The Ravalli Republican., 1898-03-23
American Standards Of Patriots IN.

Tue preparations made by the ad-
ministration for The defense of the
nation meet with no hostile crti-
clsm from any quarter. There has
been such prompt action on the part
or the authorities that within Il week
military departments have been re-
organized, troops put in notion
harbors more strongly fortified, plans
for new regiments perfected, vessels
OF the navy ordered where they can
be Of the most service, ordnance
stores collected, ammunition and gun
factories put in order for rapid work
All this has been done without blus-
ter or evidence Of excitement. No
body has found fault. Everybody
has approved.
Never in any country was more
done in Il week to put a nation on Il
war footing than has been done in
the United States since last Tues
day. Never was a people kept SO
fully informed as to the plans and
resources Of the government, and
never did a people approve 50 unrc-
serycdly every step taken by a gov
ernment. In the midst Of this pre-
paraton there is no more war talk
than there was before congress pass
ed the $50, ,000,0 900 defense bill. It
is not cagerness for war that controls
the people, but eagerness to have
the nation prepared to defend the
| flag and what it represents.
| The bearing Of the American peo-
pie in this crisis is something that
Americans will remember always
with pride. The sympathy between
government and people, the rcspon-
siveness between states and sections,
the unity Of sentiment and purpose,
all have had influence abroad. Never
before has SO much been said in
Europe in appreciation Of American
character, and never before has
there been manifested such Il spirit
Of respectful consideration. Ifnoth.
burst of national sentiment, the up
rising Of the people has been Of great
benefit. The people Of the United
states have shown the world that in
their phcnominal progress they'have
not lowered the standard of patriot
ism, but are more then ever before
strong in these essentials that make
a nation inyinciblc.
All this is of more than national
scope and Importance. There has
been a theory in cabinet circles in
Europe that republic was ncccssar-
lily weak when it came to war meas
ures. 1t was contendcd that a gov
crnment by the people could not be
strong in a crisis because there ncccs-
sarily would be divided councils: that
there could not be the promptness
and dccisivcncss Of the imperial sys-
tenn because multitude could not
be made to see or act as one man or
as a few Wcll-informcd men Of super
ior intelligence and courage.
This theory has been overturned
Even the most prcjudiccd Of Euro
pcan observers knows that the pco.
pie of the United States were not
lagyarts in the present cricis. Be
fore congress had taken action, be
fore there had been any formal de-
claration Of policy by the admins
tration, the people had taken posi-
tion Enthusiastically, and with the
positivencss Of unbrokcn llnaninlity
in favor Of the bold assertion Of na
tional rights. Not France under
Napoleon, not Germany under its
imperial system, not Russia under
the czar, ever acted more promptly
or more effectively in the face Of ;
great crisis than has the Unitct
States in the last two wccks.-Intcl
Ocean.