The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-10

| anger Shall go before tIlGG --lLApluS OF
part of SO and "a.
In the crisis in connection with which
our text is taken the Hebrew people
made to themselves gods of gold anc
called forth the indignant protest OF
Moses, that great patriot, against sucf
an impossible foundation for patriotism
in answer to which God gave him The
command, Go, lead the people unto the
place of which have spoken unto thee
behold, mine angel shall go before
thee"
With Gods presence recognized, and
with His commands obeyed, it was
alone possible for Moses to build up his
people into a nation and infuse them
with his own noble, patriotic spirit. Nc
nation of history, with the possible eX-
cept1on Of the Greeks, Was ever char
acterized by SO lofty spirit Of patriot
ism as the ancient Hebrews.
This suggests the picture of that eff
which ] wish to speak to you this morn
ing at this the annual service of the
New Haven Grays, namely, patriotism.
l want to dwell upon the noble spirit
of patriotism and upon our national
foes to which that spirit must be an
piled by us to-day.
First, I ask you to think with me
what true patriotism is Patriotism is
one Of those large words of q peoples
vocabulary which is very hard to COM
! pletely define, because it means so
much. 1t is like the word progress, or
the word love, or faith It stands for a
living process, for a peoples enthusi-
asm; and 1t is almost as hard to fasten
that to a definition as 1t is to harness
the wind to chariot.
! The bare meaning of the word patriot
1 is simple enough. But the difficulty
comes in the understanding of he
meaning which people have put into it.
EtEmologically, patriotism means the
quality of being patriot" "love of
country" 1.-The passion which aims to
serve one'country," that which is di-
rected to public safety and welfare"
Love of country is sufficient for our
purpose. But this in itself needs def
milton. for what do we mean by love
of country" 1t is a grand expression;
it rouses our pride. But what does it
mean? What country are we to love?
Clearly enough, our native country
the one in which we have been born, in
die That can be the only perfect form
of patriotism, therefore, which reaches
back to our birth and extends to our
last hour.
But we must carefully distinguish pa
triotism from local attachments, from
tender love for that particular spot of
earth where we were born and reared
In some sense we may love the valleys
and the hills that surround our physi-
cal life; every contour of the landscape
may be precious to us; it may have had
wonderful influence in making us
what we are. We would defend it from
an enemy with our life's blood, if need
be. This is good, but it Is not patriot
ism. We can respect and hence in time
come to love only that which has to do
with character. True patriotism Is love
for and defense of the character of ones
nation, It's principles of government
which separate it from other nations.
If patriotism is not local attachment
neither is it pride of our possessions as
a nation. We may feel a just pride at
the measure of our inheritance and the
greatness of our physical possessions.
We can scarcely realize the magnitude
Sixty states as large as England and
Wales might easily be placed within our
boundaries Gladstone said: America
has national! base for the greatest
continuous empire ever established by
man; the difference between continuous
empire and empire severed and dispers
ed over sea is vital" The area Of the
United States, without Alaska, is more
than three millions of square miles. We
have the agricultural possibilities of be-
ing the granary of the world, Our
mountains are scanned with veins of the
richest ores The increase of our popu-
latiun has been immense 1t has dou
bled every twenty years. Our wealth
as a people is almost beyond competi-
tlon. Our wealth has doubled every ten
years our commerce is tremendous.
our great lakes are inland seas. More
tonnage of material wealth passes
the locks at Sault ste Marie |
every year than all that comes in and |
goes out from the great harhor of |
Greater New York AS we travel from |
ocean to ocean, over nearly three thou |
sand miles of our continent our hearts |
beat faster and faster with pride that |
we are Americans
"Our country.-t a glorious land!
With broad arms stretched from shore |
to shore,
The proud Pacific chafes her strand;
She hears tho dark Atlantic roar;
And nurtur d on her ample breast,
How many a goodly prospect lies
In natures widest grandeur drest
Enamell'd with the loveliest dyes.
Great Cod We thank Thee for this
home
This hounteous birth-land Of the free;
Where wonders from nfar may come
And breathe the air of liberty.
Still may her flowers untrampied
spring
Her horvests wave, her cities rise;
And yet TIL time shall fold his wing,
Remain earth's loveliest Paradise."
But do not confound this excusable
pride with patriotism. Any honest and
traveller from any other
if his eyes be open, cannou but
Dc filed with admiration at the bound
ess resources of America. This was
lot the patriotism Of our ancestors.
they knew nothing of the all but inc N
material wealth that was
heirs No, this spirit of pride alone
ould never have built such 4 noble ma
ion. The familiar words Of Sir Will
lam Jones are true: