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

There is 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 it's 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-
tUtions. 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 attent4ens
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.
1t 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 If has bee0 co "a rriad IN +bo ,,o.+
the men who have upheld 1t have fire.
Quently 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 any
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 it's
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 ioin 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 party
of the United States has stood mistaken
since the days when, through the alien
law, the same class of Americans en-
deaVored to drive every foreign-born
man from the land, up to the advent of
the A p A Orcra oiza +iO,, ,,,[ioL -,-4
to re-establish 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 bv
the Courier-Journal. If our contempo-
rary had taken the pains to examine the
resolutions passed by our German-Amer-
lean fellow citizens on that occasion IL
would be found that the main considera-
tions 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 the
wonderful work of assimilation of for
eign nationalities into the great COM
pcsite body of Americanism that is go
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 our
foreign-born population