Evening star., 1926-05-30

In his scholarly and remarkable
book. THE Story OF the Walloons,' the
American historian. Dir. William Elliot
Griffls, reminds us that before the
Spanish invasion OF 1867. even as early
as $50. Walloons had come into Sweden
by invitation OF Gustav Nasa to help i'll
shipbuilding and other industries. One
became the private tutor OF the young
Prince Eric XIV. In fact. it was
through these Belgic Walloons that the
princes and rulers OF Sweden became
SO deeply interested in the Reformed
Religion Charles TX, the father Of
the great Gustav Adolph. was espe
cially' earnest in his inquiries and studies
OF the Calvanistic side OF the Reforma
ton
Let us pass through the intervening
period and come to the reign of the
namesake OF Our present guest, Gustav
Adolph 16ll-l652), the Codanointed
leader OF holy cause. which was the
preservation OF Professionalism in J.u
rope. the bulwark of Morse Anglo
Saxon liberty. This great pioneer and
pilgrim of spirit and truth was
fighter and martyr Tor the same ideals
which today constitute Amerlcanls,n.
pure and undetiIed. His great Morse
racial brother. Leii Ericsson. had dis
covered America in the year 1000. and
throughout history the spiritual assp-
citation oi the Morse peoples and the
new land OF promise has been strik-
ingly marked 1t was during the time
OF the great Gustav Adolph. l0l 1852.
that the inspired Puritan Pilgrims came
to Plymouth Rock in 1920. with the
open Bible i'll their hands, to found the
new nation spiritual. as a little band OF
Protestants. brother, in spirit to Gustav
Adolph and his tighter, for the same
cause It was d. this time also that the
Virginia colonists established the first
Legislative Assembly at Jamestown.
new departure in government 'ot the
people, by the people, for the people
1t is significant that the tercentenary
of the events of this momentous period
and its hero. Gustav Adolph, occurs as
the Crown Prince and Princess OF
Sweden arrive on our shores. And how
is America debtor to Gustav Adolph:
How does it concern us that Gustav and
his Swedes, to the strains of Luther
hymn, ~ Mighty Fortress Is Our
God" attacked ami crushed the ilnpe-
rialistic Pappenhei1n on a foggy morn
ing in November 1852. at I.utzen, an
obscure town in Saxony: Did it not
affect America when Gustav .Adolph
laid down his temporal lie i'll defense
of the same civil liberty and Protestant
faith fer which the Pilgrims were
struggling? Greater love hath no man
than this. that man lay down his life
for his friends John, Ny.l3.)
These historical events OF 800 years
ago have a direct spiritual association
with the fundamentals OF Americanism.
and their relationship is as simple. when
understood. as our Declaration OF In
dependence and embody principle as
vital as our Monroe Doctrine. When
we recall the events ot that turmoil,
between the wears 1OlS-l64S. known
as the Thirty Years War then we
recognize the battle OF Lutzen as its
critical moment and Gustav Adolph as
its commanding genius.
In Gustav Adolph and his heroic
Swedes we are reminded of Cromwell
and his "Ironsides, Washington and
the Minute Men" Other Protestant
princes in Europe had lost heart, but
Gustav and his men prepared for every
military engagement with worship of
God. To Luther's great hymn they
added Gustav Adolph's own song of de-
votion, "Fear Not, Little Flock" as the
warrior King mounted his horse to lead
his men forward for the cause. Let us
recall that before the events OF Lutzen
the Protestant movement had been
crushed bv Cardinal Richelieu, i'll
France. through the siege and capitula-
ton of Rochelle, the last stronghold Of
the Huguenots. The Emperor and
Wallenstein were sweeping Pomerania
and throttling the liberties of Stralsund,
when, like new David, Gustav Adolph
arose to challenge this Goliath of op-
preston.
1t is plain to the student who reads
history understandingly that here was
a spiritually prepared people. Seem
ingly the forces of the enemy. led by
Wallenstein, were far too powerful for
the Swedes to attack with any hope Of
success, but Gustav Adolpl1 refused to
be intimidated by show of material
force. He declared to his ministers and
to the nation that if Sweden did not
rescue the Reformation in Germany
they would have to defend it on the soil
of Sweden.
Let Americans thank God that the
ancestor of our distinguished guest to-
day, Gustav Adolph, was faithful to his
call. Had it not been for his heroic
yalor the English Protestant revolution
under Cromwell against the Stuarts
might have failed, and the budding
American States might not have found