The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-19
Growth OF a New
National Spirit
From a Letter in the Sun.

wv change in the tone Of the country
VI which has occurred in the short
time since the beginning of the
war; the growth of genuinely
national sentiment in all parts of the
Union; the sitting of narrow partisan
ship, and the stimulation Of the imagina-
ton and the kidding of the pride OF the
people brought about by the demonstration
of our national power and the ability of
our political system to stand the severest
strain put upon it by a foreign war. 70
me the most impressive indication of this
change Is the entire cessation of the CEN
serious criticisms of which l have heard
so much in private conversation for ten
or fifteen years past. The skeptiCal tone
regarding our national future, in whicn
it was so long the fashion of so many
of the people with whom l talked TO in
dulge has PASSED away.
During the fruitless negotiations with
Spain preliminary to the breaking out of
hostilities. the more especial newspaper
organ of this spirit of detraction in New
York published daily horrible extracts
from the medical and surgical history
of our civil war; in the hope of induc-
ing cowardly acquiescence in the Span
ish demands. 1t sought to frighten its
readers and probably did frighten many
of them by eNaggeratinG the military
and naval power of Spain and her re-
sources of wealth and civilization. Con-
trasting her navy with our own, 1t put
us in the inferiority in speed and far be-
hind in the torpedo boats and torpedo
destroyers which, 1t assumed, would be
the most considerable factor in the naval
conflict. 1t assumed American ignorance
of the strength and resources of Spain
and ridiculed 1t as a symptom of our
provnciality; declared the unfitness of
our congress to deal with the question
| Il
qucnces to our trade and our whole social
and political system which would come
from actual hostilites. 1t expressed the
Wcarisome spirit of detraction and defam-
| alton which had prevailed so long in the
quarters represented by it; the reaction
airy spirit which began first to exhibit
itself conspicuously in 1854.
10
In place of this enfeeblng self-deprecia-
ton | find that during the last two
| months pride in America and confidence
| in its ability TO sustain the fullest re-
| sponsibiities of controlling power in
| the worlds affairs have become univer-
| sal. and most notably among those who
| before were most despondent, The very
men, who. six months ago, affected the
most distrust of our political system are
now most hcreful of II. Financiers, men
| OF large Importance in the commercial
world, in fine, people generally who have
| been regarded as timidly conservative
are today the most radical In their de-
mand that the fruits of the war shall be
gathered in their fulntss. and the least
fearful of the broadest possible territor-
| ial expansion. Six months ago they were
all deriding "jirg goism." Now" as one
| of the more notable of them said to me
the other day, 1--WE are all jingoes,'" 4
term of rerroach has become a boast
| Instead of defaming this country and It's
| in
| with the old American confidence which
| carried us to the emineEce where we nov
are. They are beginning to think that
after all, America is a country to ot
proud of; or, rather, they are giving M
the affectation of depreciating their po
litical system as If it was an evidence o.
their superiority to vulgar patriotism.
| II the question of the annexation G.
| Hawaii had been submitted to the vote
of the people the decision would have
been the same in all parts of the country
From correspondents, from men who arr
| travelling continuously throughout tn,
Union, and from those generally who ar,
best informed as to the drift of public
sentiment. hear that report universally
Beyond all question, it is the prevailing
sentiment of the business and professions
men Of New York, whatever their pas
political association being as stron,
among traditional Democrats as amonl
Republicans. The same is the feeling a
to the acquisition of the further terri
tory which will come TO us rightfull!
and necessarily as the fruit OF the war
Public sentiment demands 1t all-Cuba
Porto Rico the Philippines, the Lad
rones, the CaLaries, IL within our grasp
and whatever else may be obtainable
\ and there is no misgiving as to our abilit
to take care of II, no matter how eXten
slye and how remote II may be. The or
OF imperialism" frightens nobody. an
the newspaper and politicians trying I
work the scare are wasting their ineen
uity.
%
Commercial enterprise throughout III