The herald., 1898-06-12
LESSON FOR YOUTH
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| If I had a proprietary interest In a
growing American boy, and if wanted
to fill him with a profound and abiding
awe of his government, l would show
him the processes by which the govern
ment calls it's armies into the field. II
would let him see for what manner OF
things the government is pouring Out
| 81, 900, 900 daily, and would try to make
him understand with what superb prodi-
gality and at the same time with sagacity
the government spends. l would take
him past those lines of transports in
which steam is always up, and on which
are crews ever waiting the word of COM
mand. l would stand with him on the
docks and wait until one of them cast off
her moorings and swiftly steamed to-
ward the open sea.
Iwould have him listen while men whis-
pered, Where is she going?" and bid
him note that each one answers to the
other: II do not know" but is supremely
confident and complacent because the
power behind it all is the government s
word, which word is law and life and
death. 1 would have him look long at
those inscrutable cannon which come in
on fiat cars, and would show him the
trainloads of gun carriages, the bales of
blankets, the tons of fodder, the thous-
ands upon thousands of dollars worth of
equipments which the government has
tumbled on to these docks and into these
freight houses.
would take him to the great quarter
masters depots, where the floors sag un-
der the weights of cloth. food, medicines,
oils, arms, tools, candies, shoes, hats,
haversacks, canteens, cartridges, and
dishes. l would point him to the herds
of mules that are driven in from the all
the country side, and lest in seeing all
these evidences of the governments
wealth, he should be puffed up with pride,
I would gently tell him the government
just at this time sets a higher estimate
on sound mule than on good man. and
finds the latter cheaper and easier to get
than the former-and wants the former,
more.
would lead him among the tented cities
that have been pitched among the pal
metto trees, and 1 would tell him that
many of the men there dwelling had come
a week before out of lands where still
the winter lay. but that whether they
were on the west coast Of Florida or in
governments men always and equally
at home.
would have my boy halt now and then
to hear the throb of a thousand hoofs,
as the cavalry races across country, and
I would have him listen for the tinkle
of the mule BELLS the rumble of wheels,
the hoarse shouts of the drivers, and all
the mysterious clamor that rises when
man and beast talk to each other in an
ger as they drag the army wagons
through the sand.
1 would have him watch the batteries
as they wind along the hllsides, and
would have him see hovs the black mass
of horses and harness and cannon is
flecked by the artilleryman's crimson and
the scarlet pompons that nod at his
horses ears. 1 would want him to hear
the bugles snarling from camp to camp.
and 1 would like to have him stand at the
edge of the bay and be very silent while
the regimental bands play during guard
mount, and the tropical sun makes thu
moving bayoncts flash a silver light
against the background OF green.
Best of all, 1 would like him to see the
new south and the new north rise and
stand uncovered when the band plays tn,
"Star-Spangled Banner" beneath tn.
grand piazza at night, and I would want
him to understand how many years. how
many sacrifices. and sweet a spirit of
have been exactod before
those who listen with him could bring
themselves to listen az all.
To show your boy the fleets, the can
non, the troops, the sinister and gigantic
impedimenta of war may not be at all
the proper way of nculcating patriotisni
and true reverence for the national idea.
A journey through the congressional IL
brary might lift him to greater heights Of
eXultation than will the sight of 10000