Evening star., 1899-12-01
EXPANSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Discourse of Rabbi Stern at Eighth
Street Synagogue.

Street Synagogue.
Rabbi Stern delivered a. discourse yester-
day afternoon, in which he combined rec
ognition of the blessings enjoyed by the
American people and reference to the
Hebrew festival Of dedication" which this
year was coincident with Thanksgiving
day The sermon was addressed to his con-
gregation in the Eighth Street Synagogue.
Among other things, Rabbi Stern said:
"As to the blessings. which as a nation
we enjoy, no demonstration is required to
appreciate their magnitude. Only an i'm
becile or migrate could fail to recognize
them. Marvellous is the wealth of our
natural resources, providing not only an
ample sufficiency for our material wants
but supplying in very large measure. the
markets of the world. There are occasional
periods of commercial depression and In
dustrial stagnation, resulting in a tempo
rary clogging of the wheels of material
advancement; but a reaction is sure to fol-
low, and now all signs hetoken the rapid
approach of an era of renewed prosperity
throughout the land
Likewise in the direction of the spir
itual and intellectual, in the fields of reli-
gion and education, the domains of science
literature and art, constant healthful
progress may be recorded, while the bless
Ing of a government by and of sovereign
peOple-a people revering its flag. loving its
traditions and loyal to Its constitution
continues to steadily strengthen the foun-
dations upon which our republic is safely
founded.
Friends, let no dscordant note sounded
from time to time by prophets of evil shake
our faith in the stability of our government
and the future of our republic. We have
our faults and shortcomings. We make
mistakes. but such is human; they can be
corrected. The American home Is as pure
to say the least-as anywhere on the globe.
American womanhood is of the noblest
type. and American manhood is the syn
onym of industry, valor, courage, fairness
and manlness.
When the brave heroes Of the war OF
independence founded our government on
the declaration that man was created free
and endowed with inalienable rights many
may have predicted that so new and uf-
heard-of a departure from the then pre-
vailing mode of government would prove to
be ephemeral. But behold the miracle! The
fame of human liberty and equality then
enkindled and nouriShed with the pure oil
of lofty patriotism. brightly burns even
today, when but two weeks hence a CRATE
full nation will solemnly observe the hum
dredth anniversary of the death of the
father of our country.
No, there is no need for alarm, no dan
ger that the ship of state will founder
on the rocks Of imperialism and militar-
ism. We may have an abiding faith in
the good sense the love Of country and Of
liberty Of the masses of the American peo-
pie, and a still greater faith In a Divine
Providence shaping the destiny of this ma
ton from It's very inception. Under the
divine guidance We have passed safely
through many a trying and perplex-
ing crisis. Recall the unequal strug-
gle in the days Of Washington, the ter
rible ordeal from which our, nation
emerged safely under Lincoln and
Grant and the wonderful events of our
recent conflict with foreign foe, and tell
me whether the words Of our text do not
aptly apply to each and all? This is the
Lords doing; 1t is marvellous in our eyes,
Yes, expansion Ia an accomplished fact,
not merely and not as much through the
acquisition of new territory as through
our contact with the world at large and
the influences we are to exercise upon the
countries and peoples Of the world. This
may not be Of our own seeking, but Is part
of our mission and destiny from which we
cannot escape. Once more has II been
verified that the stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief corner stone
The nation formerly oontemptuously desig-
mated as one of trades and shop-keepers
has assumed a high and exalted position
In the family of nations as a factor to be
reckoned with. It Is apparent that such q
position oonfers less of a privilege than It
entails responsibility. The same Is true
OF our relations to the Philippine Islands.
Daily 1t becomes clearer that destiny placed
us there 1t now remains with the repre-
sentatives of the people to deal with the
Vexed question in Its various phases. They
snare with our government grave re-
sponsibility May the wisdom of the
fathers inspire and direct them TO be equal
to the emergency in arriving at a solution
at once compatible with national honor and
interest and the spirit Of our tradition and
hiStOry.''