The advocate., 1895-06-26

conduct when it appeared to be inspired by loyalty
Unconsciously to himself he was acting part.
Among the politicians and the men engaged in plum
dering the people by means of the machinery Of gov
ernment, there was, as there always is, much talk
about loyalty and patriotism, and much use of cant
phrases about "our liberties" "our Asg" and so on,
all Of which uttersnces were poured forth with We
hemence and accompanied with solemn and reVeren-
tisl looks. Some who had been Nathaniel Stones
superior officers during the war were much given to
pOmpous speeches Of this character, and the great
and good Washington himself made loyalty and pa
triotism his eesseless themes. These men had filed
the old soldiers mind with an artificial sentiment
rather because he Vsluedthe good opinion of these
men, he allowed himself to believe that he felt the
sentiment which they seemed to feel, and seemed
to think he ought to feel Left to his own
thoughts and impulses, he would have stood by his
son to the last extremity, for he loved him. Reun-
ions of veterans of the war, at which these politi
clans and potters Of infsmy always cOntriVed to be
present and pour forth the can't which among them.
selves was jest, had so turned the heads Of some
old soldiers that they walked the earth the appointed
guardians of "loyalty" "patriotism" and ''the
flag" and were ever ready to swell with artificial
passion at any nsinustlon that things not just
as they ought to be- or that, being interpreted the
people who worked ought not to be plucked by the
people who did not. These infatuated lOyslsts
were not numerous. To the great majority Of ex-
ReVolutonists treason was not yet so odious as to
make the Declaration of Independence Villainy
Most of them still believed that when any form of
government becomes destructive of the inslienable
rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
t is the right of the people to alter or to abolish
it," that sit is their right it is their day to throw
off such governments and to provide new guards for
their future security even driven to rebel in order
to accomplish that object, giving the only excuse
for such rebellion that ian appeslt arms and to the
God Of hosts is all that is left u.s." But the few,
puffed up with artificial patriotism, who felt no in
dignation at attempts to enslaVe their country but
would grow red with anger at the slightestTemark
indicating disrespect to Washington, or at mild
hint that resistance to tyrsntS is obedience to
God" no matter what flag they happen to hold over
them, made more noise than an entire Continental
army of the ex-soldiers who did their own thinking
and allowed their natural feelings to have play
Among these inflated patriots was Nathaniel Stone
To him. this can't about loyalty to an artificial thing
to mere fiction called "the Commonwealth =
had become what religious can't once was to fanatics
who, for "disloyalty to a cruel conception of Cod
burned women with unborn babes at the stake.
For since his return from the war; he had not been
intellectually strong. The old soldier was not so
much to blame as were the political plotters who
had made him fsnaticsl patriot in order to use
him in fastening chains upon his countrymen
AS already observed, however, Nathaniel Stone
did not indulge in Selfanslysis, and did not
pect that his Jealous loyalty to the Commonwealth
was at bottom, nothing but desire toplease the in
fluentis and the rich who throVe upon the control
they exercised over such as he Now, 1t so happened
that Hsmpden Bresdmongster was both rich and in
fuential among the rich, and that Nathaniel Stone
looked up to the popular lawyer with veneration
only less than that with which he regarded ''the
grand old Commonwealth" He had not heard of
Breadmongsters opposition to the Constitution nor
even of his defense of Sydney; so when the big law
yer came to speak in the neighborhood, Nathaniel