Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-10-18
CORRESPON DENCE
MISTAKEN PHILANTHROPY.
To the MINING JOURNAL.


of my statement concerning the origin
atty of the German mind in my last
article, a passage from the writings of
man whose word will have more
weight than the feeble voice of one
who has almost not a ''local habitation
and name" George Bancroft, the
American statesman and author of the
History of the United States, says in
his "Studies on Russia as a parallel
Of that nations futurity as follows:
France, Spain and England were all con.
quered, and adopted the manners, the dialect
and the learning of their conquerors. In the
heart of Germany, the Teutonic race pre-
served itself free from the loss of its language
and its nationality. Have not the nations Of
Teutonic descent proved that the results of
their influence on human events and intelli-
gence, that as mercy and benefit to the aror1d,
their name and nation we're preserved unsub-
dued and unmixed? Have not some of the
most valuable principles in learning, in PHI
osophy, in religion, and we may add, in the
imaginative arts, been the result of their in
dependence
The same eminent authors miscel-
laneous studies suggested to me, like a
sign-board pointing out to weary
traveller the end of his journey, an
idea which finally, l trust, even
through the worst of conflicts, will
lead me to rest. l refer to his remarks
on the death of Cromwell. "Do not
trust every spirit y "By their fruits We
shall know them'-these two scriptural
injunctions have peculiarly practical
bearing. And it is time, after 900
years surging, ebbing after a ire
mendous exhibition Of the church, as
manifested in history, to make it prac-
teal, individual.
We will single out two historical
facts in which the fruit of ar action
shows or ought to prove the spirit of
the agent, Who will not be inclined
to admire the philanthropy of that
Cuban monk who, plying the rather
frail constitution of the West Indian,
not fit to bear the burden of their
white immigrant oppressors- advised
to import rather as slaves the strong
limbed, stout inhabitants Of the coast
of Guinea7 And yet, since that Dutch
ship, in 1920, with its cargo of black,
human flesh, sailed up the harbor of
New Amsterdam, gigantic social evil
has risen till it lowered to heaven,
breaking down under its repulsive
weight of inhumanity. Was the
Spanish monk to blame? Was it his
innocence, which could not conceive
OF such dire consequences to we'll
meant philanthropic advice?
A second query we shall not for an
instant, hesitate to answer. By one
of those instances of weak or perhaps
wearied intellect, | was for Il long
time, though in figures quite familiar
with the dates Of the three political
revolutions of modern times-under
the misapprehension that of 1899 in
France had been the first. Of course
l had in old country schools become
first familiar with it. In consequence,
L reduced III very unsatisfactory
manner all anomalies, all misery of the
present day to it and got sorely mixed.
Like one awakening from a dream.
but yet IN half doze, | sometime ago
made the discovery that the American
revolution of l77G preceded that in
France. 1t was not Lafayette who
brought French revolutionary ideas to
America; it was he who took that
American article back TO La Belle
France
But yesterday there was light with
in me. trust there are none. in spite
of professions to the contrary, who in
thelr hearts give preference to Oliver
Cromwell in comparison with the un-
fortunates of 1913, and his followers of
164S. AS Horace has it: "You may
drive natuee out with pltch-fork, it
will never return" The Southern
chlvalrY is an imitation of the follow
ers OF the Stuarts, and if their antago-
nists cry out against 1t, it is only from
a consciousness of their incapacity to
act the cavalier. But there were hu-
man faults in abundance, cruel faults
IN the Stuarts. A can:ing hypocrite
has overthrown them, whom and his
llk Shakespeare but feebly depicts in
the word : 1.-The devil can quote Scrip
ture to his purposes" If, according
to Burns, "the illicit petrifies
the feeling" cant and hypocrisy dry
up and wither will-power, feeling and
Judgment, body and soul. Look at
our young men with their withered,
petriied, sallow faces social inter
course, where preferred friends, in the
public street or their sacred homes,
kiss each other with Judas kisses and