An Uncertain Future

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 23, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 25.

An Uncertain Future.

America is entering upon what to her statesmen and wise men is an unknown career and uncertain future. President Washburn, of Robert College, Constantinople, who has been in Europe since 1855, declares that Continental Europe hates America, and says that the chief reasons why they do not unite to attack her or humiliate her is the lack of union among the powers and the fear of an Anglo-American alliance. This hatred has been greatly increased by the war with Spain; not that Spain is particularly cared for, but Europe feels that she should own the world, partition South America as she has Africa, and now the great colossal young giant of the West is an intermeddler. This we are told in an article in the Independent of June 9. Dr. Washburn closes as follows:—

“We can never get back to the position which we occupied before this war, whether we desire to do so or not. Henceforth, in self-defense, we must share the burdens of Europe and have a navy and an army strong enough, at least, to defend our liberty and our rights. We must cease to concern ourselves only with local politics and try to comprehend the world politics which center in Europe; for Europe will never again forget us or let any opportunity escape to put us down, to destroy our influence, to limit our commerce, to bring us into subjection to the Old World. It may do us good; it may lead us to a destiny higher and better than we have thought of. That remains to be seen; but it means a revolution in all our habits of thought, in our newspapers and literature, in political life, and especially in the management of our foreign relations and the character of the men whom we send to Washington to conduct them. It may come slowly. Our people may not wake up to the reality of this change until they have been thoroughly beaten and humiliated by some European power; but it will come in the end. We have already entered upon a new era in our history, and there is no turning back.”

There is but one view-point from which the fog banks of future history may be pierced, and that is from the watch-tower of God’s “more sure word of prophecy.”