The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-06
w. C.. r. U. COLUMN.


the whole nation goes wild, ostensibly |
with JOY over the heroic deeds which
more than a hundred years ago made us
a nation, it is we'll to consider what true
patriotism in it's present form is, what is
intelligent love for our country. Our
great ancestors decreed that the people
should year after year celebrate the
event Of the Declaration OF Indepeud-
ence by the ringing of bells and the fir
ing Of cannon, and the people have relig.
iously carried out those instructions to
the present time. Yet the conviction
is forced upon us that the demonstra-
ton is in the letter rather than the spir-
it, and that in the ordinary Fourth of
July celebration there is very little in.
t~elligent patriotism. From the small
boy who burns up cities with his fire.
crackers and blows out his own eyes
with toy cannons, on through the list Of
those who consider the privilege OF cele-
brating the Fourth one Of their birth
rights, albeit they know not whether it
it is the day when st. Patrick drove the
snakes out OF Ireland or Columbus dis
covered America, the people who "load
up a steamboat with youth and beauty,
and pies and doughnuts," and 60 of on
a picnic, to the merchants who JOIN in a
procession whose chief object is the ad-
vertising Of their wares, there is manifest
an intinitesimal appreciation Of the val
ue OF our institutions and liberties, or Of
recognition Of the heroism of the men
who won them for us.
There is also a great deal Of talk on
the Fourth of July and on other days
which, while it passes for patriotism,
has little Of the genuine article in it.
Praise Of the deeds of those who went
before us, pride in what our race has &C.
complished, are good things in their
way. 1t has been truly said that it is a
grand thing for q race to have traditions,
and a very sad thing for a people to
have none. More than once, a people in
the midst Of well-nigh insuperable diff
~culties have been inspired to courage
and final victory by the memory Of what
their fathers have done before them.
But, like other good things, the memory
OF the great achievements Of our ances-
tors may be converted into q curse.
Such memories are a blessing and an in.
SEPARATION to the children who treasure
them as reminders that they should and
may be worthy Of their fathers; but,
when a people become satisfied to rest
upon the deeds Of the founders Of the
nation, when their only cause for boast
ing is that they are the son Of their
fathers, then the very greatness Of the
fathers becomes the weakness and ulti-
mate ruin Of the children.
We have reason to be proud of the
achievements Of the Anglo-Saxon race
Pme OF them; We have equally good
reason to be ashamed of some others.
But we need to remember that the past
deeds Of the Anglo-Saxon race will not
avail for the future. One might suppose
to hear aome people talk that it had
been foreordaired from the creation that
the Au9lo-Saxon was to rule the earth.
The truth is that what the race has al
ready nobly done simply makes possible
a future of yet greater glory and useful
ness. Whether or not it fultills the
promise OF its past, depends NOT on what
it has lone but upon what it shall yet
do. To US as to the Jews the commits
sion has been given, "In thee shall all
the nations OF the earth be blessed" To
US as to the Jews remains the possibility
of utter failure, Of ultimate ruin, If we
are faithless to God and duty. Extrava-
giant race pride is in itself a.sign OF
weakness. In all the dead nations OF
the past race pride was strongest in the
days Of their decline. II wa delude our.
selves with the mischievous notion that
God has created US inherently superior
to all other races Of mankind, We are in
grave danger of trusting to tina: sup.
posed superiority instead of our own
~endeavors. As surely q VI do we shall
60 down in ruin as other nations have
gone before Va. And the most despised
Of the nations Of the earth may rise up.
on our ruins, for history constantly as
serts that the ''last shall be iirst and the
first shall he last"
True and wise patriotism is that
which not only appreciates the achieve
ments OF our ancestors but also recog
} nlzes their mistakes, which not only re-
joices in the greatness of our countrj
but frankly Acknowledges and faces it,
weakness and it's ms.
IiahlA tn De NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..