The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-28

are not English in those regions anc
everybody who stands by the Hol-
lander
Now, it is no small affair for England
TO run up against the name and the
great moral authority, especially IL
the Protestant world, Of Holland.
Among the countries of Europe, small
ana great, each one of which has had
its hour of glory, there is not one
| whose past is more illustrious OF It's
| present more estimable than Holland.
| In philosophy in letters, in arts. IN
| politics, in military and naval glor1e6,
the names Of SpinoZa, Rembrandt,
| William of Nassau William of Orange,
| Tromp and Ruyter stand in the front
rank For the services that she has
rendered. Holland is entitled to the re-
spect OF all humanity and especially
of the Protestant portion of 1t. 1t IS
more than probable that If the United
Provinces Of Holland had not resisted
Spanish domination, and had not con-
tinued against Philip II struggle most
unequal and heroic, Professionalism
would have disappeared from the
world.
Holland is, therefore. the ancestor of
Professionalism, just as she was the in
itiator of the liberal cause. 1t is for
this reason that she should be treated
by Europe with marked respect, but it
is in opposition to the noble and pure
Dutch tradition, in disregard OF the
Biblical and Protestant confratern1ty,
and in hostility to Dutch expansion,
that English aggression now arises in
southern Africa.
The situation is serious. Victory or
defeat for England must be equally un-
fortunate. In that distant portion of
the globe the seamless garment is
bound to be torn. In Africa things
move along slowly, and consequences
are seen later on. Hatred and Ven-
geance, perhaps, may be engendered in
many hearts. But in Europe positions
are taken up, necessarily, with more
rapidity, and results are quickly deYel-
oped.
At the present time between the two
great branches of European Protest
antism. prudent Holland is extremely
moderate. She treats with caution her
great maritime neighborS and her pow
erful continental neighbors. She lives,
prospears and continues the even tenor
of her way, keeping her redoubtable
brothers always at the same distance.
But her weight counts for something,
and 1t would not take much to change
the balance and break the equilibrium
Now that is precisely what the con- |
f1ict in the Transvaal is likely to bring
about. The Dutch element in the en- |
tire world is wounded to the quick. In
it's weakness and the natural desire to |
exist it seeks the support of the Ger |
man element. Whatever may be the |
issue of the present difficult |
ty, there will be produced one of those
evolutions of which Bis |
marck spoke, and the consequences of
which nobody can foresee. Napoleon
used to say that Antwerp was cannon
ahmed at England. The remark is still
applicable to the ports of Holland If
they should one day abandon their
friendly neutrality, England would lose
one of her points of security.
So goes on the world. Men are eX-
cited. Their passions rule them. They
reap up reasons, precautions and DE-
iuctions. But every game has its turn
ng point; every profit has its losses,
ind every success its catastrophe.
Probably that is the reason why the
wisdom and philosophy of Lord Sails
,ury make him still hesitate before
ending England, and perhaps the
world into a contest in which the
Profits of the plungers might not be
to cover the future deficits of
he nation