Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-04

nave happened 10 US as nation!
When the civil war broke out, would
Lincoln have been standing in Edward
Dickinson Bakers shoes rs the United
States senator from Oregon Might
not William II. Seward or $. p. Chase
have been delivering the inaugural ad-
dress rs president Of the United States
in 1862 Had the great forensic foe of
Douglas been removed from the stra-
tegic battle-ground OF Illinois what
would have been the outcome Of our
civil strife? These nre mighty ques-
tions, and yet these are all dependent
upon the Eyes" or "no" which Abra-
ham Lincoln gave to President James
Il. Polk in 1910 in reference to the
govcrnorship of the far away oregon
territory.
And then as dclve into the auto
biographical recollections of Or. Hale
and into the life stories of other Amer
leans 1 cannot but read strange signs
of the times as ! loiter by the tomb
stones Of some OF the nations many
men who died in young manhood. I
cannot but say to myself. "What would
have been the history Of this country
had the brilliant elder brother of Ralph
Waldo Emerson lived? Far more bril-
liant was he than the Concord sage.
He was the Arthur Hallam of Har-
ward. He had just entered the law, and
all success was to be his. Yet he went
out one cold night md made a speech,
and pneumRnla set in. and in q few
hours he was dead. What would have
been the history Of the civil war II
Seargcnt s. Prentiss had lived? He was
the most brilliant orator the south ever
sent to congress. Yet he was Graded
among the Maine pines. He was born
only one year previous to Abraham
Lincoln. What would have been the
history of this country II Henry Clay's
brilliant son had not been killed in the
Mexican war or if Wcbster's brilliant
son had not lost his life in the same
international strife? These are ques-
tons which l love to ask for many
reasons. 1t is to prove to you and me
that no question In our lives is too In.
significant to weigh carefully. We
may think we are deciding an insig-
niticant matter, but that seemingly in
significant decision may govern not
only the destinies of our own lives, but
the destinies of many lives directly or
indirectly dependent upon US.
Another Lesson.
Another great lesson which we learn
Is that each generation has a different
and distinct work to do. When we
go back TO the time of Bradford and
Miles Standish, there we find the stern
stuff Of Puritan life. The founda-
tons of national character had to be
laid. There we found men who were
hewers Of great rocks of truth. They
were hard headed set. They did not
believe j. flowers and rainbows and
apple blossoms. But they had a great
work to do. Foundation stones are
rarely beautfed by the sculptors CHS
el. They must be laid in the dirt.
But they are the most important stones
in the temple of national life. Thus
these broad brimmed Puritans did
their work well, for they laid for the
nation the foundation stones of moral
character and spiritual truth.
Then came the age of Washington,
Samuel Adams, Otis and Franklin
They were builders of our political and
constitutional life, as the Puritans
were the builders of the nations spirit
ual and moral life. Then came the
early years of Edward Everett IIale's
own life. That was the growing age
of our nation, the time of acquisition
of extensive territory, of new states
and the scatterings Of many peoples.
Then came the emancipation age Of
Lincoln, Seward Grant and Lee and
Alexander II. Stephens. That was the
age when the many states We're welded
into one firm, unbreakable nation.
Ours Is the age when we are to battle
for social rights and for the downfall
of the saloon and for the triumph Of
Gods church and for the union Of all
hearts as brothers. Wealth, untold
wealth, is ours. The greatest interna-
tional influence is ours. And now we
are to put the capstone upon the ma
tional temple, and that is the capstone
of righteousness. My brother, can you
not see the work God has given US to
do for him and for our native land,
which we all should love better than
our own lives?
Thank God for the Fourth of July Of
1776, when this nation was born. May
we In this century as nation have the
new birth, when all American peoples
shall bow the knee and worship the
only King who will ever be worShiped
on these American shores-King Jesus,
oso carUioa shall farovar mako uS
free-free from sin and free to have
a part in his everlasting love!
[CopyriE't. 1907 by Louis Klopsch.l