The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-07-23


The United States may not inaptly
be likened to the young lady who has
''come out" into society. During the
period of her teens she has been kept in
the seclusion of the home and jealousy
guarded by parental care and, oversight
from too close contact with the world.
Arriving at the age Of discretion and
able to look about and judge for her
self, she comes out" In society and
goes forward. conquering and to con-
quer. The United States has had a
similar experience. 1t has spent Its
young days within the home and re-
Trained from going out into the world.
1t has been educating itself and learn
ing the ways of the world. 1t has been
preparing itself to throw off It's hermit
garb and abandon its habits of isolation
and to step out into the open as an Inn
perial nation come of age and con-
sclous of It's strength and resources. 1t
nations, Admiral Dewey presenting II
to them on that famous Mayday morn
ing far away in the Philippines, pot
with roses and lilies but with shot and
shell. not with waltzes and two st
but with the diapasOn Of cannon, iii
shots heard round the world and
nouncing to that world the solvent
new member in the society of the
lions whose voice and influence ar
be felt in the councils of those natl
The war with Spain was underta
In the cause Of justice. humanity.
dom and national righteousness.
one dreamed 1t would go beyond
but Dewey's glorious victory unveil
new future for this country. 1t
ended its hermit life. II has dlssipi
traditions. broken down .precedentS
augurated new ideas and new poll
and expanded republican jurlsdlc
| 1t has brought new issues to the II
1t has placed the country In pos
where foreign nations must consid
as factor in all imperial projects.
| litlcally. industrially and comnerc
1t has become suddenly aggres
Hitherto in an Isolated position, i'd
been a matter of indifference what Tri
ropean powers might do. Now 1t IS ;
matter Of Importance that we SHOULD
know who are our friends among them
and we are rapidly finding out. W,
have discovered that la belle France
to whose enrichment we have been thu
| largest contributor, is the friend o
Spain: that Austria would gladly hell
Spain openly If it dared; that Germany
Notwithstanding the presence in thi
country of thousands upon thousand
of good and patriotic German citizens
has not been well disposed to us; tina
Russia has been coldly neutral: an,
that the one power of all others from
whom we had smallest reason to ex
pect friendliness. Great Britain. ha
proved itself our stanch friend an,
stands ready to help us physically o
financially in case any other European
nation shall interfere in favor of Spain
And this country Will not forget thi
friendly attitude of Great Britain.
is one of the compensatlonS of the wa
that we have discovered our rea
friends, and that in coming into tn
society of the nations we know WHOM
we can trust. There have been alread
many compensations In this war. shOr
as It has been. 1t has removed the las
vestlge of internal prejudice and sec
tlonalism and has sOlidified and unifie1
our own country. 1t has revolutionize-
our hermit policy and sent us out int
the company OF the world. 1t has dis
covered our real friends. II there ha
been no other outcome these result
would have been richly worth all tina
the war will cost.