Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-07-09
NATIONAL PROGRESS.
BY Rev. andrew J. CanneId. d. ID

before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation.-Acts xvii. 70.
The proper observance of Independence
day should include a review Of the proyi-
dental government of nations, and espe-
cially the evidences OF divine purposes
manifested in the foundation and progress
Of our own nation through its great men
and mighty achievements.
According to my text. every nation
holds di inc commission and has def
mite task assigned to it. This was very
broad and liberal announcement from one
who had been reared under the notion
that the Jews alone were the peculiar
people" of God. The apostle brushed
away the barriers of that orthodox con-
ccit by allowing all nations and races
and individuals to think the same of
themselves. When rightly understood,
the grand Christian doctrines of election
and predestination declare the decisive
part which God has in the direction and
unfolding of the forms and fortunes Of
humanity. They draw our attention to
the astounding fact that history is not
a wild and capricious stream, but river
of God. its course foreseen. its tributa-
ries provided, its ever-expanding currents
assured, and pre-arranger by him who
stitch upon the circle Of the heavens.
Washington. Lincoln, Mckinley mark
the summit ranges of our contract with
the constantly unfolding purposes of
God. What a thrilling story it is; and
il written in the style and spirit OF the
ancient Hebrew Scriptures, how truth
| fully could we exclaim with the Psalmist
''He hath not dealt so with any nation
under he'd Zen" And the climax is still
before us. This nation is not the same
| nation it was in the days of Washington.
| 1t has experienced at least two CONVEX
sions, one during the terrible Civil War,
and the other in the recent conflict with
| Spain. Each resulted in the outpouring
| of a larger spirit than co'''l have been
| imagined at the outset. Not only has
| the sense of nationality outgrown and
overwhelmed the original ideas of its
| founders. but there is a process now going
on under the guidance of public senti-
ment which indicates a still larger prov
| idential purpose playing through the po-
litical instincts of the American people.
The citizens of this country never felt
| themselves so much the ministers of God,
so full of a power greater than them
selves as now They are a profoundly
religious people in the sense of believing
| their government to be the special object
| of the protecting care Of Providence. Ev-
cry genuine American, whatever his the
illogical opinions may be, is a political
optimist. He has seen the republic more
| than once escape from surrounding perils
which affrighted the stoutest hearts. Elk
| perience has given him unbounded conf
| dence that the right leaders will surely
appear whenever emergencies require
| them. Therefore no crcumtance or con-
| dition is considered entirely hopeless
The country has been saved 50 often
| that its people have an almost supersti-
| tious credulity concerning the power of
science and invention to overcome, all
present evils and satisfy every reasonable
| desire Whoever abandons this present
world to the devil or his imps can have Lo
| data for believing that any other world
will belong to God The man or nation
| that acquiesces in this worlds selfishness
| and injustice must throw up his brief for
| the hope beyond. If we are to preserve
our faith in God we must strive diligently
| for the betterment of all human relations
here and now-soeial. political and econ
| omical.
4 II.
We believe in progress, if in no other
| god. But every religion should have its
| creed; every temple of faith its Pantheon
of entlroned divinity. Where, then
| shall we look for our national creed a, d
| Pantheon? We are so young and con-
stantly improving" our property that
| buildings we call venerable would not
punctuate time in the old world.
Westminster Abbey, the cathedral at
Pisa, and. above all the Pantheon at
| Rome. are memorable. But we have in
| this country something finer and more
suggestive than any of these. l refer
| to the new Congressional Library at
| Washington. The exterior of the build
| ing is 4T5 feet long. $40 fet wide, and it
occupies, exclusive of approaches, three
and three-quarter acres. The rotunda
| is over 100 feet in diameter and nearly
| 200 feet in height. The spaces are well
| occupied and ornamented with statuary,
paintings and Inscriptions by American
artists and artisans. 1t is to serve as
| the repository Of our nations achieving
| thoughts and aspiring hopes for centuries
to come.
The Roman Pantheon has eight shelves
| or inches for the mythical gods, but the
| library of Congress has eight symb0licai
statues of heroic size representing charac-
| teristic features of civilized life and
| thought They are noble figures. each,
eleven feet high, and sta ing fifty-eight
| feet above the floor. The names of the
| figures are Religion. Commerce, History,
Art, Philosophy, Poetry. Law and Sci
| ence. Each has an appropriate inscrip-
| ton, which was selected by President
| Eliot, Of Harvard university.
Religion holds flower in her hand
| The Inscription is. What doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justly and TO
love mercy and to walk humbly with thy
| God?" Commerce. crowned with
wreath Of the peaceful olive, holds in her
right hand a model Of a Yankee schoon-
er. and in her left a miniature locomo-
tive. The inscription is, we taste the
| spices of Arabia, yet never feel the
| scorcbing sun which brings Them forth.
| History has book in her hand and holds
up a hand glass, 50 that it will reflect
| things behind her. This motto is taken
from Tennyson:
One God. one law, one clement,
And one far-0ff divine event.
TIE which the whole creation moves.
Art is crowned with laurel ana bears
a model Of he Darlhenon Of Athens. The
inscription is from Lowell: las one lamp
| lights another. nor grows less. so noble
ness cukindieth nobleness." Philosophy
. is a grave figure with downeast eyes. car
! rying book IN her hand. Its inscrip-
/ ton is from Bacon: The inquiry. knowl-
edge and belief Of truth is the sovereign