“America for People!”: The Typical American : Thanksgiving Sermon of Rev. John P. Newman at Metropolitan M.E. Church, Washington, D.C., Thursday, November 25Th, 1886

The controversial treatise lengthy out of print that addresses: *Parenting & Household – Christian Life *Sacraments & Rites – Christianity *Prayer *Nationalism & Sovereignty *Social Sciences *Kids’s Ministry *Philosophy *United States Historical past *Political Concept

DEAR FRIENDS: The sermon has excited a public curiosity past any considered mine. I herewith ship you the stenographic report of the discourse, made by Messrs. Dawson and Tasker. The knowledge of your request is confirmed by many letters from eminent residents right here and overseas, commending the sentiment and demanding the publication. I want to print a few of these letters, indicative of the deep feeling on this nice topic. As acknowledged within the sermon, clever foreigners approve my course. The Germans of Wisconsin have despatched me a replica of their memorial to Congress, asking for such a modification of our naturalization legal guidelines as will shield our free establishments from egocentric and ignorant immigrants. The clever foreigners have taken the initiative. Your Pastor, JOHN P. NEWMAN.

“And he’s a real American citizen, whether or not foreign-born or native-born, who maintains, as an American establishment, the Holy Sabbath-day. He can name it Sunday, after the previous pagan god, however he should relaxation on the seventh day, relaxation from toil, relaxation within the curiosity of the dignity of labor, relaxation as low cost upon capital, relaxation for intelligence, relaxation for compensation, relaxation for home happiness, relaxation for pious tradition. The seventh day of each week must be consecrated to cessation from labor and dedicated to bodily and psychological repose. It shouldn’t be a day of recreation.”

“It might have escaped your discover that round this globe is a slim zone, between the thirtieth and sixtieth parallels of north latitude, and inside that slim zone is our dwelling. Inside that belt of energy has existed all the nice nations of the previous, and in it exist all the nice nations of the current….Look at your globe, and there may be Greece, that gave letters to the world; Rome, that gave jurisprudence to mankind; Palestine, that gave faith to our race. And as we speak there may be Germany, that gave a Luther to the church and a Gutenberg to science, and there may be England, swaying her mighty sceptre over land and sear. Our location is on this wake of power-within this magical zone.”