Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-04-20
| ETTERS OF A.
LOCKER ON.
PATRIOTISM.
CHARLES Town, w. VA,
Apr. Is, 1895.

CHARLES Town, W. VA,
Apr. Is, 1895.
To the Editor of the Herald.
"Breathcs there a man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native landw
What is patriotism? If we go to
the dictionary-makers, whose special
business it is to give us nice defini-
tons, we find little more than this
general Specification of the word,
Lore of one's COUNTRY If We consult
the poets we may read any amount Of
inespun sentiment clothed in mellif
luent diction representing patriotism
as the noblest passion of the human
breast. Even the dullest of dull phi
losoPhers and prosiest of prosy histo-
rians seem to consider extra graces Of
style requisite when they would cele-
brate men distinguished for devotion
to their native land. 1t is, however,
one of those conveniently convertible
words, like liberty, equality, and
many another high-sounding term,
whose application is. according to
circumstances, more or less subject to
our approval or disapproval. Though
&c -
strictly limit its use. there is scarcely
another word in our language that is
used more loosely.
Originally the amor bat,1e was
conspicuous tribunal virtue with much
of rude savagery in its general make
! up. AS mankind advanced in civili-
zation the sentiment became some
what refined but still retained many
of its primitive features. The small
republics of ancient times, Athens,
LacedRmon, and Rome in its earlier
history, owed their existence and glory
to the patriotic zeal of their citizens;
so, in later days, Venice, Florence, the
Hanse towns, and the confederate
cantons of Switzerland have more sed-
ulously fostered the spirit of patriot
ism than larger states whose popula-
ton spread over many provinces had
fewer interests in common. The law
of demand and supply asserted itself;
patriotism was not of much utility
under powerful governments. conse-
quently patriots became rare prod
uct. The iron heel of despotism too
efectually crushed out the spirit of
the people for any man or set of men
to brave the perils of hopeless oppo-
sition; if faction prevailed PARTISAN
ship played the role of patriotism and
oftimes carried off its honors Was
Brutus patriot? Were Cromwell,
Hanpden, Praise-god Barebones, and
men of that ilk patriots Were the
furious advocates of liberty. equality,
and fraternity who overthrow the des-
potism of the French kingse patriots
Well, probably the answer you might
make to these questions would depend
altogether on your standpoint and
what class of historians you think
most reliable.
Patriotism, sir, is the last refuge
of scoundrel." said the wise and
contentious Dr. Samuel Johnson
When Thomas Paine was about to
embark for France to aid the Revolu-
tionists in establishing a republican
form of government, his friends tried
to dissuade him from the perilous adj
venture. They said to him, "You
have helped us here in America to
gain our liberty, why risk your life
now in foreign country ?" Where
ever men are fighting for freedom,
there is my country, he replied. The
antithesis between the utterances of
the two men is the more remarkable
when we remember that DR.. johnson
wrote against our people his Tory
pamphlet, Taxation no Tyranny,
while on the other hand, Paine's polit-
ical writings gave powerful impetus
to the cause of the struggling colonies
1t appears, then, that patriotism is
not law unto itself. 1t can be judg-
ed only by sort of sliding rule of
moral mensuration which varies with
times and occasions. In its lowest
form it is simply the expression of a
clannish spirit-a iercely vindictive
virtue under whose maynard impulses
the warlike guardian of the patriarch
al domain is the perpetual enemy of
all the outside world, his hand against
every man and every mans hand
against him. Later, when for COM
mon defense tribe leagues with tribe,
and mighty nations arise governed by
regular laws and uniform administra-
ton of justice. the hero patriot is
gradually lost among the undistin-
guished mass of his ellow-subjects, or
he appears only as the chance leader
of a party, as the upholder often of a
questionable policy for or against the
government. Here, as everywhere,
the cause alone is the criterion ofright; |
it alone judges, justifes, or condemns
Subjected to this scrutiny patriotism
may become bold misnaming, a vile !
dishonoring word, or it may render
sedition and so-called rebellion glori-
Gus and honorable.
Hence we see it is only among free
and united people that patriotism can
exist as conservative, progressive
principle. The worlds history af-
fords many instances where conserva-
tisn per Sc has been mistaken for pa
triotism, and blind attachment to I
established institutions for heroic de-
votion to ones native land In fact