The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-01
REBUKING THE JINGO PRESS.
Belief that 1t Does Not Represent the
Views of the Public.
The Outlook.

X.
One of the most discouraging features Of
contemporary journalism In this country ID
the extraordinary and inexplicable fury with
which so many newspapers fall upon every
foreign powers The first impulse OF an
American vessel has been fired upon or
that a mob has thrown stones at an Ameri-
can sailor seems to be to arouse the. coun-
try and declare war without waiting to
ascertain the facts or TO discover where
the responsibility lies. The treatment OF the
affair ~ h ae " PAP SENSE = good
American editors THE telegraphic an
nouncement of that incident was followed
by an outpouring of indiscriminate wrath
against Spain. A foreigner reading our
ciusion that Spain was in the habit of firing
on American vessels every morning. and
that she was guilty of an ofiense against
international law in still maintaining her
sovereignty in Cuba. In the same way
every diplomatic transaction with South
England is involved is at once treated as
IL II were the beginning or complication
with those powers. IL Is assumed that they
honor Of the United States is at stake. This
silly and childish buster is of no conse-
quence provided it does not ultimately
brood boisterous and rowdyish spirit
among the readers OF these newspapers. SO
far. we are unable to detect the slightest
people. The newspapers appear TO be the
exclusive possessors of that article, All the
attempts to arouse 1dtlOudi sentiment Oh
the subject of the annexation Of Hawaii fell
preterraturally fiat. f
The trouble with these newspapers Is that
they confuse buster with strength and they
assume that the foreign policy OF the United
States is weak and vactilating unless IL Is
insolent and threatening We are constant
ly told that the English would do so and so
under certain circumstances, with the inn
plication that whatever the Engiish 40 we
ought to do. AS matter OF fact the only
originality in diplomatic affairs which this
country can show is to follow an entirely
different policy from that Of England. We
want TO break resolutefy with European
traditions of dealings between nations. We
are strong enough TO keep our hands i'm our
pockets and our tenlpers under control.
There is no reason why we should take
every weaker nation by the tiirost and ride
it's pockets: is there any reason why we
should break into profanity when any ma
ton of our own strength takes up subject
In which we may be Interested. We have
long outgrown the barbarism which ASSOC
ciated high spirit, chivairy. and honor with
readiness 10 take offenss and determina-
ton to fight on every possible occasion. The
man who does this would have been a hero
three centuries ago. but he is now simply a
bully. IL is the bullying temper which the
ne newspapers mistake for greatness: but we
entirely misjudge the American people IL
their sanity OF view. their essential good
sense and their fundamental strength per-
nit them 30 to nlisread their own character
and destiny and so to nlfsrepresent their
own essential strength. Firmness. modera-
ton and courtesy mark dignifisd and i'm
pressve foreign policy.