The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-03-25
WHAT SHALL WE BE?
IT DEPENDS ON THE YOUNG.
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY 'fNEMO."
(Copyrighted.)

(Copyrighted.)
I reckon that Intensity of love fol
ones country has always been most
noteworthy among populations that
have inhabited one region for ages
The crooks and rllls" of such a land all
become in time, the scenes of events that
make them precious, and the hillsides
cover the bones of unnumbered dead
whose names are still borne by the
living. So the hearts of the people
strike their roots into the soil, and be-
come part of it as even with the Green
landers, whose dreary coasts hold the
feelings of the Inhabitants in such
thrall, that absence means agony
even death.
1 reckon also, it is easy of proof that
the ancient people most firmly knit to-
gether in one, were those whose preca-
rious existence was continued only by
vigilance and conflict. I need not hes
ltate to cite the Spartans, since the
mind of each well-informed reader will
at once recall the hardening and uni
flying experiences of that little nation,
whose members preferred to perish to-
gether rather than live separated. Sim
liar proof is given by Rome in its early
days, when it was being prepared by
most strenuous experiences Tor the con-
quest of the world. National trials
largely account for national strength.
Furthermore, the nearer people come
to telling the deeds of heroes by word
of mouth-as did Homer, the Old Tes-
tament worthless, and the bards when
books were few-the easier is it to keep
alive the flames of hate, Or the willing
surrender of self to patriotic duty.
When the flashing eyes of the father
accentuate the story of his own deeds
that he is pouring into the child's soul
or when the "mother-knee" instruction
tells why the child's father fought and
died, then the father becomes to him
"a living apistle", and his ancestors, "a
cloud OF witnesses"
Where are we now? Approaching
the homeland. When long residence
in one place, a perpetual state of con-
hict, and the handing down of war ira
ditions by the fathers, are found to be
strong inducements to patriotism, what
hundred years, or, in other words, since
the fathers of living aged men were
boys, our population has grown from
something over 100000 to about TO-
100000. Of these, 100000 have
come from abroad since 1920, and the
offspring of these fecund immigrants,
who can number? Our swarming and
restless population, ever moving for
ward into virgin territory has made the
area of the United States increase from
325,OO0 square miles in 1776 to over
100000 square miles in 1897. Our
people of New England notwithstand-
Ing the remarkable history of the early
settlement of that region, in many
cases gathered their belongings togeth- |
er and settled along the southern
boundaries of the Great Lakes and be- |
yond. The group of Southern States
with Virginia as a centre scattered their
children North, South, East and West, |
breaking up almost entirely the ties OF
location. AS a consequence OF this !
mixing and moving and changing of
inhabitants, it is practically impossible
to find In America the never-dying af- |
lection for places that characteristics
more stable populations. Compared
with older nations in Europe, we are
but newborn infants. For instance,
Buda .Pesth IN Hungary has recently
celebrated its thousandth year Of exist.
ence.
Bulwarked by oceans, free from Eu-
ropean entanglements, placed apart by
the fiat of the Almighty whose will sets
our bounds, the millions Of this coun-
try, without known possible invader
are beckoned forward into new centu-
ry. A nation whose population In
creases by leaps and bounds, is being
subjected to none of the concentration
that comes from attack and is realizing
none of it's benefits. We have more of
subjugated territory behind us than of
slain people, and the wars in our histo-
ry are as nothing to the bulk of our
population. What OF military glory
have we to start the blood OF the mod