bonds OF nationality. Forced into
war for humanity's sake, the God Of .
battles has given Us a series OF almost
bioodless victories that remind one of
the miraculous deliverances OF His 81,
chosen people of Israel. He has en- |
larged our borders. increased our /
fame, drawn US into close friendship
with that mighty nation of kindred
blood, Great Britain, and planted fear 1
of our prowess in the hearts OF those