Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-08-25

Europe. England has known us all through our
history and known us well. But Continental
Europe has known and thought but little of what
America means as to national power, political
development and civilization Any slang terms
by which they could sur the American nation
and people have been freely banded about.
And to the extent were unknown and unap-
preciated our national influence has been limited
and hampered. But by this provdential war
God has suddenly walked our sleeping nation up
and peremptorily ordered it to the front IN
the worlds great conflicts. Our booming guns
at Manila and Santiago have sounded around
the world aud served a surprising introduc-
tion of this nation to Continental Europe. They
knew our nation to be a wealthy nation, but
dreamed that our people were Ignorant, without
polish and refinement. selfish and schemlngi
that our science was a science of how to cheat,
and art the art of making money. They
despised our nation because we had no large
standing army and sneered ut the size and char
acter of our navy. But all this has suffered
rude shock in Gods providence and has passed
into radical change. Those self conscious old
nations have awaked to the fact that even one
hundred days of war by this nation, III just
cause can give us a volunteer army, the peer of
any in the world. 1t teaches them that true
Christian civilization unarmed is mightier for
the conflict, if conflict need be, than barbarism
however well armed and long drilled. Out of
these great battles we have fired the truth
around the world, that nations real strength
does not consist in the mere profession OF arms,
but in the development of Il free, prosperous,
happy intelligent, Christian citizenship, whose
patriotism IS always reliable, whose nerve is
ready for any needed daring, whose Will IS un-
conquerable and whose purpose is undying
These are the elements that mako great army
OF our navy too, they said our ships were few
and contemplate, built out Of political iobDerY
and fraud. Our officers were mere fgure-heads
fit for nothing hut to draw pay and play the part
of siuecuTcS. Our gunnerS and Seamen We're
lazy loaters, entering the service for place of
easy support, without discipline and skill and
experience Any European power which had
any navy at all was supposed to be able to line
up easily and blow our ships out of the sea, III
one short sharp conflict. But the famous
rounding of South America by the Oregon with
out need of repairs, taught the world that our
ships are not cheap structures; and the tremen-
dous execution of all our boats has completely
silenced their sneers and called out their pro-
found respect. 1t is seen that there was gronnd
for the reply of brave Captain Clark, wired TO
the department at Washington from Rio de
Janeiro please do not entangle me with in
structions. / am not afraid ofthe whole Spanish
Navy" Through the magnificent superiority of
our navy and army the God of nations has forged
us to the front as one of His prominent instru-
ments that must be reckoned with in the sou-
tion of all the worlds great problems. So,
3. 10 is most clear and certain that our nation
,eiU emerge from this conflict loaded 1cjth the
grdUest responsibilities With our increase of in
fuence and power in the world comes our en-
larged responsibility. We have not merely new
responsibility in Cuba and Porto Rico and the
Philippine Islands, but new responsibility that
is world wide The most urgent call and duty
of the hour is that the nation become conscious
of its God-given responsibilities, and rise in her
might and Christian wisdom and intelligence
and prepare for the full and righteous discharge
of these duties and responsibilities II is clearly
our providential destiny to take higher and
still higher place among the nations of the world
The late VIM. f. Gladstone, the far-seeing states
man, the eminent scholar and devout Christian,
held the highest opinion of the future OF this
nation. He said, long before were pushed
out into the channel of this worldwide response
bility: America will one day become what
England is to-day, the head steward in the house
hold of the world, because her service Will be the
best and abest." Let us never forget that our
responsibilities and higher duties are God-given,
Let us be warned ofthe constant danger of for
getting God, by the constant tendency to forget
Him and disregard His authority and disobey
His commands. Let us note carefully that we
come into these new responsibilities under Gods
leadership "a leadership as sure and clear as His
leading ofIsrae out of Egyptby the pillar ofcloud
by day and of fire by night. 1t is only another
link of the long chain of Gods providence that
runs back into the beginning into which a new
link is forged at every stage ofour progress. And
we must not forget the hand that forges every
one of those links.
Look only at but few of the prominent links
of this wonderful chain of providence, and be
convinced that it is Gods hand that leadeth us.
1t was accident that Columbus came to the
front and discovered America in time to catch
the light of revived learning and pure Bible
religion and the awakening the spirit of civil
and religious liberty For many years this Con-
tinent, both north and south, was crowded with
these same Spanish people The Spanish and
Portuguese dominated the world. But the
hand ofGod is seen. Persecution and oppression,
very much like that which our Cuban neighbors
have suffered drove the best elements of Europe
to this country. The Huguenots of France, the
Reformed ofHolland. the Puritans of England,
and others came and laid the foundations for
our free and noble Christian institutions. Span
ish medieval darkness was dispelled before the
new strong light of these grandlY aggressive
elements Gods hand is seen most clearly in
national independence and our union OF
States. Every step is carved by the hand of God.
Our whole history speaks the mighty lesson be
cause God speaks through it. But few Ameri-
cans wanted separation from the mother country
until it became a last resort in Gods providence.
So in our civil war, few people wanted to inter
fere with slavery until God in His providence
showed that the preservation of the union
with the continuance of slavery was an impOssl-
bility. and slavery became doomed.
So we were led into this war with Spain by the
clear providence of God. But few people de-
liberately wanted to interfere in Cuban affairs
until God by a long series of bject lessons taught
the whole nation that there no other alterna-
tive. Then there GOd-given spOntaneity
that was irresistible. The east west, north, and
south all parties and classes and ages, were
drawn together as never before arOnnd this one
question of taking higher ground than any plane
hitherto occupied by any nation, showing the
working of Gods hand and Gods uplifting grace.
1t was not the foresight of man, but the guiding
hand of God that sent Dewey into Manila harbor
and Cervera into Santiago 1t the seal of
His great favor at every turn that gave such
signal victories to our arms. This guiding hand
is recognized by our Christian President and his
subordinates, by our thoughtful commanders on
sea and land and by the masses of our intelligent
people. How urgent the call therefore that we
continue to offer earnest prayer that we may
prove worthy of our high mission and responsl-
bilities, and may never forget our nations God,
and be not given over like Spain, to our national