New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-04
NATIONALITY,


The Nation which celebrates this as its birth
day, though it has glorious past, cannot afford
to rest !content. Perhaps the.decadence OF the
holiday has been owing to a just popular feel
ing that we have had quite enough OF gorlhca-
ton over the past, and not quite enough of wise
and patriotic effort to make the Nation more
glorious in the future. After every era of great
achievements, Nation naturally inclines for
time to rest upon its aurels But next comes
naturally sense of the new duties which follow
the ripor and larger growth, and then dissatls-
faction with the orators and the poets who con-
tentedly dwell upon the brilliant past. Such a
stage in National growth we have reached. The
people have heard about the Declaration of In
dependence and the war with Mexico, about the
suppression of rebellion and the emancipation
of slaves. But now they begin to ask whether
that is all American Nationality means, or ought
TO mean
An era of revolution and struggle for indie
pendence was naturally followed by period OF
vigorous defence of our foreign interests and
our rights abroad. When the rights of Ameri
canscamcn had been indicated, and the Florida
coast had been gained and an outlet for com
mclre by the Mississippi had been secured, and
the Monroe Doctrine had been SO proclaimed rs
TO command the respect of other Nations the
American people turned their attention for
about thirty years TO home affairs. Once more
when the growth of the Nation westward fixed
attention upon the Oregon question and our re-
ations with Mexico, the Nation quickly settled
it's foreign relations. and it is now more than
thirty years since tho people have given much
thought to such topics.
During this Time n tremendous struggle at
home, and its legal, industrial, political and
financial consequences have cngrosscd atten-
ton. Our ships were swept from the seas, but
We were in NJ position TO assert our rights with
effect. A great debt hanpered us, mt Il later
period when the treatment of American citizens
abroad excited Indignation The peace-loving
disposition which follows great war inclined
people and politicians to pass lightly over other
wrongs which scarcely any other Nation would
have borne so patiently II has como about
that pacific disposition has been misconstrucd.
Ships bearing our dag have been fired upon, not
once nor twice. Captains Of our ships have
been imprisoned by Mexico. and merchants and
capitalists doing business in that country have
been subjected to cxtortiOn. Treaties have
been disrcgardcd by France and Germany, in
order to please persons whose interest 1t was To
prevent importation OF our products. Gradually
partisan meanness and popular Indifference have
crippled our diplomatic service and our navy.
1t has come to pass that, to Americans travelling
abroad, the advice might almost be given i'll
sober earnest "CarTy the American flag
wrapped about your person, of course. But if
"you want protection, call on the British
"cOnsul."
There are Americans who are tired of all this.
They know that Nation does not escape causes
of offence by indifference to- its honor or the
rights of its citizens. They feel that more
sturdy Nationality would beit n Nation so
strong as this They see that tame or incOmpc-
tent diplomacy has helped to cripple our foreign
trade and wish that, for four years at least, our
foreign interests might be intelligcnty cared
for, as Great Brtain's have been for half a
century. There is nothing discreditable i'll this
desire. If the country had not been wholly oc
cupied for many years with other matters of
more pressing nature, it would be discredtable
to the people and their Government that there
should now be so much reason as there is for
sensitiveness in regard to our foreign relations.
1t is not perceived that this natural American
feeling has been materially diminished by the
clatter of foreign journals, whether published
here or elsewhere. The plain people fee this
day that they could celebrate the Nations birth
day with much more zest and pride if they
could see the American flag respected abroad as
much as the flag of Great Britain. They would
like to have larger markets opened for our pro-
ducts, and cannot see why our diplomacy should
not be as effective in that direction as British
diplomacy has been. 1t seems to them that the
Monroe Doctrine is about as sound and patriotic
now as it was when the fathers of the Republic !
first shocked foreign ears with it.
THE BLESSING IN DISC USE