The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-02
NOT LACKING IN PATRIOTISM.

The ease with which the sum of $4,000 was
realized at benefit in New York a few
nights ago for the widows and orphans Of
the victims of the Maine disaster shows that
patriotism is by no means extinct there 1t
only needs to be appealed to for n quick and
loyal response. One often hears or reads
nowadays that New York is not typical
American city, that it is dominated by for
eign sentiment and lacking in patriotism.
This, if true, would be national misfortune
and humiliation, and If not true it should
cities. The vast population of New York is
very mixed, and contains some turbulent
and dangerous elements, which are some
times noisy and demonstrative, but the
great mass of the population are as loyal
and patriotic as the average of Americans.
There is nothing in history to sustain the
opposite view. In every great emergency
of war or peace the city of New York has
rallied nobly to the support and defense of
the government-not more so than other
cities and portions of the country, but as
much so. 1t has never been otherwise. Dur
ing the revolutionary war the patriots Of
New York We'd with those of Boston in sup
port of the cause, and when the British
evacuated the city in 1888 the Loyalists made
it so hot for the Tories that more than a
thousand of them fed the country. leaving
their property to be confiscated. In 1874
when a British fleet appeared on the New
England coast and a powerful force in
Chesapeake bay, Il mass meeting of citizens
co-operated with the Common Council of
New York in providing means of defense.
The citizens turned out en- masse and
worked on the Notifications by relays. A
local poet wrote some verses, of which the
following is a sample:
Better not invade; recollect the spirit
Which our dads displayed and their sons in
herit.
If you still advance, friendly caution slight
ing,
You may get, by chance, bellyful of fight
Pickaxe, shovel, spade, crowbar, hoe and
barrow:
Better not invade; Yankees have the mar
row.
During the civil war the city furnished
1l6,OOO men to the Union army, besides a
large number to the navy and contributed
immensely in other ways to the success of
the Union cause. There was a good deal
of disloyalty there, but it was completely
overshadowed by the steady and continuous
display of patriotism. The famous Seventh
Regiment of New York was one of the first
to march for Washington after the firing
on Sumter Three days after President
Lincoln's first call for troops the New York
Chamber of Commerce met and adopted
resolutions sustaining the government and
urging strict Blockade of all ports in the
seeding States. 1t having been announced
at this meeting that some of the regiments
already raised needed ready money to help
them in getting off, the sum of $21 600 was
raised in few minutes. This sum was
afterwards increased to $4,000. The next
day the Board Of Aldermen voted 81 900 900
to aid in the defense of the government,
and this was afterwards increased to So 600,-
0O0 During the first three months of the
war New York city furnished 10000 men,
and, in the way Of gifts. advances and bank
loans $150OOOyOO0 for the support of the gov
eminent. The United States Sanitary Com
mission, which raised and disbursed many
millions of dollars for the benefit of soldiers
in the field, had it's origin in New York, as
did other important movements in aid of the
government or it's armies. Meanwhile, the
banks, bankers and capitalists of the city
stood shoulder to shoulder in support of the
government as they have done in every
financial emergency before and since that
time, and as they show a cheerful readi-
ness to do to-day 1t is well enough to re-
call these facts OF history. They refute the
charge that New York is not American in
sentiment. New York is all right, and in
the event of foreign war she would not be
behind any other section of the country in
her offers of men and money for the sup
port of the government. AS Americans NE
should not distrust the Americansm Of oG=
greatest city. especially when history shows
there is no ground for it.