The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-09
THE REAL AMERICAN PERIL.

A London cablegram gives undeserved
dignity to a letter published by the London
Times from Count Sternberg. in which he
says that a recent visit to America taught
him who is the enemy of Europe, and that
the continent ought to recognize the fact
hat its true enemy is now arising in the
west like a great sun of gold" As Count
Sternberg makes his sun rise in the west
ne might himself be a son of Ireland If his
name did not indicate another nationality.
His opinion is not worth much except as
cumulative evidence Of the general distrust
and fear entertained Of the United States
by the so-caIled ruling classes in Europe.
1t is difficult to account for this feeling,
and those who entertain 1t do not attempt
to give any good reason for it. Its very
vagueness and the fact that 1t is without
form and void seems TO make it more over
shadOwing and oppressive. To their ex-
cited imagination it seems to loom out of
the future as a huge iceberg dimly outlined
in the fog does upon the occupants OF a
ship at sea who do not quite know whether
they are going to be crushed by a noun
tain or swallowed by a monster. But ice
bergs do Tot pursue ships, and if the latter
let the icebergs alone and keep out of their
way they are safe.
There is ground for the vague fear of
the United States entertained by the ruling
classes of Europe, but it is not in the dan
ger of attack or aggression in a military
sense. Nothing could be further from
American ideas or policies than that. This
Nation is still in the infancy of its growth
and power, while some Of those of Europe
are waning, but the time will never come
when the weakest of them will have any
thing to fear from the United States in a
military sense-if they let us alone. The
policy of this country toward other nations
will ever be friendship with all. Our wal
with Spain was the result Of peculiar con-
ditions which can never arise again. We
shall never lave another war with a Eu-
ropean power, except in self-defense or the
defense of American rights as embodied in
the Monroe doctrine. The real American
peril which is gradually outlining itself in
the European mind comes from a different
quarter. 1t is commercial and political
They fear the consequences Of our com
mercial enterprise and Of our political ex-
ample. The first is the more imminent OF
the two and can be discussed openly, as
it Is, while the other looms largely in the
background and will be slower in develop
Ing. European editors and statesmen
reichstags and parliaments can openly dis
cuss the feasibility Of commercial wars CT
the possibility Of devising ways and means
TO prevent American enterprise from cap.
turing their markets, but they cannot
afford thus openly to recognize the steady
progress of republican ideas and the prob
ability that eventually they will dominate
the civilized world. The statue of Liberty
enlightening the earth typifies a moral con.
dition. The light of the great Republic
cannot be confined to our own shores or Il
this continent. 1t is spreading and vii
continue to spread. Monarchism is losins
ground and republicanism is gaining. TIL,
idea Of hereditary rule is gradually yielding
to that of popular government. Cars
kings, emperors and kaisers are on tn,
down grade and the people are on the VI
grade. 1t may be a long time yet befor,
the latter come into their own everywhere
but it is sure to happen, and the exampl,
of the great Republic is operating to tina
end with the silent, steady and ~irresist
ible force of a great law Of nature. Thi.
is the real American peril, the great, form
less and underlined catastrophe, remote bu
inevitable, that disturbs the dreams anC
haunts the waking hours of the ruin,
classes in Europe without their KNOWN,
exactly what they fear. To the people i
is as a beacon of hope and a kindly leadin,
light but to the ruling classes it is
forewarning of political doom.