Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-13
Bv Bishop w. a. Gambler

The road TO renown il the path OF du-
ty.
The civic celebrations of republis are
characteristic Of free states. In mon
arches the national anniversaries are
serviIe festivities marking the birth
days of kings. glorifying the victories
of sovereigns. or celebrating the praises
OF dynasties. But the children of free
dom make jubilee over the birthdays of
states. concentrating with reverent
JOY the founding Of institutions and re-
count with patriotic fervor the achieve
ments of commonwealths.
We celebrate the founding of Georgia
the latest born OF those thirteen colon
les which eventually organized them
selves together as the charter members
Of the American union, now grown TO
be the greatest republic the world ever
saw.
The migrations from the old world TO
the new, and the founding of the COM
monweaIths TO which these migrations
gave rise. are epochal events in the his
tory of mankind. The call of Abraham.
the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian
bondage. the founding of the Assyrian
monarchies. the conquests of Alexander,
the extension OF the Roman empire, nor
the crusades OF the middle ages out
rank in influence upon the destiny of the
race the creation of these American
states. Prof. Gordon Smith did not eX-
aggerate their significance when lectur-
ing as "Regius Professor of Modern
History" in oxford university, On the
Foundation of the American Colonies,
he said:
The great migrations of mankind are
the great epochs Of history. In the
east the succession of empires has been
formed by the successive descents OF
warlike tribes on the plains of Mesopo-
tamia. on the countries bordering on the
Persian gulf. on Hindoostan and China,
In the west, the evidence which tends to
prove that the Greek and Roman aristoc-
racies were conquerinE races tends also
to prove that Greece and Rome were
the offsprings of migrations The mi
grafton of the German tribes into the
Roman empire divides ancient from
modern. heather from Christian history.
So far the propelling cause was the
want of fresh pastures. or at the high.
est. the restlessnsss of conscious
strength, the sight of ill-defended
wealth. the allurements of SUMMER
lands.
The American colonies are the on
spring Of humanity at a more advanced
stage and in a nobler mood. They arose
from discomfort not with exhausted pas
lures, but with institutions that. were
waxing old. and a faith that was ceas-
ing TO be divine. They are monuments
Of that vast and various movements of
humanity, the significance Of which is
but half expressed by the name of re-
formation"
This acute thinker points correctly to
the real explanation of the greatness of
these movements and lays his finger
upon the secret source of their far
searching influence. The American coll
onists were founded by a religious mo-
tive and for religious ends.
On one occasion Christopher Column bus
is reported 10 have said God made me
messenger Of the new, heavens and
the new earth" His words do
discovery Of the Western World
was made under religious impulses. but
his devout purposes would have been
defeated in the end IL the settlement of
North America had not been accompanied
from motives even more devout than
those which set him sailing DER the
seas. God sent him to find the good soil
and then sent the American colonists
with good seed to make a new planting
at the end Of the world. A divine pur-