The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-01

There is a class of American society
on which all disposition on the part of
foreign-born Americans to bestow
thought on the affairs Of their native
land acts as the red rag does on the
traditional bull. If a gathering of native
German citizens, for instance, in con-
sidering the foreign policies of these
states gives any Indication in its DELHI
erations of recalling the national tradi-
lions or preferences of those engaged in
it, it Is held up to view as having COM
mitted a crime against American insti-
buttons. Our fellow citizens of Irish
birth used to be the chief objects of the
scorn and contumely of this class of pa
triots some years ago. Their attent4gs
now are chiefly bestowed on the men of
German birth
No one is disposed to quarrel with this
disposition as shown by the ultra-patri-
otic element Of American society. now
represented by the imperialist spirit, but
formerly to be found mostly in secret
movements of the Know-Nothing type.
IT is natural to hear such expressions in
general use among that class; and for
eign-born citizens pay no attention what
ever to the narrow gibes which are di-
rected against them from that direction.
1t does not matter to such as these that
when the flag has to be carried into and
out of places of danger and stress, and
when it has been so carried in the past.
the men who have upheld it have fire.
quenty themselves, or else their fathers
have In the preceding generation, opened
their eyes in other lands; the insult is
none the less promptly forthcoming.
To them it is a crime to consider anv
other nation than this, unless that ma
ton be England, in deciding what is the
true foreign policy of this republic.
1t is only when those who would nat
urally be expected to appreciate in its
true significance the attachment with
which every man who is susceptible to
the patriotic spirit regards his own land
and the land of his fathers Join in the
sneers of the ultra-Americans that
men of foreign birth regard themselves
as having just cause for resentment
Against that spirit the Democratic partv
of the United States has stood unsbalxen
since the days when, through the alien
law, the same class of Americans on
deaVored to drive every foreign-born
man from the land up to the advent of
the A. 2. A. organization, which sought
to re-establish a religious test in civil
affairs; and it must in the very nature
OF its principles stand on the same
ground while it endures.
Democrats have accordingly some right
to take exception to the very narrow
view OF the recent meeting of German
American citizens held at Detroit for the
very laudable and entirely proper pur
pose Of denouncing the proposed union
with Great Britain presented recently nv
the CourierJournal If our contemno-
rary had taken the pains to examine the
resolutions passed by our German-Amer-
lean fellow citizens on that occasion. if
would be found that the main considera-
lions urged In those resolutions against
any proposed alliance with England were
such as had reference only to the en-
during interests of this republic.
No American who reflects upon tba
wonderful work of assimilation of for
eign nationalities into the great COM
pcsite body of Americanism that is 60
ing on every day and has been in prog
ress from the foundation of this govern
ment believes that there is any substan-
tial fault to be found with the attitude
taken at any time by any body of orr
foreign-born population.