The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-12
MAUDLIN FRENCH SENTIMENT.

However one may regard the events
now progressing tr South Africa, it is
difficult TO suppress a feeling of contempt
toward the attitude which the French
peope ale made by their press to occupy
toward those events. 1t is really incon-
ceivabe to any sane person how people
so keen i'll their understanding of all that
is false and ludicrous as are the French
can extend liberation to the sentiments
which are now finding expression in
that country toward England. No char
acterization, even that of Mr.. Dooley,
has suficed as yet to bring out in any
thing like the completeness of its naked
absurdity and lack Of national
self-respect the attitude which France
is thus made to occupy before the world.
The FashOda incident was not really
to the d:scredit Of France. Beset as hat
nation was when England issued her
mandate against the further progress Of
Maj. Marchand it was the part of wis
dom to forego any thought of conquest
viii h lay behind an expeG1 ion conc lived
originally in the interest Of science. Few
nations are there who have not at one
CT other period found discI etion to be the
better part of valor in certain national
emergencies. There is more than one
such example in our own history. But
when such a course is followed up as it
has been in France by daily laments and
nPia &c aJo
mere national childishness.
We had many samples OF this kind of
thing from France before the outbreak Of
hostiIities in South Africa, and the friends
of France closed their eyes to the pitiful
expressions of childish wrath and help
lessness. Now, however, the matter be-
gins to assume the form CT senility
French expression of sympathy for the
Beers under all the circumstances must
be regarded as little better than the atti-
tude of cowardly sco!d Tvhat sense,
is there, for instance, IN the cry of NJ.
Millevoye: "Ah. brave Beers, don't waste
your cartridges! Aim carefully and hit
the offfcers?"
military record. 1t is the enemy of Eng
land, and rightfully so. 1t remains tied
hand and foot SO far as concerns any
substantial aid, however slight which it
could extend to the people whom it pre-
tends to sympathize with. And yet there
is not sufficient understanding of
either national self-respect or the eternal
fitness of things to enable its representa-
abhorrent to all true conceptions of in
dividual or national courage.
Happily for the brave defenders OF
Afrikander freedom they have placed no
store on the sympathy or aid of other
nations.s whose attitude on all questions
of international concern is sure to be
governed by their own selfish sense of Sc
curity. Mock sympathy such as this will
not deceive them. Little as there is of
honor IN the attitude of our own imperial
list press, which enables English poll
iticians day after day to make false pre-
tense of tharkfulness for a sympathy
from the American people which they
well know to be nonresident, it is a dis
tinctly honorable attitude when compared
with that of the French press and people.
II deceives nobody and leaves us atleast
without responsibility either for events
which we have had no part in calling into
existence or for the consequences which
may grow out of these events on either
side