The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-10

fatheTs-rerves the patriot and prompts him to
incur risks in her behalf 1t stimulates the
soldier on the battlefield, puts courage in his
heart, yigor in his arm, and endurance in his
body.
PATRIOTISM NATIONAL INSTINCT.
1t is not so remarkable, then, as at first it
would seem, that q few Spartans fighting for
their firesides were more than match for the
thousands of Persians who were fighting for
conquest nor that the former marched into
battle with cheerful songs, while the latter
were obliged to be whipped into the conflict.
Understanding the impeiliug power Of love it
is easily explained why our Washington with
his scanty regiments dared the ice of the Della
ware, and, poorly fed and more poorly clothed,
endured the terrible rigors of Valley Forge,
and with bleeding feet and rude arms COM
PEELED to humiliating surrender the hearty,
robust and well-accoutered mercenaries of King
George. Why, it was as natural as for the sun
to shine!
/ may be allowed to say just here, that it is
never offensive to me to hear from our adopted
citizens the ardent ex pressions of love for their
own native land Judging from my own feel
ings, as an American, ] can but marvel that a
person reared on the banks of the Thames, the
Seine, the Rhine, the Danube, or the beautiful
lakes of Killarney, or beneath the sunny
skies of Italy, could consent to forsake his own
land with all its hallowed associations and
sacred memories and, breasting the Atlantic's
pillows, attach himself as citizen to this land.
And this fact that the foreigner is willing to
sacrifice so much for home in America makes
me love my land the more, and increases in
me, if that could be- the pride of being an
American.
SOME STRIKING ILLUSTRATIONS.
The Able de Lille relates how an Indian,
amid the splendors of Paris, on beholding a
banana tree in one of the city gardens, bathed
it with tears and for the moment seemed trans
ported to his own lard. The Ethiopian ifnag
ines, it is said that God made his sands and
deserts, while angels only were employed in
forming the rest of the world. The Maltese
call their island The Flower of the World
The Javanese are so attached to the place of
their nativity, especially the agricultural tribes,
that no inducement is strong enough TO allure
them from the tombs of their fathers The
Norwegians inscribe on their rix dollars
Esprit loyalty, valor, and whatever is honor
able let the world learn among the rocks of
Norway" The Carbbees esteem their country
a paradise OF the nations better known We
are aware how the Greek boosted his culture
and philosophy, and that the Roman Wanted
the proves of his arms and his mastery of the
world. AT the Philadelphia Centennial, as you
entered the Egyptian pavilion, this inscription
in large letters met the eye: Egypt, the
Oldest people of the world sends its morning
greeting to the youngest nation" The an
tiquity of her people was evidently her pride.
France glorifies her art, England her posses
sions, Germany her scholarship, and
AMERICA HER FREE INSTITUTIONS.
Aside from these peculiar and special incent-
ives to patriotic feeling which, as we see, vary
according to tine disposition and tastes of the
people, there are those subtle feelings common
to all men,-unless we may except, perhaps,
such as the eastern Bedouin, of whom Mr. Pal
grave has said: He does not fight for his
home-for he has none; nor for his country
that is anywhere; nor for his honor--he never
heard Of it; nor for his religion-he owns nor
cares for none; his only object in war is the
temporary occupation OF sonic bit of miserable
pasture land or the use of a brackish spring."
Excepting such say, thereis in the heart of
every man feeling, deep and profound and
Undesirable, growing cut of the fact that this
land is his inherited of his fathers, whose ardu-
Gus struggles established its principles and
guaranteed its institutions.
HOW 1T BREAKS OUT IN SONG.
The Frenchman may sing his Marseilles
hymn.
Too long the world las wept, bewailing
That Faisehood's dagger iyrants wieid;
But Freedom is sword and shield,
And ali their arts are lInayailing."
And the German may s=zelI those grand old
harmonies Of the Watch on the Rhine
Dear Fatherland, no danger thine
Firm stand thy sons ID sgatch the Rhine
The Rhine, the Rhine the German Rhine"
And old mother England chorals forth her
+" God Save the Queer" -:
Send her victorious, happy and glorious.
Long to reign over us; God save the Queen"
But for the Americans, the sublime old an
them, America" viii make the very welkin
ring with
My country it's of thee
Sweet land of liberty,
OF thee sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring"
1t is this pride Of country, this enthusiasm
for liberty, this reverence for its memories,
this esteem for its institutions, this love for
its principles that bFightens the future with
hope and arouses a warlike spirit whenever
those liberties and privileges threatened or
its halloWed memories desecrated.
WARS NECESSITY.
Now, there are people who deprecate war, who
are expecting a time to come when swords
shall be beaten into plowshares, and spears
into pruning hooks; when nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more" But while / do not assume to
be wiser than the prophet, yet can hope for no
such condition Of things until human nature
quisite sensitiveness of patriotism extracted.
Milton describes how even among the saints in
Heaven a devil arose and conyulsed the hal
lowed realms in war, until, oyermatched, the
arch fiend was hurled "headlong flaming from
the ethereal sky, with hideous ruin and COM
bustion, down to bottomless perdition." Accord
ing to Milton, then, even angels will contend
for their heritage: and if the sainted may do
so, why not the human? But leaving the
imaginary and coming back TO the actual
What are we to ezpect in the future, judging
from the past? History repeats itself Men
are just as tenacious of their liberty, their
homes, their rights, and their religion now as
ever before, and will war for them as readily
and persistently as they who in earlier
times marched with Gideon againstthe invading
Midianites, orwith David revengefnlly pursuing
the Amalekites who had applied the torch to
beautiful Iiklag, aad were carrying wives and
children into captivity. But" says one, we
have advanced in ideas since then" Yea, but
you will note the fact thatalmost every sentence
of progress modern as well as ancient, is pune
tuated with blood. Blood has been the crimson
blossom regularly preceding the fruit Advance
ment. From the time that Abraham pitched
his tent to the east of Bethel down to the time
when tramping regiments broke the bond be-
tween master and slave on American soil
every enlarged and chartered liberty had
been purchased with an offering of human
blood. Wheat and tares Will grow together
until the end. The battalions of evil will
antagonize the forces Of goodwill hinder and
impede them till the clements shall melt with
fervent heat. Evil ise1ike disease in the
body; you must overcome it, or it will over
come you. Health is the result of victorious