Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-04

sister republic. When the United
states government declared war
| against Spain. the Spanish govern
ment did not for one instant suppose
that the Philippine Islands would be
snatched from Spanish control. but
they were. No sooner did the guns OF
Admiral Dewey echo round the world
than the people OF America realized
that there were other islands suffering
from the tyranny of Spain as well as
the Cuban islands. So the stars ami
/ stripes We're hoisted over the Philip
pine Islands as well as i'm Havana har-
Dor. And when those stars and stripes
/ were raised in the east as wei, ms in
the west the United States government
declared that its protecting arm should
care for the dowatrodden races OF the
Pacific as well as those OF the Attain
tic. And SO one OF the might'cst and
I the purest and the holiest motives OF
Americans future mission will be to
care for helpless ana uniustly treated
nations wherever they may be found
until supreme court OF in,erna tional
arbitration can be established. Then
those weaker and downtrodden M.
/ lions shall be able 10 care for them.
selves.
The Lesson Taught by Penn.
And would especially plead for the
American nation TO start forth and
succor the helpless and weaker ma.
tons because God always blesses the
Individual as well as the mighty ma.
ton that is true TO those who are
weak. Do you know why the colony
of PENNSYLVANIA never had any diti,
culties with the American Indians?
When Massachusetts, and Virginia
were being decimated by Indian wars.
PENNSYLVANIA colonies were living I'm
peace and happiness with the redskins
because William Penn was ALWAYS
true and honorable with the original
settlers of the American soil When
the great Christian Quaker was about
TO sail for America. King Charles of
England asked William Penn if he
should not send over a regiment of sol
diers to protect the young colony.
NO" answered William Penn: "a do
not want a regiment OF English SOL
diers. I shall have no trouble with the
Indians because l intend to buy the
land from them" Buy the land from
the Indiansr' exclaimed King Charles.
What do you mean? Why, L have
decided you that tract of land 1t is
mine, and gave it to you. For what.
then, William Penn, did you pay me
Sf6,000Y II paid you the $16000.'
replied the brave Quaker, ito purchase
your good viii. not the land That
land, your majesty, does not belong to
you any more than it does to me. The
land of Pennsylvania does not belong
TO you any more than the city of Lon
don would belong to a party of Amer
lean Indians who in canoe might be
blown across the Atlantic and land
upon our shores and who then might
go up the Strand waving their toma-
hawks and shouting, The city of Lon
don is ours because we discovered itr ~
So William Penn, believing that all
weak and helpless people should be
| Justly protected. crossed the Atlantic
and made his famous agreement with
the Indian chiefs under the "Charter
oak" And as result of that agree
ment the Pennsylvania colonies lived
in peace and happiness because they
were true TO the helpless. So God will
prosper Americas future if the Amer
lean nation is true and faithful i'm its
protection and care of the weaker and
helpless nations.
But perhaps the greatest mission OF
America next TO scattering the gospel
OF Jesus Christ is TO prove that IT'S
people can be true to God in It's DAYS
of prosperity as well as in its DAYS OF
adversely. When n people are poor.
weak and helpless, when n troubled
and bleeding and suffering people are
struggling for liberty and for their
very existence, when a collection of
ex-slaves are following their leader
through the weary Journey OF forty
year tramp through the Wilderness il
is not so difficult for them 10 pray and
to worship God, but il is difficult for n
people 10 be true to God unless when
riches come and prosperity comes and
unlimited influence comes they have
an especial grace given to them. 1t is
difficult TO be true TO God when the
mighty fortresses have been builded
at the mouth of every harbor to keep
out the foreign foe and when the rat.
tie OF the factory and the whistle OF
the steam engine and the blow of the
hammer and the rasp of the saw arc
ali playing an accompaniment TO the
tune OF national financial success.
Reconsecrafe the Nation.
AS the American nation is n govern.
ment for the people and by the people,
L would have every one OF us this
Fourth OF July season reconsecrate our
nation to God by recommending our
own personal lives TO his divine serv-
Ice. When the ambassador from Ger
many appears at the White House and
presents his official documents, he does
not come as the representative OF the
German nation, but as the personal
representative of Emperor William.
The ambassador OF England represents
King Edward. The representative of
Italy represents King Victor Emman-
uel. But when Americas ambassador
goes abroad he does not represent the
president or the secretary OF state. but
he represents the people-the common
people OF America. And as part of the
common people OF America we can
here and now begin to reconsecrate
our government TO the Lord in its DAYS
OF prosperity by recommending our
selves. o Lord, our God, can any one
have greater work to do in the evan
gelization OF the world than we Amer
leans If we will only consecrate our
lives to thy service?
l selected this text, "The field is the
world" for two reasons - first. be-
cause the five words spoken by Jesus
Christ TO his disciples exactly convey
the idea OF the worldwide sweep of
Americas future influence In the evan
gelization Of the two hemispheres.
Christian nation has no more right to
close its doors and live for itself and
let the rest of the people Of the world
suffer and die than an individual has
the right to lock and bar the doors of
his own home and let his neighbors be
murdered In cold blood.
But the second reason why selected
this text is because it always has had