The Irish standard., 1901-04-27
WHAT IS REAL PATRIOTISM

Ever since the Republican party I'M
der the evil genius of Mark Hanna
trampled on the American Constitu-
ton, the Declaration of Independence
and the Monroe doctrine by adopting
a policy of spoliation and conquest in
the islands which belonged to Spain,
the subsidized press of the American
oligarchy has lost no opportunity in
denouncing any man or party that OPP
poses the new departure Of governing
other people against their consent.
During the past three years every
prominent American who has raised
his voice in the cause of freedom for
the down-trodden Filipinos has been
charged with lack of patriotism and
branded as "a traitor" by editorial
hirelings hailing from England or Can
ada. In the city of st. Paul the two
principal men who mould public opin-
ion have never known the true mean
ing of the word patriotism" as I'M
derstood by Americans before the
Spanish-American war. They believe
that patriotism consists in robbing
others of their liberties, as England
has been doing for centuries, and that
America is right in initiating England
i'll subjugating weak nations for the
promotion Of Anglo-Saxon civilization.
Now, what is patriotism? Webster
defines it as "love of country; devo-
ton to the welfare of ones country;
the passion which inspires one to serve
ones country" Every human being,
whether civilized or savage, loves the
land of his birth, and is ut all times
bound to defend and protect it from
foreign and domestic foes. The great
est exhibition of love of country is to
die for it if necessary, and no one man
or nation has monopoly of patriot
ism.
The Filipino has shown that patri-
otislp is not peculiar to the so-called
AnglO-SaXOn race. So has the Boer
of South Africa. Men of all nations,
since the beginning of the world, have
gone forth to expel invaders and to
die for fatherland. The Americans
who fought the British and drove them
from these shores were animated by
patriotism; the Americans who "be-
lnvolently assimilate'' the Filipinos
are not imbued by that passion.
Patriotism is not in all things to
follow what political party may die
tate during it's term of government
One owes loyalty to his country but
not to party which he conscientiously
believes is endangering the founda-
ton principles of our republic. 1t is
an act of the highest patriotism for an
American citizen to denounce party
led by unscrupulOus men for their own
benefit. If a man has not the courage
to do so he is not patriot but slave.
Patriotism requires that n man shall
obey the laws of his country; but
patriotism equally requires him to
raise his voice against laws which he
considers pernicious, and change them
il he can. Millions of Americans at
this hour believe in their hearts that
this republic is on the wrong track I'M
der the guidance of William Mckinley
and his imperialistic followers. and
they deem it sacred duty to hurl
them from power in order to save the
country from ruin. They repudtate
the dictum of INSCRIPTIONS ambition.
"Our country, right or wrong and
believe with Carl SchurZ that when
the country goes wrong. it should he
set right and kept so. 1t is right for
an American to defend, by force of
arms, the honor, the claims. the indie
pendence of the United States, but it
is wrong for him to take up arms to
rob other people of their liberty and
independence. Patriotism as a duty
obligcs no man to commit wrong.
Therefore we say that the Democrats
of this country. and not the plutocrats,
are the guardians and advocates of lib
erty both for the United States and
other lands. and that they display the
purcSt kind of patriotism in combat
ing McKinleyism and Hannaism ut
home and abroad.