Evening star., 1903-11-28

west Rev Dr. f. II. McKim. pastor of
the church, preached an interesting ser
mon on the theme. THE Hand of God IN
the History OF the American People
Special music was furnished by the mu-
sicians of the church
.srhe shields of the. earth belong unto
God."-Psalm 47:9.
"This Psalm is believed to have been
composed in celebration of the destruc-
ton of the host of the Assyrlan King,
Sennacherib. 1t contains certainly de-
yout recognition of some remarkable IN
terposition OF Jehova on behalf OF his
people. The text has direct reference to
this-'The shields of the earth belong
unto God-that Is to say. nations de-
fense is in the hands of God.
The shield of the Roman soldier. not
less than his famous short sword. made
him the conaueror of the world. Herode-
tus in his symbolical description OF the
destruction of the hosts of Sennacherlp,
says that the camp of the Assyrlans was
invaded on the night before the battle by
vast multitude of mice, which gnaWed
the strings of their bows and the thongs
of their shields When, therefore,, the
Psalmist declares that the shields OF the
earth belong unto God his meaning can,
not be mistaken, and ii is this 1t is God
who protects His people; 1t Is God who
gives them victory over their enemies; 1t
Is God who orders the issues of battle.
Permit me, my brethren, on this day
of national thanksgiving, to emphasize
the truth of this utterance of the Psaim-
list, that the shields of the earth belong
unto God 1t is well that the people OF
this great republic be reminded today OF
the manifold interpretations of Divine
Providence which have signalized the
whole course of their history from the
beginning until now.
What observer of human affairs during
the whole period, from the discovery of
America by Columbus in 1852 to the settle
ment on Roanoke Island by Sir Water Ra-
leigh in 1854 could have anticipated that
the scepter of power in the new world would
have passed from the Spanish to the En-
glish people? Spain was hundred years
in advance of England in the colon!zat on
of America. The extent and the spiendor
of her empire far surpassed that of the
British Isles. But when the invincible'
Spanish Armada was defea ed by Drake and
his leutenants in the English channel N
1888, the blow was struck which in its ulti-
mate issue meant that English and not
Spanish civilization should become supreme
In North America. All the probabilities
were in favor of victory resting with the
vast Armada, but as so often happens. 1t
was the unexpected that occurred. and the
weak and the small triumphed over the
mighty.
But there was another power besides that
of Spain to be reckoned with in this western
world. France had a strong foothold both
In the northern and the Southen parts of
the new continent. and the thoughtful OBJ
server in the middle of the eighteenth CEN
tury might well have concluded that French
influence would predominant, both along
the st. Lawrence and the great lakes at the
north, and along the Gulf of Mexico in the
south, but when the heroic Wolfe stormed
the heights of Quebec in 1888, the power of
France was broken In the western hemis-
phere; and the peace of 1I6a at the close
of the seven years war, not only made
English influence predominant in Canada
tN,,t 60 Nrril oil D,f,;
troll
only twelve years more and the curtain
rises on one of the most remarkable dramas
in the history of the world. The thir-
teen feeble colonies of Englshmen raise
the banner of revolt against Great Britain.
What will be the result? Surely the British
empire, which has now reached the sum-
nit of its power. will have little difficulty
in subduinS this uprising. But no, the bat
tie is not to the strong. The shields of the
earth belong unto Cod And after seven
years of heroic struggle the revolted colo
MES established their independence and a
new English-speaking nation was born into
the world.
Twenty years elapse and again the
hand of Providence plainly appears in the
affairs of the people of the United States.
President Jefferson, taking advantage of
Napoleon's inability to protect the French
possessions in America, consummates the
Louisiana purchase in 1903 for the paltry
sum of N5,0O0OO0, whereby the territory of
and the way opened for the extension of its
influence across the Rocky mountains to the
Pacific itself. From that hour it became
certain that homogeneous English-speak-
Ing people should hold sway from the Gulf
of Mexico to the Great Lakes-from the At
lantic to the Pacific.
Something more than half century of
national growth and development follows
and the flames of a civil war are kindlsd,
the like of which the world has never SEEN
What will be the result? Wealth and num-
bers and organization are all on the side of
the north, but the balance is almost re-
dressed by the superior military genius of
the southern commanders,
Charles Francis Adams has said that both
sides were right Certainly each side be-
heved that 1t was right. The north was
inspired by an invincible resolution to pre-
serve the Union: the south by passionate
devotion to the principle Of local self-gov-
ernment. The north did not enter upon the
struggle for the purpose of freeing the
slaves. The south did not fight for the per-
petuation of slavery. At more than one
critical moment in the Titanic struggle it
seemed that success was within the grasp
of the south; but Providence ordered other
wise. 1t was not the will of God that this
great people should be divided We see
today the right of local selfgovernment es-
tablished on as firm basis ever. We
see the right of the states to control their
own affairs as jealously maintained by New
York and Massachusetts as by Virginia
of the Supreme Court standing in almost
unbroken phalanx around the privileges
and immunities of the state governments
In all this the men of the north and the
men of the south can reverently recognize
an illustration of the truth Of the utterance
OF the psalmist The shields of the earth
belong unto God.
Il pass over the period from 1861 to 1885
with the single remark that the restoration
of unity and concord between the different
sections which was at length achieved un
der the inspiration of the noble President
who fell two years ago by the hand of an
ASSASSIN presents one of the most remark
able spectacles in the history of the civil
wars of the world a new epoch opened with
the year lS9S. when the Spanish flag went
down at Santiago. The 400 years dominion
of that power in the western world was at
end.
THE end of the war with Spain marked
a new era In the history of the republic of
the west When the last of Cervera's ships
went down in defeat and death the United
States took its place among the great world
powers of mankind. From that hour new
responsibilities. new duties, new problems
and new dangers had to be faced.
we have crossed the threshold of the
twentieth century more highly respected
more greatly feared than ever before in the
councils OF the world, but with response
far haa With n far