Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-03-13
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presley
terrain Church, Chicago

tii8u ColuueFSloi duu nn1uCiai ODllEa-
tons between nations and that Chris
tan America owes n debt. both In the
spiritual and philanthropic sense. TO the
modern Greeks and barbarians which
she now has opportunity to pay. The
text is Romans 1, ii, Il am debtor both
to the Greeks and to the barbarians."
A national debt! 1t is popularity I'M
derstood to be a financial obligation
which a government has pledged itself
TO pay. Sometimes this is contracted
I'm the interest OF a single subject.
About thirty years ago the English gov
eminent assumed debt of over $685.
100000 to liberate a single man, Cap
tain Cameron, who had been unjustly
endungeoned by the king of Abyssinia
I'm the rocky fortress of Magdala. 1t
took six months for the news OF the
outrage to travel to England, but in
less than eleven days afterward a Brit
ish army of 1900 men, under General
Napier, was on its way. 1t not only
crossed the seas, but also marched
terrible Journey of 400 miles under
tropical sun, until the troops reached
Magdala and battered down the for
countryman. A civilized country Is
usually ready to begin any undertak-
ing. assume any financial responsible
". In order to protect its own from the
tyrannicsl clutches Of a foreign foe.
Sometimes an extra financial obliga
ton is assumed by a government in
times of peace as well as in times OF
war. A depleted treasury during the
financial panic Of 1898 caused the pres
ident OF the United States to issue
$500. 0O0, 900 worth Of government
bonds. Some of these interest bearing
bonds were purchased by foreign cap
italists and others by American citi-
gems. But there are still other forms
and causes Of international obligation.
A government can owe to foreign lands
more than money. Such definitions as
we have given are right as far as they
20, but they are too circumscribed.
When the Hebrew Paul wrote, 81 am
debtor both to the Greeks and to the
barbarians," j do not believe he had
any idea of financial Interpretation.
Referring TO Greece, he was alluding
to the intellectual influence OF the Athe-
throughout the world. That city sway
ed the scepter in the domain of intel
lectuality; ii ruled the world OF culture
with the sculptor's chisei, the poets
pen and the Demostbenean oratory OF
n patriot rousing the people to wage
war against King Philip. When Paul
spoke of the barbarians, 1 believe he
was abiding TO the strength and the
virility which the world had absorbed
from the different provinces. AS n
man of learning he was indebted to
those people TO whom he was about to
present Jesus Christ. So today l want
to speak of Americas national debt in
a moral and spiritual sense as well as
in a financial; 1 want to show what we
should give back TO the lands across
the seas I'm return for what we have
absorbed from them, consciously or I'M
consciously. AS we balance our ma
tional books the debit side OF our ledg
er must be cleared Off. IL we are ma
tionally honest, we are ready 10 pay
for what we have received.
We Have borrowed Europc's best.
Our country has been the reservoir
for the best and the richest blood OF all
Europe. A few years ago a noted Irish
leader, now a member OF the British
parliament was addressing a great
gathering OF Irish-Americans In Chica-
so. During his speech he made this
suggestive statement: "You Irish-Amer-
leans congratulate yourselves because
every year you send over q few thou
sand dollars TO help us in our struggle
for home rule. But want to tell you
that you are doing no more than you
ought TO do. America owes greater
debt TO Ireland than Ireland does TO
America. America has not taken from
rs money, but she has taken from us
what is OF more value than money.
Her magnetism has come into our large
cities and villages and factory towns
and wooed from our shores the best
ana strongest young men and young
women we had. She has taken them
away annually not by the scores and
hundreds, but by the thousands and
the tens OF thousands; she has taken
away the strongest young men and wo-
men We had and has left only the weak
hngs-those who are afraid TO start out
In the new world Meanwhile we, the
stay at homes, must go on struggling
while our stalwnrt Irish American
brothers and sisters are winning sue
cess In another hemisphere" What
that member OF the British parliament
SAID In reference TO Ireland can be
SAID In reference to almost every coun-
Try or Europe. Go down TO the great
seaport towns of Norway and Sweden.
Germany, France, Italy, Holland and
England and Scotland and ask those
emigrants. those staiwart young feI.
lows and those red checked lassies,
where they are going. Everywhere
you can hear the same answer: "To
America. We are sailing for America"
Has America no obligation to meet
when she has taken from other lands
such foreign born leaders as Alexander
hamilton to run her finances and Agas-
siz TO read the records Sf her rocks and
Ericsson to save her navies and John
Summerville and John Hall to preach
IN her pulpits and Andrew Carnegie to
build her steel works and John w
Mackay TO develop her mines and
ihomas Moran to paint her pictures
ana DIR. Nicholas Sem to stand at he,
operating tables and Franz sigel to
bght her battles and Speaker Hender.
son to preside over her congress and
Thomas Watson to plead at her bari
Shall the Goddess of Liberty feel no in.
debtsdness 40 foreign countries when
she has taken from their firesides their
fairest daughters and their bravest and
truest young men and clasped them tc
her own heart until these adopted sons
ana daughters look up and call hel
mother?
III we were to blot out from Amer
lean history the deeds of its foreign
born children, we would oblterate
many OF the best pages or our national
heroics. An old poem begins some
thing like this:
Oh, give US meni A time like this demands
Clean minds. pure hearts, true faith and
ready hands;
Men who possess opinions and a will:
Men whom desire for Office does not kill
I'M