The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-11-30

all these in such large measure pre-
serve his integrity of character. He
was thankful that divine help had
been given him to be true to is prln-
ciples. consistent in his faith and
courageous in the conflict through
which he had been called to pass.
That this was the chief occasion OF
his gratitude is shown in these words
whic sometime later he wrote in the
old Mamertine prison in Rome,
have fought a got d fight, / have t1nlsh-
ed my course, I have kept the faith. =
His clearest view and highest appre-
citation Of divine benefcence was not
that it had kept him from trial, but
that it had enabled him to be man,
not that it had spared him from con-
fict, but that it had given him the
courage to be hero.
/ Far better is it to be able to thank
| God for victory in conflict than to pc
able to thank HIM that we have had
no conflict. If in the tests and trials
| of individual and associate life we
| have been able to be true and pure
and unselfsh, and that far nave
promoted ruth and purity and unset
| fishness-this is the supreme occasion
for thankfulness. Ii in private and
public life it can be said of ms as was
| said of Job in the early period OF his
conflict 'eIn all this he sinned not,
neither charged God foollshly, we
have great reason to thank God this
| day that his grace has helped u.s. Ii
| in orr sorrows and bereavements
we have risen into that unwaverIng
faith, that mistaken confidence IN
| God, that undimmed vision of hope,
which have looked upon the things
that are not seen, had respect unto the
recompense of the reward, and lifted
the soul above the depressing influence
| Of the earthly, none have more occa-
sion than we to enter into the spirit
OF this day. If il business discourage
ments and perchance reverses, we
have been able to preserve honor, IN.
tegrity, and the consciousness that
the very greatest good that business
affords is the opportunity to be there
in true and seryiceable man, we nave
abundant occasion to be thankful.
Prehaps we have greater reasons to
express our gratitude to God this
day than we would have had II no
shadow had come across our path, 10
burden had been upon our heart, no
hindrance had blocked up our way, no
failure had come to our hopes ana
plans. Far better than to come to-
gether to thank God that we have
been selfishly gratified and that ali
our wishes have been realized, is 1t
to meet at our affairs for worship and
thank him that we have been borne
up in our Disappointment, sustained
Id our griefs and losses, and been
made strong and heroic in our con-
fiicts. And although in these we have
not reached up to the high standard
as we think we should have done,
we ought to be grateful that through
grace we have done as well as we
have.
And SO in public affairs, the su-
preme occasion for thanksgiving Is
that as nation, we have attained to
such high moral character as we
have. and that in such large meas
ure we have been able to maintain
it. 1t is very easy to point out the
evils in our civic life, and the corrup-
tions of those who are in positions OF
public trust. And it is well it should
be done that we may see the former
repent Of them and courageously cor
rect them, and the latter that we
may bring them to repentance, or re-
tire them to private life. But it is
| we'll also for us to see that which is
good in government that we may thank
| God for it, and that which is worthy
in those who administer it that we
may commend them. We are by no
means wholly corrupt in government.
| Our christian religion has not entire
| " failed to make itself felt in civic
life. Quite to the contrary, no other
peoples of the earth lift as high moral
standards in law and legislation, and
no other government is freer from
corruption In these we are not all
that could be desired but we have
reason to thank God that we have
reached the moral and righteous char
acter ito which we have attained. In
caring for and governing as we must
for the time the new peoples who
have come under our protection as
the inevitable result of war, which
was certainly begun out of worthy
aims, and for humanitarian ends, it
is very easy to raise the cry of greed,
and spoilation and imperialism. And
it is we'll, perhaps, that this cry is
raised, that attention may be called
TO the danger that threatens, for hu-
man nature is weak God forbid that
we who escaped from the monarchies
of the Old Worlds should ourselves
become monarchical God forbid that
we who have been brought into the
| greatest freedom any people have ever
known should seek to enslave others
for selfish greed But it is we'll also
to carefully consider what is necessary
in order to complete a work begun
out of humanitarian motives. We
have reason to thank God that there
existed among u.s. as q result of his
own gracious dealings with us. impsl-
led by the very genius of our christian
civilization that high moral sentiment
which moved us to rescue suffering
people who were oppressed and that
for then we have had the courage to
maintain that sentiment. Surely,
there has not as yet been any positive
departure from it; and has there been
real occasion to fear that there will
be? III our war with Spain was really
brought on as the inevitable harvest
of the seed OF free christianity planted
in this government there is reason to
| believe that that seed has attained
to sufficient growth to be determin-
ing factor in the disposition and gov
eminent of these peoples. Cuba and
Puerto Rico and the Philippines for
conquest and spoliation, and the
oppression of the people for that which
we can get out Of them, is unworthy
of our history aud character, is to
turn traitor to our Traditions and
principles. But Cuba, Pureto Rico
and the Philippines, for their better
government, aud our larger service by