Evening star., 1897-04-17

S~HA \$ witness this kindly
= GNNN federation every day.
But man must not be sentimental. That
is not permitted.
Will try. therefore, not to be sentiment
al, although am about to make an appeal
In favor of sentiment I propose, in fact,
to invite the recognition of sentiment as
force whose possibilities when applied TO
things political cannot be overstated
l would point out, first, that with all
nations. the popular mind has always been
ruled and led entirely by sentiment. The
popular imagination converts the facts of
history into sentiment. The articles of be-
lief are not laid down by the multitude in
set phrases; they are not, even when they
might be, maintained by reason; they lie
IN ths mlnd-say rather, in the heart
unspoken For the majority 1t is absolute
~ impossible to express these articles of
belfef In words They are a sentiment rest
ing on tradition; they are the lingering and
the surviving effects of events long since
forgotten Sentiment is an invisible and
unknown guide in the conduct of life; it
draws the people by invisible threads as
strong as ships cable: like beauty, it
draws them by single hair.
AS nation-as race-we are above all
other nations open to, and ruled by, senti-
ment. We are fond of girding at the senti-
nent OF the Teuton and admitting the SEN
timent OF the Celt. We pride ourselves upon
tne possession Of cold common sense
which does not admit of sentiment Who
are we however. who are thus uplifted?
We are the educated-the highly edu.
GATED casa class which, though 1t speaks
Tor all. Is more cut off and separated from
the rest-the great mass-than can be
found In any other country Among that
mass sentiment of which we pretend to
nave nav, none, rules supreme. Let consider
this assertlon Sentiment may be defined
as deeply rooted conviction, founded on
IMAGINATION rather than reason 1t is of
Two kinds. There is a form of sentiment
Whlen springs from noble tradition. There
Is another form OF entfnent which springs
from prejudice.
Nothing for Sentiment
What have we done as a nation to recop
nlze the vast Importance of imagination-
which is only another word for sentiment
in the national mind? What have we done
to feed the imagination with such right
views Of our positdeny our resources, our
history, our perils, as may make sentiment
source-a certain and reliable source-of
strength and safety, instead of an uncer-
tain force, liable to drive the people into
wrong paths, into perilous lines, by ways
which leads to destruction?
We have hitherto done nothing. absolute
ly nothing. Our school board pays no heed
to the readers with which the children are
supplied; the education department makes
no regulations as to the elementary teach
ing of history; the growth Of our institu-
tions the extent Of the empire, the con-
dition of the colonies, the extent of trade
and industry, the meaning of freedom; or,
in fact. anything practical and likely to
influence the children In after life. Yet it
Is certain that nothing long remains in
the mind as the teaching Of childhood
which is, of course, recognized by the Ro-
man Catholics when they refuse consent to
any form of education that is not based
upon their own faith. Here and there 1t
is true one may find elementary books
which aim at systematic teaching of pa
triotism and of national history, but there
is no organized national, intelligent at
tempt; it has never occurred to educational
parliaments educational writer's or teach
ers, that they might usefully and success
fully direct and control the popular i'm
agination and mold the popular sentiment.
A child leaves school at thirteen. Prob
ably he will never more. as long as he
lives look at a book of history again. But
he will remember something of what he
has beer taught; the elementary princi-
pies which he might be taught. the plain,
broad landmarks which have been pointed
out to him; these things will become
part of him for the whole of his life. The
reason, the actual facts, will disappear and
be forgotten, but the sentiment will re-
main.
Patriotism in America.
In America, on the other hand. they
have managed matters differently. They
understood very well at the outset what
they wanted to create, namely, profound
sentiment of patriotism among their peo-
pie. Let us see how they set to work.
Since the opinions-the views of life and
conduct and religion-that endure in the
mind are those which are taught In the
schools, the Americans have been most
careful in their school books to represent
themselves In the most favorable light pos
sible; of that no one can complain. They
have also thought proper to present us.
4 <ID ofH ffnfr fv, <h>
unfavorable light possible; they have min
imized our position; they have denied US
our virtues. our victories, our achieve
ments. The sentiment they have fostered
is of the exaggerated type. The misuse
of this great educational opportunity brings
with it the danger Of making the average
man mischieyously and inordinately con-
ceited about his country. condition of
mind which may impel him in many Ia
mentable steps. There are signs, however,
that the better class Of Americans per-
ceive the danger and regret the cause.
have before me a tract by Mr.. Arthur
Inkersley, reprinted from the San Francis
CO News Letter Of Christmas 1896. 1t is
called American and British Prejudice"
and is vehement plea by an American
for greater justice and less prejudice
against this country. l quote a passage
which bears especially pm the subject:
Consider the attitude of the common,
plain, ordinary, average every day Amer
ican with regard to Great Britain. Raised
to the mother copntrya Is vigorously tab
coed, fed on school text books which rep
resent her as a grasping. overreaching, op-
pressive power nourished (God help himD
on newspapers which delight in putting
every national deed of,iBritain and every
private act of her citizens In the worst
possible aspect, taught to regard the high
er classes of that country as empty-headed
noodles, unprincipled scoundrels. proffigates
and ignoramuses-is It wonderful that his
rrepoasessions are almost inyincible?"
Fostering Feeling.
have mentioned this fact only to IL
lustrate the manner IN which sentiment
may be created and festered. Hatred of
England, according to Mr. Inkersley, whose
evidence il corroboratad by others, Ii q
sentiment nost carefully fostered In every
part Of the United States. It is not my
business to search into the reasons for
this action Of the United States, but /
would submit a possible explanation In or
der to show that it Is not entirely based
upon unreasoning malignity. It was
thought possible that It would be wiser
to separate as widely as possible their peo-
pie from the rest OF the English speaking
race. The easiest and readiest method
seemed to be the representations OF the
English people either as slaves or tyrants
either In an odiuos or coutemptihle LIGHT
Perhaps 1t is wen to make It impossible
when Americans began to people the vast
knH~>f Il - rak~ 49,