The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-04

The Rev. George G.. Hall, in his sermon
IN st. Johns Church, yesterday, morning,
referred directly to the present STATE Of af-
fairs in this country, and lauded the ef-
forts Of President Mckinley to preserve
the national honor, without resortfng to
armed conflict At the same time Arch
deacon Hall criticised thoughtless persons
who object to the procedure Of the Presi-
| dent.
! Archdeacon Hall took his text from Mat
| thew 81, 12: "And Jesus went into the
temple Of God and cast out all them that
| sold and bought In the temple, and over
| threw the tables Of the money changers.
| and the seats of them that sold doves" In
| his discourse he said:
| '"While I, when I began, did not think
| of referring to the crisis which is Upon us
! as nation, 1 now remark that we by
| every consideration ought to have care
that we at every step are right and do
/ right. basing our policies and measures
upon the conviction that our cause is just
and holy. And it must be owned that, as
between ourselves and the nation with
which we contend, there apparently is lit
tie room for question as to where equity
lies. There is no doubt that Spain, as a
nation, is old and decrepit-that her fol-
lies and crimes In centuries account for
the fact that she to-day exerts little or
no influence; that so many Of her people
are stepped in ignorance and harassed by
poverty: that disagreement has brought
her 10 the day when bankruptcy and per-
haps revolution, stare her in the face.
ut. moreover, is certain that her rule
in Cuba has been supremely selfish; so
selfish as to provoke most determined re-
bellon. In order to crush out her warning
subjects she has resorted to the infamy of
herding women and children where death
by starvation is inevitable Our battle-
ship. with many of our heroes, is in the
bottom of the harbor in which 1t had an
chored. Many thousands Americans be-
lieve that Spanish mine did the enorm-
ity. They also insist upon it that we must
correct these wrongs, vindicate our honor,
bring cheer and happiness to the oppressed
and suffering on the island in the sea.
"But we, repeat it, must be right and
do right at every step. We must remem-
ber that we are the young and vigorous
and powerful people: that we can afford to
take time for deliberation and make it
plain to the nations that We prefer peace
to war; that responsibility for additional
bloodshed must be assumed only when
diplomacy, as inspired by humane and yet
firm resolution has exhausted all the high
resources. For us to meet the present
crisis In such spirit-with the sole aim
to be the instrument of God in bringing
great betterment to pass; for us to do that
is to acquire the moral force which, when
supplemented with the weapons that COR
respond to the whip in our savior's hand,
when He drove cut the constituencies
money changers, will make us irresistible.
"Nor do I hesitate to say that our chief
magistrate, who is for war only when the
last pacific measure has failed is right;
and they who are impatient with his policy
are wrong, They are irresponsible and
therefore not so likely to take the large
and benign view in which all possible cost
and consequences are recognized. He is
responsible, having sworn that he In his
stewardship of sovereign powers will be
wise, prudent, right and manly. He, more
over, took The solemn oath as firm be-
lever in Gods Son, Christ, and they who
sneer sneer not at his timidity, as they
think but at the course which is inspired
by humble, devout and earnest asking for
wisdom and guidance at the throne upon
which He sits who preached tho great
gospel Of peace That gospel says the
sword is to be beaten into the plowsbare;
that tears. If at all possible, must be
wiped away without causing others to
start Facts like these Indicate the pa
tient and prudent patriotism of the man
who is plotting the ship of state through
the troubled waters We must trust him;
say his praise over against the rash and
thoughtless declaimers who, though they
cry WAR have no mind to face the enemy
on batteships.
'If he and his advisers tomorrow be-
lieve that the honor Of the nation and the
good of humanity require armed conflict
he will courageously say so. He, more
over, would be far more persuasive, II he,
in calling attention to wrongs abroad. did
not see wrongs within our own borders
burning wrongs that do not disturb our
equanimity as a. nation. I could name
some and truly say they were reproach to
US. There Is fiendishness in the South
and in the North as black as any In Cuba;
but we do not hunt down and crush out
the sayagery which perpetrates 1t. There
are abuses in all drections--abuses in con-
sequence Of which thousands suffer-get
less than they have right to in this free
land; but we tolerate them, and then. it
may be, think it brave and manly thing
to say that the suffering in Cuba must DO |
liberated, given their own.
"They ought, and I pray God they will; |
that we, the American nation, through wise |
and benign craftsmanship, may by peaceful |
means accomplish the right; that, II for
bearance and magnanimity and discretion |
fni1 bu 70 hat |
ment.
81 go step farther, and add that we as
people, when the present crisis has been
met, and 1t, for example, is understood far
and wide that no hurt must come In time
of peace to American seamen, even when
the American flag floats over them in for
eign harbors, ought loudly and determined
ly say that all classes and conditions OF
men must in our own borders be absolutely
secure in life and property; that no pre-
rogative of citizenship must be in the least
abridged; that the low in our courts of
justice must have an equal chance with the
high; that the rulers in cities and states
must be ncorruptible. and conscientiously
serve the public veal.
america is Gods temple of liberty and
the wise and the good must not permit 1t
to be desecrated. They, as our Savior did
in Jerusalem, must rise up in indignant
protest and drive out the defilers; make
and keep the temple of liberty pure.
when Christ had expelled the corrupt
and irreverent from the sacred precincts on
Mount Moriah He turned to the sick and
healed them; made them happy and sent
hem away rejoicing.
"If We have as great a care about right
,ousness in our land, our institutions will
,e blessing. Unjust inequalities will dis
appear, social and political evils will be
cured. We will be a happy nation, and
IS often as we speak, we will speak with
great moral power, commanding sincere
'espect in the world at large, because we
ire and do right"
Thomas F. Bayard UnwelI.
A Io. Jor u Do |