The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-08-09
Oriental Patriotism.

We know OF no subjecs UPON which,the |
opinion Of experts In Asiatc affairs Is so
hopelessly divided IS to that OF Oriental
patriotism. A great number OF the
tsenest Of them, and especially Of the
men whose experience Is entitled 10
respect. ssy tbs: such feeling as
patriotism does no, exist in any Asistic.
He can and will die for his creed, or for
hi; tribe, or casts, or for his>dynasty;
but Of patriotism be has no conception.
He very rarely or never has word IN
the language 20 express Ine virtue Ms
public opinion does not require 1t s,
condition Of political life, and under
temptation he never finds in IL any
source Of strength. An Asia,ic, such
observers say, can he very loyal 70
ruler or 10 al ely. or TO an IDEA, Dut
bis l,ya'ty 20 what he terms his
"coqptry" i u the feeb.est character.
lie may speak Of patriotism In words,
especially when taking 70 Europeans;
bu, hi, impe,Ang motive IS always
either ambition Or pride, or fanaccism,
add not. especially under temptation,
love # country. lie vii. sell ais country
In order ~ rile il, and sometimes for
mere lgrre, especially VIXEN he Is out Of
spirits, AMI thinks Destiny has declared
a,a!n,, the virtues. Those observers
who think thus believe in their own
view very firmly, point 20 the case Of
Tel Singh, who .O.d victory, a. Genera!
Cunningham reports, t0r EZE9,vpp, and
r.l!cl.e the notion that man Ike
Arab Pa,ha can be governed Or
alY,hlng Ike "na..Dnal!st' feeling. He
may be, they admit, Mussuimsn
f.nst.c, Or deyo:ee Of me khs.if.te-
which is not quite the same thing-o'
even su "A,!a;ic"; thst IS, man who
.Oa.hes European sscendsncy; but ne
can not care enough for Egypt 70 make
Egyptian interest, as ne conceiTes It,
the guiding star Of his policy-can not,
10 fact, be In any sense a patriot.
We should say that, on the whole,
this va, the more general opinion, e'-
pecialy among those experts who have
come much in contact with prominent
Asiatic s,s,ssmen-the men, that Is,
who are not sOvereign', bu. have risen
by serving or opposing sO7ereigns. At
the same time, minority Of observers
equally experienced, and We think, s. a
| rule, possessed Of more sympathy and
| insight. though no. Of greater force, NJ
/ ,elly rcjec. this view. They say that
/ Asiatic. not only can feel, bu, do feel
the sentimel; 81 patriotism a. strongly
q, Europeans that the van: Of 8 word
% express the idea is an accident, which,
/ curiously enough, j. reproduced in In
! gland. where, though every one under
/ stands glove Of country the only
single word which impre,ses that senti-
men. i borrowed from the French and
that an Arab, a native Of India, or a
. Chinamau. when a good man, is a
strongly moved By the idea Of "coun'
try. and a.! which IL implies, a an En-
! glishman OF an American. lie Is more
likely 70 he deficient In that virtue than
European, e. he is more likely 70 bt
deficient in auy other If the active viz
tues, h. whole nature being feebler
and, 50 70 speak, more feminine; sc
he not only recognizes, but, unless over
powered bT strong temptation, acts OF
I L. He very often, for example, suO
mits % invasion when a European would
re.ist, but he never submits willingly
still les, permanently. He never adopt
the invader, never forget, that hi' owl
country is separate, and never ceases Z
hope ,ha. In Gods good time the inya
der will be compelled to depart, or, j
such extreme good fortune may be, wi.
be slaughtered ont.
4. u .eli.sacriice for hi. country, h,
fill, up the national army readil.
enough, aid this in countries like AZ
ghaui,,an, which have no cOn.cript!On
he serve, a, soldier, say in Turkey
with wonderful se.t-suppre'sion; and h
viii, and does constantly, risk hi for
tune rather THAI give An advantage .
the national enemy. No foreign Gov
eminent In an Asia,ic state !, ever abl
quite 10 trust the people, while it i
universal experience that II q rising &C
cur., the people enter into a si.cn, con
.piracy 20 give it aid. They may NJ
rise, bu' the foreigner hears nothing O
the plot til. it explode, finds no one I
br,ray the leaders, and is conscious q
, living in an atmosphere Of deadly hos
, ti!ty. In the exceptional case Of SINAI
state. separated By any cause from thei
, ncighbors, like that 81 the A,banians
the Afghans, the Burmese, or IN
Duses, patriotism is a burning passion
, to be a. fully relied on a. the same pas
sion in any European country. Me
I, who think thus declare that Arab Pashs
/ though governed by mixed motives, Sti
does feel ,hcna,ionallst feeling; that hi
followers, though moved by many emc
tons, stih do seek the independence O
Egypt; and that a good many Of thos
whom we consider dangerous fools
ac'uated BIZ bloodthrsty race.hatred
= honestly believe that in rioting they ar
r risking life in order to be rid Of enemie
to their country.-.L0nion Spectator.