Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-02
HOLLAND OF TO-DAY.
TWO INTERESTING VIEWS OF THE
NATIONS FUTURE.
The Spirit Of Patriotism and Enter
prise Not Dead-The Nener"bie
Universities. the Ancient Hepupiic'
aud Its Constitution.

and It's CONSTITUTION.
ROTTERDAM letter in the Nation)
In a certain sense the Dutch OF to-day
suffer in comparison with their glorious
mast. one who studies the faces Oh INC
canvases Of Rembrandt ana FRANZ nam
and then looks upon contemporsheou9
Netherlanders is struck with the dlileI-
ence. The heroic pride and JOY OF HE
pottceable in the former must have gwen
away to simple content or ahN'ouS
sire for gain. Familiarity with hsuies
of arithmetic rather than oil rhe'o'io o.,''
racterizes the Dutchman OF to-udS' nv
average face in the land OF dykes ana
ouilders is much like that in the county
NJ mounds. shillings. and pence. ii Is
distinctly commercial. The Ensishfi'ah
apparently notices this even more IMAM
the American, and the moderh III
stances" of the British pot calling the
Dutch kettle black are numerous ana
amusing.
Even the Hollanders Themselves declare
that there has been a decline in national
Maurice. The pessmists who bewall
these and recent degenerate days are OF
two sorts. The ultra Calvinists. of whom
there IL yet vast number in Netherland,
polnt 10 the past with reverence because
Of its purcr orthodoxy. They declare mat
the triumphs OF their fathers In art
poetry. law, science and military success
were direct fruits Of faith. Declcnsion III
doctrine has been followed by decay OF
national prestige. \ powerful party III
political and ecclesiastical life still shout
the battle-cries of the Synod OF bort.
Barneveldt will never have statue II
they can help II. Nevertheless, his name
is on the new streets Of the Dutch clues
Another class. usually the learned men
I'm the universities and professions, de-
clare that the Dutch have lost nerve
The old spirit of enterprise which led
their ancestors. even while ishtlhS
against giant Spain. to FIJI the earth with
explorers and cover the once unknown
land and seas with Dutch names (Which.
the English with characteristic lmpu-
dence. say they have ardsed or sup
planted is no more. Not only have the
qualities. even Of the very cheese ana
butter declined. but the merchant VIII
not risk his ships or the capitalist his
cuildcrs unless positively sure of his
per cent returns.
a ROSTER TINT.
A different note is sounded by others Of
perhaps wider view. notably by men In
the commercial marine and by the Rot
terdammers. Nations, say these men,
whose glasses p.s-ess a roster tint have
their dark ana bright days, their ebb and
How Nederland, they argue. is awaken
ing from her night slumbers. The tide Is
rising. and a new day Of prosperity Is
being ushered in. Look. they cry, we are
out of the ENGAGEMENT Of European poll
tics We are without enemies. and need
make none. From Germany there il no
danger whatever. France and England are
both friendly. our colonial possessions are
outside of the sphere Of the ambitions of
the great Powers that are busy. jealous.
and rapacious in Asia and Africa. We
have shown how we'll we can colonize and
govern our subject thirty millions. our
army and navy and fixed defenceS are
in frst-class order. We are able in any
emergency 10 protect our borders and en-
force neutrality. our schools are the al
miration Of Europe. Our art is living.
In fisheries, trade. agriculture, We are
steadily advancing. Manufactures are in
creasing in value and extent Of sale. Rot
terdam will soon be one Of the greatest
Amsterdam are prospering. While the
number OF new houses and people in the
chief cities multiplies. the country dis
tricts hold their own. Who will say that
the Dutch nation is not even now having
a renaissance?
How far the boast Of Young Holland"
is soundly based, the foreigner cannot
certainly say. even after seeing and talk
ing with men in the eleven provinces.
Ii Is certainly more easy 10 believe I'm
the asserted renaissance while in The
Hague, or In Rotterdam. than when, for
example. i'm the heath-land of Drenthe
or in the Province Of Limburg. The gene
raj air OF the kindom is that OF content
ment and prosperity. Everything is well
kept up, neat and bright. some Of the
cities which are dead in rhetoric and
book-tities seem remarkably lively. Che
writer. from the point Of view Of the
tourist, enjoyed the distant provinces Of
Fr.esland, Gronngen. iceland. and Lin
burg quite as much as the two Hollands.
MIDWAY GROUND.
Probably the ground midway between
the pessmistc scholar in the cloister and
the enthusiastic shippers who share the
Rotterdam enthusiasm. is that which IS
paved with truth. My own impression OF
the Dutch Is that they are safely set in
precedent and grooves. and Will not soon
or startlingly change Under the pres
sure Of national danger they VIII. think
be found ready, and will probably repeat
their history. II anything seems clear
from recent critical investigation. II IL
that the people OF Holland led William
the Silent more than he led them. These
quiet men who think are not likely to
luail before the bul ying of the great
Older camps around them. The recent
vents Of Lombok and East Indies. when
read in their true light, argue nothing
against Dutch valor or. tenacity. They
rather answer grandly TO the traditions
IF the eighty-years' war. Yet the myn-
heers do not love strife. There is nothing
II the style or aristocratic swagger in the
Dutch "mlitaire" such as one sees so
much OF in Berlin for example. All extra
show, fuss. and pomp is sedulously avoid
ed. The studied restraint, quiet dignity.
and modest decorations of the recent
'feest" in The Hague, when the little
Queen. Wilhelmina. with her own hands,
pinned on the medals TO the bosoms Of
the warriors of Lombok. was singularly
ike a family party. No theatrical herald
ing abroad of the impressive ceremony
was even thought of. Strong and bronzed
heroes who had faced the deadly Malay
krisses and rifie-fre Of the jungles broke
DOWN and showed their wet faces as the
royal chlld's dainty fingers laid a ma
TONS award over their hearts. None
more than intelligent Holanders are OPP
posed to the idea of standing armies. Yet
the awful experiences os the past show
he unwisdom of being unready. Vigi-
ance and defence are necessary. with
such powerful neighbors al around. In
the East Indies, despite the occasional
OF a tribe. the peaceful and sue
cessful government of 100000 OF sub