The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-07-23
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The Conservation OF = Life 10 =
worthy Cause--Christ's Law OF
Universal Love.


The conservation OF patriotism 10
akin TO the conservation of Christian
ity; but il is not the same thing. A
man can be a patriot without being q
true Christian; perhaps he can be =
Christian without being patriot.
IL is very far from being true that
all who volunteer TO fight for their
country are even patriots. They GO for
many selfish or foolish reasons. ne'er-
do-weels TO get a living, blase men for
an excitement, lovers OF adventure,
lovers of fame. who wish to return with
the glory Of heroes. And yet with all
these, and even mingling with the mo-
tiyes OF these, is often much that Is not
low or selfish, that is really patriotic
Here is a young man, and such there
are, with wealth which he has used law
ishly and lawlessly for pleasure. At
home, he is running his character and
disgracing his family. The call of war
comes; he can go. An impulse seizes
him somewhat above those which have
ruled his life. He finds chance for
something worthy; not distasteful, but
yet involving sacrifice and regular life
and the risk of death for his country.
He takes IL; and he Is shot dead In the
first encounter. From this time his
memory is, in n measure, sanctified.
He died the death of hero. He is re-
membered in the annals OF his family
and his country as one who gave his life
for his country's cause. The useless
90 AL ~. ~.
ored memory.
Yet this is not Christian consecra-
ton. Neither Is that higher patriotism
which by it's pure love OF country, noble
and self-sacrificing. such as carries finer
souls TO the field OF struggle and death.
TO be called by the high name Of Chris
tian conservation. II lacks the all-em-
bracing love which alone deserves the
name of Christian.
Love may stop anywhere along the
radius OF the circles that include a
part or the whole of humanity, or OF
being. IL begins with ones own little
self; too often in narrow souls IL stops
there. But such intensely selfish peo-
pie are rare; we do not meet them often
in respectable human society, for they
are lower than brutes; they are not
men. Most people enlarge their vision
and their love so as 20 embrace at least
their own families. One must love his
own or he is worse than heather UNI
believer. Even brutes have that much
love and will die for their young. To
love ones family, IL II be no great vir-
tue. Is yet the beginning of virtue;
II Is a step beyond utter selfishness, a
step toward the divine In man. Then
comes the further enlargement Of fell
lowship and sympathy which embraces
the known community OF which one
is part-the village, the town, the city,
the country, the club, the society, the
| sect; whatever one loves beyond him
self because II Is that to which he be-
| longs, OF which he Is part. This Is a
larger, nobler sentiment, because more
embracing. What selfishness there Is
In II Is Disguised; and there is much in
IL that Is not selflshness at all. IL in
cludes social virtues, civic virtues and
all patriotism For IL one will give up
life itself, almost the greatest Of all
self-sacrifice. That true and noble vir-
| tues are included in this love, which Is
yet only partial cannot be questioned.
Yet IL Is not Christian conservation.
Christ's law OF love knows no excep-
ton. IL embraces all that can be loved.
IL looks upward TO God the Giver OF ALI
| good and outward 10 every human be-
ing. II excludes no foreigner and no
enemy; for even the enemy Is 10 be
1 1nKsa ~ - II A 4. n
not forget God. IL recognizes him as
the universal Father. the source OF
every blessing, the fountain OF good
ness and love, the author OF life tenn
poral and eternal, through whose Son
we have salvation; and IL gives Him the
| fullest love OF the heart. IL reaches out
! beyond family and neighbors and citi-
zens OF all humanity everywhere, the
most ignorant and degraded. and IL de-
| spises none, IL loves ALL 1t is the grand
est, the most expansive OF all senti-
ments, that which most enlarges the
soul, that which brings man nearest
to God. IL the church by It's ideals Is
| lifting, and IL IL shall finally conquer
| the world, IL Is because it's outreach In
| larger than any other that the world
knows. Patriotism Is noble, but Chris
tian conservation Is divine. Jesus gave
the highest law, the most philosophical
rule OF pure ethics, nay, OF pure reli-
! gion, the world has ever heard. that
beyond which human speculation can
not rise, when lie laid down that law.
not Of justice nor OF righteousness. on
which Christianity rests: Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy beart.
and thy neighbor ms thyself."-N. Y.
Independent.