The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-01


s In certain times and in particular places,
through all extreme application OF the
. Biblical doctrine of non-resistance, Chris
fians have brought upon themselves the
charge of lack of patriotic spirit. But
neither the records OF history nor right
Interpretation of scripture can fail to make
Il plain that in the largest view, the true
Christian has ever been the true patriot,
and the true patriot, to that extent at least,
n Christian The Bible contains indeed
some of the most exalted examples of
nofriotic devotion. Who more worthy the
name of patriot than Moses, choosing
rather to suffer ignominy with his own
7,eonle than to dwell luxuriously in the
& conrts of the Pharaohs; than Nehemiah, of
sad countenance and sorrowful heart,
>nntil he is permitted TO forsake his honors
In the palace of the great king to share the
reproach and desoation of his people;
than Esther, going in unbidden unto the
kings, presence; or than Paul, willing to
wish himself accused for his brethren and
lxinsmen. Even the Christ, whose mission
was universal and might seem to lift him
above all recognition of national ties,
confined his ministry unto his own people.
and directed his disciples to begin their
ministration at Jerusalem. No, Christi
anity does not depress but exalt the patri-
otto spirit; the unselishness which it in
culcates is closely akin to the devotion
and self-sacrifce which patriotism in
spires.
The true patriot loves his land He
sings truly in our National hymn,
II love thy rocks and rills.
Thv woods and tempted hills"
He loves the very mountains, the streams,
the broad plains-all that makes it his
Own, his native land.
Voyagers returning from distant shores
watch with eager eye and beating heart
for the first glimpse of the homeland and
erect it. when it lifts itself into their
vision. with song or shout or with silent
and unchecked tear. They, at least will
understand the sentiment that prompted
Z the cxiled Emperor of Brazil to carry with
him into his exile SO much of the soil OF
his native land as should suffice TO cover
him in his final resting place on strange
and foreign shores.
The patriot loves his people. Moses
offered himself for a people who had no
home; Esther for those who languished in
exile: Paul for those without native
land. We love the people among whom
ests our own are inseparably intertwined.
( The love that we bear to our families to
our friends, to our acquaintances to the
companions and associates OF our daily
life IS all included in the patriots love for
his people. The patriot loves the instltu-
tions and principles of government under
which he is reared. Even despotism the
most severe has oftentimes commanded
the ardent affection Of its people. When
Alexander of Russia, then as now the
most despotic of civilized governments,
declared upon the eve OF the Napoleonic
invasion: 'sShould Petersburg be taken we
will retire into Siberia I'VE will there resume
our ancient customs, and like our long
beared ancestors, we will return anew to
conquer the empire, he not only spoke as
a patriot, but was able to evoke like
spirit in his people. Despotism itself had
not quenched their love of country.
But if these be the objects of patriotic
regard, how favored is our own people; II
the rugged Businesses of Switzerland,
the barren highlands of Scotland, and the
marshy wastes of Holland, have COM
handed the affection of their inhabitants,
how much more shall our broad praries,
waving in luxuriant harvest; our noun
tains. rich in mineral resources as yet I'M
guaged; our streams, driving the wheels
of great factories or binding together one
state with another in the intimate relation
of commercial enterprise; how much more
shall the all but infinite wealth OF
national resource with which our country
has been blessed, command the devotion
of its people. Ii despotic Russia, If Rome
in the days of the Caesars, Austria In those
of the Hapsburgs, France in those of Ma
pocon, England in those of Elizabeth and
of George Ill, if these and other nations
have been able to command the loyalty of
their peoples under governments, arbitra
~, aristocratic monarchial or despotic,
how much more may America, based upon
the great democratic principles OF liberty
and equality, a government 'of the peo-
pie, and for the people, and by the PEG
ple,v expect to receive the loyal and UNI
wavering support of its citizcns2 But
what shall | say of the people themselves?
+ Are they such as may command our at
lection and inspire our self-sacriflce?
a Cosmopolitan in origin, the offspring of
diverse climes, of different races and of
hostile civilizations, our people are in their
nature and. characteristics still uniformed;
in the process of amalgamation, not yet
amalgamated; in the ferment of ripening,
but not yet ripened. What the finished
productive perfected man Of our Ameri
can civilization is to be-we may not yet
know. We only know that it is by pro-
ccsses such as these that the mighty peo
pies of the earth have been formed. The
people of mixed and heterogeneous origin
have in the processes Of historic evolution
shown themselves the most potent and
susceptible of the highest culture. Says
Herbert Spencer, from the standpoint of
his biological induction: Zone great result
is, / think, tolcrably clear. From his bio
logical truths il is to be inferred that the
external mixture of the allied varieties Of
the Aryan race in America will produce
a more powerful type of man than has
hitherto existed, and a type of man more
plastic, more adaptable. more capable of
undergoing the notifications needful for
complete social life. / Think, whatever
difficulties they may have to surmount
and whatever tribulations they may have
TO ppss through, the Americans may rea-
sonably look forward to the time when
they will have produced civilization
grander than any the world has known
Amid the present difficulties and the ex-
listing difficulties and tribu
lations in a large measure the product o.