Evening star., 1895-02-22
X. II. Sherwood.

laws that are Just and peaceable, resist
ance to laws that are unjust; that to teach
patriotism is to assimilate our alien eie-
mentS, stem the encroacbments of organ
lied force and make the American republic
in truth what the immortal Lincoln hoped
for, "a government of the people, by the
people and for the people,"
The signs of the times are encouraging
for patriotic teaching. The salute to the
flag introduced into the free kindergartens
of New York city by the late Col. George
Balch, auditor of the schools of New York,
is given today by between 3.OO0.000 and
4OOU,0OO children the country over, includ-
ing the government Indian schools The
Youths Companion salute, first used on the
Columbian year program modification of
the BLACK salute, is given daily by many
thousands more. The Connecticut legiS-
(ators last spring ordered a flag over
every school house in the state. and old
Trinity College of Hartford set its seal of
approval upon the act by raising a nag on
the campus with imposing ceremonies; the
first institution of higher learning making
an effort to join patriotism to scholarship.
Montana has passed the flag bill
The state teachers associations and state
township trustees of Indiana have lent
their united influence to the flag movement.
The Indiana and Pennsylvania legislators
are in the throes of patriotic legislation,
confronted by the demand for the flag on
the one hand and the demand for the gat-
ling guns upon the other.
The National Woman's Relief Corps have
inaugurated a system of patriotic teaching,
and the last national convention Womans
National Christian Temperance Union COM
mended the work to it's membership
AS patriotic women of the republic,
scourged and harried by wars that have
not been of our own making. and menaced
and tortured by calamtieS and crises, in
dustrial and financial, which an educated
patriotism might have averted, let us lend
our announcement to every movement
which shall have for it's end the assim-
lation and unifcation of all sections, classes,
creeds and nationalities into one homo
geneous American intelligence, an intelli-
gence which will justify the confidence of
the founders OF the republic in the endur-
ing power of free self government; an in
telligence that teaches that he who lives
for ones country is greater than he who
dies for it; an intelligence that is all-em-
bracing, all-pervading, universal, the tri-
umph of free thought. free speech and free
and unfettered reason over brute force; an
intelligence that beholds in the stars and
stripes the symbol of justice, equality and
fraternal love.
The program of the morning was divided
under two topics. patriotism in government
and patriotism in the schools. AT the con-
clusion of the reading of the report OF the
committee, Mrs. Sherwood presented a
carefully prepared paper on the subject,
PATRIOTISM as an Element in Founding
and Preserving Free institutions"
Mrs. SherwOOtl's Speech.
Patriotism does not find it's best express
sion in military review. the gleam of
brass buttons and the toss of a feather.
The greatest military patriot this country
has ever produced looked forward to the
time when the only armed force the United
States would need was a national police In
his patriotic watchword, Let us have
peace" is couched the craftsmanship OF the
mir eteenth century.
Patriotism does not reach Its highest
form on the battlefield. when the trumpets
blare and the cannons roar and the general
cries "FcrwardT' Splendid is the patriot
ism that leads man to die for his country
in the forefront of battle: but splendid be-
yond human speech to depict is the patriot
ism that leads to the martyrs stake, to the
death Of humiliation, defeat and the re-
proach of men.
Patriotism is fraternal; 1t is the passion
to serve ones country through serving our
feIlow-crea tureS To him whose heart has
been melted in its pure. white. fervent heat.
how contemplate the boarding OF wealth,
the emoluments Of Office, the clacking of
the galleries, the plumeS and pageantry of
power, the castles on the heights and the
marble palaces on the boulevards for which
men live and die. Thomas Jefferson's vow,
when entering upon his civic duties. never
to enter upon any project that would add
to his private emolumeDts while engaged In
his countrys Service, is worthy of the man
who penned the Declaration of lndepen-
dence.
Individual rights is the motive power of
patriotism, and that mouve power has been
the civilizing force of the world. 1t wrested
the charter from King John, it razed the
Bastile to the level of the Seine. 1t freed
the serfs of Russia, it guided the Pilgrims
over unknown seas, Ii nerved the famine
stricken patriots of Valley Forge, it nerved
the hand that penned the emancipation
proclama ton.
Individual rights is organizing labor
unions throttling municipal corruption,
sccurging the money changers from legisla-
tive lobbics. laundering in the pulpit. shout
ing from the platform, firing the hearts Of
patriots with new hope. crying out with
te.. thousand tongues and voices for better
laws better homes. better men, better wo-
men; for the new dispensation of faith.
hope and charity, whose kingdom is q
world redeemed.
Standing here today we demand more pa
triOtism and less politics, more institutions
TO prevent criminal making and fewer to
punish; more money for training schools
and less for the police courts; more power
in the hands of the keepers of law and less
in the hands of law breakers
The first declaration of independence
came from the pen of a woman, long be-
fore the Mechlinburg manifesto long be-
fore the liberty bell at Philadelphia pro-
claimed independence in the name of the
Continental Congress. Let us SEPARATE,
wrote Abigail Adams to her husband in the
Continental Congress when King George
proclaimed all the revolutionary rebels who
would not lay down their arms Abigail
Adams. who had the immortal honor to be
the wife of President and mother of
another. Her letters were published in
French heart to come to the rescue of
Washington at Yorktown, watered the
seed that blossomed into the overturning
of 1889. Great Britain recognized the in
fuence she had welded. and George III and
his queen refused to have her presented at
court when she went to London, with her
husband, John Adams, the first minister
from the United States. Nor did the spirit
of this woman patriot spend itself in pro-
test. To her independence meant equality,
the triumph of human rights.
II long to hear you have declared an in
dependency" she wrote to her husband in
the Continental Congress, when it was slow
to grasp the issues of the hour. "And, by
the way" she said ''in the new code of
law. which L suppose it will be necessary
to make, / desire you would remember the
ladies, and be more generous than your
ancestors have been. Why not put
il cut of the power of the vicious and the
lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity
with impunity?
Does any one suppose that if the advice
of this woman had been followed. the
Daughters of the RevOlution-pure, peace
able law-abitling, going about doing good
would today have to open ranks and stand
with bowed heads, while hordes of untaught
Aliens outlaws, paupers. contract laborers,
sloughed off by the Spewing ferment of de-
Gazing old world monarchies. knowing
rether our laws nor our language, march
I'D TO the polls, to the inspiring spirit of a
glass of whisky. and vote, as they often do.
f,r he immoral. COrrupt. fOr-Sale eel he3D