Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-06
THB STORY OF Liberty
Continued from First Page.)

lltelluSu III the great pldIiS VI oilillS-
cience that any nation can exist with
out being blessing or curse to others.
This idea Of Independence in the last
half century seems to have become the
settled conviction Of all the nations.
| The recent troubles in China made all
the great civilized powers neighbors.
1t brought them in unison for their
own betterment and the welfare of
heather China. Why then criticize our
president for the attitude Of the United
States in this Chinese complication,
and for acting in concert with the other
nations as a neighbor? 1t was one of
her national obligations as we'll as a
great opportunity to exemplify her
readiness to help and to bless all other
nations.
For 1900 years the human race has
been struggling to obey the divine COM
mand, "go We into all the world and
preach the gospel" But little progress
was made for centuries upon centuries.
Seas of blood have been shed in this
evangelical work. The progress has
been slow; but the fire has been kept
dimly burning upon the sacred altar.
1t was left to the mysterious Christian
influence Of the 18th century, when the
human mind was liberated, to COM
mence anew this gospel work. and its
light has blazed in every land, and the
Bible has been publishedin every tongue.
We are on the eve of a new Christ
tian era in the world. Our nation, with
its free government and its aggressive
Christian civilization, Is in a position
to march forward and convert the
world. With the isles of the Pacific in
our possession. with the confidence of
the millions of heathens in the East,
and with our wealth and commerce,
and Anglo-Saxon love of liberty, we
can raise the banner Of the cross and
accomplish the acknowledged work
of having the gospel preached to every
creature.
Our Republican government, with
these mighty potentialties for progress,
fitted to challenge the admiration Of the
world, and to scatter everywhere the
blessings Of mans liberty. Standing as
the United States does today, as the
largest exporting nation, the wealthiest
and most resourceful nation, they can
exercise a controlling influence in the
affairs Of the world, and ultimately be-
come dominant in them. Their political
institutions have given them this prom
inence, and If the people wisely use all
the opportunities Of the present, they
will become the great factor in the
worlds future progress and civiliza-
| tion.
Future of the American Republic.
If we patriotically utilize our present
opportunities and fulfill all Of our ma
tional obligations. no one can speculate
too romantically about our future as a
nation. For one to have looked for
ward at the founding of Rome, and
empire when in the zenith of it's splen-
doris. he would have been hailed as a
dreamer and his prophecies as fairy
tales. For one to have stood on the
barren shores of Britain when Caesar
landed there with his legions and por-
trayed in story the glorious future Of
the British empire, he would have been
Knocked as a prophet with a distemper-
ed imagination. So If one standing on
the great eminence Of time, the be-
ginning Of the Goth century, should
predict the future glory Of the Amer
lean republic, it would be only story
half written or picture dimly painted
with all the splendors Of coloring left
out. I do not believe that any mind
can have even the faintest conception
Of what our nation will be and will
accomplish in the coming centuries. II
we are true to ourselves and our heav-
en- appointed destiny. When we look
backward to the 4th Of July, 1776, and
see thirteen colonies struggling with
the most powerful government on the
earth for independence, and consider
the great odds against US, and contrast
our condition then and now, we can
scarcely credit the evidence of our own
experience. The progress we have
made, the government we have built
up, the nation we have created, all seem
like fancies, and we are really lost in
amazement at the contemplation. To-
day seventy-six millions of American
freemen bow down at the altar Of lib
erty erected by our forefathers and
pour out their libations Of praise. A
century hence, if we are true to con-
stitutional government and human lib
erty. two hundred millions will gather
around the altar. And as the centuries
roll on thousands of millions will Gel
ebrate this anniversary, and their ho-
sannahs of freedom will echo and re-
echo throughout the earth, and all ma
tions will be prepared to take up the
refrain, the day of mans deliverance
has come, liberty and Christianity, now
and forever.
The promised land. flowing with milk
and honey, was the encouragement held
out to the Isrealites in their desolate
wanderings in the wilderness. Without
this they would have faltered and fall
len by the wayside and never accom-
plished the divine purpose Of their
deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
AS a nation we have reached a crisis
equally as important as that which
confronted the Israelites, and the en-
couragement offered us Is the world as
our promised land, where we are to
plant the seeds of freedom and chris
tianity and labor to fructify and enrich