The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-07-29
England and America.

England and America.
A true American, 'W ]. B." writes
as follows in the New York Times of re-
cent date:
Your article in this mornings issue
under the caption of "Our Common
Mission" is amusing. 1t is delightfully."-
English. In gravely discussing the mis-
sion of America, not one word have you
about the true mission for which the re-
public was founded, the maintenance and
perpetuation of government by the peo-
pie, which by its moderation, its enlight-
eminent, its true liberty, and above all,
its justice, might be an example to all
the other nations Of the earth.
The republic has been true to this
mission; the unexampled, and withal
peaceful progress of this, the greatest
democracy the world has ever seen, has
been a potent influence for good in all
civilized countries the world over. It
has been hated only by the despot; it
has been the beacon light and the hope
of struggling democracies in every civil
lied country; the case. of the United
States was an unanswerable argument,
demonstration of the blessings of pop
ular liberty, and the 'even-handed JUS
tice" of its foreign policy babe the
weaker nations hope and the stronger
nations pause in contemplated agrees
sion.
These considerations have never
weighed with England; ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and the possession of wealth were the
dominant factors in her life.
Now you come out at the close of the
nineteenth century and advocate that the
United States come down from this high
pedestal, enter the arena of the struggle
for territory, attempt to elevate the
world in general by spoliation and the
subjugation of weaker races. A truly
noble conception! Does it occur to you
that the outrage upon Gods justice, the
destruction of every principle of right
and honesty involved in this mission
ary'' work, is more demoralizing and ac-
complishes infinitely more harm than
any possible good that can be accom-
plished through the medium of the
"dum dunn" and the machine gun?
I presume it would be fair to take the
mission" of the English in South At
RIGA as sample of the work that you
would have this country unite with Eng
land to accomplish. Your own very
English London correspondent in your
issue of this morning tersely and cor
rectly describes the situation in regard
to the Transvaal by saying that eng
land wants the country" OF course
some excuses about the rights of the
Uitlanders must be made preparatory to
the disgraceful, cold-blooded, and afro
cious slaughter and robbery of that
peaceable and Woodworking people
which the world knows England is de-
termined upon. Here is where the true
mission of the American republic should
be operative. If, instead of the some
what shame-faced and stammering ap-
proval which the English American or
"Anglo-Saxon" papers are, according to
this unparalleled outrage, (for unfortu-
nately it seems as if its preparation was
a certainty the traditional love of JUS
tice of the American people should cry
aloud against such an act, and turn the
lash of the public opinion of this coun-
try against it, England would hesitate.
1t is not the "Anglo-Saxon" alliance
that is most to be feared. 1t is the de-
moralization, the bunting of the sense
OF morality and right such as you evince
in this case that would be the greatest
calamity of this closer union with Brit
ain. You were full of admirable human
sympathy for Dreyfus, but you appar-
emily have none for the Beers; British
poets have waxed eloquent and become
soul-stirring upon the spoliation of Po-
Freedom shrieked when Kosci-
usko fell. Is there no hand on high to
shield the brave?" etc., but as for the
Beers, ah! that's another story.
I do not agree with all that is said
against the Philippine situation, but
when you, in discussing or referring to
this subject, as you do in your columns
to-day, speak about the footing which
we have obtained in the East through
the fortune of war" think it is another
deplorable instance of moral obtuseness.
Not word about the rights of the Fill
pines; oh! no; our rights" only must
be considered Will this have the effect
of "civilizing" that people and elevating
their morals and sense of justice? Has
any people ever been benefited by being
robbed of their possessions, or has any
country's morals ever been improved by
an invading army, which is always no.
toriously immoral? Are the morals of
the American soldiers superior to those
of the Filipinos, or of the English to
those of the Beers? Outside of can
glo-Saxondom," the height of civiliza-
ton is not measured by the altitude of
the highest building or the length of the
longest railroad.
If we are to join hands with England
in scheme OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and spoil