The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-01

oppression anu cruelty, until IN GOd
time the youngest nation on earth be
comes her master, and visits upon her
the punishment she so richly deserves
What ever we may think of the doct-
rine of expansion this much we fee
sure Of When at last the line is
drawn and the stakes driven geograph-
ically it will have been Gods hand
that has made the charge, and swept
the nations out of the channels of the
past. And you will remember the con
trast is still more apparent if possible
in the monetary affairs Of the world
for the government securities of prot
estant countries bring higher price
and are in greater demand. in every
market of the world than are the like
securit es of catholic nations.
If you cross the Rio Grande river,
the line that divides geographically the
Mexican from the American, you will
come face to face with an illustration
of the text, "Sin is reproach to any
people" Rich in everything that
should make nation great, with
climate and soil unsurpassed by any
country, her gound full of precious
metals, her people the descendants OF
the brave, Montezumas with the re-
mains OF walled cities and historic
palaces, Mexico ought to be great.
Yet for centuries she has been as an
ash heap among tile nations, each one
has raked her in turn.
1t is not the river that makes the
difference between Mexico and Amer
ica, tits religion.
But what has all this to do with this
day and this hour. Hear me. Gods
theatre of operation is in this country.
From this land, bounded by great
seas, the gospel is to go forth to every
nation, land and tongue. And here is
to be the gathering place of the
"tribes." Great movements of Gods
arm is to be made in the latter days,
great manifestations of His power,
and flashes of His glory are to be
seen OF men. For the manifestation
of His power and the revelation of
His glory, He needs large land and
a right people.
Our government is the crystalliza-
ton of the old worlds thoughts Of
liberty. Our national fibre is COM
posed of the best blood of all nations.
The stern and unyielding Puritan, the
brisk and philosophical Frenchman,
the patient and metaphysical German,
the cautious and conservative En-
glishman here meet and unite in one
flow of American life. Our fingers
are on the pulse of every nation, and
the blood of all peoples are in our
veins. In this fact that we are kin
dred to all nations is promise of
peace and favor forever.
Is there not cause in all This Tor
thanksgiving, and is not the right
eousness of the people the righteous
ness of God?
Nations are composed of individ-
uals, and the righteousness OF the in
dividual is the righteousness that
exalteth the nation" To Judge OF
our condition as a nation, then we
must study the individual in the three
great departments of his complex ma
tional life-the social, the political,
and the religious.
In the social life of our people we
see changes that to the thoughtful
bring pain and concern for the future
of our American homes. l am not
one to look upon the dark side oi
things, neither do l believe that as a
whole the race is growing worse in
stead of better, yet there are alarm
ing indications of decay in our socia
life that marks the downfall of the
home if not arrested. | would speak
of them not to cast gloom upon
yourhearts, but to suggest their rem
edy.
The American home was never Sc
American and never so rich as it i:
to-day in resources, yet Its purity mus
be guarded with ever increasing vigl
lance, for with our rapidly advancing
civilization, with our enlarged oppor
tunities for usefulness, and with oul
less restricted commingling of al
classes and conditions of society
there has come to be freedom in
immortality, an exemption from tina
disgrace which ought always to tracl
the criminal, certain setting aside
and trihing with innocency, that if lief
unchecked must bring a harvest o
woe and shame upon our homes
, The saddest commentary that can BIZ
I written upon our American life is
: that we live too much upon the street
too much at club houses, and too lit
! tie at home. The gilded club room
and modern French flats and board
ino cvftemS are doInp more to break