Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-02-17
SAVANNAH, TENNESSEE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY H. 1892

other nations will take control OF those
and rule them, and per
haps TO our humiliation and deslruc'
lion, The other theory Is that II we
take possession Of those once Spanish
colonies we invite foreign interference,
and enter upon career that will finally
be the demolition OF this government,
Both positions are immeasufab'e mis-
takes. God has SET apart This conliLebt
for free government, and the triumphs
Of Christianity. and we may take either
the first Or the second course without
ruin. We may say 10 those Islands,
I'VE do not want you, hut we have Sc,
you free; now stay free, willie we see
that the Spanish panther never again
puts It's paw on your neck" or we may
invite the annexation OF Cuba and Porto
Rico, and say 10 the Philippines: "Gei
ready, by education and good morals,
for free government, aud nj the right
time you shall be one Of our territories
on the way TO be one Of our states"
And there is no power in Europe, Asia
or Africa or all combined that could
harm this nation In its worldwide en-
deavor. God is on the side of the right,
aud by earnest imporailon for Divine
guidance on the par, Of this nation we
will be led 10 do the right. We are on
the brink of nothing. There is no
frightful crisis. This train OF repub.
ican and democratic institutions Is
through train, and all we want is 10
have the engineer and the brakeman
and the conductor attend 10 their bust.
ness and the passengers keep their
places. We want men in this nation
with faith enough for all. We want
here and there q David worth 10000
men.
A vast majority Of men have no sur
plus OF confidence for others and hardly
enough confidence for themselves,
They go through life saying depressing
things aud doing depressing things.
They chill prayer meetings, discourage
charitable institutions, injure com
merce and kill churches. They blow oul
lights when they ought TO be kindling
them. They hover around n dull fire
on their own hearth and take up so
much room that no one can catch the
least caloric. instead Of stirring the
hearth into blaze, the crackle OF
whose backlog would invite the whole
nelghborhood 10 come in 10 feel the
Astounding warmth and see the trains,
hgnration OF the faces. As we all have
10 guess great deal abou, the future,
let us guess something good. for /, will
be more encouraging and the guess will
be just us apt 10 come true. What a Iol
OF ingrates the Lord has at His table
people who have had three meals n day
for so years and yet fear that they Will
soon have 10 rattle their knife and fork
on an empty dinner plate. How many
have had, winter and spring and sum.
mer aud fall, clothing for 60 years, but
expect an empty wardrobe shortly,
How many have lived under free ins,i
tntions all their days. but fear that the
United States may he telescoped in
some foreign collision! Oh, but the
taxes have gone up! Yes. but, thank
God. II Is easier, with money, to pay the
taxes now that they are up than il was
without money 10 pay the taxes when
they were down. We want few men
who have faith in God and that mighty
future which holds several things,
among them a millennium. Column
bnnus said 10 his friend: "Deicous.
why are you always smiing?" The re-
| ply was: because 70 one can take my
God from mel" We want more men 10
feel that they have mission 10 cheer
Others and 10 draw up the corners OF
peoples mouths switch have n long while
been drawn down-more Davids who
can shepherd whole flocks OF bright
hopes and play a harp Of encourage
ment and strike down a Goliath OF de.
spair, and OF whom we can say: Thou
art worth 100000 OF u.s."
admit that this thought of my text
fully carried out, would change many
of the worlds statistics. Suppose vii
age is said 10 have 1000 inhabitants
and that one.half OF ihem-namely, son
have for years been becoming less In
body, and through niggardliness and
grumbling. less in soul. Each one oil
these is only one.half Of what he once
was. or one-half OF what she once was
The original 500 have been reduced one
half in moral quality. and are really
only $50 Suppose that the other 50t
have maintained their original status
and are neither better nor worse. Their
the entire population of that village /,
$50. But suppose another village Of
1000, and 800 of them ms the years &c
by. through mental and spiritual cul
lure. augment themselves until they
are really twice The men and womer
they originally were and the other 50C
remain unchanged and are neither bet
ter nor worse. then the population o.
that village is 1900. Meanness is sub
traction and nobility is addition. Ac
cording as you rise in the scale OF boli
ness and generosity and conservation
you are worth or 10 or so or 100 or | LOOT
or 10000.
| Notice, my friend. that this David
warrior, strategist, minstrel, master o
blank verse and stone singer at th
giant, whom the soldiers OF The text es
timated clear up into The thousandfolc
OF usefulness, Oh this particular occa
sion staid at home or in his place O
temporary residence. Gen. Joab, Gen
Abishai and Gen. lttai. who commando,
The boys in the RICH, wing and left VIM
and center, did their work bravely an,
left $4,000 OF the Lords enemies dead OF
the field and many OF the survivors 60
entangled in the woods OF Ephraim
and mixed up In the bushes. and stun
bled over the stnmps Of trees. and fel
into bogs, and were devoured by will
beasts which seized them in the thicl,
cts. But David did his work al HON,