Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-06-24
The Patriotic Attitude.

Inc IO1lOWluR SACcEpC 1IVu
'leader" in the London ''Daily News"
well expresses the best thought OF
England as to the duty of her citizens
in support of the new Coalition gov
eminent, composed as it is of every
party and faction, Conservative, Lib
eral Labor and Utsterite, the Irish
Nationalist having declined place in
the new Cabinet but pledging their
whole souled support to the Govern
ment Editor.
But the thing is done, and it is our
business as sensible men to make the
best of it. I hear people all around,
inside the House and out, asking How
long do you give ,it-three months?"
and discussing the probable collapse
much as they might discuss the pros
poets of the hay crop Well, if this is
our attitude of mind towards the new
Government it is quite probable that
it would collapse, But what then? If
the coalition cannot survive what are
we going to put in its place? Can we
without the greatest alarm contemplate
a series of -political crises, every one
of which will be more disastrous than
| defeat in the field or the loss of many
battleships? We can build battleships
| faster than we are losing them, but we
cannot recover the spirit of the nation
if it is once sacrificed to a rasping and
embittercd controversy in which we lose
sight of the only thing for which we
ought to live, not interim: tently but
every moment of our waking existence
What have we done if in overthrowing
this man or that, creating this difficulty
or that, scoring this point or that. we
have made the Germans masters Of
Europe and pronounced the doom tf
liberty amongst men?
| We want magnanimity. We are IN
| the presence of the greatest war the
world has ever confronted. If we win
all is gained; if we lose all is lost. Do
not let US in this rugged and awful
crisis" forget in petty recriminations
that we are fighting or the soul of the
world Do not let US spend our. time
and waste our energies in picking ur
pins to stick our neighbors. like that
story OF Lincoln. He had been KEEP
waiting by General Mcclellan, and he
was asked why he allowed himself tt
be subjected to such ar
! indignity by that rather bumptious
general And he replied; II woulc
hold his horse for him if he would give
US victory" We cannot all be Lin
coins We cannot all respond to hi
, splendid magnanimity; but let us be al
) magnanimous as we can. Let us u
least remember that thousands of ou
countrymen are giving their lives fol
r our liberties, and remembering that, lie
: US take care that their sacrifices shall
not be in vain.
Despotism And Democracy.
| And above all we should try to keel
in mind what the war is about. If W
do that we shall have a better under
standing of our problems. What is
: about? It is, put shortly, Whethe
6, democracy shall or shall not. in Lin
! coins great phrase, perish from tn
earth" That is the ultimate issue
2 If Odin wins democracy is dead.
Germany can dictate her terms t
. Europe the sword will have won an
we shall live under the dominion Q
the sword. 1t will be little satisfaction
Z in those days that Parliamentary GOV
eminent collapsed in the great ordea
II If we understand that it is democracy
the spirit of free institutions, that
at war with despotiam, the spirit
blood and iron, we shall realise muc
that puzzles us. We are amazed at th
= revelation of the power of German
and ask why we by comparison are 8
!. slow in realisipg our military resources
y But why has Germany revealed sue
K power? 1t is because she is a despo
t. ism. and despotism rests on the swor'
N If we or France could have rivalled Ii
: power of Germany it would have bee
because we had lived under despo
ism too. But both we and France d
"a veloped in the direction of democrac.
N and the question for US is whether
e the last resort democracy can wag
1. successful war against despotism.
1t is foolish or disingenuous for US
cry out against democracy because it
'e not SO efficient for war as despotisn
S; It would not be democracy if it wer'
te One might as well expect the quit
= householder to be as efficient at burr
= larry as the professional burglar. He
= not, but he does not turn burglar
le adjust the balance. He relies on Il
force of civilization and the victory
It with him. And SO it viii be with dem'
g cracy. 1T is less efficient in the bus
dess of war, but in the end even i
y military resources are greater, for the
It are rooted inspiritual soilan draw upc
reserves that win outlast all the de-
potisms Of the world.