Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-05


which first made possible the salvation of
our country.
Such is the outward form of patriotism.
What is its spirit, and why does that
spirit exist
Patriotism, or love of country, is inn
planted in man by nature rs II necessary
attendant to the other attributes of his
being. The structure of man, and of the
planet on which he lives, confer on him
three general spheres of lifc-the indi-
| vdual, the family and the national. His
individual sphere is comprised about by
two larger circles-the inner one the fam
| lily, and the outer one the national In
each of these spheres man has II duty to
| perform in accord with the conditions of
| his earthly being. The structure of man
ties him to the earth from which he
sprang, for his limited power of locomO-
| ton and his drawing his bread from ont
of the ground, make him, substantially II
stationary being. notwithstanding the
multitudeS that sail the seaS in traffic
with far-oil countries, and the great mum
bers that periodically emigrair from diff
terent lands, and the many that travel for
business or pleasure, ninctcnthS OF the
human race-and the vast majority of
these from generation to generation-livc
and die within Il radius of Il few
miles of the place of their birth.
| Thus is mans individual sphere of
life almost universally confined to
]
his growth 70 manhood. Mans family
sphere of life, composed as it is of beings
like himself, dependent in Il measure upon
him, but hens him in the more securely.
Mans national sphere of life is limited by
the geographical boundaries of noun
tains, rivers and seas, character of soil
and diversity of climate, and by the polit
ical boundary of the common interests of
those who live closely enough together to
form compact government to protect
those interests. These divisions are fur
Their strengthened by the growth of differ
ent languages and customs. Such are
the conditions which divide the pOpula-
ton of the world into separate nations
very many of them numbering but a few
| thousands, or even hundreds of persons.
In order that mans duty shall be per-
formed in these three spheres of life, Ma
ture has planted, as an internal spring
of action, a strong sentiment in the heart
of man. This sentiment, when it prompts
him to provide for his individual wants
is called selflove. When it prompts him
to care for his dependent kin, it is called
natural, or family affection and when it
prompts him to protect his country, it is
called patriotism. But in each case it is
the same natural, cOmmcndabe desire to
do our duty to those for whose welfare
we are responsible. 1t is common to ig-
more the duty of self-love, and to stigma
tie all efforts for personal advancement
the strength of patriotic feeling in those
whose lives are devoted or given to their
cOuntry's service. But family, or natural
affection as 1t is called is universally re
garded as,something which all persons
must have, or be judged destitute of the
commonest and strongest and worthiest
attribute of humanity. Self-love is look
ed upon as too narrow in Its limits for
man sduty, and patriotism as too wide in
its scope for his ability, while the field of
family affection is commonly regarded
us large enough to satisfy the demands of
his duty, and not so large as to surpasS his
ability. The fact is, however, that what
IS called the natural affection of parents
for children, children for parents, and
brothers and sisters for each other, is no
more natural, or commendable, than is
the love of an individual for himself
within its proper limits for if Il man
have no true love for himself he
can have no worthy love for others nor
is family affection" more natural or com
mendable than is the love of citizen for
his country, or the tender regard of one
citizen for the rights and regulations of
his fellows There are indeed those whose
self-lOve is but wild irregular passion,
which ruins its possessor in the end there
are unnatural parents, migrate children,
and kindred veXed with family feuds :;
there are also quarrelSome citizens, and
there are those-few, / Know but alas !
would gladly grasp the price of their
country shame. Still selt-love, family
love, and love of country remain the I'M
changed,dutieS of man and, though there
may be seeming conflict between these
duties, it is not real. The mother who
denies herself for her children but adds to
her own honor, and the father who leaves
his family, to fight for his country, but
performs Il higher duty to his dependent
ones, and sheds the lustre of his glory
upon those who bear his name.
| The Spirit of Patriotism, therefore, is
that sentiment which Nature has planted
in the heart of man to move him to do his
duty, in his national sphere of life, to-
wards those whose interests, from geo.
graphical and other causes blend with
his own and it is the highest inspiration
of mans duty because it reaches out to
| the thousands of unknown ones whose
earthly lot is cast i'll common with his
own. In the earlier ages of the world the
multitude of small nationalities, into
Which man was necessarily divided, cir
/ Cumscribcd the duty of patriotism within
narrow territorial limits, and within II
small circle of persons but the past pro
grcSS of man in civilization has abolished,
in large part Of the world, those petty
tribal divisions which mark a barbarOuS
state of society, and future progress will
/ doubtless bring about the consolidation
of allied and neighboring nationaliies,
! ne COue OF international law Will III time
be so extended in its scope and authority
that all the nations of earth shall rccog-
nize Il common tribunal for the settle
ment of many of their disputes but the
natural causes which separate mankind
into distinct nationalties, can no more be
Oblterated than can those which cause his
division into families and into individ-
uals. The sword of Caesar or an Alex
ander may briefly be the sceptre of a
Worldwide empire, but when death
strikes the hand of phenomenal genius
from that sword the natural inspirations
of separate nationalities again assert their
sway.
The cohesive power of civilization, in
uniting extensive and pOpulOus tracts of
country can be distinctly traced in the
short history of the United States. The
division of the original thirteen States
into New England, Middle and Southern
states was not an arbitrary one of the
Biographies. The differing class of inn
migrants which first settled these separate
regions, the differing character of climate
the natural boundaries, the difficulty OF
intercourse, and the differing interests
which these causes built mp in the three
ti,..s