The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-05

ed in the philosophy Of the state Dut
ignorant Of human nature-the very
worst class OF political educators a
nation could possibly have. Again "
has been the education OF continual
success; there has not yet been tune
for the many defeats, reVerseS, lak-
ings-down and knockings-a6out VIII
out which no great nation ever learns
10 know it's proper place in the school
of nations. Lastly. the most valuable
education Of all--that OF governing
other nations in every stage OF cul-
ture, from the lowest to the highest'
and learning that each must be &C
corded it's rights if they are 10 i've
under the same roof--has never yet
been given to Germany. No WONDER
the Germans fall victims so easll! 10
foolish formulate in reading the char-
acter Of other nations, and show such
an amazing lack Of the sense OF pro-
portion in reading their own.
1t is interesting, therefore, TO hnd
the German chancellor calling US
nation OF cyclists. 1t rather conhrms
what | said before that all these char-
acters are composed on the principle
of attributing 10 your enemy the
worst Of the qualities you possess
yourself. No great nation has haa
more blows to its pride than the Bit,
ish. no nation has been more knocked
about in the long centuries OF Its
political education. Like the Ger
mans, we have learned something
from our victories, but we have
learned far more from our defeats.
What good thing it would have been
for Germany, how different she would
be at the present moment. if she had
ever had to face, and recover from,
blow such as we received when We
lost the American colonies. verify
believe that George Washington has
as good claim as anybody else TO be
considered the founder OF the British
empire. On the other hand, George
the Third who got US into that mess,
was a German. And. like true Ger
man, he had a theory about the char
acter of the American colonist. They
were a community Of traitors" that
and nothing more. He not only held
this, but acted upon it.
This war is due TO an outbreak of
iiQsanity in the most learned nation Of
l. ;ope. which, just because the most
Learned. was the most likely to go
mad. OF all the forms their insanity
has taken. none Is quite so distinct as
that which sets them TO the task of
blackening the character Of their
opponents.
Professor Troeltsch is an exponent
of the "hypocrite" theory. Pastor
Traub has another theory, the oppo-
site of that of Troeltsch, but quite as
uncomplimentary. He proves that we
are not hypocrites, that We are in fact
perfectly sincere, only our sincerity
fakec dispraceful forms en- that in tho
upshot our national character has mo
value whatever to the human race
When l was youth at college
won prize for an essay on the char
acter Of the Spartans. Had the Spar.
tans themselves been the judges
doubt if they would have awarded me
the prize; but fortunately for ME, all
the Spartans who might have given
me the lie were long since dead.
Encouraged by my past success,
undertook in later life to write an
article for London editor on the
character Of the American people-at
a time when happened to be visiting
their country. But soon found that
this was a very different proposition
from my Spartan escapade. To begin
with. the Americans were much more
numerous than the Spartans. Every
fresh American | met seemed 10 con-
tradlct the impression | had formed
OF his predecessors: and when |: re-
Elected that there were hundred mil
lion Of them, gave up in despair and
wrote to the London editor that the
Americans had no character at all
which. rightly considered, is the high.
est compliment that could be paid 10
any nation.