New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-22
PATRIOTIC FEELING RETITING.

There are not many Americans now who do
not feel deeply that this country ought 10 be
more manfully and honorably represented in for
oign relations II does no good To rebuke THIS
feeling rs a species OF Jingosm. Level-hcaded
mon know better ana jhey know. too. that prac-
tically all the American people share the 1ecl-
ing cxccpting few who have gone daft III
idolotry Of President Cleveland. Americans are
f,r from aggressive in foreign relations. lhey
refrain from rcScnting injuries which almost
any other nation would for honors sake in
stontIv resent Consciousness of vast power
makes Americans willing TO pass with indiffer-
ence The Sights or injuries which some other
nations would feel that they could not aford 10
ignore.
\oiiber is there any strong desire. with the
average American. for further acquisition of terri
tory He feels that it is large undertaking 10
govern and do Justice 10 the country as il stands
lis territory is already 50 extensive, its variety
of climate and Of material interests so great. its
diversity Of race and nativity presents so many
difficult problems that the average American
is NOT hungry to have the difficulty increased
He doubts. TOO. whether the addition of French
Canadians many of whom are fanatical Catho-
lies. or of mixed races in Mexico. or turbulent
csc and Kanaka clements in Hawaii. would on
the whole make the task Of governing TINS great
Nation more easy or safe. Not blind TO the adj
vantagc~ of this or that territory, the average
American feels that the burden and risk ought
n each case 10 be carefully weighed; that we
have about territory enough already ana dim
ruliie, enough jc overcome and that IL is gen
orally safe To LEI we'll alone.
Neither has the average American much
anxiety about The extension Of commerce. lie
is often blind 10 his OWE true interests, bu' II
is because he j. profoundly impressed with inc
fact that the entire commerce OF The whole WORTH
does not equal The consumption Of the American
market We produce by manufacture about
SO OOO eco OOO yearly. but export about Il TWEEN
tcth Of that sum. and British imports of MI kinds
are about fifth Of that sum. ana no other ma
ton has "A commerce nearly so large. II i not
strange that the American. when nc secs mat
the actual consumption Of I0OOOOO0 people IN
the United States j. in many most important
articles from quarter to Il third of the con
sumption of the whole world. should feel in
rljned TO disregard foreign trade. even TO The
verge Of fo0Shncss.
That this has been thr actual temper Of the
American people everybody knows who has I'M
derstood il in the least. The people at home or
abroad who have imagined that there was any
creed for territorial acquisition. or any desire
10 shape foreign policy in order 10 command
larger commerce. really know nothing about The
people they miSrepreSent The truth is thai
this growing Indifference 20 all things foreign
had gone 50 far. had become 10 such an extent
u chronic disease Of Americans. that Cleveland
ism became possible But for that disease no
Executive dishonoring the Nation * President
cleveland has done would he tolerated by n
p8trlotic Congress or people Rui il seems TO be
his mission 10 he both poison and antidotc: 10
cmbody in It's most repulsve form the evil spirit
of Indifference 10 National interests and honor
and thereby TO rckindle the flame Of patriotic
feeling For there is unmStaklbly far more
deep feeling than there was three years ago
about the treatment of Americans abroad about
the maintenance Of American rights in foreign
lands about the Nations interests in Asiatic or
South American European commerce. In
short President Cleveland has succeeded in en-
bodyng distinctly the absence of patriotic
feeling and interest that he has made Americans
ashamed Of it,