THANKSGIVING EDITION.
The News and Observer.
VOL. XLVII. NO. 65.
LEADS. ILL NORTH CAROUNA -DAILIES II lEIS AND CIRGII,AHON.
WHAT WE HAVE TO
HE THANKFUL FOR
A Symposium on the Blessings of the Past Year By Lead
ers of Thougnt and Action in the State-Liberty,
Prosperity and Material, Educational and
Spiritual Growth, and the Privil
ege of Living in North
Carolina.
Wlrat have we to he thankful for?
On next Thursday’ throughout the Re
public, the people will observe a day of
Thanksgiving. He is a very poor citi
zen who cannot find it in his heart much
'for wihieh to be thankful in this year of
grace 1899. Into the lives even of those
who have had met disappointment and
sorrow*, the sun has shone ami carried
blessings more than can he numbered.
Those who have found success and pros
>l ferity will rejoice and la* glad, and in
token of their thankfulness will n■•mem
ber those less fortunate and w ill not f ar
gil the orphans.
In response to a request, several prom
inent ministers and <duc-ators have con
tributed a sympnrium “What W * Have
to be Thankful For.*’ Early 'in the week
this letter was sent out:
Raleigh, N. C.. Nov. '22, 1899.
My Dear Kir:
The News and Observer will on next
Sunday issue a Thanksgiving number.
We desire to present in that issue a
symposium of short articles fromi prom
inent educators, ministers and others in
answer to this question: What have we
to be thankful for?
Please let us have your answer not
later than Friday.
Sineerly,
JOSEPHUS DANIELS.
The following answers will be read
with interest and profit:
PROGRESS.
That, However it May Seem, Man
Goes Steadily Upward.
To the Editor:
What have we to be thankful for?
Much every way and always. We
have much to la* thankful for as a
people and as individuals.
First, for our being— Uut we are. and
that we are men (geuerieaily) and not
stocks and stones or brute beasts.
W bat marvellous pieces of lueeuanisin
are our bodies, how wondrously adapted
are they to the ends of our physical
being, the preservation of life and tin*
keenest enjoyment of countless creature
eomforts that an All-wise and Merciful
Father lias provided in lavish profusion
the world over.
How fair and beautiful is the earth
to look upon in all its varied changes
and colorings and ceaseless wonders
that come and go with tie* day and
night and the constantly recurring sea
sons.
“Day unto day mterein speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge.”
W'iiaf a concord of sweet sounds—
how tender and tremulous, how grand
and all-inspiring—fill the air and delight
the ear and proclaim the praises of the
Great Creator.
What fragrance of flowers continually
ascends from all the earth as the very
incense of prayer and praise to the Om
nipotent Author of sm h tender and beau
tiful provisim for man’s enjoyment
and earthly happiness.
Hence/nnd in such things without
number are comforts and blessings ami
sources of the purest joy bountifully pro
vided and wondrously adapted to ik del
icately combined physical senses of •» n,
as men and which are naught to stocks
and stones.
Have we not then on this account
abundant cause to “praise the Lord for
his goodness and declare the wonders
that He doeth for the children of men.”
But neither are we as the brute beasts
that perish.
What abundant cause is that for
thanksgiving to the Author of our be
big.
Man thinks and reasons ami aspires.
1 ae imprints of immortality are in the
very constituent elements of his being.
M hat endless sources of tin* highest
happiness are in these marvellous minds
of men. Ihe thinking, reasoning, intel
lect—What wonders lias it accomplished.
Look at the progress of tin* world from
the dawn, of history.
That progress inis been ever upward
—to higher and better tilings. At times
it may have seemed slow and oven to
have suffered an occasional relapse or
retrogression, bur in tin* retrospect we
can see that on the whole it was stead
ily and surely onward towards human
betterment and a larger knowledge and
happiness. Os late years particularly
these advances have been so rapid as
to lie almost bewildering. In the field
of practical and material tilings the
horizon of man's knowledge has been
wondrously extended. Our daily obser
vation and experience make us familiar
with much that a generation ago would
have been considered utterly incredible
ami iin [miss i hie. Such triumphs of the
human intellect are but nil earnest and
inadequate prophecy of w hat lies before
the next generation. God is using this
“spark divine’’—the human intellect as
an instrument for the education and ele
vation of mankind. The sordid Pessi
mist may cavil: but the signs of the
times art* unmistakable. The race is
improving. physically, intellectually,
morally. The world is growing better.
It is being brought nearer together. The
Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood
of man are being more recognized.
Men’s thoughts are being more directed
to the life beyond. They arc* realizing
more and more that this life is but a
school and preparation for the life to
come.
What a blessing incalculable, what
cause for thanksgiving, is our faith In
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 26, 1899.
! A Dixie Thanksgivin’.
I HoMerdays halt come once mo’ —
I Hynr it am Thanksgivin'!
Ole man gittin’ stiff an* so’e—
i Hahdly make a livin'.
I But, sail, when Tliaiiksgivin* come.
; Honey, I ain't nevali glum:
'T'aVe ma dinnnli ’ll slio be some —
Brest* de good Thanksgivia’l
j Bes'es’ wliite folks in dis town
1 'Sont a turkey to me!
:’N* eoahithaiug to go aroun'
I tat 's de way do do me.
Lucy Ann 's a-comiu down
Full to bake it nice an* brown;
1 Ten we’ll ’vile do preaiTiah rulin' -
No time to Ik* gloomy!
Lucy Ann ’s my dorter, chile,
Wo’kin' full de white folks
Up de road about a mile—
One o’ dese hynr light folks.
Kopn’ liyar she '« eullud beelle, —
the hereafter. That God has not given !
\vs these wondrous endowments, these
marvellous minds, these hopes and aspi* i
rations and longings for naught and nut
to mock us: But that in the Great
Hereafter we shall find endless objects
for their exercise—apd that our iinmor- (
tal souls shall-be satisfied in the full
perfection of the end of our being. j
Then now goodly is our heritage as ai
people!
We are Americans.
Thou our native land none is fairer
on all the earth. What boundless and
varied resources!
And how astonishing their develop
ment. This Republic is the land of the
free. It is a veritable haven for the op
prosed of all lands. The laborer’s cot
tage is as secure from lawless invasion
as the castle of a king. And how in
calculable tin* blesings of religious liberty
that from the first has been the heritage
of this favored land! God lias not dealt
so with any people. We fail to appreciate
our blesings as a nation because we are
so familiar with them. We have never
known anything else. Then how good
God has been to us in basket and in
store! Honest foil is rewarded. The
poor man enjoys the fruit of his la
bors. Crops have been abundant. In
dustries are revived. Benevolent amt
charitable institutions abound. In our
anxiety and zeal for what needs yet to
be done we forget, what has been ac
complished ami is now being accom
plished, Vast fortunes of even the repu
ted heartless rich have been largely de
voted to the education of the masses
and the amelioration of human suffering.
There is much good in the world and
we see it manifested in this land of ours.
Tilt* selfish passions ami ambitions of t
nu n may make mm h ado but God ruleth
over all. “The Lord is king, be the ;
people never so impatient; he sittetii
between the churubim. be tin* earth 1
never so unquiet.” And we have much i
to be thankful for, I think, in the fact ,
that our lot is cast in this common- j
wealth and in this fair city of Raleigh.
What has been said of our advantage j
and blessings <as a nation is especially I
true of us as citizens of North Caro- j
lina. No State on the American eonti- j
neat has a more genial climate or more
—if as many varied resources and bless
ings. A glance at our census fables or
a visit to our State Museum would be
a most gratifying revelation to many
citizens whose attention has not been
turned in this direction. What stores
of various mincVals in our soil, what
stores of wealth in our forests. What
possibilities in agriculture, what sources
of profit in our rivers and sounds ami
Sea coast ! We are a homogenous pen
ple inostly to tlie manor born—hon
est, industrious, thrifty. There is spe
cial cause for thanksgiving. 1 think,
in the marked increase of iMipular inter
est in educational affairs. What has i
been so long a reproach to us seems
about to become a matter of just pride.
Our public school system is being ex
tended and is becoming year by year
more promising and encouraging. The
standard required of teachers is higher.
School terms are longer. Popular sup
port is more approved. Our universities
and colleges wen* never so largely at
tended or more prosperous or better
managed. We are justly proud of the
liberal provision that the Kltate makes
for the relief and comfort of the sick
and suffering in mind, laxly or estate,
in the various benevolent and charitable
institutions located hen* and elsewhere.
M e may well rejoice at the many evi
dences of material growth and im
provement in our capital city of Ral
eigh: but what I think is a matter of
special thanksgiving is 'tin* fact that in
no place— not of larger jiopulution or |
more wealth—are there so many in- J
stitutions of a strictly charitable char- j
rn ter for the relief of the poor and j
afflicted and friendless or so many ex
cellent schools, public and private, as
Freachah’s sot to hull a spell,—
But when Lucy marries—well.
I I>ey Jims’ be de right folks!
Lory's mammy's dead an’ pine
\ Sense she wuz a baby;
Tok inn chile an’ trabhled on —
Raised huh Ink a lady!
She ken eiphah, wash, an' cook,
An' she reads me f’oin de Book
Bat lights up de puff I 's took
To’rds de lan' dat's shady.
But, sail, come aroun' tonight,
E*f you would n't mine it:
Take tie road dull to de right—
Easy 'nough to find it;
t/ome an' tas’e tint dinnah, sail.
"N" meet ithe preadiali ’n’ Lucy; fur,
Es lie wants a Yeipt full huh,
You 'll he dar to sign it,
—James I). Com*tilers, in the .No
vember Century.
Raleigh can with commendable pride
point to as her very own.
la*t ns thank God for our churches
ami orphanages and homes and hospi
tals and schools and let us remember
those words of the Master, “Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these, my brethren, ye have done
it unto me.”
I u>;!y, I think we have cause to be
thankful that on next Thursday we
shall have a special opportunity of mak
ing a practical appreciation of and giv
ing a personal direction, to the com
forting assurance of Him who, when
on earth, went ever about doing good.
In this Christian laud, so highly fa*
sored of God, and in grateful recogni
tion i>f His goodness to us tas si i>eo
ple—the precedent has been wisely set
by those in civil authority of summon
ing the whole jK'ople to gather in then-
respective places of worship to “praise
the Lord for his g mid ness and declare
vhc* wonders that In* doeth for the
children of men” ami as,a necessary part
of all true thanksgiving—to remember
the poor and the friendless. Hundreds
j of little orphans are gathered and eared
• for in our various orphanages. They
ttre dependent upon the free will offer
ings of tlm public for their maintenance
—their food, clothing, shelter and ed
ucation. They are to grow up and take
their places in the world for good or
for evil —virtuous or vicious, hurtful or
helpful. We each one may contribute
something to the result —which shall it
be? Our little ones have (lie loving care
of parents and home influences. They
arc fatlierl«*ss and motherless. Os all
forms of Christian charity this surely
is tin* sweetest and safest in its results.
! T’m se orphanages here and there in the
| State, of whatever name, look forward
to the offerings of Thanksgiving Day
; with no little anxiety and solicitude.
! So much for them dejiemls on the ag
: gregate result. Ix*t us each one help
on this Christ-like work. Our Heavenly
; Father has so greatly blessed and pros
-1 tiered us us a people and as individuals.
! M e have so much to be thankful for—
i our health, friends, food, happiness—
, all that we have wind are. Shall we ;
! not esteem it a privilege- I —something to 1
1 he thankful for that we have this op
-Iho I unity of helping these lit tle'ones —of ,
uniting our .efforts to relieve and com- j
fort the otherwise friendless ami for- i
lorn and yet our brethren?. "If God so I
hived ns, we ought also to iove one
■another.” “While we have time, let j
us do good unto all men and especially !
unto them that are of the household :
of faith.” “Freely ye have received; j
freely give” and lid us be thankful that j
the opportunity to give is given us.
M. M. MARSHALL.
THE PROGRESS OF ALTRUISM.
We Should Be Thankful That We
Live in North Carolina.
To tin* Editor:
The Scrip tun I use of the term "thanks
giving” is very broad, because it is of
the essence of religion. It is the life
of prayer, because it furnishes the
principles and formula of real worship.
From the finite to the infinite it is the
only manifestation of gratitude: ami
songs of praise to the Deity would lie
lifeless without the vital breath of
thanksgiving. AH men are under ob
ligation to fill their lives with thanks
giving: and to flu* Christian life it is
an absolute necessity. A thankless
soul carries a prayerless heart, since
“Prayer is the Christian's vital breath.”
These general stateinlf - may Ik* veri
' fil'd by considering the subject as briefly
: ns possible in detail.
First, then, the obligation to
j thanksgiving is as broad as tin* soul’s
• apprehension of the Atonement < f
Christ. By this wonderful arrangement
of a loving and Almighty Father the
/■} jpzM
4 '‘ <r ~
whole creation rests upon Calvary, and
is furnished a least* of life and com
parative happiness. So that tin* cheer
ful song of th(> bird, the smile of the
flower, and the ten thousand voices of
the heavens, partake of the nature of
thanksgiving. And surely the immor
tal soul of man, after “Heaven has
stooped to give it life," should fill that
life with thanksgiving.
Secondly, thanksgiving is* due in God
for His Providence. This* includes ev
erything tliqt transpires except sin. Sin
is the transgression of law. Law* is a
rule of conduct. Conduct results from
our relation to persons and things, and
the use we make of the material, so
cial and spiritual things which are about
us. Kin is therefore the misuse or evil
use we make of God's powers and prop
erties, and everything in the universe
belongs to Him. So that all sin is the
misuse of an otherwise good tiling.
Throwing out. then, the element of
sin from the subject, the Apostle ex
horts as follows:
“Pray without ceasing. In everything'
give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
In our shortsightedness we may re
gard many things which transpire as
calamities, when in fact they may Ik*
blessings in disguise. And God reserves
to Himself the privilege of even con
trolling sin for the benefit of those who
love and trust Him; and for these "all
Things shall work together for good.”
If we ask the question, then, what
i have we to be thankful for, the Chris
tian’s answer would lie, everything. But
let us particularize a little.
We ought to be thankful for the pro
gress which Altruism is making in the
world—that which Christ taught as the
essence of (lie gospel, doing good to
others. ll directly or indirectly rears
every asylum, hospital, home for the
poor and orphanage. What a grand
thing it is to live in this glorious age
of the world, when general education,
the child of Christianity, equips -inch
and women with qualities and force*
that enable them to aid in lifting the
world to God. The real principles and
forces of Christianity never made great
er progress in the world than they are
making today. Here and there a city
may be for seem, to be. for it is fre
quently with Elijah's eyes we see it)
wholly given up to idolatry: and here
and there a church may become worldly
and decay. But these all constitute
merely a small squad compared to the
grand army of the living God, which
is marching on to conquest and triumph.
The waste places are made glad by
Them, and the ever-rising Sun of Right
eousness gives tiie kiss of peace along
the hill-tops of the islands of the deep.
4
“Where the skies forever smile,
Aud the oppressed forever weep.”
We ought to be thankful for our so- J
cial life, almost infinitely better than
ever prevailed’ in the palmiest days of
Grecian and Roman thought and cul
ture. We are in the possession of
values which are mipurchasable with
money. Home. wife, husband, love.
These are not confined to palace or hut.
and as spiritual forces are not destroyed .
by fire or flood. And then our reason- i
ing faculties and the means of (level- j
oping and strengthening them should
cause us to lie thankful. The easy
reach in obtaining liooks, magazines and
papers; the facilities for study. for
travel, and for recreation: the advance
in medical science, in art and in all
that tends to bring our minds to an
appreciation of the beauty of God’s
thoughts, are subjects of thanksgiving!
f > ur thanks are dm* to God for our
daily food, and for file abundance of our
food crops. Our land has respnded to
the hand of labor, and poured its wealth
into the lap. not only of our own popu
lation, but into that of distant lands.
And lastly (for I fear I am making
this paper too long for your use) we i
SECTION ONE—Pages 1 to 8.
peiOE FIVE CENTS
ought to be thankful that we live in
North Carolina. Here, we are glad
to feel, is found the Isest type of Chris
tian piety, the best and purest women,
the most Christian homes in proportion
to population, and men of the cleanest
l lives and clearest minds. Her climate,
also, is the wing of health; and in her
materia medica and flora and fauna,
she is rich. Her soil, also, is freighted
with rewards to the husbandman and
the worker in metals. Her mountain
breezes meet and wrestle with the winds
fnun the sea. and drop health upon a
smiling land. Heaven’s blessings at
tend her.
Ingratitude is a capital crime in the
religions world. And I am a little fear
ful that special thanksgiving days make
j au impression that this Christian duty
I and privilege is only necessary on such
occasions. All spiritual forces are self
active. Thanksgiving is a spiritual
force. It is therefore self-active. Its
nature, like that of other spiritual
forces, is movement. It must manifest
itself, at least in words to one who does
not require it otherwise; and to God in
j helping His poor. Let us, then, study
! the generic statement of our Lord:
“Pure and undefiled religion * * *
is visiting the widows and fatherless
in their affliction, etc." and give of our
means to those who need.
(Mr. James Montgomery lias well put
this thought in verse:
I A poor, wayfaring man of Grief
f Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
I That I could never say Him nay.
I had not power to ask his name.
Whither Hi* went, or whence He came;
Yet there was something in His eye
That won my love, I knew not why.
Once, when my scanty meal was spread.
He entered: not a word He spake—
Just famishing for want of bread.
I gave Him all: He blissed it. brake.
And afte, "but gave me part again:
Mine was an angel’s portion then;
For while 1 sped with eager haste
That crust was manna Ho uiy taste.
T spied Him where a fountain burst
Clear from a rock; His strength was
gone:
The heedless water mocked His thirst;
He heard it. saw it hurrying on.
I ran to raise the sufferer up:
Thrice from the stream He drained my
cup.
Dipt, and returned it running o’er:
I drank and never thirsted more.
’Twas night; the floods were out. it blew
A winter hurricane aloof;
I heard His voice abroad, and flew
To bid Him welcome to my roof;
I w armed. I fed, I cheered my Guest.
Laid Him on my own couch to rest;
Then made the earth my lusl. and
sis'ineil
lu Ellen’s garden while 1 dreamed.
Ktiipt. beaten, wounded night to death,
I found him by the highway side;
1 roused His pulse, brought back llis
breath.
Revived His spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment; Hi* was healed,
I had myself a wound concealed 1 ;
But from that hour forgot the smart.
Anil peace bound up my broken heart.
In prison I saw Him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn;
The tide of lying lips I stemmed.
And honored Him ’midst shame and
acorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try.
He asked if I for Him would die?
The flesh was weak, my blood ran chill,
But the spirit cried —I will!
Then in a moment to my view
r lhe Stranger started from disguise;
The tokens in His hands I knew;
My Savior stodd before m,v eyes!
He spake, and my jHior name He named:
(Continued on Third Page.)