The Irish standard., 1894-04-07

4t0l0nN u0AVoAO0 o"A4ooOoIly 0A0IoSS OA
Patriotism before the New York Com
mandery OF the Loyal Legion in New
York. The following is an abstract:
BEAUTY AND VALUE OF PATRIOTISM.
Patriotism! There is magic in the
word. 1t is bliss to repeat it. Through
ages the human race burnt the incense
Of admiration and reverence at the
shrines of patriotism. The most beauti-
full pages of history are those which
count it's deeds. Fireside tales, the out
pourings of the memories of peoples, Dor
row from it their warmest. glow. Poets
are sweetest when they re.eoho it's whis-
perings; orators are most potent, when
they thrill it's chords to music.
Pagan nations we're wrong when they
made gods of their noblest patriots. But
the error was the excess of a great truth,
that heaven unites with earth in approx
ing and blessing patriotism, that patriot
ism is one of earth's highest virtues, wor-
thy to have come down from the atmos-
phere of the skies.
The exalted patriotism of the exiled
Hebrews exhaled itself in canticle of
religion which Jehovah inspired, and
which has been transmitted, as the in
heritance of Gods people, to the Chris
tian Church: "Upon the rivers of Baby
ion, there we sat and wept, when we re-
membered Sion--If I forget thee, O
Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgot
ten. Let my tongue cleave to my jaws,
if do not remember thee, if I do not
make Jerusalem the beginning of my
JOY"
The human race pays homage to patri-
otism, because of it's supreme value. The
value of patriotism to a people is above
gold and precious stones, above COM
MERGE and industry, above citadels and
War ships The vital spark of national
honor is patriotism; it is the fount of the
nation prosperity, the shield of the ma
TONS safety. Take patriotism away, the
nations soul has fed, bloom and beauty
have vanished from the nations counten-
ance.
The human race pays homage to patri-
otism, because of it's supreme 10. eliness.
Patriotism goes out to what is among
earth's pc sessions the most precious,the
first and best and dearest-country, and
it's effusion is the fragrant Towering Of
the purest and noblest sentiments Of the
heart. ..,
Patriotism is innate in all men; it's ab-
sence betokens perversion of human
nature; but it grows it's full growth only
where thoughts are elevated and heart
beatings are generous.
Next to God is country, and next to re-
ligion is patriotism. No pcsise oes be-
yond its deserts. 1t is sublime in it's
heroic oblation upon the field of battle.
20 glorious is he," exclaims in Homer
the Trojan warrior, "who for his country
falls" It is sublime in the oft:repeated
toll of dutiful citizenship: "Ot all hui
man doings," writes Cicero, "none is
more honorable and more estimable than
to merit we'll of the commonwealth"
America is the country of human dig
nifty, and human liberty.
When the fathers of the republic de-
clared: "That all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" cardinal principle
was enunciated, which in its truth was
as old as the race, but in practical reali-
cation, almost unknown.
Slowly, amid sufferings and revolu-
tions, humanity had been reaching out
toward reign of the rights of man.
Ante Christian paganism had uttly de-
MED such rights. 1t allowed nothing to
man as man; he was what wealth, place,
or power made him. Even the wise
Arts otle taught that some men we're in
tended by nature to be slaves and chat
tells. The sweet religion Of Christ pro-
claimed aloud the doctrine of the COM
mon fatherhood of God, and the univer-
sal brotherhood of men. But eighteen
hundred years went by, and the civilized
world had not yet put it's civil and politi-
cal institutions in accord with it's spiri-
tual faith. The Christian church was all
this time leavening human society, and
patiently awaiting the promised fermen-
tstion. This came at last, and it came In
America. It came in first manifesto
ton through the Declaration of Inde-
pendence; it came in second and final
manifestation through President Lin
coins proclamation of emancipation.
In America, all men are civilly and po-
litically equal; all have the same rights;
all WELD the same arm of defence and Of
conquest, the suffrage; and the sole con-
dition Of rights and of power is simple
manhood.
Over q century ago a TRANSATLANTIC
poet and philosopher, reading we'll the