The times., 1898-01-13
piety and Patriotism

The Times has already called atten-
ton TO the extraordinary attitude OF
certain religious and educational ele-
ments in the country whenever a
stirring question OF American interest
or honor happens to be at the front.
But both churches and colleges take
! an active interest in certain matters
Of sentimental character. especially
. where the manifestatio are in far dis
+ tant quarters Of the globe We are all
familiar with the intense sympathy
/ displayed in America for suffering Ar
menia, for starving India, and for op-
pressed Crete. But when it comes to
/ the murder of prisoners and the out
! rage and butchery of women in Cuba.
at our very doors, the voice of the
churches and schools is hushed. lest
the country be tempted to plunge into
the fTightful vortex of war with a
rotten kingdom like Spain. If they
could have had their way last winter
the reasonable Olney Pauncefote
treaty would have been ratified. We
admit that these influences acted fgno-
rantly. and that probably now they are
glad that the mistake was not made
Of tying Uncle Sans hands behind him.
Bull roamed the earth and did what he
pleased with US and with it,
Il is nothing new. this pessimism and
conservatism of many religious and
scholastic organizations. 1t is as old
as the Union, and older. Most students
of national history are familiar with
the fact that when the colonies We're
about to revolt John Wesley, the found
er of Methodisn, addressed an encyclic-
al letter to his co-religionists in Amer
ica denouncing as traitors and other
unpleasant things all who should dare
to lift their Methodist hands against
King George. The communication was
suppressed and did not reach those for
whose guidance it was intended. and
the denomination was handsomely rep
resented among the armed patriots of
the day. Without going more widely
into particulars, it is well enough
known that other religions and some
collegiate influences were thrown in the
scale against the men of &c. When
our troubles with England again were
tp q anu lfle war OF lSlZ
was impending, the same kind of pious
conservatism was invoked to prevent
the nation from fighting for its rights.
In our own time we have seen a pulpit
leader like DR.. Talmage stand up and
dismiss the horrors of Cuba with the
almost sneering remark that Cuba
might one day be free, when she had
demonstrated her capacity for self-goy-
ernment" "
What has become of the sturdy old
fashioned patriotism of Washington
and Jackson? 1t used to be boiling and
seething in the veins of nearly every
freeman. Where is it now? When it
suits the purposes and interests of a
man like Cleveland. in support of
positively inimical foreign political and
financial scheme, to bind this nation
hand and foot, for the benefit of its
remorseless enemy and chief business
rival, the religious and educational or
gapizations and agencies at once are
called upon, and they rush to the fore
with petitions from the schools and
meeting houses of a continent Thus
as we have said hitherto, there were
not less than fifteen Senators to our
certain knowledge who voted for the
arbitra ton treaty because they we're
afraid of the church and college infiu-