The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-04
GOD USING THIS NATION
MAYBE TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
Rev. A. ID. Philput Takes Advanced
Position on the Duties and Des-
tiny OF American People.

preached on the topic, THE Hand of Goo
in Americas Destiny" The text was from
the words Of the Psalms, HE hath not dealt
so with any nation" The pastor said:
To-day our hearts turn toward our coun-
try. For a generation we have enjoyed the
blessings of peace. There has been no call
to arms, no sounding Of the trumpet for
battle. But suddenly we are brought face
to face with situation which, in the judg-
ment of statesmen, demands forcible inter-
vention. In a day almost we are trans
formed from a nation divided on its surface
by party policies and sectional interests to
united and hearty support of our govern
ment in it's conflict with Spain. The North
and the South bury what is left of old-time
prejudice, the East and the West, with some
slight but increasing estrangement of ma
terial interests and social sympathies, join
hands once more, and all sections and
classes stand ready to do their duty in the
present crisis 1t is indeed no less remark
able than gratifying. The son of the hero
of Appomattox is on the staff of a Confed-
crate general, and when the initial skirmish
of the army Of invasion is over the son of
one of the most aristocratic families of New
York lies dead upon the field along with
the cowboy Of the plains.
ting people. The greed for gain is a stigma
fixed upon us by other nations, and we in
some measure deserve it. Grasping monop-
olies at this moment throttle most of our
large cities and control to too great an ex-
tent the national legislation. But those who
have supposed that our people were not
Why should not the rich who get much out
of life be as ready to go to the front as the
poor who get little? Why should not all,
both rich and poor, to whom America is the
symbol of opportunity, willingly offer them
selves that the blessings which have been
secured to US by the sacrifices of our fathers
may be preserved and extended to the op-
pressed of the earth? The United States of
America has suddenly awakened to the con-
seriousness of larger destiny. The day of
responsibility has come God has greatly
blessed US. We have been a chosen nation
Of the Lord. When the Pilgrim fathers
landed it was not to search for gold, but to
find liberty. Adventures had wandered
along these shores before. Pirates and gold
hunters had their eyes holden that they
should not see the treasures of this new
land. But when the pioneers came God was
with them. They began by laying the
foundations of religion and education broad
and deep. In fact, the first form of gov
ernment in New England was a theocracy.
The opening words of the compact signed
in the Mayf1ower were: In the name of God.
amen And Daniel Webster used to say
that this was the first clause of the Con-
stitution We are a Christian nation. Some
stains there may be upon our national
escutcheon. but grievously have we
answered them yea, and shall answer them
until justice be established and righteous
ness among the people. Thousands yet live
who remember the days of 81 At a fear
full cost our people learned the full mean
ing of the declaration that All men are
created free and equal and are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable
times burned low upon our national altar
we have never quite forgotten God. His
good hand has led us, and with the Psalm
iSt we can say: He hath not dealt so with
any nation.
WAR ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
'In time of war and especially in the hour
of victory the imagination becomes in
famed and we make predictions that may
prove extravagant. We contend that we
are wholly right and the enemy wholly
wrong-a confidence which history rarely
justifies. We, of course feel that the moral
issues of the present war are with us. We
are not battling for territory, we have
enough. We are not wanting to subject
other races; we have no provision in our
form of government for colonial admins
tration. War was not declared to avenge
an insult, though the sinking of the Maine
FASTENED the result and now In the breasts
of our sturdy marines, they handle the
death-dealing guns, the word passes round
Remember the Maine 1t may be said
that we are lighting to free Cuba. But our
first great victory was on the other side of
the globe. The sentiment of liberty for the
Cubans was the strongest factor, perhaps,
strongest in perpetuatirg it. All these
special causes are fading out of mind and
we are fighting Spain under the general in
dictment that she is not fit to govern her
possessions in the western hemisphere. This
is high moral ground. Rapacity, cruelty
rule. There is not a sign of Improvement
or an impulse of progress anywhere within
her domains. The fact is we are at war
with Spain on general principles And in
these may be found juster cause. often.
than in some special infraction of the law
of nations. But consider what an exasper-
ating situation this is for Spain. 1t was
one of her hardy Adventures that discov-
cred America. For a time she owned
large part of our present territory. Three
or four empires have fallen from her hands
within a hundred years. She is to-day in a.
struggle to retain the last and least of all
her possessions. Her right to even this is
challenged on the ground that she is not
fit to govern. Think how this must rankle
IN the breast of the proud Spaniard. The
ration would indeed be dead to all sense of
honor not to resist to desperation But her
day has come. There will be some senti-
ment left to regret the sad fate of once
the fortunes of the Queen Regent, whose
humane and benevolent disposition is ad
mitted by all.
IF we may ever discern the hand of God
in a nations destiny it seems to me we may
do it now. Our country has taken high
moral ground. If she shall maintain this
attitude throughout, if she shall pass
through unscathed of wrong and without
the smell of fire on her garments, 1t will
work a mighty change in the nations of the
earth. She will be a city set upon a hill.
If the advance of our armies shall but
prove the opening of the gates to liberty.
education end Christianity We shall indeed
be blessing to the nations. The Hon. John
w. Foster, ex-secretary of state, and one
! of the greatest international lawyers in
/ this country in address the other day
| at Dartmouth College, said he believed the
stone has said, America holds the future.
| May we not feel that God is giving us some
| high mission to the ends of the earth? If
so lie is giving it to us because we are best
| fitted to carry it out. The Most High uses
men and nations not because they are per-
feet, but because they are subservient
There are many things in which we lack.
We lack the fine manners or the French
man, the deep learning of the German, the
noble civic ideals of the Englishman and the
patience of the Hindu. But we have, be
| yond any other nation, sense OF justice
and fair play. We believe in giving every
man chance We have the old Anglo
Saxon love of home and g pure domestic
life. No nation equals us In this. We have
the gospel of the grace of God. We are
people of great resources and liberal ideas.
IL God wanted to use nation, why should
He not use ours? Not that we are perfect
far from it, But we are a willing people.
And II is said in holy writ, My people
shall be willing in the day of my power.
America has always felt that she had a
| A~f< n 49, 81 l,x- ord h0v1