The Portland daily press., 1898-05-09
PATRIOTISM.
Rev. Mr.. Hacks Stirring Sermon at Second
Parish yesterday.

Rev. Mr.. Hack delivered an admirable
sermon on patriotism" to large COLI
gregation at the Second Parish church
yesterday morning in the course OF whlcn
he said:
If forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my
right hand forget her cunning Leg my
tongue cleave to the roof Of my mouth, II
1 remember thee not. If l prefer not Jsru.
salem, Above my;chief joy. Ps. 1S', 0
and verses.
This is the cry of devoted patriot. he
is an exile, but he cannot forget his ianu
and would still pray and work for her
welfare What is patriotism? 1t IS tnat
peculiar relation which man sustains to
his own country. The patriot sees in his
country something more than square
miles of territory; something more than
place where he can make q fortune. He
is attached to something besides the soil
and the symbols of his country. 1t is
love for the central meaning of the
nations life-for the truths it represents
and the work it is doing. The land and
are enthroned in the nations life.
Patriotism is then first of all honor.
I like that good old word which has a
root meaning of honest. 1t is THAT
character which confers or attracts high
consideration and respect. 1t is q con-
trolling sense of what is right, true and
DUE" 1t is self respect not as man,
but as citizen, and it is respect OF
others. A patriot would no sooner aid his
country in crime than he would lie or
steal for himself. Three things threaten
our honor as citizens today: First, our
low standard of civic morality. This is
seen in our misgoverned cities; second
our corrupt civil service; and then our
disregard of law. To proclaim ones self
an American Is not passport to the
highest respect abroad because of these
things. We call the Spaniard brutal be-.
cause of his love for bull fights. But he
points to our lynohings and says we are
barbarians. There Is a growing sense of
what honor demands of us in the home
and private life not only, but in the city
and in the state.
LET my right hand forget her cunning
Il / remember thee not; If I prefer not
jerusalem Above my chief JOY"
The second factor in patriotism is valor.
Men have never wanted this. Nathan
Hale said his only regret was that he had
but one life to give for his country.
No nation in century and quarter of
its lire time has more hero tales than
ours. 1t is said that not a single English
battle flag is to be found in one of the
LufOpetu ChplJdlS. LuaO opctthS WILL lOI
the race from whence we are sprung.
But there are some of those battle flags
kept in our country. That stamps the
valor of our countrymen as of no mean
kind. The patriots valor is based on
justice and the love of it. Decatur said:
eOur Country! May she always be right
But our country right or wrong. Yes,
our country-but ours to set right when
wrong. Valor is not chronic "touchi-
pazc - 10 tho c0,1ntrv'S honor If 10
not buster and braggadocio. And the
spirit of revenge is not part of valor.
And when some one says because the
Maine was blown up every Spaniard
ought to die, it is an expression of hui
mainly weak and cruel, not strong and
patriotic
Not many years ago through all the
civilized world the only way to settle
dispute or appease ones sense of wounded
honor was by a duel. Hea who refused
was called coward. But today valor is
not shown that way. We despise such
courage. And nations are approaching
that ideal. And yet we are at wal. Why?
Not for glory, except the glory of taking
the part of the down trodden and op-
pressed. AS Christ died to make men
holy, we are willing to die to make men
free. We are not at war for gain. We do
not want Cuba. We have not the lust of
empire. Surely not for gain. Lives will
be sacrificed, millions poured out like
water before the war is ended. And not
because the Maine was blown up are we
at war. The United States would be for
ever disgraced if we went to war over the
destruction Of the Maine. The RESPONSE
bility for that act has not been placed up
on Spain. And we have not the shadow
of right to make war on that basis. The
cry of Remember the Maine,' may be
but the outburst of a cruel and vindictive
spirit. God save us from that. Why then
are we at WARP In justice and mercy.
The Cuban situation has brought war.
When 200, 900 Een, women and children
are starved to death at our very doors, we
must put an end to such determination.
But we need something finer and higher
than war. Courage in the patriot. He
must possess that "lonely kind of cour-
age, that will fight the evils of social
and civil life. Many men are willing to
die for their country who find the task of
living for their land beyond them. This,
the valor that will live TO make the
country worthy of honor, is what
patriotism demands. 1 suppose that not
one of us here, this morning would fail
with 5000 or 500 others in storming a
battery, but how many Of us would risk
reputation or dollars in storming an en-
throned abuse! That takes a courage as
fine as Nathan Hale's or Arnold Won
Winkelried's. The enemies of our country
are not across any sea, but here at home.
And the valor demanded Of us is that
which day by day dares and lives for the
eternal right in the state and in the
city.
eff forget thee o Jerusalem L ct my
right hand forget her cunning" And
after valor comes devotion. This is the
quality that transfgures the living. 1t
changes the average man and citizens in
to patriot. 81 love my country's God, :"
says Shakespeare, with respect more
tender more bold and profound than my
own life" That is devotion. Sir Charles
Dixie ventures the prophecy that either
Chinese. Russian or Anglo-Saxon civiliza-
ton is to conquer in the worlds onward
march. Are we devoted enough to our
civilization to live for it? Our flag must
mean liberty, law, rights, union and
power for good among the nations. To
keep this meaning in the Stars ard
Stripes will require valor and devotion.