Jersey County, Illinois - Chapter 1: A General Review, 1919

Chapter 1: A General Review

At the close of creation, God said : ' ' Let us make man in our image, after onr likeness; and let them have dominion." It is there stated that upon due consideration and consultation, ''God created man in His image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them, and God blessed them." He gave them dominion over the earth and the created thereon ; as governors and superintendents thereof ; under laws and regulations prescribed by Him for their direction in the execution of this trust. They wTere given material bodies for the reason that their location, conditions and duties required them so as to deal with material and visible things, as distinguished from those which are spiritual and unseen. For a time all moved along harmoniously, in accord with the design of the creator, but, eventually, through unfaith¬ fulness and disobedience, and the disruption of harmony and confidence on their part, man lost his official position of trust and dominion. Con¬ ditions grew worse and worse as time elapsed, until finally this dispensa¬ tion was closed with the flood.

A New Opportunity

Through the survivors from the Ark, man was given another oppor¬ tunity to regain his lost estate, by obedience and reconciliation to his creator. From that time to the present, under varying conditions and through multiplied efforts and agencies, this subject has been, and is still being pressed upon the consideration of the ' ' Children of Men ; ' ' as, to them, the most important proposition in all the world : to wit : "The reconciliation of man to God."

Warring Tendencies

After the confusion at "Babel," and the consequent dispersion, and through the development of jealousies, covetousness, and ambitions of men and nations, resulting in wars, strifes, and conflicts for supremacy, which increased in magnitude and intensity, as the ages went by, there developed a general disposition among the leaders of men and nations, to cultivate the arts of war, rather than those of peace. The common people becoming more and more subject to be used by their leaders and rulers, as pawns or serfs, rather than as equal men created in the image and likeness of God, their creator, and having to account to Him. It will be noticed, that at various times, and under varying circumstances, God did intervene in the actions of men and nations; and in carrying for¬ ward His own plans and purposes.

In the fullness of time, Christ was born at Bethlehem of Judea, and the angels proclaimed to the shepherds: "Peace on earth, Good will to men." Christ preached the fatherhood of God; and the brotherhood of man ; and love to God, and love to man, to the common people ; and their direct responsibility to God. This was pure democracy. He taught that God is no respecter of persons or classes, and that all men were upon an absolute equality before God ; and that they all might be personally reconciled to Him, in exactly the same way, with no dif¬ ference in favor of, or against any. This new testimony of God's love to man, was taught by Christ to His apostles, and by Him and them to the people, and their diseases were healed. He was crucified, and rose again, and before His ascension, He gave to His apostles that great command. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every living creature." Not simply to kings, princes, nobility or preferred classes or castes, but to all men everywhere, without preference to any or either of them. This command was obeyed by His apostles with such zeal and success, that at the close of the third century Christianity was accepted by Romans and spread thence to all nations of the old, or then known world, as the roads of the world then centered at Rome. As the years went by, this gospel was accepted by the other countries of Europe, but this did not bring about a condition of universal peace.

Autocratic Forms

The absolute, autocratic forms of government with the so-called "divine rights of kings" to rule, and to apportion territory among princes and nobility, appointed by and subservient to them. The right of the lord of the manor to call to arms all of his vassals and serfs, upon the requisition of the king, or for any real or fancied pretext of his own, wholly ignored the rights and liberties of the common people, and kept them almost constantly engaged in wars with other nations, or with the tribes or clans of other lords of manors, or seigniories in their own vicinity. Added to this, the' union of church and state, with the claim of the church of the sole right to interpret the scriptures, and to pre¬ scribe rules for their observance, and for the government of its ad¬ herents, led to the Reformation under Luther and his followers. This was met by the Inquisition and its resulting horrors and persecutions. For these and other reasons there were almost constant wars, conquests, turmoils, and a general feeling of uneasiness and unrest throughout the countries of the old world.

Advancement In Civilization

Notwithstanding these conditions, there was much advancement in the development of literature, art, science, commerce, and the general improvement of society and civilization above the plane upon which it stood at the opening of the Christian era, and markedly as compared with conditions following the flood, when God gave to man his second opportunity for development and reconciliation to Him.

The New World

creator had held in reserve the western hemisphere, or as it will be herein denominated, the New World, whereon in the fullness of time, man was to be given his third opportunity to demonstrate and devise a form of government better adapted to the needs of his race, and free from the inherent defects of the systems of government in force in the old world. At the close of the fifteenth century, Columbus discovered the new world, but for two and one-half centuries thereafter, the nations of the old world continued to be too busily engaged in wars and contro¬ versies among themselves to allow them to give attention to affairs of the newly discovered world. In the interim, many thousands braved the ocean perils, and the dangers of the wilderness, to escape from tyranny, oppression and persecution incident to their life in the old world, and had made their homes in the thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast of the new world. Adventurers and missionaries from France had made connection between the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico by way of the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes, and the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Finally, England, being pressed for means to meet the expense of her great wars, undertook to replenish her exhausted treasury by the levy of a tax upon the people of her colonies, which was resisted by them, and resulted in the separation of the new from the old world, and of giving to civilization the immortal American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

The Rights Of Man

This was the beginning of the third period of the development of man, and a system of government more nearly in accord with the gospel of the Prince of Peace, and for which the creator had held in reserve the new world from the beginning. In that declaration, among other things, there appears the startling statement "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men were created equal; that they are en¬ dowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights ; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." In 1787, these principles were in¬ corporated into the Constitution of the United States, in the preamble of which is said:

"We the people of the United States," not the separate colonies, "in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure do¬ mestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the gen- eral welfare, and secure tlie blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America. "

There were then but 3,000,000 people in the United States. They were scattered over a large extent of territory, were unskilled in the practice of war, and yet they had been successful in their contest against the skilled and disciplined armies and navies of the mother country. A democratic government was established. Three score and thirteen years later, when the population had increased to 30,000,000, the validity and stability of this government was challenged by the attempted with¬ drawal of several of the states, and their organization into another gov¬ ernment.

Secession

This secession led to the Civil War of 1861-5, between our own people. African slavery was the underlying cause of this conflict. In a number of the states, colored people were bred for the market, and bought and sold like horses, cattle or other live stock, which action was in direct opposition to the principles enunciated in the Declaration of Inde¬ pendence, that all men are created free and equal. President Lincoln, in his address on the battlefield of Gettysburg, plainly stated the issue, saying :

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the propo¬ sition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any other nation so con¬ ceived and so dedicated can long endure. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that the government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from this earth."

The Return Of Peace

The nation survived that terrible ordeal. Both armies in the con¬ test were disbanded, returning to civil pursuits of life. Hundreds of thousands perished in the war, and their memories are cherished, and their resting places are annually decorated with beautiful flowers. Many other survivors still remain among us, and are loved, honored and cher¬ ished patriots of that war.

Later Progress

The progress of this nation in learning, both religious and secular, and in all of the arts and sciences pertaining to civilized life, the de¬ velopment of the resources of the country, the accumulation of wealth and population since the termination of that war, are unprecedented within the same length of time, in the annals of history. Not only this, but woman, who was given joint rights of dominion with man at creation, is coming back into her lost estate.

The Melting Pot

This nation has been termed a Melting Pot, an asylum for the down¬ trodden and oppressed of all nations, and to a certain extent this is true and the term is properly applied. There is not a nation in the world but has more or less representation among our population, and some of them by many thousands. The majority are substantially fashioned and moulded into our common or blended type of devoted and reliable citizens. They left their native countries and came here to enjoy the blessings of freedom and liberty, both religious and civil, and to better the condition of their families. A very large proportion of them have been successful in their efforts in the accomplishment of these ends. They and their children and grandchildren have become assimilated into our common citizenship, and imbued with its character and spirit as fully as are those descended from the old French settlers and the Pilgrims of the Mayflower.

True Democracy

There is now no autocratic or monarchial government in the new world. Not only is this true, but the leaven of democracy has spread to and taken root in the old world, being adopted wholly by some na¬ tions, and by liberalizing and extending the rights of the common people in others. Realizing the danger to their ancient established systems of autocratic government, by the demands and encroachments of the people, and further realizing that these two forms of government are so in¬ herently antagonistic in their nature, that they cannot exist together for one or other will increase, while the other decreases in power and influence in the world, the autocratic nations of Central Europe have challenged all liberty loving people, citizens of liberal or democratic governments in the world, to arms to determine this issue, as to whether kings and classes, controlling immense armies and navies, shall control, or whether the peaceful, liberty loving common people, living under governments instituted by and suited to their happiness and well being, shall be permitted to exist and continue to" enjoy the blessings of such governments.

The Acceptance Of The Challenge

This challenge has been accepted by the people of the United States through their representatives in Congress and their great, patriotic president, and his advisors, and under this leadership, the people of this nation are, with all of the resources at their command, rallying to the contest in defense of the rights of the people.

The Mark Of The Beast

All laws, divine, human, national and international have been ruth¬ lessly broken, trodden under foot. Dishonesty, deceit, treachery, bribery, murder and numerous other crimes have been unblushingly practiced by our enemies, who boastfully claim the approval of God therefor. The proclamation of the angels to the shepherds, "Peace on earth, good will to men," and the teachings of the Prince of Peace; the dying words of the Old Commander from the top of Mount McGregor, "Let us have peace, ' ' are all in full accord with the divine plans of the creator, whose guiding and controlling hand can readily be seen, for His dealings with this nation, in reserving this hemisphere from the control of the old world, and His fostering care in the organization of this nation, and His guidance and protection in the subsequent wars, are so plainly marked as to convince the mind of the most casual observer. Illinois and Jersey County claim a full share of the providence and care and protection of Almighty God in their establishment and development, and have supreme confidence that in the future, as in the past, His guiding hand will lead us along the paths our feet should tread.