The record-union., 1898-06-14
THE THOUGHT OF THE AMERICAN
IN ARMS.

In Aims.
Every man is in sense an epitome
of the time in which he lives; SO far
as his life and expression impresses
themselves upon his fellows, he, is a
maker of public opinion as a represen-
tative type of his class. Hence when
one wants to know what the aggregate
OF men think he has only to learn what
the average man thinks.
:. Going into the camps Of the men in
San Francisco awaiting transportation
to the seat of war in the Orient and
sounding here and there the average
man among the troops, one gains
very good idea of the thought under
lying the purpose of society represented
by these men, drawn from half dozen
newer States of the Union, and rep
resenting in largest part the wage
earning, common school educated, self
respecting and thinking business and
Industrial classes of the country, with
g. sprinkling Of professional men, and a
few from the walks Of the laborer with
out fixed vocation
Whoever talks with these men, dis
eliminating between the thoughtful and
the thoughtless-ando of the latter there
is a showing, as a matter Of course
gains a good idea of what the West
and Middle West is thinking upon the
questions now before the Nation, so
prominently, namely, the justification
for the war and the desired outcome Of
it all.
Inquiry along these lines has resulted
in the case Of the Record Union in
a profound impression that there is a
stronger, deeper, more sober and de-
termined patriotism among the peo-
pie than the great many have been
disposed to credit. The great majority
of the men in the uniform Of authority
and in the ranks are patriotic from
conviction of duty to the land of their
citizenship, not because of blind and
unreflecting love for the flag. Pride in
the personal distinction the uniform
gives is the very least Of the impelling
powers in their cases. Vanity is not
wanting, it is true, but it is rare and
not deep. The men under arms to-day
insSan Francisco, representing the
young manhood Of the nation. are in
largest part thinking men. Men who
poses, institutions and destiny Of the
American nation. Men who, whether
original thinkers or not breathe the
sentiment of millions of the American
people concerning changing conditions,
and the adaptation Of new policies to
new conditions.
The great mass of them are not so
much moved by National Guard senti-
ment. They have not enlisted simply
because they glory in that guard,
though they entertain that reasonable
and praiseworthy pride concerning the
organized militia, which accompanies
the Inspiration of the patriotism Of
every true American, since in the citi-
zen soldiery we plant the anchors Of our
hope for the nation.
Opportunity is Of itself an inspiration
to action in the line of the opportunity
offered. To these men has come the
opportunity to prove what the
deep underlying supporting hope
and thought Of the citizen
soldiery of the Nation is. That we as
certain to be. a belief made evident by
enlistment to defend the principle that
the American Nation neither can be
nor should be satisfied with conditions
that do not forge ahead.
Advancement and improvement, keep
ing abreast with the age and its de-
velopments; betterment Of our sur
roundings, greater establishment Of life
for the enlargement of the patrimony
Of life-these are the motive thoughts
Of the Americans IN arms to-day. Out
Of these convictions and desires comes
thesevidence of the impelling power of
inherent forces that are moving this as
they have all other progressive nations
to the acquisition of territorial foot
hold commensurate with needs. growth
and evident destiny.
Among these men the careful OBJ
server will find that the aspirations of
the individual American mind are
reaching up to and attaining the Ma
tional plane. There could be nothing
more hopeful for the Nation than that.
That units are moving upward and
forward, and carrying with them the
American Nation toward a career of
natural, reasonable, inevitable expan-
sion under the operation of which the
fittest will survive, the strongest in
right achieve permanent triumphs and
the absorption of the weak and unfit
test. This is the thought of the volun-
teer in arms which he is carrying with
him into the field, not as a conqueror.
but as an agent of civilization and bet
terment for all the world.
POWDER AND COAL.