The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-31

Is WE'LL lnat tnere SnOulQ De IN
my audience tonight as l know there
are, not merely Scotchmen, but the
representatives of every nationality,
Of every religion, and of every tongue.
Robert Burns was Scotchman by des.
cent, but his life and his gospel were for
The whole world. The cause of human
brotherhood knows no geographical lines.
The language of sympathy and of love is
universal. The birthday of Robert Burns,
therefore, is a day which all may cele-
brate. In its celebration there can be no
element of hatred, no touch of bitterness.
When the Germans celebrate the Battle
of Sedan, many a Frenchman lowers his
head in grief and wounded pride. Some
men see in Sherman'S march to the sea
only a glorious conquest. Others think
only of the waves of fire and OF the desc
lated homesteads which accompanied it.
When we celebrate the life and songs OF
Robert Burns, however there is no bitter
ness. no wounded pride, no heart-burnings.
We touch the great lord of democracy and
OF humanity, which vibrates in love and
hOpefulness throughout the world. The
country, indeed, of every really great and
loving soul is the whole earth, and as
long as love remains below, and human
sympathy ennObles mankind as long as
the poor suffer and hope and yearn; as
long as we believe in the humanity and
the name of Robert Burns be cherished
and honored, not merely by Scotchmen,
but wherever the British tongues are
spoken or are read.
Neither are we ScOtchmcn in America
i'm celebrating the birthday of the Scotch
poet, today and in thinking of the heath
and of the heather unpatriotic or I'M
American. 1t is true that we love the
past, and are proud of the past, but so is
.l,D ,l,,vN -
The Scotchman in America, it is true,
yields 10 no one in his love for his Moth
erland-for the land of his birth and of
his ancestry. He yields, however to no
one in his love and loyalty for the land of
his adoption. His love for the old is not
inconsistent with his love for the new. II
rather makes it deeper and holer and
higher. The man who loves the mother
who gave him birth does not, on that ac-
count. love less his own wife and BARNS.
Love for the old is not inconsistent with
love for and loyalty to the new. When
we think of the picture that hangs on
memOrys wals-when we think of the
heath and of the heather-when We speak
of Robert Burns and of Bonnie Scotland
when our blood surges within us as we
think of Bannockburn and of Sterling
Bridge; of the Scottish squares at Water
loo; of the thin red line of Highlanders
are not un-American. 1t is true that some
Of us can not join in its entirety in the
American National hymn. Some of us
can not truthfully say, Land where my
fathers died" for the fathers of many OF
us died on other shores and in other
climes. But they died, none the less in
the worlds great struggle for human adj
vancement and liberty, which is the heri-
tage of every nation and of every race.
nj ctil hn
rocks and rills of Scotia. He is proud of
his race and of its ideals, and of it's
achievements; but his heart beats none
the less in unison with the great, cosmo-
pOlitan heart of America with its encom-
passing love- and with its great human
ideals. To many patriotism is merely
geographical sense. 1t is merely an en-
thusiasm over a pictured flag. TO the
man of breadth and experience it is some
thing that is infinitely greater. There is
something, indeed, that is purer than the
love even of the rocks and of the rlls
There is something that is holier than the
love even of the flag, and that is love
Of and a willingness to die, and even to
live for, those who live amidst the rocks
and beneath the flag. This is a patriotism
which is worth the while. 1t is founded
on intelligence and sympathy-on real
sense of the brotherhood which knows no
This is the newer patriotism, and this is
the patriotism which Burns breathed, and
which has made him a citizen, not merely
OF Scotland, but of the world-republic of
human love and of human advancement
FoRE-RUNNER OF DEMOCRACY.
Robert Burns, indeed, was one of the
great fOre-runners of democracy. He led
his soul, his cause, his clan, a little from
the ruck of things The old idea was that
the Malthusian theory was God-ordained
that somehow or other God had placed
more people upon the globe than could be
supported, and this in order that the rich
might prosper and the poor and the
weak might minister unto them Its
apostles had the theory that it was neces-
sary that the millions should be debased
in order that a few might find time to
cultivate art and music and refinement
and luxury. The old world was world
of snobbery. Government was govern