davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

made her eyrie, and that now is slipping. erumbling, trembling for the final crash. But she Is observant, undismayed. For beyond the crag and the tide is a whole universe that is answering with promise the sincerity of Tolstoy's soul.
 I must not be understood as confessing myself convert to any of the views or doctrines that have been so long reck- oned distinctively Tostoyan. That is question of little moment Certainly I am far from advocating or urging upon any mind tho more or less crude con sympathy, and I think the sympathy of the whole world, is drawn to him as to Prometheus, Samson, bound and cer- tain to be freed by his deep. practical, simple grasp upon God. He is a grand picture of the soul of the age protesting against shams, against tyranny, against the brute passions that are native and subtle alike in the individual and in so- ciety. So considered, even his theoreti- cal heresies become kind of prophecy, and it Is more fruitful for us to read the great confession they imply than to reprobate their insufficiency. For be- tween the lines of the dullest and dreari- est page he ever wrote it Is possible to read the word which in all love we believe will be fulfilled beyond the little station of Astapova. beyond the hut or the pal ace of Yasnaya Polyana, Resurgam: .I shall arise" To him also God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" If one should seek text for his funeral sermon it might well be, Speaking the truth in love-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
FAITH IN THE INVISIBLE-By J. C. H;den, D. D.

Thomas doubts the proposition that the Lord has risen and has appeared to the other disciples.
 Thomas was rationalistic in his turn of mind; and yet. like some conspic- uous modern rationalists, he was de- voultly loyal to truth aa
 But let us note belief on -demon- strative evidence. Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed" There is no promise of blessing attached to this acceptance of proposition upon dem onstrative proof. The rich man In tor ment 'Luke xvi:30) asks for extra ordinary evidence for the brothers he had left on earth; but Christ gives us to understand, by the reply which He puts into the mouth of Abraham, that such overwhelming evidence would do them no good.
 The gospel was intended to be-what 1t is-a test of character Old simon, with the child Jesus in his arms said this very clearly in Luke ii:35: This child is set (established) for the fall and rising again of many in Isreal, That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" Now the ac ceptance of a demonstrated fact, or truth. is not test of character. It Is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
half done with this world we live in

half done with this world we live in.
 In 1888 the republican party bought the presidency for Ben Harrison, a great and good man. I admit and tes- tify to. Blocks of five" did 1t in Indiana and the senior member of Wanamaker. God & Co.,, did 1t in New York, where s5o0.0oos of that saints money was put into the hands of rep rebate Matt Quay to buy enough votes in Brooklyn to beat Grover Cleveland for president. That Is history.
 The Fifty first Congress met. Tom Reed was chosen speaker. With the exception of John Quincy Adams, MT. Reed had made the greatest argument ever heard in any congress against John Randolph Fuckers proposal for the adoption of rule clothing the speaker with authority to count a quorum from those standing, or sitting mute, when in session.
 But by this time, when entrusted with power, Reed was a revolution ist, and despite one of the greatest constitutional arguments ever made in that body by John c. Carlisle, and one of the most finished and most cutting satires ever heard in that body by William L. Wilson, a quorum was counted, much to the discomfort and disgust of my old friend. James M.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

(Whatever interest may attach to this
 part of my essay will hardly be dimin-
 ished by the fact that 1t was written at about the hours of Tolstoy's death.
 G. E)
 M much written about as this same A Russian. He has made an effec- tive appeal to the imagination of the world Behold how he loved men! By his intensely practical religion he has wonderfully expressed the genius of the modern age. Mediaevalism and the old , monastic, ecclesiastical, and other-world- Fly conceptions of the religious life have been surpassed by the new passion for practical things. Every church feels it. We must cast out devils and raise the dead, or else we are going to be strand ed, whatever our boasts of orthodoxy Even the church must deliver the goods.' "Pro bono publico" Is a motto for ministers and priests as well as may ors and police. Above all things, our doing must illustrate our saying.
 Now it would be exceedingly easy to criticise Tolstoys so rigorous necessi- tartan philosophy. It has been done over and over again. It would be equally easy :, to expose his utter lack of equipment as a Biblical expositor and as theologian. The teacher of scientific political econ omy can find as much to crticise in Tol- stoy as he ever found ito criticise in Rus kin. Ethical theoristsSwill search in vain for an adequate ethical theory in Tol- stoy. But when all is said and done, when the art-critic and the ecclesiastic,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

an intellectual necessity; and has no moral effects whatever. The most su- perlative scoundrel that eyer was un- hung believed, and could not but be- lieve, that the three angles of tri- angle are together equal to two right angles, supposing that he has fol- lowed the steps of the demonstration. But there is no moral principle in- volved in this. The opposite of such a proposition Is unthinkable. The &C., ceptance of demonstrated proposition is not fath. It not a moral act Tn here is no virtue in any act to which we are compelled. All moral acts involye the voluntary element. A man who tries to commit murder and fails because his pistol snaps is essentially a mur- derer
 But when O man struggles through speculative doubts. rationalistic objec- tions, intellectual difficulties, and in spite of them all lays hold with his heart upon Christ and His truth, then we see a put ting forth of the moral powers of the soul-a spiritual development real heart education.
 The blessing of faith without sight Is promised by Christ, and we should be- lieve in 1t. even if we could not explain
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

pops, and only S8 republicans. By a series of unfortuitous circumstances and a vast number of mistakes, Roger Q. Mills failed as a candidate for speaker of that body Old Uncle Holman was selected as chairman of appropriations, and he pleaded for economy in season and out of season, except when the swag was going to some democratic commun- ity in Indiana.
 The next Congress was likewise pro- nouncedly democratic, and MT. Crisp was speaker of that also; but he deposed Springer as chairman of ways and means and substituted William l.. Wilson, and took appropriations from Uncle Holman and gave it to Joseph D. Savers of Tex as. MT Savers was a very able man. and his voice, too, was for economy. As watch dog he was as great as Wash burn or Randall, and he guarded the treasury far better than did Garfield or Hiscock. He left Congress to be gover- nor, and few of those who seek the senatorship by that route attain it. It was the fatal mistake of Benton Me- Milan, who, however, was sorely cha grinned when Joe Bailey beat him for the headship of the minority in the Fifty fourth Congress, something that would have been absolutely impossible but for McMillan's fatal and absurd candidacy for the speakership of the Fifty-second House.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

tion every hour of the voyage to the east. He wanted to settle matters be- tween the United States and Barbary by the arbitrament of arms, rather than by diplomacy, and was impatient for Bar barry blood. The Sophia" arrived at Al giers in February, 1799, and while en route to Tunis, General Eaton stopped long enough at Algiers to visit the Dey. I quote his journal. "Consuls O Brian, Cathcart and I and Captains Geddes. smith, Penrose, and Malay, proceeded from the American house to the court yard of the palace, uncovered our heads, entered the area of the hall and ascend ed winding maze of five flights of stairs to narrow, dark entry leading to con- traoted apartment of about 12 by 8 feet the private audience room. Here we took off our shoes and, entering the cave, for such it seemed to be, with it's small aper- lures for light and its iron grates, we were shown to huge, shaggy beast sit
 ting upon a low bench, which was cov- cred with cushion of embroidered vel
 vet. On our approach he reached out his paw, as if to receive something to eat. Our guide exclaimed Kiss his hand,' which was done After which we were permitted to take our shoes and depart" General Eaton then observes Gan any man believe that this brute has seven kings of Europe. two republics, and a whole continent tributary to him, when his whole naval force is not equal to two line-of-battle ships? And yet, 1t is so?'
 Eaton proceeded to his post at Tunis. The governor of Tunis had already re- ceived a bribe of s5O,0O0 in good Ameri- can money, but he now demanded in ad- dition a ship, inasmuch as one had been given to the Dey of Algiers. He was quieted, however, by the promise of a large supply of naval stores.
 On June 1S,1S01, great fire ragged in the palace of the governor of Tunis and de- stroyed 50,000 stand of arms. The next day the governor announced his loss to General Eaton, and added: 'I have ap- portioned my loss among my friends. Your government must supply me with 10000 stand of arms, and tell your gov ernment to send them without delay" or there will be trouble. Eaton refused to transmit any such demand to his gov ernment. He was, therefore, treated with every indlgnity. and was finally dis missed From the territory of Tunisia
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

seen" Hear the earthly poet singing his sad song of human life. He says: See how beneath the moonbeams
 smile,
 Ton little pillow heaves its breast; And foams and foams and sparkes there
 awhile,
 And murmuring subsidies to rest 'So man, the sport of bliss and care.
 Rises on Times eventful sea- And having swelled moment there,
 Then melts Into Eternity"
 Yes, this is all that the poor earth bound poet can tell--''melts into Eter- nity" But faith takes any poor, worth less life, a dream, a breath, bubble, and by the mighty power of God, trans- forms 1t and projects it, full-orbed and glorious. upon the grand canvas of eter- nity. Michael Angelo's name as painter as sculptor, as architect, Is handed down to immortality. Faith paints human soul with the hues of heaven: carves into 1t the image of Christ--the hope of glory and builds for 1t house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
 Is not such faith as this worth hay ing7 Is 1t not worth seeking?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

ness, being too busy drinking whisky. | One day the latter fell off a train and
 was killed and the young man bought the business. | He prospered. After while he moved to a little city where in a few years he owned a
 good sized department store. Enter the promoter. who is selling stock in a gold mine. Now, the young man was a good mer- chant, but a poor miner. Neverthe- less He looked at photographs of the plant. examined the specimens of ore the promoter took out of his travelling bag-and bought. When the first reports began to come in they were very encouraging. When we get through the porphyry,"
 ran the telegram, I've shall have tons Of ore," and Please send 2000."
 Somehow 1t took a lot of money to
 keep the air compressor drills going,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

the wrath of the Bashaw should they be defeated in any attempt to destroy the American ships. They were be- tween the devil and the deep sea, and there they remained for a long time, for no other vessel came out 10 sea that year.
 Tunis and Algiers were kept quiet by the cruising of our ships near their coasts, and now and then in sight of their ports. They were, however slyly await ing their opportunity.
 In 1892 the frigate "Constellation' was beset by nine Taripolltan ships. Some of these she drove back to shore, where they were helpless, while some others escaped entirely and sailed back to Tripoli. In this year for the first time our merchant ships sailed the Mediterranean without Interference. our ships of war affordins all necessary protection.
 The year 1903 was marked by numerous sharp and dreadful engagements with terrible losses to the pirates; but this same year chronicles a severe and bit- ter loss to our heroic squadron. On De- toner 31 of this year, while the frigate Philadelphia was cruising of Tripo1i she sighted Tripolitan ship trying to reach her harbor The Philadelphia opened fire upon the ship and gave chase. Unfor- tunately, however, the gallant American ship ran upon reef and to her pathetic ruin. Every effort was made to clear her. even to the throwing overheard of her heavy guns, but without success. The Tripolitans soon saw the poor ships help less condition, and signalling for assist ance, their gunboats quickly surrounded the Philadelphia. She was entirely at their mercy and they pounded and bat tered her with fiendsh glee. Finally our proud flag was hauled down and our men surrendered.
 The captured sailors were taken to Tripoli, where they were treated like felons and cast into the most loathsome dungeons to await death or the highest bidder in the slave market.
 Within 10 days the Tripolitans had dis lodged the Philadelphia, and had brought her to their harbor under the walls of the Bashaws castle, where they anchored her. This capture filled the Tripolitans with a savage delight, but their exulta- ton was to be of short duration, as the dramatic and most thrilling event dis closes, and which I shall recite in my next paper.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

<<Ts 1t wrong for a Christian to
 doubt?" I was asked by a young
 friend. "That depends on what you doubt" I replied. "Well. you know Thom- as doubted; was he a skeptic?" "Yes, I would say he was skeptic; but then mo- tice what 1t was that he doubted"
 He seems not to have lacked confidence in the personal character of Christ. His heart is thoroughly loyal to the Master. In John xxi: 16, we find him, and him alone, proposing to his fellow disciples to go with the Master to Judea and 'die with him." In John xiv: 5, we find Thom- as doubting but doubting what? Jesus had said, 'whither go, ye know; and tho way ye know" Thomas answers, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?" Here we have speculative doubt. A man may seriously doubt certain statements about Christ, and yet have at heart the utmost loyalty to Christ's person, and to the truth. So when the other disciples said to Thomas. we have seen the (risen) Lord," the skepticism of Thomas again comes out; but here, too, 1t is 8 cer- tain statement about Christ. and not Christ himself, that Is called in question.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

TSHALL consider the relationship of
 the republic of the United States to | the Barbary states from the time Of the founding of this government to the opening of the nineteenth century.
 This republic did not take the independ- ent stand, to which I referred in my first paper, at once. It was not able to do so. We had just come from battle fields on which smouldered even yet the embers of our campfires. Our wornout army was still limping, and we were practically without navy. As yet the bell in the tower of Time had not struck the doom of the pirate states. There fore, as we were unable to do otherwise, 1t was our humiliation to join the Euro pean bribing nations, and pay the Bar bary pirates to be good enough to per f, init our ships to sail the high seas un- molested.
 In 17s5 the pirates seized two Ameri- can ships and 21 of our citizens were cast into slavery. In order to ransom these enslaved men our government paid down at one time s60,0oo and meekly promised an annual payment or tribute, if the kind gentlemen of Barbary would be so good as to let our flag fly from cur ships on distant waters. Upon their part. these same kind gentlemen prom  ised to be good as pie.
 In 1795 such treaty was made with Algiers; in 1796 one was made with Trip oi, and in 1799 a similar one was closed with Tunis. In all these treaties inn mense sums of money were demanded of our government, and as these facetious gentlemen declared 1t was impossible for them to be good without money in their pockets, our amiable government furn- ' Iished them every reason to behave. It is the most shameful chapter in our nation al history.
 The exposed condition of our ships on the Mediterranean was one of the sub jects to which General Washington called the attention of Congress in his message ofs 1790. Thomas Jefferson was then Sec retary of State, and, on motion, the whole subject was referred to him. MT Jefferson reported the seizure of, two ships; he also related, that, about the same time an official representative from Tripoli visited the United States min- ister in London and demanded from our
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

government $l50,000 as the price of our safety on the Mediterranean.
 l Mir Jefferson further reported that 1t was thought that we could quiet Algiers by a gift of s1,0OO,Ooo, and added that "a similar treaty had cost Spain $3,O00, 900, and that France had bought immunity for the period of 50 years by a cash pay ment and the promise of an annual pay ment of $10o,oo0 for 50 years" The sec- retary proceeded to say that, 'the Dutch, the Danes, the Swedes and Venetians paid down golden bribes annually and that Great Britain meekly paid $25o,ooo yearly
 Now, these facts were not published broadcast to the world by the nations that were thus blackmailed, for, as MT. Jefferson said, Prom a principle of self condemnation the governments kept them fl rom the public eye as much as possi- ble." So. we joined the ranks of the national bribers and paid down our money.
 In 17sS one of our bribes was sent to Algiers. It consisted of a shpload of naval stores. a handsome new frigate. which we hypocritically called 'The Crescent" and-what else does the reader suppose? Why, no less than 26 barrels of dollars. The sum of $525,000 was to be laid humbly at the feet of the Dey of Algiers, with the hope that his high mightiness would be induced thereby to liberate certain American citizens then in slavery. O, the humiliation of the men who trod the deck of the ship that bore this unrighteous tribute. Some of them had sailed with Paul Jones and had faced death a thousand times; they were proud, heroic souls who never pended knee to any foe, but fought with every heart-throb demanding liberty in the name of God and of their country. But now they sail the sea to bribe an enemy, and to beg him kindly not to harm us. and to set our citizens free whom he holds in slavery. Isn't 1t diff ficult to think that this republic could ever have so cringed7
 | "The Crescent" was conveyed by the good American ship Sophia" in which sailed our newly appointed consul to Tunis, Gen. William Eaton. He was a man of dauntless daring and had borne himself with distinguished heroism in the revolution under General Wayne. l Eaton was burning with fiery indgna-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

"If the Lord doesn't feel to make Peter work I don't feel to do it.'
 Which argued rare philosophy in the mother, who, with a mothers insight, saw something unusual in her awkward son.
 Peter disappeared from the neighbor- hood and the next that was heard from him he had graduated at college with honors and was studying law.
 Somewhere within the uncouth Amlsh lad was a divine yeast that caused him to rise in the world.
 It is good to add that when the judge became prosperous he took very good care of his people.
 There is this to be said
 If you aspire to a prophets reputation be not swift to predict the future of freckle faced country youth.
 There may be Lincoln inside of himl And further
 With the career of Judge Grosscup before him, the poor boy who aspires to distinction may well take hope.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
AM neither preacher nor priest, but never miss an opportunity to boost

AM neither preacher nor priest. but I
 never miss an opportunity to boost ! religion.
 As I meet men I find those who reject the claims of the religious life for various reasons.
 Some say:
 When one takes the vows of a reli- gious life 1t is mark of intellectual weakness.
 Others say:
 There Is too much superstition in re- ligion as taught by the churches.
 And so on. 1x7~Fs do not argue with thosA who give \ these reasons, because I know they are fnot the real reasons they have in mind. Indeed, I sympathize with the mental point of view of many of these objectors. Why?
 Because I believe that one of the real reasons why men reject religion is that . good deal that goes under that guise does not ring true.
 of religion which makes a man less a man, which narrows his intellect or shrivels his heart, is not religion worth having.
 But
 Real religion. genuine religion, is an es- sentfal thing to one who wants to live full and rounded life.
 Without it he will lack that mastery of y the spirit which gives one the full con- quest of the art of successful living.
 Because religion (from 'religio." to bind again) is simply the rebinding of ones soul to God, where one's soul be- longs.
 So that, as I view 1t. he who rejects the religious life must accept much men tai unrest and many moral doubtings. do not see how he can find any good req son or motive for living.
 The religious point of view Is the only one that satisfies the deepest questionings and the highest longings.
 It sets things right, gives correct value to life and puts one in tune with ali things here and hereafter.
 Religion rightly considered b not question of creeds or formulas or denomi- nations or of the failures of others.
 Religion is a life.
 And 1t is life at It's highest and best. To begin at the beginning ' He was a brisk young clerk in a coun- try store. and he attended strictly to buginess.
 The proprietor did not attend to busi-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

And further still
 It is your business and mine to see that the door of opportunity remains wide open to the poor and ambitious youth.
 Some men were repairing water pipe.
 They had made good sized hole in the pavement, throwing up a barrier of dirt to keep the street traffic away.
 AS passed in the morning I noticed several men, some of whom had climbed to the top of the dirt pile, watching the operations of the gang and looking in- tently at the hole in the ground.
 Later passed again.
 Some of these same men whom I rec ognized were of the little crowd. The air had grown chill. They had turned up their coat collars and put their hands in their pockets. And there they stayed
 Watching hole in the ground.
 Which is characteristic, is 1t not, of the ways of some people?
 There are men who will neglect their business and their families to tell you
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27

ment that you cannot tell how far a frog can jump by looking at him.
 Neither can you forecasts the future of boy by his appearance.
 A biographer of Judge Peter Grosscup, the distinguished federal judge of Chi cago, tells some interesting things con- corning the boy life of the judge.
 His parents were primitive Germans and members of the religious sect known as Amish. They were poor, too poor to send their five children to school. Beth the mother and the girls worked in the fields, and Peter alone got some schooling.
 Peter was a tall, awkward youth, with a mop of black hair. untrimmed, after the Amish fashion; protuberant nose and thick lips.
 Even today Judge Grosscup is not a handsome man, though distinguished look ing.
 Moreover, Peter would not work He was a dreamer of dreams that nobody understood. But his mother said: