The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-12-02

of patriotism But is patriotism
; what needs quickening among us? II
+ was too much patriotism and too little
I, care for humanity that plunged
, Europe into war.
II is not our national consciousness
that needs to be quickened but rather
, our consciousness of solidarity with
England and Germany and Russia
with China and Japan and Africa.
, If out of the incredible sums OF
money already wasted in this war
one dollar of every hundred had been
spent TO quicken the international
consciousness of Europe, to overcome
and Danish race prejudice, and to pro-
mote friendly intercourse, we may
confidently believe that this war would
never have come.
The present hour is most inoppor-
tune time to speak of quickening our
national consciousness. 1t is an hour
when we are called as never before to
recognize that, high above the love Of
country, is the love of man.
America is dear to US and the Faith
erland is dear to the German, but he
is a poor American and he is a poor
German, unworthy of his Christian
heritage, who does not put the wide
world above his little corner of it.
But, further, our President tells us,
in the words already quoted, that our
national confidence in the principles of
peace and freedom has been deepened
and confirmed by the extraordinary
circumstances of the time.
| would gladly believe that this is
true, but where is the evidence of its
truth?
Is it proof of an increased love of
peace that we are about to change our
national policy and follow the example
of Europe which has put its trust in
ornaments?
And our deepening confidence in
freedom" where does that appear
just now in so marked fashion that
it may be fitly advanced as ground
of national thanksgiving?
Is it to be found in the tremendous
agitation for greater army and
navy? But when in the course of
the centuries has great standing
military force promoted the cause of
freedom? What, on the contrary, has
ever been more fatal to freedom than
great standing armies? 1t is not thus
that freedom has been won, and it is
not thus that freedom has been ex-
panded.
The solemn teaching of history is
wholly against our trusting in a great |
military force as the bulwark Of free
dom.
But we shall not follow further the |
Proclamation of the President. We
pass rather to note very briefly three
special grounds Of national thanksgiv-
ing at this time.
And first, we may well pause as
nation and give thanks to God for the
economic progress of the past year,
for that economic progress
which is at the same time fundament-
ally moral. | mention under this head
a single fact, namely the rising senti-
ment against the liquor traffic which
has registered itself the past year in
the adoption of prohibition in six
states, the largest number that have
ever taken the step in single year.
These states are Alabama, Arkan-
,as, Idaho, Iowa, Virginia and South
Carolina. This step has not been |
forced upon these states by their gov
,rnments, as dire necessity Of war,
as has been the case in Russia, but it t
has been the calm and reasoned act Of i
he majority Of the citizens them !
selves.
This single event gives great and c
distinction to the year 1915. I
These six states have combined t
urea once and half as great as Ger i
many, and a population once and a
lalf as great as that of all the New e
England States. t
Again, we may well pause as a ma t
ion and give thanks to God for the {
cientifc progress of the past year. 9
If the Zeppelins and aeroplanes
ave demonstrated the enormous b
ange of their significance as engines n
f war, they have also shown capaci- b
les which, when the war is over, will O
make them agents in mans peaceful a
evelopment.
But far surprising Zeppelins and Ii
eroplanes in its potential value for o
lankind is the achievement of the a
asst months in wireless telephony. 1t
! Of course too early TO measure or Il
ven rudely forecast the practical sig 4,
ificance Of this most marvellous event Il
T the year. But if the human voice p
= r.