The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1881-02-06

THE London Spectator, a friendly critic,
took occasion in commenting the astounding de-
tails of =" American Prosperity almost inconceva.
be to European minds, TO draw n lesson from the
parallel fairly suggested of rich man. like the one
mentioned In the Bible who closes doors and gives
himself up TO feasting and revery without thought
to perishing neirhbo,s outside. Not but that the
people of the United States are generous enough
indviduay-in fact, the most nobly lavish OF money
OF any under the sun-but their collective policy Is
frigid and restrained. II might have suited weak
and youthful power, but for no in the first glow Of
maturity, with boundess resources at command Il
seems inadequate, paralyzed, and selfish. Why
should nations be exempt from that sacred charge of
helping their weaker brethren In every way even at
the cost Of some self sacrifice that Is universally adj
mitted to he incumbent on individuals? True, we
have done grandly in offering the oppressed OF every
nation home, and grandly have been repaid.
But as 1t is impossible for all the oppressed to come
to us, we must 60 to them. We are now shut up
almost like TenDyson proud soul In its palace of sn
doomed to be cursed with inevitable stagnation cor
ruption, and death, unless by giving ourselves away
In the spirit prompted by Christianity we nnd our
selves again. We need to read the moral Of our own
| Lowel's ''Vison of Sir Launfal' more carefully
between the lines. or course there Is good ground
for this, there has been for OF our action IN
the past. Washington's Farewell Address has come
| down to us like political testament from beloved
father and deserves all the respect which 1t has re-
ceived. But the cautions which Washington imposed
on our policy were against entanglIng alliances and
/ foreign influence, which have outgrown. and
against ''inveerate antipathies against particular
'rations and passionate attachments for others,
warning still necessary, as We daily in regard Il
such cases as England and Russla respectively. II.
never could have meant to recommend such clipped
and geded foreign policy would prevent stretch.
Ing out hand beyond our own borders for any pur.
pose, even the most generous, to advance our COM
| merce or open held for our young men with thu
adventurous or colonizing spirit strong within them
| There Is great deal to he said, doubt. on tn,
other side and warnings to be given against Quix
| otic or PalmerstOnian policy one OF ''medde an,
| 'muddle.' The gravamen OF the charge brough
against the United States will be best b.
an extract from the Spectdtors article 1t being pre-
| missed, OF course, that do not 60 with all tn
special Instances alleged In support Of the general pro
POSITION. Instead OF 'wl not keep forces sufficen
"to secure full freedom to her own black citizens
| an absurd charge taken from Senator Morton's oil,
speeches or Tourgee books the statement should hav
read, will not keep forces suicent protect settler
"on the frontier or Government property In expose
'situations.''
the strongest the freest the prosperou
OF peoples within Its borders: but nation In bond
looks upward TO the great Republic for aid, no strug
CLING people turns to her fleet with longing, no perish
Ing as hopes that the Western rifle viii
drive away the oppressOr. One American shell woul
berate the Armenians, but II will not he fired. TIL
world may die OF despair, for Washington. The mos
generous individually Of will collectively srik
no blow for foreign freedom. send fleet, issue eve
no command. There Is a legend current, which W
have never been able to trace fully that America one
interviewed In the most decided way to save Swizer
land from an invasion but, unless that I've true, W
know OF no great service she has done to mankind
except In offering the distressed homeland that re
pays her. Yet with her necessary disinterestednes
and her magnificent and her detached policy
the Union might often he the hest Of arbiters, nigh
arrest a war, and hurry on work OF mercy to man
kind, like the erasnre OF the Sultanet. She however
does nothing, on her continent. where Stat
after State Is roting down or failing back from civil
ization, unaided unguided, and uncontrolled by tn
might people who claim to be, and are, distnctivel
the Americans ~ and who endlessy accunulat
the strength they politically only Ostheniselves
The Union does not even Insist ON order IN Mexico
will not keep forces sufficient to full freedom
her black citizens, and allows go In tn
Southern Continent which she could stop with word
II will not we believe always be so We do not con
ceive It possible for 30 great State always TO renal
is0lated as II In another planet, to refuse to bea
Its share In the burden imposed by nine hundred mil
lion upon less than two hundred; but up to to- -da
America has sought and gained her own happiness b
TO that OF the inhabitants Of the reainde
with fleets and armies to avoid the costly burden OF
foreign policy, and to maintain her organization with
out administrative services, and II has made her rich
But she must he more than rich powerful or eve
free before America can hope TO change the half
awestruck admiration OF the world at her materii
prosperity Into cordial liking for herself without he
| rich SURROUNDINGS,