Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-07

/ What are the causes which give
rise to the patriotic sentiment of to-
d "? The prosperity and the power
o. the county develop our national
pride. And national pride is not
! selfshness as some would persuade
/ us to believe. When l hear man
/ boasUing Of his cnsmopolitanism I
know he is a comet of no particular
use anywhere. ''Parlez vous
Francais?" No, not very well. I
am studying Shakespeare, and read
ing Washington's Farewell Ad-
dress" and Lincoln's Speech" on
the battlefield of Gettysburg. How
ever it will not hurt anyone TO know
French, German, Hottent6t or Zulu.
provided he can speak English first,
last, and all the time.
This leads to the truth that
common language is necessary for
the development of the patriotic
American Spirit" The immigrant
has transferred his body into the
new world, and what the Republic
is now demanding of him, and has
a right to demand, is his soul. Com
pulsory education is fundamental
principle of a democratic govern
ment for the children of these i'm
migrants must be taught to speak
the language of the Republic so
that we all can converse together.
and read the same books, and maya
zines and newspapers.
These are three things which the
nation considers essential and abso-
lutte. They ale G) Unity of pur-
pose. (2) Unity of language and
(3) Unity of laws. I believe these
three cover the fundamentals.
Unity of language is one of the
gateways that opens to national
greatness. 1t is not important
whether you can express an idea in
several languages. The important
thing is to have ideas to express and
good English to express them. The
language of Republic is the great
est language yet known to man.
All the sciences, all the arts, all the
histories, and all the sentiments of
humanity have emptied into the
English tongue. To master that
language should be our highest
pleasure and ambition. A unity OF
language is the first great new
patriotism that is coming and must
come.
l say new patriotism" not as
contrary to the old but the patriot
ism that must issue from the new
facts of new age. The causes of
this national feeling have changed.
We have more to awaken our ma
tional pride than the mere defense
Of our homes, and the soil we Guilt
vate, and the institutions which
guarantee our freedom and our
rights.
The historic greatness of our ma
ton is the truth from which the pat
riotism of the present and of the
future must arise. There is little
or no danger from an invading foe.
Our hillsides and our firesides are
reasonable safe. It is true that we
have foreign possessions. But our
honorable dealing with them and
with all nations will avoid trouble.
However we should be prepared for
any emergency that might arise.
The past glory of his country is
entrusted to the citizen of today, as
we'll as the present greatness Of his
nation. We have three hundred
years Of a glorious history behind
us. The flag has never been dis
graced nor dishOnored The dust
of the heroic dead is mingled with
| the soil. Tablets and monuments
are erected to remind the nation of
the dauntless courage that has de-
/ Tended It's honor IN the past. These
are instruments for the develop
mept Of the patriotic sentiment Of
the American Spirit" These are
the treasures entrusted to our keep
ing. In our soil sleep the greatest
men Of the nation and the noblest
manhood Of the world: Washington
and Lincoln; Grant and Sherman;
Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
The American Spirit" is and will
be patriotic. And this love of
country will be developed and
strengthened more and more by
reason and reflection. The Republic
is founded on group of principles
which are as true as the oxioms Of
geometry. Patriotism must find it's
reason IN the love Of the mind and
of the heart for these sacred truths
which have been baptized in the ma