The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-23
As to "JingOes."

"What's in name2" The Republic
can party came into existence as the Or
ganized opponent of slavery, and the
members of the party were stigmatized
as "Black Republicans. They accepted
the epithet as badge of honor and wore
it proudly. In 1878 the epithet "Jingo,"
was applied to the party in the British
House of Commons that, under Lord
Beaconsfield's leadership, favored any
means, even the alternative of war, for
extending Englsnd's influence or ter
ritory. The spirit of the party was ex-
pressed by the composer of a ballad
that was sung in the theaters and other
public places, and received great popu-
lar applause. The war.like sentiment
of the ballad was expressed in the
spirit-stirring refrain,
ave don't want to fight. but, by lingo, II we do,
We've got the ships, we've got the men, we've
got the money too
Probably the reason why the term
"Jingo" is so banded in current dis
cussions of American national affairs
by certain class of persons, particularly
by some newspaper writers, is that it
has no earthly application to anything
pertaining to the policy or purpose of
any body of American people. Its use
is confined chiefly to the Mugwump
editors, who, in any contention to
which foreign power is party, al
ways and inevitably take sides against
their own country. Americans who
stand up for American rights or inter:
ests, or who are exhibiting manly,
helpful sympathy for their oppressed
and suffering neighbors, these are pill
loried as "Jingoes." Some others, and
notably some conservative" Republi-
can newspapers, in the poverty and
senselessness of their notions and their
vocabulary, chatter of "Jingoes," and
"Jingoists," and "extreme Jingoists,"
very much as not over-intelligent or
discriminating parrot bawles out the
phrases put into its mouth. They apply
the epithet about as nationally, and in
about the same spirit, as the irate fish
woman, who, in an ecstacy of fury,
denounced Charles Lamb, the English
wit, who had been mildly teasing her,
as ga parallelopipedon."
"Jingo" has no pertinency in its ap-
plication to any body, or any individual
members of any body, of Americans,
much less "Jingoist," or "extreme jim
goist," which seem to be refinements of
mental vacuity. No American states
man or politician of any repute is advo-
eating the kind of foreign policy, or the
policy of conquest or aggression, for
which the term "Jingo" stands. The
word is foreign and the policy that gave
it birth is European, but people who use
it 30 fippantly, too blind or too per-
verse to see the wisdom of the annexa-
ton of Hawaii, for example, and unable
to give any good reason why the little
republic, on it's own request, should not
be taken under the protecting wing Of
the American eagle, with one accord,
when the proposition is preached, be-
gin to cry "Jingo," after the fashion
of their prototypes of old who were
went, on occasion, to shout "Great is
Diana of the Ephesians." In the Ven
ezuelan affair, in the discussions per-
tanning to the proposed Nicaragua
canal, in the treatment of the various
phases of the Cuban question, "Jingo"
is ever the beginning and the end Of q
senseless cutlery against the adoption Of
a manly, humane, resolute and patriotic
American policy.
Of the same kind of brainless and I'M
patriotic clamor is the constant imputa-
ton of desire for war on the part OF
those Americans who know their ma
tional rights and duties, and knowing
dare maintain them, and are not greatly
impressed by the scowl of belligerent
representative of the doctrine of divine
right to possess the earth, to Cypress its
people, to butcher, starve and do other
things not sanctioned by the Golden
Rule. No party, no representative Of
any faction in this country, is clamoring
for war, least of all those Americans
who are pleading for the annexation Of
Hawaii, or who have been shocked and
righteously angered by Spain's barbar
tiles in Cuba, or who feel impotence al
the dilatoriness or apathy of their gov.
eminent in responding to the plain die
tates of humanity by resolute and effec
tive Intervention to end the inhuman
business.
1t is the trick of these superla
tive patriots to constantly misrepre
sent every body outside of their OWL