The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-13

IS THIS A RIGHTEOUS WAR?
The Rev. DR.. Charles Herr
breaches a Highly Patriot
Sermon.
AMERICAS GLORYFR OM THE CONFLICT
The Stars and Stripes a Refuge
Forever for the Weak and
Down Trodden of
the World.
AMERICAS GLORY FROM THE CONFLICT

DSdNllIuliE uGCOldttQ. It waits Vs.
almost hidden with dozens of flags. small
flags were placed along the rail Of the or
| gan loft back of the altar. The organ it.
| self was almost completely hidden by a
flag nearly twenty feet long and OF pro-
portionate width. DR.. Herr took for his
text a portion of the tenth verse Of the
sixth chapter Of Revelations, How long.
o Lord, holy and true. lost thou not
avenge our blood on them that dwell on
the earth?'' He said
This is a sample Of the cry that goes
| up to God from the oppressed. and II
reaches His ear and calls forth a re-
sponse from His divine heart OF pity.
do not go into the details Of his partica-
| response of the Divine compassion 70
from their fellow men. might have
taken equally suggestive words from any
book, indeed from any page OF the scrip
tyres: This hdst pa ar iba a aPPsai o The first
| opens almost with the cry which the
| blood of murdered Abel sends up unto
sets forth a God whose throne is over all.
who has not abdicated His righteous rule
| over the nations, and who especially cares
| for the victims of violence and infailpiy
requites their sorrows upon those Whc
caused them.
zone Of the most divine things about
the laws OF Moses Is lHSlI HUMANE StoA
acter. From the beginning Of His educa-
ton of mankind, God taught them the
| primary duty of justice and righteousness
| one toward another. The Psalms ana
the Prophets are continually reiterating
| these ruths launching the curse OF
heaven upon the oppressor, declaring tnat
PROSTATE and execute vengeance, and call
ing upon all men to respect the risnI o.
| every man and to call the helpless and
| poor their brethren. This thought has
been slow to work its way in the world.
slow to fire itself as a power in the
| hearts of men and the conscience OF ma
| ever Increasing momentum until within
the last century blow after blow mas iai-
| len to strike the letters from the wrists
of man.
1T Is peculiarly to this country that
God has given to represent this spirit and
| to foster it among The war
of the Revolution was the first great
| blow at despotism. the first overwhelming
challenge to absolutism, and our history
and growth and prosperity have given
hope to the oppressed annaa
| have tended to direct the intelligence ana
awaken the conscience of the world. TO
us God has granted 1t to be the van
guard of the race in its splendla march
towards freedom and humanity. II IS
from us that England has learned 70
| govern according to the will OF Coo ana
the essential rights OF man; and learned
it chiefly during the life of the great
Commoner and one of the greatest amer
leans of them all, just dead. Gladstone
was great enough to say OF TINS country
America will soon be the steWardess OF
the household of nations. because her
service is the highest and the best.
Now 1t is this spirit as a power at
the heart of the American people Whicn
explains this war. It is our indignation
! at the long continued violation OF the
| rights of common humanity, and the IN,
tolerable history OF cruelty, r nans e anu
ernment of Cuba that explains TINS wa,
| that and nothing more. It is to end ms
brutality and misrule ana 70 emu ~ iol-
| ever in the name of God OF human-
itv that we have lifted our arm 70 strike
| and crush the oppressor. The queen He-
| gent of Spain appealed from me tnEon ;e
this war. In name DID she appeal.
| In behalf of what great and holy cause
| did she plead? For her son, a paupersa
| scion of rotten royalty, that his tnrohe
| might be defended until he should pc olu
| enough to defend it himself. CONTRAST
| with that the motive that MAKES the
bearts of the American people beat as
one their rallying cry to battle. 1t is the
right of the helpless and the oppressed
| to be befriended by the strong. II IS me
| answer of just and humane SOUS 70 me
aanneal of misery. The cry of the afflict-
ed, the fatherless, the WIDOWS mas sol5
nm to God. How long, Q Lord, molly ana
true, dost Thou not jugs s - an Ged ag has come me
al last in the uprising of the American
neonle to be the ministers of HIS venge.
ance and Of His pity. Not unto niu; Us, F Fo1
| unto US, DQL AhtO -
as1eh is what I understand by this
war, and there is no cloud OF DOUBT upon
my soll that this explanation of 1t Woulda
meet the practically universal assent OF
| the American people. And therefore l am
| proud of this war. l glory IN ~ n -
| hehaIf of the weak against a braggart
| and cruel despotism. There is nothing IKE
| If in the history of the world Tn CRU
| sades were ridiculous and villainous com
-.rod4 with If Mr. war even OIL our OWL
| history is to be mentioned with 1t for dis
| inferestedness Our revolution was for
national existence, Our clvli t Wal " Ma that
| existence; we did not at first hgnt Tor me
liberation of the slave. But this war Is
unique. as one, in when me llnpulsss y
! oppressed are supreme, and not mercy
| supreme but are all there IS OF Il. no
| war was ever so simple and SO pure IN
its purpose. There is only one question 70
discuss about this one. veryth1 IS
| irrelevant which does not ground in right
eous Indignation against fntoierapie IN
what a prophecy for the welfare and
liberties of man there is here. What a
! marvellous development in human affairs
when a nation loving quie.iess and pre-
serving a traditional ISOLATION, persist
| emily wedding ENHANCEMENT with the con-
Germs of other people and devoted to the
I arts of peace and the rewards of industry
and commerce lay aside their tools and
| leave their desks to fight for the remedy
Of a cruel wrong and the termination of
| an Infamous rule. What u~nbounded hope
| fulness for the future of the American
| race lies in such a fact as this. 1t Is not
| too much to believe thai this conflict will
advance the world more than any previous
influence toward that time when every
war must be tried by the claims of liberty
and right. yea. toward that farther time
when war shall be no more, when mill
| tarism will lose its vocation and the forces
| of nations be directed toward the uni
versal good.
mo mar can ~Overpaint the glory that
shall accrue to America from this conflict
in which her people. as the elect$of Gcd.
leap I'D to the rescue of those who are
| wounded and starved and abandoned to
die. We, Who bear the burdens of the
| struggle ard are destined perhaps to suf-
fer some of its sorrows, are Offering to
| God and 10 our fellow men a sdblimer SER
vice than we know. And those who give
up their lives and pour out their blood
in this cause are the best benefactors of
| fhe world their service shall endure
| through the ages: their names shall be
\ honored forever by those who have Iiber-
I ty: their fame shall never die.
ssAH hail then. strong and beautiful Re-
| public of the West. Delivered from the
| shackles Of the old world, winning the
| holy right to grow according to the prin-
| oiries OF liberty, thou hast come ait last
| 10 Try power for the blessing OF the
| world. Thou hast In thee the old time
spirit. Never dying during the piping
| times of peace but rather fed and fructi-
/ fed by the achievements of political lib
Serty and Industrial opportunity for all;
| t4fs spirit rouses itself today before the
4xxL4<I fAA ~ rx ftn IN IL