St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-05-31

peTpetuate the great nation name.
What touching scenes we behold
on this day in our peaceful cemeter-
iesi We celebrate no war of con-
quest, We rejoice over no spohatIon
of defenceless men, women and child
rem, We place no. laurel upon the
brow in flesh or in craven stone Of
an Unsuitable conqueror. Rather
comes to our minds the gentle Grant
placing in the hands eff his defeated
opponents the sword which the
knightly Lee had surrendered that
no more lives should be needlessly
sacrificed. But dear as is the recol-|
lection of our great generals, today'sl
tributes are not for them alone, they
are also for the Christian soldiers Of
this mighty Christian republic. It is
fitting and proper that on this day
dedicated to offer prayers for our
departed heroes, of loving memory,
that we should take account of the
present and future no less than of
the past. To what end were the mo-
mentous sacrifices Of the past wars,
if We of today, fail to bear the ark of
the covenant of human liberty to
those of tomorrow
Let US consider thoughtfully how
a citizen can be brave and useful
man; to be a useful citizen and at
the same time brave. There is one
fundamental condition more import
ant yet than ability to work and
ability TO fight, it is to remember
that the greatest boon of a nation
consists in having people faithful
to give to God the honor due Him.
What we urgently need today is a
God-fearing people; people OF
practical religious convictions. There
is a praiseWorthy movement sweep
ing over the land, the voter and the
lawmaker are doing their utmost to
promote education. But there is one
very essential question that leaves
the majority Indifferent and that is
the decrease of church-gOing people;
country that has only civil laws
to restrain people from trespassing
upon the rights of others canot long
be prosperous; and education alone
cannot check crime and vice, nor give
satisfaction to the restless labOrer,
nor to the ambitious capitalist. We
have done so much in the century of
our existence that we are apt to
imagine that we can uphold the vast
structure of this republic unaided by
the power of the Most High God. We
should bear in mind the solemn
words of Benjamin Franklin of PhiIa-
delphia, uttered on the occasion of
the formation of the Constitution of
the United States, when there was
much difference and discussion
among it's trainers.
Il have lived he said, flor many
years, and the longer I live the more
convincing proofs l see that God gov
erns in the affairs of men, and if a.
sparrow cannot fall to the ground
without His notice, is it probable that
an empire can rise without His aid
We are told in the Sacred Writings
that except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain who build
it. This 1 firmly believe, and I be-
ieve without His concurring aid we
shall succeed no better in this poll
teal building of ours than did the
builders of Babel
This is the sentiment which the
experience of mankind has confirmed.
But many amongst US are forgetting
that religion is an element in our
nature, the deepest and most pow
erful, and no state can continue to
exist without its supporting infu-
ence. t'Whc destroys religion says
Plato, "overturns the basis of human
society. Take it away apd what
would be the security to property.
to reputation, to life. to morality?
Let the Father of his Country,
George Washington, answer this
question. In his inaugural address
to both houses of Congress he says:
Let it simply be asked, where is the
security for property, for reputation,
for life, if the sense of religious
obligation desert the. oaths, which
are the instruments of investigation
in courts of justice? And let US with
caution indulge the suppos1tion that
morality can be maintained without
religion. Whatever may be conceded
to the influence of refined education
on minds of peculiar structure, rea-
son and experience both forbid us to
expect that national morality can
prevail in exclusion of religious prin-
ciple.''
The reasoning of this passage is
simply this: That our continued ex-
istence depends upon our national
morality, and our national morality
depends upon religion Therefore
he who seeks to undermine religion
is the greatest enemy of his country.
There should be another element
brought in, that of Christian love for
our neighbor, which is found only in
a belief in a just God, who will re-
ward the good and punish the
wicked. Religion is an Unborn senti-
ment which characterizes man and dis
tinguishes him from the brute beast.
Religion is the relation which exists
between God and man; as God has
ordered all things rightly in the firm
ament above, SO that the stars, the
planets and the sun move regularly
according to fixed laws; and since
here upon earth every created in
animate thing has it's own peculiar
aim and purpose, it cannot be sup
posed for a moment that man who is
the masterpiece and browning glory
Of creation should be devoid of al
aim and purpose. But what is this
end of man-what is his only true
destiny? IF we would enjoy true
peace of soul We must have clear
and definite answer to this question
Man bears within his very being an
irrepressible desire for happiness,
to secure which should be the sole