A Righteous Nation by L. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 24, 1902

A Righteous Nation

By L. A. S.

When the United States of America was brought forth to occupy a place in earth's family of nations, it was, in the language of Lincoln at Gettysburg, “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Justice and liberty were made the foundation principles of its government. But these principles were never accorded in practice the place which they occupied in theory. The perfect government which those who had fled from oppression designed to set up in the New World, never emerged from the dreams of its projectors. Out of their efforts came a better government than mankind had known before, and by their labors the ideals of the new political creed were advanced among the peoples of all lands; but it was demonstrated that a perfect government could not be set up and carried on by an imperfect people. The letter of the government might be righteous, but the spirit was full of the passions and weaknesses of the carnal nature by which men are everywhere dominated in this world.

Thus it happened that even here, where in theory a haven of refuge existed for the oppressed people of other lands, and where apparently the less fortunate members of the human family might hope to find the helping hand of a good Samaritan, injustice and cruelty were the lot of many. Men were held in slavery, and were bought and sold like a piece of merchandise. A long and dreadful war was necessary to secure even the legal recognition of the truth, declared to be self-evident in the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

And to-day the tendency in this country toward the subjection of the inferior by the superior race, contrary to the ideals set up by the founders of the government, is very marked. The duty to help those lower down in the social scale to a higher plane of life is forgotten, and in its place is discerned only the opportunity to take advantage of their weakness. In some States people entitled by the highest law of the land—the Constitution—to participate in the government are disfranchised. Tales of riot and mob law, in which the weak are made the victims of the strong, and every principle of just government is set aside, are common in the papers that present to us the daily news. And in all places is seen more and more the disposition on the part of those in power to rule by might rather than by right whenever it may be deemed expedient so to do. The spirit of selfishness is casting out the spirit of brotherly love.

Yet there is a nation upon the earth which is fulfilling the ideals held by the men who dedicated this republic to the task of bestowing on mankind the blessings of liberty. There is a nation whose mission is ever that of the good Samaritan, seeking to lift up the fallen, to relieve those in misfortune, to give light to those in darkness, to impart hope to the despairing, to bless and curse not. This nation exists, though it is not reckoned among the powers of earth, nor organized into a visible government. It is the nation composed of those who have chosen the leadership of the divine One who gave himself to the work of restoring a fallen and helpless race; who “went about doing good,” binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound. This is the nation to which all those who love liberty and justice must look for the realization of their hope of righteous government upon the earth. This is the nation of which in the day of the final adjustment of human affairs it will be said, “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” It is here, and now, on the earth, that this nation is being made up; and to you, and to all, is still open the privilege of being reckoned among its citizens. L. A. S.