The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-20

ments of Malachite and Lapis Lazula in Russia, the incomparable mountains of marble in Milan and Florence, the venerable cloisters of Salamanca and :moslems and that magnificent dome which rises higher than any other in the world In honor of St. Peter
 We have no time to devote to rhapso- dies over the forests of ohelisks, the groves of church spires that point their fingers towards the sky. They have been the theme of poets, artists and critics for nearly a thousand years.
 Religion Is found at the cradle of natural philosophy at their tomb.
 The old religions of organism have left Us but cold and gigantic pyramids of stone enclosing the ashes of their hand. has transmitted to us the living stone which will outlast the dust of ages.
 Art is a foundation of instinctlve emotion that impresses the souls of men, plays upon their passions, and brings the emotions into real life.
 Thus 1t Is that the sight of a serene- ly beautiful statue or the solemn sl- lence and hallowed precincts of some grand cathedral with fretted vaults and long drawn aisles and mullioned storied windows impresses the beholder with deep fervor and religious enthu- siasm.
 And this is why the Catholic church
  of being spectacular, she exhausts the treasuries of art on her cathedrals and churches and stamps on the productions of genius, these notes by which she herself is recognized, as true, able and the holy fire infiames the genius of the artist or the architect and causes him to produce something grand, whether in music. painting, uoetty or sculpture since they are to be dedicated to the glory of the Most High.
 Gregory Invented Organ.
 Twas In the depths of a benedictine monastery and twas under the foster ing influence of religion that the matchless blending of nature and art Gothic architecture was first invented.
 Twas Gregory, the Great baptizer of the illustrious Constantine, that invent cd the organ which adds such solemn grandeur to our old cathedrals.
 The church builders of the middle ages were not satisfied merely to raise stone on stone, the stones were to speak and spoken language equally under stood by rich and poor. Heaven itself saints remain present by their images to console and preach to the people.
 You have a striking example of this in the bazi)icas of Assize, where the of blue strewn with stars of gold.
 On the walls were displayed the mysteries of the two Testaments, and the life of St. Francis formed the se-
 
 The middle age men conceived an ideal more pure than the old Byzan- tine types which had had their day, but which for 800 years had continued to degenerate.
 The Basilica of St. Francis became the cradle of the Renaissance in art and evidenced its progress.
 Thus Christian art is the highest conception of human genius. There IS not real art outside of Christianity. The progress touched the vital spark
 But you people of Beaumont know full well to whom you dedicate this orner-stone today Your generous sentiments have prompted you to give back to God q little Of the much He has generously bestowed on this fa- Vored and now most permanent spot, which in an incredibly short time has risen from. a lumber mart to be the gushing fountain head of wealth and
 Remember that the best way to merit future favors from God is to be grateful for the present ones.
 From the bowels of the earth He has opened up a stream of liquid wealth wherewith to bless you and yours, and may He grant at he same time that those on whom he has showered such blessings may ever in turn prove truly grateful.
 Looking at the wilderness of gigan- tic ruins flung and tossed in nameless heaps over the broad valley of the Nile with It's chiseled forests of stone, with its sand covered half demolished tenn ples, It's broken columns-all lying in one heap of ruins, one cannot help feel niR that he thunderds of heaven had smitten them at the command of an insulted God.
 Prophetic Warning.
 It Is more than three thousand years since the curse went forth against the land of Egypt. The Assyrian, the Persions, the Greek. the Roman, the Arabian. the Caucasian and the Otto man Turk have excessively trodden 1t down and trampled upon 1t for thirty centuries. the foot of stranger has been upon the necks of the inhabitants, and today grooming under the weight of the abject misery and degradation and scourged by the hand of a tyrant stranger. one cannot help recalling the prophetic warning of Scripture: Tt shall be the basest of Kingdoms: neither shall it exalt itself any moro among the nations, and there shall be no more a prince in tho land of Egypt"
 And what better use could you put
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