Gilpin observer., 1910-08-18
THE LAND OF OUR NATIVITY.

land said, "A man ought to be proud
of the land of his nativity, even if
he wasn't born there" This seems
perfectly natural from an Irlshman.
and no one but an Irishman could
say it. There are no more loyal class
of people under the sun, than the
sons of the Emerald Isle. 1t is a
long step from patriotism, or love
of country, back to primitive man.
When the primate became conscious
of his individuality, his only thought
was self preservation, and how he
could evade his pursuers. AS he de-
veloped mentally, and the seed of
kindness was planted in his breast,
he extended the spirit of protection
to her he had chosen as mate. He
would fight her battles, and shield
her from attack, and in the end sac
rifice his life if need be that she
might be protected. The next stage
in development, was the care and pro-
lection of the family. He would fight
to the death with any intruder who
would endanger the life or comfort
Of the offspring. The protection of
the home was the earliest stage of
civilization. The next step, was a
combination Of forces, of these primi-
tive beings into tribes, uniting their
forces for the protection Of one
another. Those tribes or classes,
would wage war against a neighboring
tribe, and vanquish them, and take
possession of their land and goods re-
gardless of justice or equity in the
matter.
This altruism or spirit of devotion.
then embraced a nation, and then
burst into full bloom the rose of pat
riotism. The men and even the wo-
men, laying their lives upon the al
tar, that the honor of their country
might be upheld and their flag un-
spotted to the world. Up to this point
we can mark the progress of civiliza-
tion and the spirit of brotherly love
within the nation.
The next step will be, in the words
of Tennyson:
when the war-drum throbs no
longer and the battle flags are furled
In the parliament of Men, the, Fed
Grafton of the world
Then will all mankind be banded
together to produce new heaven
and a new earth. We have not reach
ed that stage today.
When l read in the dispatches, that
a city has been destroyed by flood
or earthquake, l Immediately look for
the locality, and if l find that it is
in China or Japan, l am not aroused
as by the Johnstown flood or the
San Francisco earthquake. If ships
sinking in mid-ocean,I ask where does
she hail from. If from some Me1iter
renean port, l am not so ready to
man the life boat as if she sailed
from Charlotte Town.
However until the time when all
people shall have developed into CIV
ilized beings, and are capable of ap-
preciating the higher interests in
life, let us devote ourselves each to
his respective country, and give her
his unbounded support. Some through
force of circumstances, have been
compelled to leave his native land.
This need not cause him to forget
the land that gave him birth. The
land of his adoption claims by right,
his support both financially and ply
sically, yet that may not forbid him
loving the land of his childhood, over
whose verdant hills his mother guild
ed his early steps. A boy from cause
may lose his mother, and her place
be taken by step-mother. He owes
that substituting mother, as long as
she is caring for and protecting him,
all his allegiance, protection and sup
port, but he cannot, must not, forget
or cease to love, her who ministered
to his infant needs and listened to
his cry in the night.
The scenes of our childhood stamp
an erasable picture in our mind.
We remember the "Old oaken buck
et," the swimming pool, the orchard,
the meadow, the school house and
church.
The hills and wales, the rivers and
lakes, are more beautiful than any
we have ever beheld, because linked
with some pleasant experience that
warns our hearts when we remember
A party who had grown up amid
the pleasant places of Gilpin county,
though now living in Denver, visited
here short time ago, and remarked
to me that she still loved those old
hills; that they still held charm all
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