The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-06
STRONG SERMON
 OA PATRIOTISM
Rev. ", R. Hendrix Breaches at
 St. Johns Church.
PAST DEEDS STILL LIVE
He Says the Possession of Such Sen tlment as Is Expressed in Pa
 triotism Allies Man to His
 creator-ELoquent Words.

rhs Rev. W. R. Hendrix last night preached on the subject of Patfle.ism at St. Johns Methodist church, Avenue Il and Twentieth street.
 He took for his text:
 If forget thee 0 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning Ps. 1875.
 He said in substance:
 "The possession of such sentiment as Is expressed in these fervent words allies man to his Creator, and brings him Into fellowship with heavenly hosts. As we entered this morning upon the 12sth year of our national independence it Is be- coming that we pause upon the threshold of this new year and study for awhile the topic suggested by the text The exalted patriotism of the exied Hebrew has been preserved in the rhythmic meas ures of this imperishable psalm, that 1t might inspire all subsequent generations with that patriotic devotion which It so beautifully commemorates. Though the pagans were wrong in making the patriot god, they were right in their belief that heaven unites with earth in blessing and approving him. The most thrilling chap ters of history are those which record the deeds of the patriot and through all ages the human race has burnt the incense Of admiration and reverence at the shrines of patriotism.
 "Patriotism is that love for country and loyalty to it's welfare which leads to highest endeavor to promote it's interest and if need be to sacrifice and be sacrificed In her service and defense. It would be impossible to exagerate the importance or worth of patriotism to a country. It Is of more value than fertile fields, waving | forests, plethoric mines, standing armies, or an invincible navy. It alone consti- tutes priceless wealth. and without it the richest are poor It Is innate in all men and its absence declares an apostasy. The God who hath set the solitary in families hath set the families in com munities and communities in states and states in nations. He has ordained the duties growing out of these relations and he inspires the affections which prompt us to discharge these duties.
 Like all genuine coin, this quality is liable to be counterfeted. Dr. Johnson was speaking of this base counterfeit when he said, Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels." We have all seen enough of this perversion of a noble principle to unworthy purposes to feel that the cynical utterance has too much of truth in it.
 Some one has said that the great task of patriotism is to hold the nation to those ideals which gave it birth, but it seems to me that it sometimes becomes its duty to adjust the nation in an in- telligent way to new conditions.
 "Let us compare the present with the beginning of our national life. and see if we have departed from those ideals which inspired our fathers to heroic ef- fort, and with the highest hopes for their posterity. Of course any thing more than limited consideration of this question Is impossible.
 "A characteristic principle with the men who founded our country was to leave the largest possible measure of lib- erty in the hands of the individual. In the business world the competition sys- | tenn prevailed, and in consequence there was opportunity for the small capitalist.
 No great corporations with combined wealth were crushing smaller competi- | tors. In labor the system was distinct lively the individual Every man was en- couraged to put forth his best effort as the improvement of himself meant the I increase of his wages He was not en- 1 couraged to be careless and recreant to his work by the prospect of receiving the wages of others That we are departing l from these ideals in business and labor circles today any man must see. How | far the departure Is necessary to the best | interest of the country I do not know. l But I am sure that these vexing questions | call upon us today for the exercise of the | loftiest patriotism. The patriotism that amid the conflicting interests of the thir- | teen colonies forged the Declaration of | Independence must be relied upon to | find a Just solution of our present day problems.
 Have we that patriotism now? I have reason to hope that we have. The urgency with which corruption in high places Is being prosecuted. and the unstinted lib- | erality of the wealthy to benevolent and | educational interests and lastly the grow ing intelligence of the 1aboring people of our great country-these all point hope fully to the fact that men are realizing their relationship to each other and are ready to discharge those duties which bring blessing to all men.
 "A man prominent in national politics recently said that the nation must cherish the ethics of Jesus Christ if it continues faithful to those ideals held in the be- ginning. If the pulpits of this broad land on this anniversary of our birth shall help to quicken the patriotism of
 our people. they will prove themselves the successors of those whose ministra- tions famed the worthy flame into such glory when we began to be-