The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-07-11
A NATIONAL REACTION.

Declaration of independence in the
day in some quarters of the country
is Il hopeful sign of returning national
sanity. 1t is not too much to say that
we have in the last decade wandered
far away from the IDEAS and prin-
cipleS for which the Revolutionary
War WAS fought. 1t will be fortunate
indeed should this nation fully return
to the ideas which used to he eXtOlled
and held in highest regard by the
politicians and alleged statesmen have
in recent years made light of the eter
nal truths cnuncinted in the Dccllr:l-
ton of Independence and put into sue
cesSful practice for the first time
through the hcrOiSm of the founders
of the republic. Public men recently
for the first time in the nations his
tory have had the temerity and cf-
frontcry to announce that the Decl;lr-
force and meant nothing in these
days. \ man who would make such
a statement twenty years ago would
not get very far in Il political way
What has brought about the change:
Several causes have contributed.
When the United States ii few years
ago took up the most unselfsh war
ever commenced by any nation it did
so believing that Il people who MAIN
for years and years We're entitled to
freedom. We then recognized the
rights of Il people to govern them
selves. We then believed in and
rXcmpliied our belief in the doctrines
of the Declaration of Independence
Rmt before that war was ended we
denied to another people the fruit of
an equally long fight for freedom.
We changed 1.-The war for the free
Gem of one people" into n war for
the SuhiuGatdn of another people
We rcpndiated for the first time tho
principles of the Declaration of In
dependence. This reputation did
not 20 unchallenged. The most patri-
otic of our public men in all parties
protested against what was plainly Il
departure from American principles
But the dominant forces in our gov
eminent were bent upon Il policy
which they thought would lead to
military and national ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The American people. persuaded by
the plausible plea of supporting the
troops while ut war. hcSitatinyly ac-
uuicsced in the policy. Ever since
those responsible for the reversal of
American ideas of government have
been npologizing. and even those
openly opposed to the policy have been
trying to make themselves believe
that we had not after all departed
from American ideals. And thus it
has come to pass that members of our
national legislature have spoken light
ly of the Declaration of independence
without receiving the effective rcbukc
that would have been administered
by an outraged public opinion ten
years ago. \ rccreant and ire
sponsble public press is another cause
of the change. In trying to sustain Il
partisan position they have turned
their backs upon the most inspiring
and most important event of the
eighteenth century-the Declaration
of Independence. We are not of the
number who believe that the depart
ure from American ideals brought
about within the last decade will con.
time. We believe that the reaction
toward national sanity and consist.
ency has already begun. The people
of this country are not less patriotic
than they We're in 1860. The leaders
and those responsible for our present
policies are less unselfish and more
mercenary than the great Americans
of former days. When the people
take time to think: when the great and
influential press of the country realize
fully that their responsibility to the