The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-02
os ANGELES. Cal, Nov. 25.-In

| Thanksgiving sermon the preacher
- reviews the many causes which
ought to inspire nations gratitude ana
arouse its patriotism. The text is Deuter-
onomy viii, 10: Thou shalt bless the
Lord thy God for the good land which
He hath given thee"
In former Thanksgiving sermons l have
spoken CT the corn and the wheat and
the rye and the apples and the pears and
the oranges and the sheep and COWS and
horses and the machines and the manu-
| factories and the homes and the stores
and the railroads and the ships and the
public buildings which have been pro-
duced during the year, but today l would
dwell on the four great geographical de-
velopments which took place In our Amer
lean history that have given us this good
4 broad land for which we give thanks. l
would dwell especially on the heroic men
to whom, under the providence OF God,
we owe those vast regions of land rich
| in fruits and minerals We heard of those
men in our schoolboy days, but as we
reach middle life their names become I'M
| familiar, and we forget their splendid
achievements. This ought not so TO be.
| Our gratitude as nation is due, ana we
/ owe it 10 them that in our national
| thanksgivings their names are remem-
bered
| Let us first study the causes which led
up to the famous treaty of Paris of 11S3.
! In order to do this we must turn back
| the dial of Ahaz to the beginning of the
| Revolutionary war. And as we enter the
town meetings of New England, and af-
| forwards attend the sessions of the Con-
! At tt psa RI M hear
word uttered or find one public document
! Indicating that the thirteen colonies set
any value on the land of the northwest
or even on the land lying just beyond the
Ohio river, out of which the great states
of Ohio and Indiana and Illinois ana
| Michigan and Wisconsin have been
| carved The thirteen colonies took no
more interest in this region than Amerl-
cans do today in Manchuria.
Hunter and Dreamer.
Their awakening was the work OF one
man. Out of the wilderness man came
who knew its value. lie was hunter
and a dreamer, a man who had lived with
the huge mountains and great rivers, VINO
had rested under trees hundreds OF years
old an athlete who used thousands upon
thousands of square miles for play
ground George Rogers Clark Is his name.
lie is one of the most influential factors
great pivots upon which the Paris treaty
of 1888 turned He first came east in IT'S
as delegate from the modern state OF
Kentucky to the colonial assembly oil
virginia. with a petition that Kentucky
should be incorporated into the colony OF
Virginia as a new county" am now
quoting the exact words of the historian
Fletcher johnson in reference to TINS pc
tition.
| After his mission was ended he returned
| home. While east he heard the story of
the uprising against British rule. Then
he commenced to brood as only world $
dreamer can brood He saw in imagina-
ton not only the thirteen colonies win
ming their independence, but he also saw
that vast territory extending from tbs
Ohio to the Mississippi Joined to the gov
eminent about to be formed. Then In the
darkest days of the Revolutionary upris-
ing in the winter of Valley FORCES hor-
ror, George Rogers Clark retraced his
steps to williamsburg. Va, and knocked
at the office door of tGovernor Patrick
| Henry. Come in!" called Governor Pat
rick Henry What do you want?' he
! asked the strange western pedestrian. Il
| want" answered George Rogers Clark,
IAN army to go and capture the great
northwest from The British" Absurd.
said Governor Henry. 1--WE have no sol
diers and no money" "Then," answered
/ ,
/ want letters of authority to organize
the hunters of that region into an army,
and | alone will do the rest" Governor
Patrick Henry gave to this visionary
| schemer The letters he requested. To make
| a long story short George Rogers Clark
| gathered together $50 men,. They were a
| Gideon's band of intrepid heroes With
this little handful of followers he plunged
| into the forest and attacked the British
| at Kdskaskia. He then marched on, gath
cring up his army as he went, until at
| last he Wrested Detroit from the grasp
of the British Commander Henry Hamil-
| ton Such is the history of the conquest
| of the great northwest. 1t was all due
to the foresight of one brilliant dreamer.
! GEORGE Rogers Clark. | wish | had time
| to go more into detail. However. before
we leave the forest tracks of this valiant
| American patriot. | would say be careful,
and do not confuse the name of George
Rogers Clark with that of Il William
Clark of the Clark and Lewis expedition
to Oregon. They were two different men
and of no relation although they bore
| the same family name.
The Scene Changes.
The scene changes. The war for Amer
| lean independence has practically come to
an end We are now in the most beauti-
full capital of the world. This is Paris
| We are now in the presence of the four
! American commissioners who had charge
of the signing of the treaty which would
! finally close the seven years war. John
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John jay and
Henry Laurens are all there Thomas
Jefferson was also appointed a commits
sioner, but he never served on this COM
mission. What are your instructions, We
American representatives? why says
John Jay, the most important personality
on that commission, Congress has con-
fused these instructions. 1t has sent us
over here to perfect terms of peace. Then
! it has tied us hand and foot with these
| Instructions: You are to make the most
candid and confidential communications
upon all subjects to the ministers of our
generous ally the king of France; to UNI
dertake nothing in the negotiations for
peace or treaty without their knowledge
| and concurrence and ultimately to gov
ern yourself by their advice and opinion.
| Did YOU ever hear of such nonsensical in
| structions as that?'
| But, Mr.. jay, why are you bitter at
those instructions? Is not France oul
friend? Does she not wish to help us in