The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-07-23
Patriotism and Patriotism.

!.
reasoning brings us to that conclusion.
He would thrust his fingers into his
ears in vain endeavor to shut out the
joyous cry of the happy throng, who,
conscious of their own well-being, and
with realization of the blessings be-
slowed upon them by constitution
guaranteeing equal rights to all before
the law, loudly proclaimed that fact,
and yet in their happiness did not lose
sight of the fact that while their >coun-
try was not free from all the evils to
which governments are heir, still
it was to them the best nation on earth,
and that they proposed to do their part
to raise it to that high ideal to which
their patriotic souls aspire. This most
puissant expounder of patriotic wis
dom would lead us to believe that the
proper way to manifest our patriotism
is to seek some back alley or an under
ground retreat, and there in solitude
mourn our inability to correct all
existing evils at one fell stroke. He
would have us bury our optimistic, al
truistic, patriotic ardor.
Again, this great prophet tells us
that: "PatriOtism is a sentiment that
should be nurtured in every man,
woman and child of every country
under the sum-" And yet he eau
tions us very carefully against let
ting our neighbors know that we con-
tain the least spark of patriotic fire.
No, we are to "keep it dark: "hide it
under a bushel." If it should have the
least tendency to bob up and manifest
itself, strangle it! If we were to ex-
press patriotic sentiment it might
awaken the dormant spirit of patriot
ism in some other human being and
the stock might not be sufficient to
supply the demand.
Our Moses evidently considers that
he has struck the keynote of simon
pure patriotism in the following spasm:
"But let the ideal of our patriotism be
high. The lower forms of patriotism
that manifest themselves in boasting
in p-on-the-shoulder antics; that
find expression in such narrow-minded
egoism as 'Breathes there the man with
soul so dead etc., and other grandilo.
quent outbursts of paroxysmal patri
otic effervesence, are conducive to the
welfare of savages only. It's the only
kind of patriotism the savage is ca
pable of comprehendlng. Civilized
man has absolutely no use for such
patriotism. And the man who boasts
of his country and his people simply
because it is HIS country and HIS
people should proclaim himself saw
age, or forever be silent when patriot
ism is the theme discussed"
i The quotation to which this volatile
writer refers US, runs as follows:
sBreathes there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
, This is my own my native land!"
, One could scarcely imagine human
J being who owned no country as tn
) place of his birth,-for the author o
} the above lines did not refer to an,
, particular country-pitiful indee,
, must be the condition of such an one
, / do not believe that the love of hom
} and country can be wholly dead in an
man, no matter to what depths he ma
] have fallen. His may not have beel
4 the best country on earth; its govern
r ment and institutions may have bee
i rotten to the core, yet it was the Ian
of bis birth. 1t is this feeling for one
S country that often causes revolution
+ when governments become corruI
r and oppressive. Our forefathers wer
Q patriots, yet they were rebels. The
e loved their country of adoption PEI
i haps no more and no less than the Ian
r of their birth, but they loved not th
,, yoke of King George. There can ben
d affection without thought, and though
IS is simply communing with ones self.
d This learned sage would have us b.
i lieve that in expressing such sentimer
IT as the foregoing lines, our motives al
% purely selfish and unworthy; and tn,
70 our feelings should be no strong'
If towards the land of our birth or ado