The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-24

There Be- no mention Of God la the con
stitutiou Of the Uultcd states. 50 FAR
40 rslieion d Concerned an atheist or an
inddel might have written the document
There Wave been many attempts 70 have
God recognized In tho fundamental law
90 me lana bar TO far such efforts have
not met with success. Notwithstanding
this omission tho United states are called.
and rightly. a Christian nation Al re-
usions are free iu this country. Every
man Is permitted % worship hi- deity
according 20 the dictates Of his own CON
science The followers Of Christ 30 waste
iy prepouderttc however, thai tho innu-
cuces Of Ills teachings arc 10 be- seen in
an departments Of ~ government. thero-
fore We are Christian natlou.
10 D. the opinion OF che Rev Washing
ton GLADDEN. however. that there b. not
in the government OF this country az
much OF the spirit of religion AS there
should be 90 Insure its pcrmanence. lie
declares that religion is nearer vital 60
the success Of democracy than Of an
autocracy Something stronger than the
human viii must hold the state together.
or q, Will ram in fragments. That ncces-
sary stronger thing b. religion. In This
country however. there are many signs
of a. Increasing atheism one Of them
d the growing lack OF respect for the
law. aud 10 tendency could Doe more dan
gcrous Not only citizens. bat officers, ig-
more and violate the law. This ia seen
la lynehinEs, in gambling which Is not
suppressed. although known Of the au-
thorities. and In other manners. The la"
derives St. authority from the consent Of
the majority 81 the governed, bat = mi
norlty often despises a. Would that ~
the case. Mr. GLADDEN. asks. II the laW
we're invested with sacrednessf
The practical atheism Of our politics,
he further says IS exhibited IN the VIC
iencc and recklessness Of our partisanship.
There Is nothing like brotherly love and
forboarance among our politicians OF op-
posing parties. ~ there were any sense
Of the presence OF God in these human
affairs. men could not be such violent
partlsaua. always bent upon putting the
worst possible construction upon the ac-
tons or theil uARinhthtH ats" "Atr' N
ing themselves TO prevent tho doing Of
right for fear the opposing party viii get
the benefit OF 10. Another evidence q the
lack of religion In our government - the
facility. under II. with which the strong
may Cypress the weak. Great asgrega-
tlons Of wealth are permitted 20 desroii
the people for their own proht and ag-
grandizcment by corrupt means those
money powers are able 20 pervert the
government and control the law-makins
and law-cxecuting departments.
These things. says MIR. Gladden. are
results Of our failure 10 recognize Cod
in our national life Belief IN God As
the father OF all men Is belief that
All men are brothers. and the attempt Of
some TO prosper al the expense OF the rest
IL a denial OF the fundamental article Of
the Christian religion. II Was upon this
belief that our democracy was founded
I'm the beginning. and not upon "a theory
about a consent OF individual wills. Ana
do not believe that our democracy can
continue 20 exist unless this great truth
I OF the brotncrnuuu ui sisn,s 90 -@------
mfted w aud emphasized as she construo-
/ live idea OF our national life.