The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-01-03
THE LAST CHRISTMAS OF THE
CENTURY

the last time in the nineteenth cen
fury. Much has happened of late to
shake our faith in the speedy coming
Of that peace on earth of which
Christmas is the prophecy and prom
Use. Great wars have occurred. and,
as we have already shown. the inven-
ton Of death-dealing implements has
increased to marvellous extent. Still,
it would be manifest exaggeration to
say that the influences and conditions
that make for peace among the
nations are weaker today than they
were on Christmas Day, 1909. On
the whole, the intervening 100 years
have largely added to the forces that
restrain nations from war and con-
strain them TO friendly relations. We
must not forget the fact that 'arbitra-
ton is not merely one Of the new
words, but one OF the new facts Of the
closing century. 1t has twice, at
least, within thirty years prevented
war between our own country and
Great Britain. The twentieth CEN
fury may see it universally substi-
tuted for war; and if it does, the two
great precedents by which the Ala
bama claims and the Venezuelan
boundary were peacefully settled will
greatly assist in bringing it about.
1t is most deplorable that the two
English speaking nations which
created those great precedents for the
abolition of war by arbitration should
be the only two nations to spoil the
pacific character Of the centurys last
Christmas with two un justfiable wars
OF aggression and conquest, III def
ance Of the principles OF liberty and
Justice which they both profess. At
the same time we may fairly antici-
pate that neither in South Africa nor
the Philippines are the really perma-
nent and enduring forces Of Anglo
Saxon civilization being exhibited.
Let US at least hope and believe that
these are only temporary departure.
from the higher and better ideals of
national policy which, taking the
whole century through, have COM
pletely dominated America and have
largely prevailed in England.
The United States, at least, will
surely recover from this wave OF war
and violence and return to the saner
and safer paths on which the Declare
ton of Independence and the Co2sti-
| tuition shed their splendid light. We
may not seem to be getting back to
those old paths very fast at this mo-
ment, but we shall surely do so in the
end. This Republic, born as a protest
against injustice base,, ON armed
force, and dedicated by its founders
to human liberty and equal rights, is
surely not destined to become in the
twentieth century great, aggressive
military anA naval power, pursuing
policy Of colonial expansion by arms
and forcing its rule upon alien and
resisting peoples at the bayonet's
point. That cannot be. The Ameri-
can people will presently bark back
to the counsels of the Fathers and for
bid it. TO doubt this would be to
doubt the whole Christmas message
and abandon the cheering belief that
Through the ages one increasing purpose
runs,
Ard the thoughts of men are widened with
the process of the suns.
Nothing can be more appropriately
remembered today than that America
owes it to mankind to help transform
| the Christmas vision into reality and
| to make the dream Of 'peace and
good will" come true. The precepts
| of Christianity are at the root OF our
| Republican institutions. The Decla-
ton Of Independence is Christmas
card in majestic prose. The equality
| Of ~, Il 4 nd h; oh,
grandlv enunciates IL conception
| founded on the Golden Rule. The
vital essence of Democracy-we use
the word, OF course. in its broadcast
meaning, not as party name-is all
contained in the Gospel that was born
under the Star Of Bethlehem. Fully
approaching the source OF his own in
| spira ton. Thomas jefferson expressed
| this truth in these words concerning
the teachings of Christ: His moral
! doctrines relating to kindred and
friends were more pure and perfect
| than those Of the most correct of the
| philosophers, and they went far be
yond in inculating universal philan-
| thrOphy not only to kindred and
friends, to neighbors and countrymen,
but to all mankind, gathering all into
one family, under the bonds of love,
charity, peace, common wants and
| common aids" Macaulay echoes JEFF
| ferson in his mastery criticism of
"Bentham's Utilitarian Philosophy =
in which he says: DO as YOU would
be done by; love your neighbor as
YOURSELF these are the precepts Of
Jesus Christ.
SO. then, the celebration of Christ
mas should strike higher note OF
human hope and faith in tie future
under the flag of our great Republic
than under any other. Here, as in no
other land, men are free to think, 10
speak, to act. Here, to a greater
degree than elsewhere, men have an
approximately equal opportunity in
1.-The pursuit of happiness. Here, at
least, no barriers of caste or class, or
rank or creed, divide one body OF
citizens from another Here, too, in
a measure not realized in other coun-
tries, the common resources of all are
lavishlv drawn up-as in the matter
| of education-to secure equal hene-
| MS w Anu XII l1llS Is 81 III uCl
| gained toward the full realization of
the Christmas deal-the perfect
| brotherhood of man.
Charles Dickens makes old Scrooge' 5
nephew say to him: II have always
thought of Christmas time. when it
has come round, as a good time-a
kind. forgiving. charitable. pleasant
| time: the ONLY time | know of in the
long calendar of the year when men
and women seem, by one common
consent, to open their shut-up hearts
freely and to think Of people below
them as if they really were fellow
passengers to the grave, and not
another race OF creatures bound on
other journeys That is England S
conception Of Christmas, and we
share it as far as it goes-with a
| reservation n n hot ~