The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-01
| THANKS FOR
BLESSINGS.
sDr. Hawthorne breaches to-
Junior Order American
Mechanics.
LARGE GATHERING PRESENT {:
Pastor Of Grove Avcnuc Tells
Wherein Thanks Are Due to
i5 God for National Blessing.

'efore n large congregation muae up
"a rscly Of members Of tho junior order
or United American Mechanics, Dr. y.
3. hawthorne preached an clo1hcnt SER
mon Mt tho Grove Avenue Baptist Chnrch
Sunday on Giving Thanks TO GOD Tor
National blessings" Ills text was
\ Psalms xcii:lI: ut is n good thing to
4 give thanks unto the Lord" He said:
We welcome to our sanctuary this morn
ing this large gathering Of the represent
tatvcs OF the Junior Order OF United
American Mechanics At their request
ne shall devote this honor to a thanks
giving service we shall speak and SING
OF Gods blessings upon our country. One
4 OF tho primo objects Of this association OF
Acmrican citizens Is the promotion OF
q patriotic feeling Patriotism is the love
OF ones own country better than any
other country. This feeling IL In perfect
harmony with Gods revealed VIII ana
perfectly compatible with the spirit OF
universal benevolence and brothernood.
The prophets OF ancient Israel were en-
thisinstIc patriots a conspicuous fea-
ture OF their dvIney appointed work was
i to keep alive anu Intensity the affection
OF tho Jews for tho land which the LORD
God gave to their fathers. PATRIOTISM
i was an element OF tho Jewish religion
Tho man who did not love Palestine more
than any other country and Jerusalem
more than any other city was IAN alien
from the Commonwealth 3Sof Israeli.
Nothing In iiera trrc is moro pathetic and
eloquent than the exclamation or the
captive Jews In Babylon: III | forget
thee oh Jerusalem let my right hand
forget its cunning and my tongue cleaVc
to the roof OF my mouth
PROMOTES PATRIOTISM
The "Junior Ordcrsof United American
Mechanics" is an organization for the
promotion OF American patriotism, .5it
is for the furtternnce OF this cause that
thcy have requested this Thanksgiving
service. It Is for this cause that they
gather here to-day to mingle their voices
with ours In thanksgiving TO God Tor ma
tional blessings already bestowed ana
IN supplicating a continuance or MS favor
Ii ,pon our people III their efforts 10 nd
vance their country In every true Gle
ment OF national strength. glory and han
pincss Il nm sure that the feeling which 4
nnmates them is shared and applauded
by every loyal American, and that God
4 Is well pleased by such a recognition OF
his hand in tho direction ana progress
Of our courtry's affairs
Is Every enlightened American patriot
will thank God for our colonial ancestors.
While II do not attach ms mich import
ancc to hcredlty as some men are wont
/
trllect,ial and moral qualities descend. IN 4
GONE degree from sire to son. am
confident that the greatness OF the pres
cnt generation Of Americans Is due large 4
" to the greatness OF their ancestors.
Much OF their mental and moral capita!
is treasure which their forefnthers In
vested. The genius and virtues OF our
grandsires were put out ut compound In
terest. we are the fruits OF their energy
and wisdom. In our thoughts We cannot
separate the greatness Of tho Amazon, 4
tho Nile and the Mississippi from their
initial lakes and springs. Neither can We
i separate our present greatness from tho
spirit and virtues of our Pilgrim fathers,
One OF our poets pictures America rs
she stood before the first footprints OF
Ks civilization were made upon her savage
shore. He represents her ms lifting her
eyes to heaven and praying
Bring mo men to match my mountains;
Bring me men to match my plains;
Men with empires In their purpose.
And new cras in their brains.
That prayer was answered at JaE1es-
town and Plymouth Rock. 1t was an
swered when the first bands of Anglo
Saxon exiles moored their barks on the
wild shores of this Western world Tho
massive oaks and granite rocks OF Amer
Ican hills and valleys were typical or
tie iron will and unyleding courage Of
thosc stalwart men whom God sent from
the motherland TO lay broad and deep
the foundations Of our institutions. On
our country's map those Pilgrim fathers
are the foothills that slope upward to-
ward the mountains minded men OF later
generations. Their daring, enterprise
sngacity and love OF freedom, truth and
God. wero the ancestral forces that cons
bined to make of their descendants such
mon as Washington, Jefferson. Hamil-
ton, Adams. Madison, Webster, Choato,
Everett Lincoln, Marshall, Andrew jack
son and Robert T. Lee
AMERICAN BROTHERHOOD.
No such names as these would ILL.,
mine tho pages Of American history, II
the men and women who landed at
Jamestown and plymouth Rock had been
representatives, OF any other than. tho
Anglo-Saxon race and had been less noble
tnstlleir spirit and purposes.
Tho Junior Order OF United American
Mechanics magnify the significance and
Importance Of ourfcountry's nag. They
believe that the frequent sight of It on
public buildings In public places and
In public professions will serve to pro-
moto love and loyalty to the principles
and purposes Of our great American sys-
tenn OF free government. That the fire.