Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-07-06
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, ID. ID.

events that have contributed TO our
country's greatness and traces the Dl'
vine hand guiding It's destinies. Inc
text IS Psalm lxxvli. II, "Surely | VIII
remember thy wonders OF Old"
During the coming week we celebrate
orr birth as a nation. Our topic this
morning. therefore, should be pariotic.
The text | have chosen invites US 10
reminiscence. and the "reminiscences
need not be limited to our own ives
Like our famous writer, Edward Ever
eft Hale our thoughts may well IN
clude "The Memories or Huhureu
Years" That book deals, Tor the
most part. with the youthful history OF
thIs nation. When | think OF the KeV-
olutionary war and the signing OF the
Declaration Of Independence ana tne
forming OF the constitution OF the Unit
cd States and the political supremacy
of Washington's government always
think of our government us ne"
horn baby In its swaddling clothes.
But when think Of the government vi
Jefferson. Madison and Monroe ana
the great causes which led up TO our
civil war | think Of the boyhood anu
/ voung manhood of our country 1t ID
about this development of our govern
ment that l would Ike to speak touay'
such a theme should offer US Wlue
scoDe for a national sermon.
As read that interesting DooK uie
roct which forced itself upon me was
that in the beginning of the last cen
turv the complete unlfcation OF the
United States government had ho'
been established. DR.. Hale wen saiu
con the 1st Of January, lool, the
United States was belt on the Atlan
tic senboard Of thirteen poor ana weaf
communities, occupying territory "nicl
hardly ran back more than loO mlieS
from the ocean. They had unite'
themselves, but they did not know ina
they we're a nation. Even the states
men OF that day would have written
Tho United States are ready or ar
prepared while an officer OF ours u
dov would say, The United States Il
ready 'or IS prepared In o'ne
words. though the constitutional con
: ventIon which formed the origlna
thirteen colonies into federation MAJ
! assembled In 1887, yet up to the latIe
i part of John Adams adminlstraeV
the different states still thought "a
central government was Of minor y. y
- 6orsance and that the state iegisiature
Ind more power than the national Col
!, gress.
knew This fact was true Of the d
ginning of George Washington's az
u ministration, but did not think II wa
so clear down through John Adani
term. When the first president WI
,nouqurated in New York city, II Wa
almost impossible for him to get stron
mon 70 take positions under the Unlte
States government. In the Unlte
Stotes government today the most IL
portant position next to the presldeh'
Is that of chief justice Of the supren
court of the United States. Yet Jol
le Law the first chief Justice of the Unite
it States supreme court, resigned his Sc
10 in order to be a candidate for govern
e of New York, in which contest
III failed. Washington had the harde
" work TO obtain proper men for his Gu
in inet John Marshall, who afterwa
O. became the great chief justice or I
r. United States supreme court, refus
if the position Of attorney general, pl
es ferrinq TO remain a member OF the '
W ginia state senate.
u As an illustration Of the low es
~ mate placed on positions In the Un
re ed States government in the beginhl
ii. of the last century we find DE w
ks Clinton. a United States senator fr'
le- New York In 1901, resigning his pc
on tion in the United States senate III
lat der TO become the mayor OF New IL
citv. Can you dream Of anything u
would be more ncomprehenslDle
the statesmen Of the present dayE 4
- idea our early statesmen had OF
union of the states seems TO nave u
that of q bond but little closer than
|. alliance such as might bind TWO Irle
" European countries. But as u
came to realize that the union was
for mutual strength and protection
imnortance of the central Iedera'
nd assumed greater proportions. Ana
INV brothers. as we thank God to'
W that the United States government
Va ,,ro,yn into n cohesive unity we sho
NOT he bitter or harsh in our critic
nu Of those statesmen who in loOl
100 believed that the single commonWe'
was supreme. John c. Calhouh
nd vococv of state sovereignty was
natural sequence Of the thought WI
inu wos almost universally prevalent W
Thomas jefferson became presiu
that the United States was con
nrocv of seventeen commonwea
rather than a single government
| which the different states were
integral parts.
The State Sovereignty Idea.
so universal was the idea OF
sovereignty in Washington's time
whom the first president made his
nous tour Of the New England 81
the governor of Massachusetts at
refused to call upon George Wasi
ron when he came to Boston. lie
}, 90 ticalIy said. 81 hold as indepehde
position as The president, and he
ngS, come TO me before | go to nm.
,les, YOU. this action of the governor
,;ld not in South Carolina or in Georg
''iN in the "black belt of MISSISSIPPI
nus, in old Massachusetts, the home OF
rison and Wendell Phillips Inc
ple have now learned that the I
lis 10 States Is a nation.
taves Another fact which forcioiy
grist me- in DR.. Hale's autobiography
the immense amount OF unocc
con land which the United States &c
ment possessed which had not
GU W .IoroJ and which the le