The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-20

the Battle for Cuba's Freedom
Patriotic Service.
Never was the popularity of pub
lie speaker more thoroughly evidenced
than that of DR.. Lyman Abbott, pastor
of the Plymouth Congregational church
OF Brooklyn, at the Peoples church last
night Every seat in the auditorium
of the church was flied and many 90
pie remained standing in the aisles dur
ing the entire service.
DR.. Abbott was introduced by Rev.
w. w. Newell. pastor of the Bethany
Congregations! church, in a short but
appropriate address, in which he re-
ferred 10 his appearance at the worlds
parliment of religion in Chicago during
the worlds fair, AMI the universal re-
eard that had been felt for him since
that time. He knew of no greater
honor, he said, than that of introduce
ing such man to such an audience.
Dr.. Abbott announced the subject of
his sermon as THE New Duty of the
New Hour" taking his text from
Isaiah COL, Arise, shine; for thy light
has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon thee" During the de-
livery of the sermon Dr. Abbott was
frequently interrupted by demonstra-
lions of approval of the sentiments he
expressed in the form of enthusiastic
applause. He said, in part:
The fact that light has come to a
nation makes it the obligation Of that
nation to radiate that light out to other
nations, for all that we have is given
us TO use in the service Of humanity
and God.
g What are the duties of a nation on
which the light has shown? Character
and opportunity must determine that
And then comes another question What
are the distinguishing characteristics
of America? Not acres or wealth or
population These are characteristic of
. the country, but not distinguishing, for
many other counties have them all in
even a great degree than America. The
foreigners will tell us that corruption
lawlessness and drunkenness are our
chief characteristics. l am compelled
to say that we have all these in album
dance, but others have them, and they
are more in evidence than in America
Il think that one of our chief charac-
teristics is elf-government, every man
for himself, because We have found that
man can govern himself better than
others can govern him. Our govern
ment radiates from the outer circle to
the center, individual, town, county,
state, and finally the nation. In the
kingdoms it is the reverse. The laws
are announced from the center and
must be obeyed on the outer circle
Again, we trust ito reason and con-
science to settle, not oily Individual dis
put,e, but the issues of sovereign ateS.
Ia The last few years we have had
more than forty controversies between
the states that in many foreign coun-
try would have brought on the bitter
esi kind of war.
And one of the shining characterls-
tics of America is equal rights to all
ard a fair chance for every man. In
England a man is born laborer or
lord, and he remains so TO his death.
In this country a man is born an
American citizen. He may begin as
freight handler and finish as the presl-
dent of great trapscont;nental rail-
read. All this is due to he many things
that we have established IN this coun-
try that are purely our own. Along
this line we have our public school sys-
TEN. We educate ourselves in America
as do no other people on the globe. So
manifestly superior is our system Of
education that 1t is being copied in
England and France. One might gath
or from all these facts that we would
isolate ourselves and keep apart from
the rest Of the world, but we are grad
ually drawing nearer and nearer our
neighbOrs until 1t has come to a point
where we cannot be apart from the
rest, even though we desired 1t. But
we do not desire this, and we have not
kept ali the good things of America
to ourselves We have beckoned to
the people on the other side Of the
ocean and have invited them to share
with US. Not only this, but we have
given to the foreign born our very
wealth, for we have given them our
soil to be their own, if they will till
It.
I'm reciting all these facts I do not
mean to excite your vanity, but merely
TO point out to you the things that
have made US what We are. and to
show you an outline of our policy in
the present great crisis.
For years crime has been going on
in Cuba. Everything that we have
advocated Spain has denied her sub
jects in that little island She has de-
MED them even civilization. At last the
time arrived when we could stand 1t
no longer We had protested since the
time of Jefferson, but in vain, and it
became necessary to do away with
words, and act. 1 think that this war
is not only just, but that it was neces-
sary. 1t is more glorious than the
wars of 1775, 1912 and 1861 for in the
first two we were fighting for our
selves, and in the last for something
for which we were partly responsible
This is the first war in the history of
the world that nation has buckled
on her sword, not for self-glory but
for the freedom of another nation of
oppressed people.
Where the American flag goes uu
1t will not be taken down until liberty
education and equal rights to all, our
principles, have been firmly entrench-
ed under it.
I'VE may need a larger army and a
larger navy in this conflict, but we
are to use them only to break the rod