The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-25
THE TRUE PATRIOTISM
SERMON by DIR. MILBURN ON AMER
ICAN CITIZENSHIP.
Rev. j. w. Comfort Advocates the
Establishment of Temperance sa-
looms as a Cure for Drinking.

Rev. DIR. Milburn. pastor of the Second
Presbyterian Church, talked OF patriotism
yesterday morning. His words were in
spired by the patriotic sentiment paramount
in the minds of every American during the
past two weeks. He spoke from the text,
Yea, happy is that people whose God is
the Lord" found in the 18th verse of the
Hath Psalm. Having read the accounts of
the memorial services of Washington and
Lincoln, the two great and noble embodi-
ments of American ideals and purposes, DIR.
Milburn felt that NEST people must be con-
scious of the fact that genuine and real
patriotism is scarce COMMONLY for, after
all, patriotism Is something infinitely higher
and nobler than mere rhetoric, than mere
gaudy sentences, and a mere assertion of
national greatness and fine perorations over
the heroic dead. Patriotism, the pastor
held. must in no sense be identified with
mere physical achievement and impressive
ness. 1t is vastly higher thing than mar
tial valor OF course, every American should
love America, because she has produced
magnificent specimens of manhood, mighty
thinkers and practical enterprise but after
all. national greatness has its cares and
anxieties, and patriotism must express itself
in solicitude for this very greatness of
which Americans are so proud. Patriotism
is just as much necessity of peace as it is
of war. and should concern itself with ma
tional integrity. nation in peace, as much
as a nation in war. needs to be governed by
high ideals. A real patriotism must express
itself in loyal appreciation of and gratitude
for national institutions. If there were in
telligent criticism to be passed upon a re-
publican form of government not as an
ideal system, but an actual working sys-
tenn, that criticism would be against the ex-
cess of privilege rather than against the
unlimited Of this country
Continuing, DIR. Milburn said: "Now, /
say that the homogeneous spirit that we find
existing In every normal nation is deficient
In America. Here we have differences in
abundance, and not only individual differ
have Englishmen and Irshmen and Scotch
and Russians, and Germans and
Frenchmen. and Italians and a few Turks
every nation almost under the sun being
represented in our body polite. The conse-
quence of which Is we finu here lament
able want of national oneness of spirit and
purpose And this take 1t, is our special
jeopardy, our peculiar menace to-day, for
whenever any vital question comes up that
morals. whenever any legislation comes up
that has to do with the labor question, with
other human question our anxiety is, not
as to what the action of this legislation
shall be upon the mass of American people
as a whole, and whether 1T will add to the
sObriety, the harmony and the neace of the
national organism, but rather whether it
will affect the German vote or the Irish
vote or some other vote And SO. you see,
we are by our shifty politics emphasizing
day by day the national division. IN the
midst of w legislating for Ger
mans we are legislating for Lutherans, we
are legislating for Irishmen and we are
will be legislating for Englishmen and
an established church, and still further
we will be legislating for foreign Socialists
and Anarchists.
Indeed. an Illustration of this very fact
we have in regard to a law that we are
just now seeking to put upon the statute
books Of our own State. / refer to the
Nicholson bill. And now, what is the argu-
ment against this bill? 1t is not that it
that 1t works an injustice even to the saloon
man. because its whole spirit is simply in
laws; it is not That it is going to initiate
in any way against the well-being of our
State or city, but that 1t will cost the party
that passes it the vote that is known as the
German vote-an argument that do not
personaly believe has an c , whatever
Of the German citizens that l know are
identified in any way with the yicissitudes
there all the same. and that crooked finger
points to this fact-that in this Nation there
is not what there ought. to be. and what we
find in every other nation this earth--a
spirit of national homogeneity, a spirit that
makes every Englishman one and every
Scotchman one, and that Shou.l make every
American one when it comes to a question
of the general wen-being of the American
Nation.
Nor do I see any solution of this prob
lem except one, and that is to withhold
American citizenship from every foreigner
until he becomes one of us; to withhold ev-
cry privilege that is characteristically ma
tiona1 privilege from every German until
he is degermanized. from every Irishman
until he IS deirshized. and from every En-
glishman until he is deanglicized. Our coun-
try has been far too liberaI-far too gener-
lege Of citizenship given me long before |
had rightly earned it, and observation and
foreigner has right to participate to such
an extent in our national life as to be able
to modify, alter and perhaps to mar that
life until he has such appreciation of
and is so in love with American institutions
that he is from his head to his feet. and in
every thought that he thinks and in every
every ray of light that is in his political
conscience, an American In all his aspira-
II believe our Nation is most wonderful
nation I believe that in its hour of sore
and the grandest strength to deal with an
emergency of any. nation. on this earth.
and % in neSea plotqs Of II in my d
marching forward like queen, radiant and
triumphant: and yet, my friends, it is still
true that if our Nation Is to survive the
waves of time, If she is to go freely for
ward to the destiny that God has appointed
for her and in fulhllment of the mission
to accomplish; il she Is going to be a wit
ness and a light unto the nations that
democracy is the only true and perfect
form of government. and that man Is, after
ALL capable of ruling himself without
thrones or kings or courts; If she is going
to realize the glorious possibilities of nation
al life that she contains richly within
herself, her citizens must learn how to bow
to her sovereign authority TO this end I
should have the obligation of citizenship
taught in all the fullness of its meaning in
our public schools; should have the coming
generation and all future generations at
least educated in patriOtism-a patriotism
which does not consist in mere fustian
about a flag; patriotism which does not
consist of mere rhetoric and fine words
about our national future; patriotism
which does not consist of mere splendid
generalties about equal rights and such like
fictions. but rather in patriotism which
siders the moral destiny of our great coun-
try and the obligation that each citizen
owes to its institutions, its statues and it's
laws
TIE. TEMPERANCE SALOON