The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-07-14
GOV. BOB TAYl0Rs WELCOME TO
CHRISTIAN ENDEAYoRBRs
AT NASHVILLE

3 As the flowers welcome the light
D Of the morning, as the green earth
smiles welcome 70 the summer ruu.
shine and shower as the possum wei.
comes the ripe peFslmmon, 50 Nash
= vile gives welcome 20 you.
D This Is glorious meeting. The
J North and the South ore united here
In a glorious cause. I trust your de-
/, alterations will be harmonious a. when
Uncle Rastus held Aunt Dinah's hand
in his hand aud asked, Who's sweet
Z and Aunt Dinah dropped her head on
) his shoulders and answered, Bofe Of
us,
1T Is my delightful privilege to
greet you in the name Of Nashville and
the state Through my lips s,OoO, 600
souls within the borders Of Tennessee
, give welcome to every son and daughter
I Of every other state and country assem
bled here TO join in the great ondeavor
to strengthen the church and benefit
mankind We welcome you because
} we are looking Tor you, and because
) we are glad you have come. We wei.
! come you because we love You, and we
love You became yon are the apostles Of
love and the evangles of peace on earth
! and good Will toward men,
''rhere is no nobler endeayor IN this
} world than Christian Endeayor. 1t
embraces All that il pure and good on
earth, and It is our only shield from
eternal death,
Whoever dries tear, whoever hesIs
a wound whoever drops kind word
! into an aching heart, OF a coin into the
shriveled hand Of poverty, whoever
helps the helpless, whoever befriends
the friendless, whoever illustrates the
gospel Of mercy BY showing mercy,
whoever scstters blessings IN q wretch
, ed home and makes tie flowers OF peace
and Joy bloom al ita door, whoever
loves his fellow.man and fears bis God,
is eligible to be mustered into the
great army Of Christian Endeavor,
This mighty army with shout and song
is marching on to the conquest Of the
world Its banner Is The croas Of
Christ and it's watchword the brother
hood Of man.
THE nineteenth century is dying, |
and in the same grave with It. thank
God, will be buried many Of the
preiudices and vicious suparstitions
which have confronted the church IN
the past and which have blocked the
progress Of our civilization, and stood
in the way Of united Christian en-.
deayoE The dawn then century
win usher IN new era in The history /
Of mankind, II will usher IN 3 more
perfect organization Of Christian
thought and Christian effort without
regard to creed or nationality. The
hearts Of nations will be fused in one
great throbbing heart Of love and the
spirit Of tolerance and liberality will
be diffused among them like the light
Of glorious day
The exultant forces Of Christian
Eudeayor win present a solid front 20
the foe. and the devil and his angels
will fall back in confusion before the
armies Of the Lord,
4 think The twentieth century will
be an age Of liberty, The guns Of
Dewey are laundering liberty at Man.
lila, liberty Is booming from the guns Of
Sampson and schley, and soon liberty
will CLEAN on the bayonets and leap
from the muzzles Of % hundred thous.
and rifles when our volunteer armies
close In upon Havana to drive tyranny
into the sea. This war Il only opening
the way for the triumphal march Of
the Prince Of Peace, and the battle cry
is Liberty! Peace is the child Of lib.
erty, and liberty Is the offspring Of
lust and holy war.
The Christian religion can only
reign supreme IN land where peace
and liberty dwell. Then let our III
vincible armies march, let our nayies
hover around the opposers camp for It
is the decree Of God that the shedding
Of blood il The price Of liberty and
peace and even the salvation Of our
souls; the blood Of heroes for liberty
and peace, and the blood OF Christ for
salvation.
Sometimes In our Christian en-
deavor to rsbuke sin we are compelled
to use artillery A little grape and can
lister now and then are splendid Ger.
mons and there are hallelujahs IN the
rattle Of musketry. For when the
smoke Of the conflict has cleared away
churches will spring mp and bloom
like roses IN the track of war, the mus
ic Of the harvest song win follow the /
bugle call and happy homes viii nestle
among the bills where hostlls armies
once met and reveled ID the carnival Of !
death.
Not long ago stood under the folds
ol the American Gag III tho midst Of
great throng Of American citizens Be-
hind me stood q line Of old Confeder-
ate veterans wearing the worn and
faded gray. In nfront of me stood line !,
of volunteers dressed ID blue. The two
lines confronted each other, not in war Z
butin peace, not IN anger but n love
The IA aantain a. geav stooa faaa ~