Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17
THE UNIT ARIAN S
Their Eighteenth National Conference
in Session Here.
SENATOR HOAR'S WELCOMING ADDRESS
Reports Of Officers and Announce
ment Of Committees.
THE INITIAL MEETING

This mornings session of the eighteenth
national conference of Unitarian and other
Christian churches was held in All Souls
Church, corner 18th and L streets At 8
o'clock communion was administered by
Rev. Robert COllyer of New York and Rev.
Charles G. Ames, d. b, Of Boston. The
edifice was crowded when the regular ses-
sion was called to order at 10 o'clock.
Senator Hoar's Welcome.
The address Of welcome was delivered by
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, president
of the council, who said in part:
The seekers Of the light. one and all who
love God and man, are welcome here. AS
10 the objection that Cnitarianism is indie
Unable. l thank God for it The human
soul, Immortality and God are likewise I'M
defnab-e- Yet we know our own when we
see It. Those who SoOthe their own sor-
rows by soothing the sorrows of others;
who. when duty says thou must reply
! can, those who prove their patriotism
by preventing their country from going
wrong those who do not understand theo-
4"SlrdI mystery, but prize the Ten Com
TnaHdmentS- II We would blot out Cnita-
rldilISm from the history of this country
we must cttace the names Of many great
statesmen. orators, phiIauthropists soldiers
and nearly all our great poets.
The difference between Unitarians and
others Is less matter Of belief than a mat
Ter OF emphasis, and they lay eSpeciaI en-
phaSiS on hope There are two fundanen-
tai truths in the Scriptures. one relates TO
God In His soIicitude Before Abraham
was am; the other relates 10 the duty
anu destiny Ot man, Now abideth faith
nope and charity Hope is the central
ngurc. for without il faith would be limos
slble and charity wasted. Hone believes ",
the final triumph Of righteousness II doas
not care for a prospect in which the larger
part OF mankind Is destined TO perish. In
aha una, aoletuI view abideth fate and wrath
and despair Without hope We are but a
Kind OF yermin.
Full of Cheer.
The literature of free countries is full
OF cheer; the story ends happily. The fic-
uon OF despotic countries is hopeless. Peo-
PIE OF free countries will not tolerate q fc
uon which teaches that in the end evil is
triumphant and virtue is wretched. Wan,
OF nope means either distrust Of God or q
beIeI In the essential b;Seness of man or
bvtA- II teaches men to be base; II makes
d country base y world wherein there is
" nope Is world where there is no viz
tue. Inc contrast between the teacher of
nope ana the teacher Of despair is Ia he
lpund IN the pesSimisrn Of CARLYLE and tbe
serene cheerfulness Of Emerson Grant to
the genius Of Carlyle everything thar is
~ i,'I-l,I I9r H. believe that his chief title
20 Inspect hereafter, a moral teacher
VIII De found in Emerson's certificate.
hut must not detain you any longer
rom me business which waits for this
convention 1t is the last time that I shall
enjoy the great privilege and honor OF oc
Cupyiug this chair
Perhaps I may be pardoned. as an old
man as l have said something of the re-
hgI"us faith of my fellow T-uiTarians -
declare my own. which l believe is theirs
also. " 'tteiI9
Declaration of Faith.
have no faith in fatalism-.n DESTINY
IN oHnd force believe IN God, the living
Goa. believe in the American people. a
nee and brave people who do not bow the
neck d i.rG D..
who desire no other to bow the neck or
bend the knee TO them
i believe that the God who created this
world has ordained that His children NAV
work out their own salvation. and thai
His nations may work out their own sal
walton by obedience to His laws. without
any dlctdu1n or coercion from any other
l believe that liberty, good government
free institutions, cannot be given by any
one people 10 any other. but must be
wrought out for each by itself. slowly
painfully, in the process of years OF CEN
turtles. as the oak adds ring TO ring l be-
Heve that n republic is greater than an
empire believe that the moral law and
the golden rule are for nations as well as
for individuals. 1 believe in George Wash
ington. not IL Napoleon Bonaparte; in the
whiEs Of the revolutionary day, not In the
tories. in Chatham, Burke and Sam. Adams
not in Dr. johnson or Lord North. be-
Ieve that the north star. abiding in its
place, is greater Influence IN the universe
tAAeAtA amy CN'NlEN OF meteor l DSESSe tl3I
the United States when William Mckinley
was inaug7lrated was a greater world
power than Rome in the height of her
glory. or even England, with her 900, 900, 600
vasSals- believe whatever clouds may
6aTken the horizon. that the world is grow
ing better; hat today is better than yes
terday. and tomorrow will be better than
today.
Mr.. Hoar's references to his well-known
views on expansion brought forth turnultu-
Gus and prolonged applause.
Following Senator Hoar's address, Rev
Edward Everett Hale, D. D. of Boston
read an extended report of the conference
council, prepared by the chairman of that
body, Rev. MinOt ]. Savage. D. D., OF New
York.
Appointment of Committees.
Committees and other appointments were
announced as follows:
Assistant secretaries-Mrs. Isabel c. Bar
rows Rev. James NJ. Wilton. Phi D.; Mr.
William T. Salter Rev. Walter Reid Hunt
and Rev. William Claiming Brown.
Business cOmmittee-George A King
Washington: James p. Hamilton. WOrces.
ter, Mass; Chas. II. Stearns, BrOokiine
10