Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-02
THE new PATRIOTIC IMPULSE.

the past year, about the relsindling of
American patriotism that has resulted
fiom the warw ith Spain and its sequele.
We are once more united people, and
We stand together in the defence of
the national honor. and new glories
have been won for the American flag,
and We shave taken our proper place
among the great powers, and our mani
fest destiny has again declared itself in
the impressive deeds by which the
triumph of our arms has been accom- :
plished. The changes have been rung
upon all the familiar phrases OF politi-
cal oratory, gold and pinchbeclz alike,
and flamboyant boastings from every
quarter of the land have convinced
men only too willing to be persuaded
that our feet were indeed planted
upon glory crowned heights" The
emotions to which explosive vent has
been given are, no doubt, sincere
enough to deserve a certain measure of
respect, even from those who know how
hollow in reality the most resonant
phrases may be, and how recklessly the
political rhetorician will indulge in
sentiments to which the whole tenor of
his career gives the lie. But thinking
men have never been content, in
America or elsewhere, to accept at
their face value the counters OF the
politician. As was recently said in
The Nation, Sin the case of such
mon, the proposed sentiments of
humanity and morality really count for
nothing at all. They regard them
merely as mouth filling phrases, which
sound we'll and please their con-
stituents; and never dream that they
will one day return TO plague them, or
that anybody will think of holding
them to their own professions. And
whether such sentiments come fiom
some high official like the war-lord OF
Albany, or from the most seryile hench-
man of political party having at
bottom no nobier motive than party
plunder, their ring is false, and will
deceive only those who wish to be de-
| ceived.
The new patriotic impulse to which
| we here wish to call attention finds nc
| illustrations in tho noisy plaudits OF
those who din daily into nur ears the
cltchwords of duty and destiny-the
duty Of advancing civilization by fire
and sword. the destiny which may only
! be asserted by denying to alien peoples
| the fundamental rights of man. Rather
do we hear through all this din the
\ accents of q still small voice recalling
to us that our true duties lie close al
hand, and that the national destinies
wrought out for us by Washington and
Jefferson and Lincoln are absolutely
Incompatible with our new tangled
dreams of empire. And because this
voice, which is no other than the voice
| of the national conscience, has moi
breathed out its protest unheeded, bui
| has found so many fearless spokesmen,
TILED with passion for the ideals thai
all true Americans have cherished
hitherto, and thrilling with indigna.
4 tion at the present desecration OF those
ideals it has seemed to us that this
new manifestation of the spirit of the
4 liner patriotism is most noteworth,
\ phenomenon, not to be paralleled more
| than two or three times in the whole
course of our history. In behalf of this
| protest against the abandonment Of the
| principles by which our moral stature
as nation has hitherto been deter
mined, there has been enlisted, in the
words of ex.Gov. George S. Boutwell,
ian array of names such as has mo-
been brought together in support of ;
common cause since the signing of tn,
Declaration of Independence. - S,
many are these NAMES, and so great j.
their influence as leaders OF botl
thought and action, that we shall no
attempt the invidious task of singlins
out few for special mention. A scor,
or more of them will occur at once t,
the mind of any well-informed reader
and every fair critic must admit tina
they represent an overwhelming pre-
ponderance Of the intelligence ant
morality of our fellow citizens.
The attempt of a time serving pres
to attach to these names the stigma O
treason is one that falls with the weigh
of its own absurdity. This position i
exactly that of Chatham and Burke Ii
opposing another war of subjugatioi
over hundred years ago. 1t is for tn
courage of their attitude in resisting
perverse and short-sighted colonia
policy that those men are held in tn
highest honor by ELglishmen AM
Americans nike. The verdict of his
tory metes out even justice to the mo
who in any age Withstand the out
bursts of popular folly; and who Gu
doubt that, in our own present case
when "the tumult and the shoutin
dies, " the leaders who now, at no sma
cost of temporary popularity, stand fo
the principles of the Fathers Of ou
Government, and speak for 18th
mighty hopes that make US men" in
, sense unknown to European history
will be adjudged by no remote posterit
,, to have won for themselves crown {
exceeding great glory. Whatever ma
be the outcome of the struggle to pre-
|, serve for this nation the ideals upo
which lis true grandeur has been base
, whether our ship OF state reach il
, haven or suffer shi ipwreck- honor {
these men is secure. They have tough
! the good fight, and history will set thel
, high among the heroes of our race
In certain sense, the judgment {
+ history is already pronounced. Wha
. history says of any age is determine
largely by what the most forceful mine
Of that age have said of its issues. Th
: men who are today speaking to us wit
: the authority of experience and ripene
!. political wisdom are the men to whol
Z the historian of the future will tur
for light, just as We now turn for ligt
r upon the history of our Revclutionar
struggle to the living words of Burl
and Chatham, of Washington and Jeffei
son.
a These considerations bring us to I'll
more special subject Of the present d;
a cussion. We Americans have grei
: wealth of political literature, for OF
o bent toward the discussion Of problem
of statecraft is as marked as was tn;
i of the Athenians. Much of this literi
! ture is mere volubility, and whatev'
: heat it once had has long since becon
|. dissipated. but the best Of this liter;
4 ture is still living force, for it dea
I. with the most vital features of o,