The herald., 1898-11-25


cessions and thanksgiving be made for al
men, for kings and for all that are in high
stations; that we may lead quiet and
peaceable life" He preached substantially
as follows
In accordance with the wish of the CHIEF
magistrate of the nation, we assemble in our
churches today to thank Almighty God for
the fruits Of the earth and the many other
blessings that he constantly bestows upon
us. The text from st. Paul shows at once
the spirit of Christian faith, and blends with
it most beautifully the functions and offices
of civil government The civil ruler repre-
sents God in the civil order and the church,
which represents the spiritual order. prays
that God may incline his representatives to
rule with wisdom and justice, that all men
MAY live quiet and peaceable life. The
peace and happiness of life are largely in
the hands of the civil ruler, and when he
himself recognizes God and his providence
in the affairs of men, and those over whom
he presides recognize them likewise, all
unite in asking heaven blessing upon them.
The Catholic church appreciates this great
moral lesson Of the chief representative OF
100000 of people, making official and
public acknowledgement of Gods provi-
dence She has had the experience in the
1900 years of her life of all sorts of sover-
eigns-Christian and pagan, civilized and
savage. Under them she has sometimes
lived "the quiet and peaceable life;' at
other times she has suffered persecution at
their hands, but at all times she has prayed
that God might guide them in the right way.
As St. Paul prayed for the pagan rulers that
should one day demand his life. There
fore it ia that we Catholic people today most
readily and most heartily pray to God for
his guidance in our national affairs, where
freedoms is guaranteed to us, with all others,
to serve God in quiet and peaceable life. y
Here every man can serve God that wants
to. The government does not compel him
to do so, nor does it dictate to him how he
should do SO; but it protects him in doing
it; and today, by proclaiming this Thanks
giving Day, publicly and officially declares
that we ought to do so. All the greater
shame, then, on the man that does not do
so, where every incentive and every oppor-
tunity are given him for it.
During the present year we have passed
through the experience of foreign war
We must be thankful, not alone for its sue
cess, but for its short duration. Even those
who wage and win the most successful war
deplore its necessity, and wish for differ
ent way of settling difficulties. May God
speed the day when we shall find such
means. And now l may be permitted l
think, to touch upon subject of the future.
1t is not political at least it is not partisan,
for some of all parties differ as to what it
ought to be-the future policy of govern
ment growing out of the war.
You all know that the church deprecates
the policy of the clergy engaging publicly
in matters purely political. This subject l
may say is not political, or | should not
touch upon it at all. But l do feel that if
we should ever so far depart from the time
honored custom of confining ourselves to
the treatment of our domestic concerns
alone as to become entanged with foreign
powers as they are entangled with one an
other, it would be deplorable mistake. God
has cut us off from such entanglements if
we but follow the boundaries he has marked
out. We have a country which, by its ex-
tent and fertility, and its variety of climates
and products, it's riches in the useful and
precious metals, is capable of supporting
five or ten times the present population.
By developing thus for what we have at
home, we have grown to the power we are,
and our great strength and great security
depend still upon that further development.
There are now resting upon us questions of
internal concern and others that will grow
up for us whose solution will tax the very
best energies of our best statesmen, without
inviting others from abroad.
God preserve us from the need of standing
armies and great navies, such as seem neces
sary to keep the peace in Europe.
What do those armies mean there? They
mean simply vast armament to repel from
their respective territory those who might
wish to rob or pillage. They confront one
another upon no other rational ground
Such a state of affairs is not worthy of a
civilized age, and necessary adjunct to
these vast armaments isa trained diplomatic
corps. May we never be destined to sink
to their level, for much of their diplomacy
is disgrace to mankind.
Thus far we have been able to manage our
successfully with other nations by
means of our ministers and consuls accredit-
ed to the several powers. No commercial
advantage that could possibly accrue to us
by departure from our past history, with
such prospects as d price OF it, could COM
pensate us for the cost.
The question is yet al open one, whether
we shall go on as we have done, or take IA
radical departure from it. Those most in
terested have not been consulted Those
who pay the taxes, the mothers and, wives
who are asked to send their sons and hus-
bands to the perils of war; have had no
means of being heard. Here is case for the
referendum indeed.
The bishop closed with "a beautiful PRAYER
fol the authorities, the president, congress.
governors of the states, legislatures and
judges, and all in civil authority, that God
might guide them with his wisdom for the
good government of the nation.
The Rev. r. S. Cantine of the First Meth
odist church preached yesterday morning
substantially as fol-
Gods Unspeak- lows: "By the voice
able Gift of authority, this
secular day has been
hushed into the sacred quiet of a national
and from the Atlantic to the Pa
cfic seventy millions of freemen have been
invited to gather around the affairs of the
God Of their fathers to pour out their offer
ngs of gratitude to him who giveth every
good and perfect gift. And this is right,
for if in all the past nations have made pub
lie recognition of the divinties and have
presided over their destinies according to
their faith and practice, it is but reasona-
BILE that we, as Christian nation, enlight-
sned as are no other people, should once in