The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-10-27
HANDS ACROSS SEA.
Rev. DR.. Talmage's Theme For
Fourth OF July Sermon.
Though America Won Independence
From Great britain, She
Has since Becn Com
qucrcd.

sermon a new aspect IS given 70 th'
patriotic holiday. The text IS III JohI
Il. "Our friends salute thee"
God pity the man without country
God pity such man as Philip Nolan
whom Edward Everett Hale pictures
in his famous story, who, on account OF
bis own sins. has lost the confidence
and the respect OF the people among
whom he was born and who on account
Of those sins IS excluded from the land
OF his birth. God pity the man who
does not glory In the sacrifices and tri
umphs OF his nations heroes and hero.
ines. who does not live In his country S
hopes and who does not feel a thrill OF
honest pride when he mentions his
birthplace and ayows, as did Paul, Il
am a man which am a jew Of Tarsus.
a city I'm Cilicia. a citizen OF no mean
city" God pity, say again, the man
who does not feel in every part of his
body, mind and soul that the land Of
his nativity IS The best place in all the
world in which to be born, that his peo-
pie are the best people in all the world
with whom 10 associate, does not hope
that the place Of bis cradle VIII be the
place Of his sepulcher.
Such Is the patriots boast where'er we
roam;
Ills fret best country ever is at home.
"That man is little 70 be envied,"
wrote Inch Kenneth, "whose patriot
ism would not gain force upon his
countrys plains Of Marathon and
whose piety would not grow warmer
among her ruins Of Iona" That Amer
leans life is not to be enyied who,
with a cold, lethargic temperament
and unmoyed heart, could 60 and look
at the Lexington commons. where d
little handful Of farmers dared defy
the British soldiers, or upon Breeds
hill, commonly called Bunker Hill,
where the first cannon sounded forth
the call FOR the mlnutemen TO rally for
Americas liberties, or upon Valley
Forge. where In the awful winter of
177T and 177S George Washington and
his brave wife shivered and shook In
camp with the common soldiers, or up
on old Independence hall Of Philadel-
phia, where the immortal document
OF the Declaration Of Independence
was signed, or upon Yorktown. where
CORVALLIS and his officers were COM
PEELED TO surrender their swords TO
the allied French and American troops.
which surrender practically ended the
bloody conflict for American freedom.
But as l began to think over my ser
mon which was TO precede our national
holiday OF the Fourth Of July I said to
myself: Have we truly triumphed over
England7 Are we truly independent
Of our mother landl Has not the Brit
ish nation conquered US in truth and
IN fact1 Has she not and does she not
annually send over great invading ar
mics and annually demand that we
pay her not only gold. but things more
precious than goldI Yes. yes" / said
TO myself, England Is not a conquered
rival. but a conQuering friend. In
stead Of preaching a patriotic sermon
10 show how the American nation has
triumphed over the British empire I
will twist my theme around. / would |
tell how the British empire has con.
luered America. And when / show
how the British empire has conquered |
as will glory In that conquest, for
IS England and Scotland and Ireland |
have put their impress upon us, so we
N turn through them are helping TO /
put our impress upon the whole world
or civilization and for Christ"
The British empire, IN the first place,
has conquered America by the power
II the tongue. The first words that we
earned TO lisp at our mothers knee,
he words that we shouted on the play
ground and spoke before the school
iesk, the words that we read In the
morning newspaper and in library
look and hear from our lecture plat
orm and pulpit are English words.
The language Of the American people
5 the language Of England's rose and
4 Scotland's thistle and Of Ireland's
hamrOck. The same tongue we speak
vas spoken for centuries In the British
sles. Therefore, though a new nation
vas born on July 4. 1870. II was not a
lew race. II was simply the Goddess
I Liberty as a bride leaving the old
English homestead and setting up in
ousekeeping for herself. She still be-
1nged to the old English family. She
till spoke the mother tongue. More
han that she was dominated by her
lOther's accustomed ways Of thinking
nd doing things. And this tie OF Ian
uage which binds the American pso-
le TO their British kindred cannot be
ound binding us to any other nation
q earth.
When two nations like the British
eOple and the American people speak
he same language they must inevlte-
~ be one In feeling. 1t does not make
luch difference who sits upon the
nglish throne or who Is IN Americas
residential chair, the two nations are
ne. They are one because they have
Re same teachers. They are one be-
iuse they have the same legends. They
re- one because they naturally think
like, whether they will or no. This
yet was beautifully illustrated some
ears ago when John Hay. then Amer
an ambassador 10 London, spoke AZ
le unwilling Of the bust OF Sir Walter
colt in Westminster abbey.
"The books a boy reads" said Mr..
lay. care those most ardently admired
nd longest remembered. and America
eyeled In Scott when the country was
Dung have heard from my father.
pioneer in Kentucky. that in the early
avs Of this century men would saddle
leir horses and ride from all the neigh
orlng counties TO the principal post
lWFu nf fhafr rocrfon ,,.I.t, d, NON. ,,.,-of