The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-05-10
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The Curse of CoWardice.

heart of every Christian in our country,
what a people, what land we would
have! Our power for good would be
Unreasonable. A nations true Deepen
dence is on Jehovah above, and SO long
as we depend On Him prosperity and
:. success will be on our tanners. But in
I yidious enemies are laundering at our
Western door. Our Eastern gates are
threatened. Political intrigue and de-
magogery have stealthily crept in and
they are demoralizing national morals
and perverting justice. Intemperance
inyades our homes with high hand and
irreligion would break down our shrines,
How shall we act? Some say let them
alone; as moral suasion, but do not let
them feel the hand of the law. They
have their rights. But what rights?
Has the leech a right to suck your
blood from your veins? Has the mur-
derer right to enter your home and
take the life of your dear ones unmo-
Tested? Has arson a right to fire your
dwelling? Has the ambitious Monarch
thirsting for power or world monarchy
a right to deprive the citizenship of a
neighbvring or any country OF their God
given rights of civil and religious
liberty? To invade their homes, de-
stroy their homes; lay waste their
cities; impoverish their families to
CRAFTY goddess but selfish desire tor
power?
Yet we are told to let them alone,
they will destroy themselves or if they
press US too closely we will then fight
them. What is such a plea, but the
& trifing excuse of cowardice or false
security. 1t certainly is not the Ian
guage of fortitude or prudence. Those
f who talk thus are the valiant ones IN a
war of words. In an emergency they
would be forward IN run, eager in a
stampede, - keedaddlers" -but they
would be loathe TO resist.
Our country has been, she is now be-
ing scourged, yet she has forgotten the
past, though she is bleeding today from
> many wounds and if the proper remedy
is not speedily applied the wounds will
prove mortal. 1t is true that no mar
shaled army fully equipped invades the
country with flying banners, glistening
bayonets and deadly artillery, yet the
host arrayed against God, truth and
county is mighty, it is we'll command
ed. skilled intactics, treacherous and
malicious. AS those who love right,
home and virtue and who have the good
of our country at heart it is our Guty as
patriotic citizens to obey the call of
God and stand valiantly for the defense
d preservation of our country against
he inroads of all enemies. The man
who pretends to be good citizen; who
enjoys the privileges and blessings Of
this country, purchased by tho blood
and preserved by the sacrifice of multi
@tudes Of noble lives; who enjoys the
benefits Of religion and what it has
DlOuRltl " Hill. CT WtGll IlSI SdSICh
rights and privileges are endangered,
when her Sabbaths are desecrated and
her homes invaded by the most malig
nant of foes. When her citizens are
defrauded and justice insulted, when
her laws are defied and the enemies of
God and the race demand the surrender
nf oil than tho l,p dc to ha
law abiding citizen, who claims to
love his country yet refuses to lift his
hand or voice against these evils. That
man is moral coward who sins against
his country and his God and deserves
the curse of both.
He is guilty of wickedness and ex-
poses himself to the curse of God, here
and hereafter.
Cowardice is onesof the greatest sins
of the age. We are afraid to do right.
Must it not provoke our Divine Bene-
factor when He sees US so insensible of
the value of our blessings, so migrate
full for them and so ignorant of our un-
worthiness to receive them as is evil
dent from our Indifference to preserve
them in their purity or wrest them
from the hand of the enemy.
Many act as if our interests were so
trifiing that it were not worth while to
exert themselves to encounter difficult
ties and opposition to preserve them.
We are not called upon to shoulder the
musket and be ready to resist a war
clad fear and ere long our boys may be
ordered across the waters to meet the
foe of liberty and help to down mill
tarism and the assumptions of goddess
aristocracy. We are called to contend
against enemies that now threaten our
liberties and our rights; invaders that
would destroy our homes and deprive US
of what is dearer than life; foes, though
subtle and cunning, that would strike
the death blow at the foundations of
the governments; that defy all the
hallowed ordinances Of law; that would
ahaka tho iroy, rod IF turoppu ouar o1r