The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-30
GODS HAND IN
AmERICANLlFE
SPEAKER HOLDS

Methodist Minister Tfaces History
Of Country IN Memorial day
Address.
THE Journey Of America down
the pathway OF history has been
directed by Gods hand, and 1t Is
for anyone to study the
progress that this nation has made
without realizing that His guiding
power has steered 10 safely past
every danger"
This was the keynote Of Rev. ].
T. Dodds' address at the Memorial
day exercises held this morning in
Riverside cemetery. He made a
special appeal to American citizens
to continue the trust in God that
has marked the spiritual life Of
this people.
The speaker showed how Amer
lea had been allowed to lie unde-
veloped until the right moment for
its sentry as . recognized part of
the globe had arrived, by tracing
the narrative Of the world down to
the present time.
while the races Of the eastern
hemisphere were evolving through
a Berries Of social systems" the
speaker continued, "the continent
on which We live was allowed to
remain unknown as far as the
powerful human forces of the world
was concerned through all those
centuries. It's resources were
practically untouched by the few
sparsely settled people who in
habited the country.
The world reached a point II
the struggle for freedom, toward
the end of the fifteenth century
where It seemed best that America
should enter to play her role in tht
dramatic fight. To Columbus, {
fearless mariner of those days, tn,
honor Of introducing a new cont
nent was given. AS you will re
member, Columbus was out to fint
shorter route to India. However
! it was by no accident that his ship
were driven by the winds to Sal
Salvador, which gave the Oh
World its first tangible proof tina
a New World was ready for de
velopment.
Spain was a nation unintereste'
in the cause of freedom. Yet thi
Spanish expedition resulted in
nation that defeated Spain in
conflict to secure freedom for tw
island dominions held by tina
country 400 years later"
| The providential guidance durin
the next era of American histor
was emphasized by Mr.. Dodd
when he told Of the struggle 70
ascendency by groups that ha
found a foothold there.
i Let US consider these group
separately" he said. "If Spain ha
gained contfol over the territory i
which We now live the mcnarchis
system of Spain would have crush
. ed North America as it crushed tn
Incas and the Aztecs farther soutl
If the Dutch who settles in Ne
York had extended their sway owe
the continent, America would hav
been commercially exploited q
were the East Indian Islands.
IF the English colony at Jane.
town had become the most impor
ant force in the New World,
feudal type of civilization woul
: have become rooted in America.
New elements were injected ini
the situation by the Pilgrims WI
arrived the last of these group
whose spirit finally prevailed.
But only after a tremendor
} struggle was this freedom game
A people who would not suff,
!, under religious tyranny could nj
endure without political freedo
1 also. In the early stages of tn
r country justice could only be ol
tanned by a separation from 4
foreign control. And SO this seve
! ance was iougnt 1or ana won.
when the freedom OF the Uni
ed States as the new na1oh WI
called was accomplished, a ne
:. question arose. A class within 10
9 sight Of the goal for which the n
ton was striving. Members of tn
/. class declared that freedom in b
. country meant freedom for viii
people only.
e But those of another class, wi
, realized that the price that had q
ready been paid to make the cou
try one in which liberty reign
e supreme, were ready, at the call
their loader, the immortal Abraha
Lincoln, to make any sacrifice tn
liberty might retain its place - u
keynote Of American life. And az
Irosu1t If fhia sacrifice ~ thaaA M