The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-05-29

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Crue and False Patriotism. .


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type of patriotism that is begotten of
pride. Sir Walter Scott, in his oft
quoted lines,
"Breathes there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said
This is MY OWN, MY native land!''
gives the true keynote of this type of
patriotism. The man whose bump of
self-esteem is extraordinarily developed
loves and praises his country because
it is HIS country. Had he been born
and brought up among the shifting
sand hills of the desert OF Sahara he
would solemnly tell you that for right
down, heart-uplifting, soul-stirring
beauty of scenery there is nothing on
the surface of this earth that can COM
pare with dreary waste with plenty
of sand and an occasional strong wind
to stir it up. If he should claim the
polar region for his native land he
would boast that the ice trust could
never get footheld in his country
and would confdentially tell you that
whale-blubber and snow-water is a
diet much to be preferred to ambrosia
and nectar. Having nothing else to
brag about, he would brag' about the
polar bears, and the length of his sum-
mer days. Most likely he would not
mention the winter nights; patriots of
this type are always averse to admit
ting there is any darkness at all in
their country. If it were not pltiable
it would be laughable to see the self
important orator rise, assume digni-
fed air, and then in a manner so bonn
bastic as to border on the ridiculous
quote the above lines from the "border-
warfare-poet," as if in them were con-
tanned the alpha and omega Of patriot
ism! This self-conceited, pride-engen-
dered form of patriotism is practically
of no use to a civilized people, and in
individuals is pardonable only in the
thOughtless, the ignorant.
We will next consider the blindly-
sentimental type of patriotism. There
are persons who at the sight of the flag
of-their country grow so enthusiastic
that their very hairs stand on end like
bristles. What is the flag2 An emblem; !;
a symbol. What is symbol? Some
thing that partly reveals truth TO the
initiated, and often altogether hides a
truth from the uninitiated. The en-
lightened mind has no need of half
hidden truths. 1t is strong enough tc
grapple with the naked, unadorned
truth. If there is le veneration for
the flag today than there has been in
the past we have reason to rejoice
thereat; for it is sign of the vanish.
ing of the sentimental, and the dawn
ing of rational patriotism.
The watchword "Our country, right
or wrong" expresses pernicious senti-
ment "subversive of the true interest
of our country" This sentiment is
chiefly to be found in professional
warriors. Used to blind obedience,
they do not stop to calculate the con-
sequences of the orders given by a
superior. Let the orders be what they
may-to burn town; to slaughter the
innocent; to exterminate liberty low
ing people; to subject obstinate natives
to torture-the soldier must either obey
or take the consequences. And because
of this habitual, blind obedience to
orders whether right or wrong, whether
promotive of the general well-being or
destructive to it, he acquires the fatal
habit of looking at things not in the
light of his own conscience, but in the
light borrowed from the conscience Of
superior, which makes him totally un-
fit as guide in patriotism. But q dis
tinction must be made in favor of the
soldier who fights for the liberty Of
his country, or for principle. All
honor to the soldiers of our Civil War,
who fought for the preservation of the
] Union, and the abolition Of slavery