The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-03-05
LIVE QUESTIONS.
A Series of Articles Contributed to Thees
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.
NUMBER VIII. "A VIEW OF PATRIOT


terms, such a covering up Of ugly reality
with ornamental phrases, so much mas.
querading by the vices in the phraseol.
ogv of the virtues. that words seem
sometimes to have lost their meaning
There is tendency to take words ont Of
their ordinary significance and dress
them up with attractive graces of mean
ing to which they are not properly en-.
titled. Patriotism is a word peculiarly
susceptible to this sort of abuse. 1t has
so often been made to perform the Office
Of words expressive Of other and higher
virtues that all the canons Of morality
seem sometimes to be summed up in
that word.
1t is always receiving credit for noble
deeds which are really due to something
else. How frequently, indeed, has it
been confounded with love Of liberty
"a totally different sentiment. This
confusion is probably largely due to the
fact that patriotism is so often used as o
cloak for treachery and treason, thus
giving rise to the characterization of DIR.
johnson that it is "the last refuge of
scoundrels When designing politicians
contemplate the preparation of some
unusual fraud upon the people, they al
ways obscure the horizon with storms of
protestations Of their patriotism and
their piety.
Patriotism has been always classed
too high i'll the catalogue Of virtues 1t
filled an Office in the infancy of civili-
cation which more perfect develop
ment will render needless. 1t was neces-
sary in early days, just as ornaments
and walled cities were necessary. Chris
tianity, as taught by Christ, did not
recognize it. He presents ideals of char
acter and society which would render
patriotism superfuous and meaningless
1t will doubtless serve a useful purpose
as long as governments are menaced
with danger Of corruption in office and
intrigue against the rights and liberties
OF the people, but even now it oftener
manifests itself as vice rather than a
virtue In Jonesville patriotism means
that the town must be doomed, and as
a means to that end the rival town,
Brownsville, must be demolished. "If
our town cannot have the courthouse, or
the asylum for the insane, or the new
railroad, at least the other town shall
not have them.
The reader will probably object to
this as presenting too narrow defini-
tion. For true examples of patriotic
feeling and action you would refer to
national heroes and history makers, to
deeds Of heroism inspired in times of
national crises. But here arises the con-
fusion of terms. The sentiment which
inspired the men of 1776 was not pa
triotism. Every patriotic impulse fas-
tened them to their mother country. The
makers of the historic declaration were
moved by the love of liberty, which
knows no territorial bounds. Patriotism
is conservative. 1t leads one to defend
ones country as it is and sustains in
stitutions as they exist. 1t does not
preside at the founding of nations. AS
worthy as was the devotion to national
integrity which led the heroes of 1861,
there was something else worthier-it
was the love Of humanity and equal
freedom, indignant hatred of human
slavery.
For examples of pure patriotism, un-
mixed with other influences, you will
have to go back to the models frozen into
the permanent crystal of classic fable.
The stories of Winkelried and Regulus
show just what the thing really is in
its primal purity. Schoolboys know
how it stirs the blood to recite how
Regulus suffered cruel tortures rather
than advise his countrymen to make
peace against their interests. "Regulus
to the Carthagenians" is the standing
prize defamation. The story of Regulus
is the soul stirring, devotion kindling
example Of patriotic virtue and hero
ism. Yet I think the story has never
been analyzed with view Of applying
it to present conditions.
The incident is the natural outgrowth
of the rivalry between two growing,
towns, each one attempting
to outboom the other. Regulus had two
in his expedition against Car
thage-one was to give an impetus to
the real estate market in Rome, by kill.
ing off the pretensions of a rival town;
the other was to depress prices in Car
thage and get corner in the best lots,
while they were down, and then receive
the benefit Of the subsequent reaction
He was "bulling" the market at homo
and bearing" the market at Carthage.
For time his enterprise went well.
The Carthagenians were a simple, guilt
BILE people and he played their inexperi-
ence with great success. After awhile,
however, a Greek dealer named Zanthip-
pus appeared ION change" Zanthippus
had been in the business before, and he
was ION to" the Roman game. He
caught Regulus "short' and left him
dead broke. Regulus, however, had
abundance of that quality which in the
pit is called "sand." The people of
Carthage made most liberal proposi-
tion, offered to set him up in business
again, if he would arrange matters be-
tween Rome and Carthage SO that they
could have courthouse in each town.
But Regulus refused The offer and suf
fered his fortune To cnllanSe and hie 1ifa