The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-20

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REASON FOR GOVERNMENT.
Secondly-Society is institutional. Among
the institutions of society is the state
| Christ commanded loyalty to government
| and that. too, as unjust and tyranical as
| any that ever existed-the rule of the Ro-
mans over a subject people; but it is TO be
observed, it was not question of choice
| of government; it was question of gov
eminent or no government--of Caesars
| lule or no mans rule-a question of So
clety as opposed to anarchy. For when
| Pompey haa cast his homan sword into the
scale, the counter-we1ght demanded had
| oeen the bitter price OIL national independ-
/ enee. 10 save the mere fabric of their So
cal system, the Jews pertorce had
ton had saved Jerusalem from
| wreck; and now Roman rule. however
| harsh and exacting and uniust-Roman rule
| meant orgaized government, and revolt
| against Roman rule--reVolt without show of
strength IN the interest of law and order,
| stances Christ counsels loyalty TO govern
ment. What is the method OF Christianity
/ as applied TO preSent-day conditions? This,
| as 1t seems 20 me- The tyranny of govern
ment in permitting what it is powerIess to
prevent, must be submitted TO some men
imagine that every wrong may be made
right by law, and if the law is not forth
coming they are frantic against the govern
| ment. The loyalisIs are mistaken. Law has
limitations. Government is a development
| or the human mind. An ideal condition of
| society Is not to be leg1slated into existence.
| government in the interest of lawlessness is
! a crime agatnt society. Slavery is better
than anarchy. mean government a
principle. Instituted forms OF government
are also IN sense sacred. OF however I'M
| just discrimination they may be they yet
| DO stand between society and destruction 1t
| Is true the worlds history is marked by a
series OF revolutions and these gage the
| progress of civilization, but it is TO be re-
marked that there have been revolts, not
against government as principle, but
| against bad government as a fact, and in
the interest OF better government
revolution is juStifiable if ii be for just
cause ana in the interest of just government
| The revolt of our forefathers was not a
| crime they fought not for the destruction
| human rights and larger liberty subject to
| the restraints OF legally established sys-
| tenn.
| Success justified their cause For in revo-
| lutions the cause, however just, that fails
| becomes crime against society. Before the
world to-day the impossible revolution is in
| excusable. The province that aSpireS to
| erect itself into an independent form of gov
| eminent, before it may receive the recogni-
| ton of the nations must first show evil
dence OF it's capacity to maintain independ-
ent sovereignty; otherwise revolt is to be
considered against government and in the
interest of lawlessnesS.
The duty of the individual as subject of
government needs not special argument. 1t
is nXed by the general principles we have
been discussing, and obedience TO law is the
very foundation of all the civic virtues. On
the citizen rest duties many and diverse
There are those that are due to town or a
city, there are others due to a particular
state or commonwealth and yet others that
are due in respect Of the nation at large.
The law of social life is the same every
where and always; it is loyalty to the COM
mon interest. AS members of state we
owe to 1T Obedience and support and this as
l have endeavored to show, is the law of
God and of our own natures
And yet this were a cold and insufficient
definition of patriotism. Patriotism means
this-but it means more. 1t always has
meant more. For you to-day it means more
10 nzgOP ont for Naf(r hot
is it then? What IS it to you? Patriotism
is love of country. But what does country
another, according to quality of mind and
range of experience. To all it is at bottom
sentiment deep and rich and full; some
thing that appeals primarily through sense
to the heart. 1t moves through real, present
manifestations. In so far as it is ideal, it
is the idealization of the real of things that
are part of ones actual life. of scenes that
spread before our eyes, of sounds that fall
upon our ears, of the sentient life we live.
ELEMENTAL PATRIOTISM.
This is elemental patriotism, the patriotism
that is of the soil. The heart clings to it's
own 1t may be barren rock in desert
lands. To the Arabs whose home that is no
land is dearer. For whether it be cold north
land or sunny south; whether it be high
mountain ridges, swept of winds that blow
around the world, or whether it be deep
valley beside still-fowing river, the heart
loves its OWNS in thral to it. However
long a man live and however often in later
life he changes abode, 1 believe that he
know that always. Who has not awaked
from dreams to find that in spirit his rest
mas peen W1Lhln me Walls tnat early smell
wandering consciousness with present bear
ings. Such power has association.
knew a man who had a patriotic speech
to make-a man having some knowledge of
the history of his country, capable too, GER
tainly of understanding the spirit of her
G--if CT
he had not, at least, inherited that-a man
Of some intelligence and some experience in
life and affairs. The occasion of this speech
was picnic gathering OF congenial friends
on Fourth of July. 1t was held in the
the flag. of our country f1oated there with
a special meaning and a special menace for
it marks the domain of the general govern
ment. That flag to this man was some
thing more than painted rag for a child to
play WITH it was something more than silk
en- fold to drape the baroness of a speakers
platform. for he had seen it flying from
masthead in foreign waters, and lie had
followed it through storm and stress of war.
native of the soil-this American citizen
that had lived through the final years of
the first century of our national independ
ence, addressing a company of friends, as
sembled to celebrate the national holiday,
and, after their picnic dinner, reclining un-
der shade Of stately forest trees, at the
streams edge attempted to say something
BETTING the time and place.
He talked in quite simple fashion. He said
that he had known that wood in all its pris-
tine wildnesS and through changing years
it changed not. He recalled how there, a
careless boy in torn straw hat and tattered
trowSers and with stumped toe tied in a
rag, he had chased the elusive ground sql1ir-
rel and hunted the lucious paw-paw, and
how in the little creek winding its tortuous
way among the ancient trees, he had cast
his awkward line to catch the startled sill
ver-side, and how in the deeper pool had
learned to swim; and he could point out
the sand bar of delightsome memories, and
the high bank whereon the boys used to
sit and dry their hair before going home
to be detected by maternal solicitude after
all, very likely thro' some such trivial cir
clImstance as a shirt put on wrong side
out In the midst of such surroundings what
does patriotism mean? Why earth, mother
earth, seems to enwrap in her inscense-
laden breath; the very sod on which we
rest seems to heave with pulse of life; the
beech trees, heavenward mounting ahed
Gown benedictions on from their droop-
ing branches. We love our country because
1t is OR ccuntry-because it is part of US
because the very juices of it's soil seem to
tinslt in tie blood that courses in our
YciEs
This is elemental patriotism the patriot
ism of sentiment the patriotism of pas
Slnll-God has made that way Grand
passion Nature gives it to us-to all of
US: none SO mean as not to feel its dig
nifty; none SO proud not to be ennobled
by its If'';St ssfon But though the basis, the
soul. the inspiration of all true devotion
to country. such feeling has its limitations.
1t is personal; 1t has to do with immediate
belongings 1t is short-sighted, it is Sec
tional
NATTnNyAT