The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-03-02
AMERIcANIsM-wHAT 1T IS

AHCAdSdhtSm Is term mucn
used these days, and withal not lit
tie abused. 1t is employed as mean
ing many things not American at all,
but which their promoters would i'm
pose upon the public as being in har-
nlony with American spirit and prin-
ciples.
For an example of a glaring mis-
use of the word ''Americanism, we
need only refer to the Christian
Statesman for July, 1921. In that
paper an attempt was made to show
that certain measures of religious
legislation demanded by the National
Reformers are consonant with Amer
dean principles, and therefore en-
titled TO be described by the term
'Americanism" But let US exam
inc the subject little with view TO
ascertaining what the word really
means.
In a political sense, Americanism
signifies the recognition and protec-
ton of natural, GOd-given rights,
both civil and religious. 1t means
the Declaration of independence as
against the doctrine of the divine
right of kings. 1t means civil admin
istration by right and not by might.
1t stands for government of the
people, by the people, and for the
people" in all secular affairs, and the
policy of ''hands off, in all real or
supposed duty owed by men to God.
This is Americanism.
But strange as it may seem, that
which is now properly called Amer
icanism was first enunciated, not in
the New World, but nj the Old; not
upon the Western Continent, but the
Eastern; not in America, but in Asia /;
not IN a free commonwealth, but in a
Roman province; not in the United
States, but in Palestine. 1t was not
born of human wisdom, but of divine
prescience; and was voiced, not by
man, but by God, even by the Lord
Jesus Christ, our divine Teacher and
Saviour. Says George Bancroft
mo one thought of indicating
liberty of religion for the conscience
of the individual, till voice in
Judea, breaking day for the greatest
epoch in the life of humanity by es-
tabliShing for all mankind a pure,
spiritual, and universal religion, en-
Joined to render to Caesar only that
which is Caesars. &c History of the
Tilted States" Vol. VI, book 5, chap.
1.
In the same volume, DIR. Bancroft
writes:
''Vindicating the right of individ-
uality even in religion, and in rei-
gion above all, the new nation dared
to set the example of accepting in its
relations to God the principle first
dlvinely ordained in Judea 1t left
the management of temporal things
to the temporal power; but the
American Constitution, in harmony
with the people of the several States,
withheld from the Federal Govern
ment the power TO invade the home
of reason, the citadel of conscience,
the sanctuary of the soul; and not
from Indifference, but that the infin-
lite spirit of eternal truth might move
in its freedom and purity and
power"
And it is this doctrine of civil and
religious liberty especially freedom
in the sphere of religion, that is to-
day properly known as American
ISM" and that for the sufficient rea-
son that though originally voiced in
Judea, it was first accepted and
adopted in a practical way as a
sound political principle by the
founders of the American govern
ment, who wrote it into the Declar-
ahiOn of Independence, and then
after independence had been ac-
lnowledged by Britain, embodied it
in the national Constitution, in the
immortal words: Congress shall
make no law respecting an establish
ment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof"
The prohibition of IAN, establish
ment of religion" might have been
construed to mean that there should
be no state or national church, as was
the case in every European country
But the words, cor prohibiting the
free exercise thereof" give the First
Amendment a very broad and un-
mistakable meaning. The domain
Of religion, ''the home of reason, the
citadel of conscience, the sanctuary
OF the SOUL" is not to be invaded II
any way by the civil power. This
was Americanism in the infancy Oh
the American Republic, ~-snd it i:
Americanism today.
DR.. Bancroft we'll says that thi.
Constitutional provision was adopt