The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-08-05

their genius and industry. Love OF
home and love of country are ceasing
to be things concrete and are speedily
becoming cold distractions about
which a few persons talk and write
learnedly and of which the great
mass of The population know little
aud understand less. The individuals
patriotic pride to-day is, in not d
few instances, centered in a f f'ction
or q railway or trust company or Il
steamship line or in some other vast
corporation; to this particular inter
est he literally gives his hand and
his heart; in it are centered his hopes,
and with the advance or decline of
its stock, increases or diminishes his
patriotic fervor. In the rush and
flush of this money-getting age,
Milton's definition patriotism-"Our
country is wherever we are we'll
offs perfectly illustrated.
By persons who reflect upon ex-
isting conditions in the United States
the opinion stated by Robert Hall in
his "Review of Custance on the
Constitution" will be read with inter
est. "Patriotism," said he, lis
blind and irrational impulse unless
it is founded On knowledge of the
blessings we are called to secure and
the privileges we propose to defend" ."
In these words is enforced the idea
which we have recently had occasion
to emphasize; namely, that the youth
of the land nowadays are not taught
to understand in their early and
formative years the principles o.
government upon which this natlor
was founded and upon which it cal
securely rest. In this materialistic age
the per cent. of men and women who
accurately appreciate the value o
free institutions is steadily decreas
| lug. Their love of country is basee
not upon reason nor even upol
emotion; it springs rather from thos
passionate instincts whose tremen
dous energy either for good or TO
evil depends wholly upon the agen
by whom they are aroused. In
word, the political apathy that
| now evident in certain sections OF tn
Union is furnishing material wit
which either the demagogue or tn
despot may, in the years to come
easily execute his design. This II
difference to the discharge of publ
duties is making possible, probabl
and certain in this country the splrl
that longs for 'the strong man an
the splendid despotism;" that admit
that the brothel is more powerfr
than the school, and believes ths
Iignorance is more formidable tha
intelligence.
| We need to resist this spirit an
| to resist it at once. We need to OF
| kindle ID the hearts of the people q
knowledge of the blessings we ar
called to secure and the privilege
we propose to defend" To do thi'
it is necessary to return to first prlr
ciples and to emphasize influence
| and conditions that are at our doors
| We need to think more of the West
err Hemisphere than of the Easter
Hemisphere; more of the Mort
| lAmerican than of the South Amer
can continent; more of the Unite
States than of any other country
more of State affairs than of nations
affairs and more of things tina
touch the life of communities tina
of things that relate to the State
When we say more" in his case, W
mean that the people should becom
N ,re intensely interested in loce
than in national matters. ODe's frs
lessons in astronomy are learne
from ones window in childhood. III