Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-13
LECTURE AT NEW-CENTURy CLUB.


at the club Friday night by Prof. Wood
row Wilson on ''Amerioanism, a
theme, he said, not profitable to dis.
cuss some time ago when 1t was q thing |
admired only in the home market and
there was no evidence that the Old
World wanted it, but now that the
United States sets the pace for the
nations it is necessary to examine IT,
and make it acceptable in the worlds
market by making it excellent and
suitable for leadership in the world. 1t
is battling TO get look at our national
character, especially as we own no
mirror that we can get far enough away
from for fair idea of our national
stature. and we do not like the pictures
made of ua elsewhere. The foreigner
sees in Americanism an undue aggres-
siyeness and crudeness, deplorahle
inqnisitiveness, insufficient respect for
established order and disregard for the
small oonventionaltieB He feels that
we thrust our opinion where 1t is not
des red and do our thinking on the run
without stopping to perfect 1t, and he
wishes we would grow up and get some
melowing exper iences and adopt the
little amenities of life. We render
foreigners uneasy as youngster does a
roomful of elderly people, and especially
This own mother. So We make England
uncomfortable; she does not under
stand us; she recognizes most of the
words we use, hut not the way We put
them together; she cannot account for
our unlikeness to her in view OF our
| likeness.
II we are to be statesmanlike, self
| poised, and know the GRAND on which
| haua started u ntrut
qualities and get rid Of the undeslr-
| able; perfect ourselves in those that
make for power and know what sort Of
power we wish to possess; examine the
brand of those we are carrying into the
field of international politics and asking
the world to admire.
Some night the world will come to
the threshold of new century, but,
as far as our national life is concerned,
We have passed the threshold. We
stepped into the arena of the world
since the Spanish war and entered a
new century. The last was one Of be-
ginnirgs all the way through. We
pushed our border across the United
States, but we left great spaces skipped
and we've been filling them up on the
same process. We beat track across
the prairie, finishing nothing, putting
up shells of boards, instead of houses
to hand down to our children; we spec
on our way and did not stop to finish,
and we have much to apologize for anc
explain to those who desire to study
our institutions. Fancy any one making
scientific study of the government
of New York City. Yet we are mo-
: more corrupt than other nations, blu
we have not finished our government
any more than we have finished any
thing else; we have Just hastily Knocked
things together. To perfect and com
rlete them must be our work in tn
thorough test of our Amerioanisn, Il
learn whether we have the patience t.
make perfect instrument. We hav
not made our implements to last. TO
we will make new and better ones mex
year. In England one can read tn
2 whole history Of bicycles en- the road
9 for nobody has given up the one b
fist bought; he would not think Q
doing 30 till the old one was worn out
3 Here we would be as ashamed Of ridin
wheel year or two old as OF wearin
: an old fashioned coat. This eagernes
, for newness and change is largely
pushing for something better, but, "
i must get over that for we will not hav
D the superabundance of material niue
longer. We must use our ingeutiv
9 faculty to perfect the old things.
Z The buoyanoy and force of this Ger
9 fury OF beginning have given US fore
Q and splendid self confidence and mad
9 men always ready for the frontier,
be ditch diggers or State builders;
y takes quick thinking and immediat
! action when things are being mac
!, out Of nothing. We have quicl
wittedness In adjusting ourselves |
y new conditions that will make the ne
q century tell a different story. "
u have gained an outlook. have seen til
70 bigEess of the world and the widenin
= circle of our pro sperity and infuent
10 and are not afraid of what we will fin
over tho big curve. We must ha'
ideals without sentimentality; princ
l. PIES without bigotry. Our inheritan,
!, OF liberty, and drill in it's principles q
:, antedates Magna Charta. The form
"a liberty which we now embody, are '
~ to say this is the same form 1t mn
- have for the undisciplined Filipino
~ To US it means fixed, stable order ar
u power of self government. do n
~ believe they can be made ready for SUD
~ for three or four generations. W
" cannot make reople over by SUI
stituting one flag for another d.
flag IS thrilling sight in a foreis
country but it cannot create chsract
-. in races that have never lived under
~ We must not expect the impossible b.
insist on education preceding power.
10 A., s,