The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-04

| gence; but intelligence IL also needed tS
administer wealth.
NEED OF INTELLIGENCE.
stephensons locomotive incarna,es hi.
genius. But no man Is fitted TO be ar
engineer whose mrciIlgence is not equa
10 the amount OF intelligence thai
Stephenson put in his locomotive. Plus
the intelligence that makes the engineer
equal 10 the possible accidents OF the
engine.
In like manner our political institu-
tions incarnate the genius OF the fathers
and founders OF our republic. named
Washington or Hamilton or Jefferson.
And no youth is ftted to lay hands upon
the civic mecha anism who has not carried
his brain and conscience up 10 the level
OF Washington and Franklin and our
forefathcrs at the hour when they in
vented these political instruments.
To give throbbing locomotive into the
hands OF child. represents peril And
our fathers thought that they had. in the
free church and the free school, and
their Christian academies. with the right
OF universal and manhood suffrage. three
instruments that would keep all native
born American scholars on the side of
the intellect. Christians toward the
church, patriots towards the republic.
To their pra.se be IL confessed that FOR
nearly 200 years. their educational IN
struments justified the hopes OF their
founders. In that far off day, every citi-
zen in the New England community. was
intelligent and patriotic and Christian.
History speaks OF one of the New Eng
land towns where men had no locks upon
the doors; where theft was un-
known, where, in hundred years, di-
vorce was never heard OF. where moral
iliseracy was all but unthinkable There
was no civic corruption On election
morning the citizens formed a procession,
marrhed TO the church, listened TO a ser
mon. and then the electors went forth to
vote. as In the sight of God, with no
reference tn self-interest.
BALLOT WAS PURE.
In those days man would no more use
his ballot for personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
or against the interest OF the community.
than he would have put his hand n the
fire. Those were glorious days for the
republic. The roots and boughs were
then being compacted that finally ripened
INTO the Boston school of letters
When We celebrate Emersons Tooth an
niversary, We must not forget the six
generations OF clergymen that were back
or him; and when We find the 3s per cent
OF the men mentioned in biographical
OF clergymen. we remember that these
Christian institutions did for the laws
and the literature and the liberties OF
the republic.
The first epoch therefore in the re-
public was the formative one. when the
were developed. and the sec
ond epoch was the tine when these in
sttutions were tested and tempered. ana
proven In the men that they produced.
Tha narind ~
Of the great west
The third great epoch for the republic
began with the movement OF expansion,
when Puritan New England heard a
third time the cammand: Get thee out
rom thy country. and thy kindred into
land beyond the Alleghanies, that
Viii show thee" One day a traveller
stopped his horse on the summit OF the
of what Is now Western New
York or Pennsylvania. putting his hand
IN his ear. he stopped I'm listening atti-
ude. What do YOU hear7" whispered
iis guide. fearing lest the painted Indians
we're In ambush near by. Then uncover
ng his head the great man said. IL am
istening to the tramp of coming mill
ons. These travellers. returning from
he Wes, brought marvellous tales about I
he riches of the Valley OF the Ohio. /
Ibout rho forests ot Indiana and Illinois:
strange impulse fell upon all the people.
I was such an impulse a. fell upon I
\braham. that emigrant. who made his .
way 10 the country Of the Jordan II was
IN impulse "a fell upon the 100000 emil
rants who followed Moses through their
eseft into their Promised Land.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
II was such an impulse as fell upon the
funs and the Goths when they left the
teep cliffs OF Northwestern Europe and
narched TO the southwest toward sunny
tally. In the olden time the spirit of
'od moyed upon the face Of the dark
"a ters. And In iTs0 20 1870 the spirit Of
lod was abroad, moving upon our ia
hers.
For nearly 200 years they had been
niline upon their ideals Of the home. Of
NO college, Of the church. Of the press
M OF political liberty. God had shut
hem up N that little barren. rugged
md. surrounded by the sea on the one
and and the forests on the other
In the olden time He shut the Jewish
eople In between the Mediterranean and
ne Jordan and left them 10 grow their
rophcts, their martyrs. their teachers
1eir apostles. Then. when the food of
ie-giving waters was piled high. the oh
Irucuon was swept away and the com
land was to go into al the world and
irry forth the evanrei OF peace.
When God wants 10 make a ma, n, n
: uon great lie puts them In prison; lie
1uts Homer In by blindness: lie shuts
ante In by exile; lie shuts Bunyan In
y prison walls: lie shuts Socrates in n
~ for - days. that he may make
niement about Immortality: Ha shuts
reeee UP between the se1 and the noun :
ms lie shuts Ron1ulus IN upon a liftIe
naue OF land named Rome He shuts
le Swiss people I. between 'he Berpsss
berlsnd and the Jura .simplon.
He shuts England in upon n little isle