Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-11-27

great, DIX acnlng VOID. Is not my his
tory that OF almost every one or US.
Are we not. one and all. members al
happy homes? Shall we not then fhsnl
God for the love that CLOVIS around oul
fresides for our many blessings 90
nestle?
Cause For National Gratitude.
Another cause for national gratitude
Our national solldlty and political per
petuity. This was not always self evi
dent. When the United States govern
ment was formed there were thousands
OF foreign statesmen who derisively
shook their heads. These wiseacres
said: THAT nation will never be run
successfully. No people were ever com.
petent to govern themselves" But
strange to say. just as the scientific
wiscacres argued against the practica
bility OF Robert Stephenson's locomo
tive, and II ran after all. so. after the
Revolutionary war. the United States
government ran smoothly and success
fully. 1t ran in spite of the evil proph.
ecies that kings and princes and Euro
pean statesmen uttered against it.
Then came the dark clouds of the
civil war. oh, how dark and how
threatening were those cloudsi The
cannonadings OF the most awful at
mospheric thunders were not louder
than the roarings of the guns at vicks-
burg and Gettysburg and Atlanta and
Petersburg. The worst flashes of ut.
mospheric lightning never blinded the
eyes rs badly as did the flames OF burn.
ing homes In the southland or the
sheets OF fire Ieaping out OF the can.
mons mouths and the sharpshooters'
rifles. "Aha- again cried the political
wiseacres Of Europe. 1.-The govern
ment for the people and by the people
has Mt last heard its funeral knellr'
But the dark clouds rolled away. the
sword was turned into the plowshare
and the spear into the pruning hook,
and, thank God, the government "for
the people and by the people still
lived.
Under Gods Guardianship.
Now, my friends, there have been for
eign depreciators OF our form OF gov
eminent, and there have been domestic
depreciators also. Therefhave been 20
litical agitators. Decade after decade,
who have tried to convey the sdea that
this government OF ours was built up
on The euicksands. that the corner stone
OF our national capitol would be top
pied over unless this or that man was
elected president Of the United States.
These domestic political agitators had
their heyday in the first half OF the
past century. When Henry Clay was
defeated for the presidency In 1874, my
grandfather cried like little child.
My father said OF him that he, like a
host OF prince Harry's" followers,
thought that the stability of this coun-
try was forever destroyed. Clear down
to the time OF the election of Grant
over a Greeley and a Garfield over a
Hancock and q Cleveland over q Blaine
we have heard the old story that the
prosperity or the failure OF our govern
ment depended upon the election Of
this or that man. Now, thank God. as
nation we have lived long enough to
know that the strength OF this country
is not dependent upon any one man.
any one hundred men or any one thou
sand men. The strength of our country
today is vested I'm the masses or the
people. the common people. and as long
as the people. the common people. re-
main true TO God so long will the gov
eminent at Washington gloriously live
The responsibility Of the chief exccu.
tive grows greater rs the influence Of
the country increases. May we ever
seek out the wisest and best Of our
statesmen for that high office. But let
us never be unduly alarmed. The dcs-
tnics OF this great nation are in the
hands OF the King of kings. To him
on this coming Thanksgiving day we
bend the knee and commit to him the
future Of our beloved country. Though
through political blunder n bad or
foolish man were elected to the presi-
Dental chair and as q consequence
peril mennced the nation, yet, If we
held fast our faith, out of the fire the
government would emerge purified and
triumphant, preserved by the almighty
power OF the God of our fathers.
Lastly, we have cause for thanksciy-
Ing In the homage now being paid to
this nation by other governments. Our
power and our rcctitudc are come to
recognition. and on all hands our
friendship IL sought. Our former enc
mics are now our most enthusiastic
friends, and instead of detraction we
are greeted with appreciation and adu-
lation.
The Oliver OF Dlcssinrs.
: The time. also. has passed away
when any one great nation can live n
hermit's life. The laws OF trade and
commerce have made all nations next
door neighbors- Commodore Matthew
@. Perry in 1854 earned immortal fame
by opening the doors OF Japan to the
United States merchant ships. Now
all national doors nre swung upon
double hinges. They swing in. They
swing out Even China's commercial
doors are unlocked to the commerce of
the world. English capitalists hold
american securities. and American cap
31lists are investing In China and ia
pan and Italy and In English and Ger
man securities The purse strings OF
the world are more and more becom-
ing international. Any financial furry
here gives the Bank OF England n chill,
puts the Australian money market In
n fright and causes financial trembling
at Paris. st. Petersburg and Berlin. IL
Turkish bonds are refused liquidation.
the Mediterranean waters are blacken-
ed with foreign men-of-war coming to
collect their bills. Thus more and more
the interests. moral and temporal. of
the different nations are being bound
together by letters OF gold. More and
more the different governments are
having to treat each other kindly and
heipfully. because when nation strikes
at another nation II is beating the life
out OF Its own heart. War is becoming
50 costly that 1t is almost forbidden
luxury. The blessings Of peace are be-
coming more and more universal
peace. which will make our fields gold
en- with grain. our homes happy with
love, our hearts aglow with a desire
for the best welfare of our neighhors
both national and international and
which will keep our affairs sacred TO
the God. the great Father above. from
whom all blessings flow. Oh, the han
piness, the 1Oy, which should o4tond