St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-05
THE VALUE OF PATRIOTISM.

1t is announced that JOHN FIsKE. the
well-known writer on American his
tory, will lecture at the high school on
the Eth of April. His subject will be
The Discovery OF America by the
Northmen." lie is a man of robust
physique and vigorous mind, and stands
easily with SCHoULER and ADAMS
among the leaders in this department
Of study.
In the same connection the GLOBE
publishes this morning in its news col
umns an article contributed by Mrs.
FLANDRAU, the Minnesota represent
ative in the association of the Ameri-
can women who purchased Mount Yer
non, GEORGE WAsHINGToN's home,
and presented it TO the nation. The as
ISOLATION aims to increase its resources.
that it may further beautify the site,
and throw it open to the public without
the fec which is now charged for ad
mission. Mrs. FLANDRAU'S contribu-
ton makes interesting reading, and the
GLOBE cOmmendS it and the cause in
the interest of which it is written to the
attention and consideration of its read
erS.
1t is to be hoped that the audience
which greets Mr.. FIsKE when he
speaks here Will be large one, and
that the states subscription to the
Mount Vernon fund will be generous
and creditaDle. 1t is a good thing for
the people of every section Of Mime
sofa to be confronted by means Of con-
temporary incidents of this sort with
the fact that there is such a subject as
early American history, prolific in events
and men worthy the pride and remem-
brance of those who live to-day. 1t is
the duty of such of us as know this al
ready TO spread the glad tidings where
they have not yet penetrated. The
general discussion of the precolo-
NAL period of our country's life and
Of the character and career of GEORGE
WAsHINGToN, which these two things
suggest, would bear fruit in the spread
ing of the patriotic feelings. And this,
of all shortcomings, is the most conSpic-
uOus i'll our local atmosphere.
The people of the United States have
undertaken task the like of which has
never yet been successfully achieved.
They aim to hold together in one EN-
pire Il vast stretch of country Inhabited
by races of every tongue and inspired
by interests and ambitions as conflict
ing as they are manifold. The posi-
bilities of disunion did not die with the
civil war: and the loyal Southerner
whose devotion to our common country
IS unquestiOned, looks with diSmay on
the diversity of economic conditions
which is establishing itself in the diff
ferent sections of the Union. lie is very
common to near him predict that there
will be another civil war, and that the
combatants will be the East on one side
and the West on the other, with one or
the other the aggresSor according as it
is able to triumph or forced to submit
in the struggle which seems bound to
come for supremacy in the national
councils.
This is needlesSly gloomy outlook
il the spirit Of patriotism and loyalty is
kept in vigorous life among our people.
As long as the true theory on which our
institutions are founded is understood
and made the ideal in our public meas
ures, there is no danger of such an out
come. Our government was born in
struggle against legislative or executive
interference with the concerns of the
individual beyond the minimum re-
Qu ed for the governments existence.
The articles of confederation, which
provided for a central power so weak
as to be Intellectual for any purpose,
represented better even than the conSti-
! tuition our forefatherS' idea of what
government should be. After the con-
stltutiOn was adopted the strict con-
Struction!Sts, under the lead of THOMAS
JEFFERSON, became the cuSt0dianS of
this national theory. Their notion was
that the less the government attempted
| to do the better it was for the state
| They believed that every form of in
duStry t1OuriShed most b0nntlfully when
! left to the management of private Ell
! terprIse. And they denounced as dis
| loyal in the highest degree the schemes
! Of ALEXANDER HAMILTON. who
! dreamed of a central power modelled
/ after the European plan.
The overwhelming tide of immigra-
! ton which has poured into our land
! during the last quarter of a century
! and the wonderful expansion our in
| duStrial and social life has experienced
! have clouded the picture of these sim
| pier earlier ideas. There are thousands
of men even in Minnesota who have
| never heard of THOMAS JEFFERSON or
| ALEXANDER HAMILTON, and almost as
| many To whom the name Of WASHING
! TON calls up no responsive feelings or
/ emotions. The race for wealth and
| honor has taken the best energies of
! even those who have had superior OBJ
! pOrtunitles in these directions; and es-
| pecally in the West we are in that pit
liable condition of men without coun-
t try or Il common hearth fire.
The effect of this is seen in the con-
| slant reaSsertiOn in our local Iegisla-
| lures of political ideas which would be
odlOus to the men who utter them, had
| they proper knowledge or veneraton
| for the great men who devised our in
situations. 1t is also seen in the con-
| slant efforts made by our national con-
! greSS to use its taxing and other powers
for the purpose of shaping the indus
trial and social life of our citizens. Tar
| iii laws of the modern pattern and leg
| lSlatlon aimed to aid one section or set
OF individuals at the expense of anoth-
! er are in violation of the main article
| of our national creed, and if persisted
| in are bound sooner or late to dis
rupt the Union. The government
OF so vast stretch of territory by one
power is possible only if that power
keeps its hands off of cveryth ing which
does not concern Its existence. and
leaves strictly to each locality the die
tation and disposition OF its personal
problems. If it undertakes any other
course it will inevitably favor one ser
/ ton and Cypress another, and it is only
! question of time when those who are