The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-14

a
States is made up of a HETEROGENEOUS assem-
blage from al quarters Of the globe; but we
would consider the forcigners who come to
our shores as undesirable citizens if the new
born regard for the land of their adoption
could blot out their love for that which had
been forsakeu. We expect our foreign.born
citizens to give us their true allegiance. but
i'll doing this we cannot wish or desire that
they should forget that they had ever been
anything but Americans.
Of course every man. woman, and child is
individually benefited by the material pros
perity of the whole nation, but patriotism is
n sentiment that is above and beyond any
material considerations. 4 man desires to
see his country great, prosperous, and happy
| for other reasons than the actual advantages
that may accrue to himself; and while we
cannot analyze this characteristic of human
nature, we recognize it as one of the highest
and noblest.
Patriotism and loyalty ought to mean the
same thing, but, unfortunately, they do not
always. The old-fashioned idea of loyalty
was an attachment to the person OF particu-
lar monarch or a reignirg family, no matter
how unworthy of regard they might be, while
patriotism has always meant love for country
IN the largest sense, and under monarchical
system the two terms are often far from
being synonymous. In a republic like the
United States, patriotism and loyalty
are substantially the same. We respect our
chief magistrates so long as they behave
themselves, but we consider them the servants
and not the masters of the people, and as
strictly accountable to those who entrlst them
with the power of the Government for right
use of it. The Rebels were disloyal and un-
patriotic, not because they hated Mr.. Lincoln,
but because they made his election TO the
Presidency the pretext for attempting to
overthrow the Government, and the establish
ment upon its ruins of a new system which
would have human slavery as it's chief
cornerstone. Every citizen Of the United
States has direct interest in upholding and
perpetuating the eGovernraent, in removing the
imperfections that may be developed by ex-
perience, and in having the various official
positions under it filed BY mono but honest,
capable, and patriotic men, who will labor to
administer the affairs of state in such man
ner as to advance the interests of the nation,
and not merely for the benefit OF their own
pockets man who spends his days and
nights scheminS and intriguing to obtain
possession of an Office for the sake of the
advantage that it will afford him to benefit
himself at The expense of the public treasury
or by coTuptly selling his power and inAu-
ence to whoever is willing to pay a large
enough price, is not only not patriotic, but
even sinks below the Lowell of the traitors who
had at least the manliness to declare them
selves openly and to make an appeal to arms.
Mistakes may be MADE sometimes, but
that large portion of the public Offices
should be in the hands of notoriously
corrupt men can be attributed to nothing else
than a wrong idea Of patriotic duty on the
part of the majority Of voters> or to an
apathy that is certainly in the highest degree
culpable. Every citizen who deposits a vote
for notoriously dishonest politician is an
endorser Of his rascality. and to Il very great
extent responsible for auy outrages on the
public that he may commit The great i'm
portance of putting only good men in Office
is too often lost sight Of i'll the excitement of
an election campaign, aud the character of
! the candidates themselves are overshadOwed
! by the numerous side issues that are pressed
/ upon the attention of the voters. Partisan
| journals insist upon fealty to the party as the
/ supreme test of fitness, and urge tho neces-
! sity of voting straight ticket, no matter
/ how offensive the names upon it may
be, so that patriotism to great
extent has come to mean allegiance to par
, ticulU political organization rather than Il
sincere and honest desire for the advance
ment Of the whole nation There are some
questions that are above aud beyond parti-
sanship, and true patriotism demands that
sometimes party considerations shall be thrown
overheard. 1t is a notorious fact that needs
no special demonstration that a vast number
of our public offices are in the possession of
dishonest men who make a trade of poll tics.
and who affiliate with certain political parties
because they expect to gain something by it.;
men who have no principles. except to fill
their own pockets at all hazards, and who de-
liherately make the highest official positions
matters Of bargain and sale.
True patriotism demands that a sincere and
earnest effort shall be made to bring about a
reform that will kill the trade of the professional
politicians, and TO have the affairs of the Gov
eminent administered by honest men. The
task is one OF magnitude but we are con-
yinced that an appreciablo reform can be
: effected: and we shall certainly leave nothing
unsaid in the columns of this journal that will
Oil l., l,1iuriTlcf u al,nut srI . dauirobIa rac,tIt