Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-07-05
NATIONAL POWER.
AZ IT APPEARS IN THE MOVEMENTS or
| THE ARMY AND NAVY.

II 1 had Q proprietary interest 10 .
growing American boy, and II | wanted
to All him with profound and abiding
awe Of his government, / would show
him the process by which the govern
ment calls its armies Into the field,
writes Tampa, Fla, correspondent.
would let him see for what order Of
things the government Is pouring out
u ,000, 600 daily, and I would try TO make
him understand with what superb prodi-
gality and at the same time with what
sagacity government spends. would
take him past those lines OF transports
In which steam Is always up, and on
which are crews ever waiting the word
Of command. would stand with him
on the docks and walt until one Of them
cast Of her moorlng and swiftly steamed
toward the open sea. / would have him
listen while men whispered, "Where is
she goingy" and bid him note that each
one answered to the other, 81 do not
know" but IL eupremely confident and
complacent behind It all IL governments
word, which word Is law and life and
death. would have him look long at
those inscrutsble cannon which would
come on flat cars, and would show him
the train loads Of gun carriages, the
bales Of blankets, the tons OF fodder,
the thousands upon thousands OF dollars
worth Of equipments which government
has tumbled on these docks and into
these freight houses. would take him to
the great Qusrtermssters' depots, where
the floors sag under the weight OF cloth,
food, medicines, oils, arms, tools,
candles, shoes, hats, haversacks, can
Iteens, cartridges, and dishes. would
point him to the herds Of mules that are
driven In from all the country side, and
lest In seeing all these evidences OF gov
ernment's wealth he should be pulled up
with pride, would gently tell him that
government just at this time sets high
or estim,te on sound mule than on
good man, and finds the latter cheaper
and easier to get than the former--snd
wants the former more.
would lead him among the tented
cities that have been pitched beneath the
palmetto trees, and would tell him that
mann Of the men there dwelling had
come . week before out OF the lands
where still the winter lay, but that
whether they were on the shores OF
Florida or In the mountains of Wyoming,
they were always and equally the same.
| would have my boy halt now and then to
hear the throb OF q thousand ho0fs, As
the cavalry races across the country, and
! would have him listen for the tinkle OF
the mule bell, the rumble Of wheels, the
hoarse shouts OF the drivers, and all the
mysterious clangor that rises when man
and beast talk to each other In anger as
they drag the army wagons through the
sand. would have him watch the bat
teries as they wind along the hiilsides,
md would have him see how the black
mass OF horses and harness and cannon
Il fecked by the artilleryman's crimson
md the scarlet pompons that nod at his
horses ears. would want him to hear
the bugles snarling from camp TO camp.
and would Ike to have him stand at
the edge OF the bay and he very silent
while the regimental bands play during
guard mount, and the tropical sun makes
the moving hayonets fash silver light
against the background Of green.
Best OF all. would like him to see the
new South and the new North rise and
stand uncovered when the band PLAYS
"Star Spangled Banner" beneath the
grand piszz, At night, and would want
him TO understand how many years,
how many sacrifices and how sweet a
spirit OF forgiveness have been enacted
before those who listen with him could
bring themselves to listen at all. To
show your boy the fleets, the cannon,
the troops, the sinister and gigantic i'm
pedimenta Of war may not be at all the
proper way Of intoxicating patriotism
and true reverence for the national idea.
A journey through the congressional
library might lift him to greater heights
Of exaltation than will the sight OF
10000 regulars ready to sail away for
the storming OF a city. But the boy IL
practical and mildly bsrbsric, aud he
will choose my way Of teaching patriot
ism. He will forever esteem government
AS somebody that does things, that owns
horses, that plays with real ships, and
has bronze giants with SCARED faces TO
work for It. Even getting ready for war
|, heroic.