Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-18
our NATIONAL IDEALS
What We Stand For and NOT
What Races We Spring FROM
IL What Unites Us.
BY DIR. G. l.. ABRAHAMSON,
editor of Augustana.l

=
ent world war. and efforts be maze
to solve the national and political
/ life problems of the people. FOR
one who stands outside of the
| battling lines, but yet is as deeply
| interested as a citizen of country
engulfed in war must be. it is inter-
! esting to try to get clear in the vital
| problems, but also to do it calmly
and with good Judgment, so as not
| to be extreme. which may cause
| injury: or selfish, because we might
! be the one or both. We hardly
need to state.wha a nation is, or
what its purpose may be, because
| we all know that the nation means
/ the people, united under common
| government to further common in
| terests. That a nation also may
| be interpreted to be people of the
same origin, traditions and Ian
I guage we all know; and this view
/ is perhaps more common than the
/ one we first gave. When we talk or
America as a nation and a people.
which it certainly is, one needs to
| have it clear, that in state so
| composed, and with state" we here
mean America as whole, as dis
| tinctive from any other states, be
what they may. 1t is not unity in
| race or blood relation, which serves
! to unity, but national purposes or
/ ideals The English will not make
| you American, nor the Swedish, but
| that one comprehends what may
| be for the best of the country, loves
| it and is willing to sacrifice for it;
| the sacrifices may be ever SO great.
| Here we cannot place the limits.
| They must be determined by the
| outer needs, such as they are speci-
( fed by the government. Neither is
! it possible to trust that accidental
| calculations will remain for a long
| time; this will be determined by cir
| cumstances.
! The purpose OF our national con-
| solidation can not be specified in
clearer way, than the manner in
which it is expressed in the
( preamble of the constitution of our
! country; Ito establish justice, in
/ sure domestic tranquility, provide
| for the common defense. promote
| the general welfare, and secure the
| blessings of liberty to ourselves and
| our poSterity" and in this way pro-
I mote more perfect consolidation
! this is the purpose of consolidating
| these states into a federation of
| states. America is thus family,
| constituted around great ideas,
which ideas and not groups of diff
ferent people serve to hold the body
united. Is it not a fact that this
great republic was founded by
people from any countries; people
who had the same great ideals; pO-
| litical freedom, equality and COM
mon interests? 1t must have ap-
peared at that time as great ex-
pertinent to seek to establish a ma
I ton with such ideas as funda-
mental, but it did happen. and there
| can hardly exist fair minded man,
| who does not feel gratitude toward
| these patriots. men, women and
| children, who sacrificed all to gain
the great end. That other coun-
| tries with the same principles,
| France in particular, came in the
| decisive moment to the assistance
OF America, can not, and must not,
| be forgotten now, when France
needs our assistance, and humanity
| needs our help to gain and pre-
| serve the same liberty that our own
: poti ACto AOdShL III III tliO W dI IOI
! our own naturalization.
| That we, as an American people
! are composed of many nationalities,
| is evident. By some this is looked
| upon as a weakness in considering
/ the nation as unit; this, however,
/ is not the case. 1t is better to be
/ composed of number of peoples,
than of a few: then strife and en-
nifty may easily arise. OF all these
! different natiOnalities, no one
/ should, when considering its ances-
! try, so easily understand or adapt
| itself to the efforts made to pre-
/ serve America unbiemished to our
/ posterity as the Swedish people.
| This our government is assured Of
/ and it has reason to feel disap-
! pointed, if the case should be other
/ wise. For my own part, l was
| puzzled, when last fall / moved to
/ Illinois from Connecticut, to hear
/ so much talk about the necessity
| of being loyal, and how much sus-
/ picion one person had against the
/ other as if enc should be the evil
/ genius OF the other Yea, it seemed
/ as If one was spying on the other.
/ This surprised me, because | be
/ lieved and still believe it, that our
| country in these trying times.
| should not be able to find a more
! devoted people than the Swedish.
/ No sacrifices should be too great.
when we find them needed, and no
patriotism greater than our own.
/ This we see proved by our own
/ children, or why did they rush to
| the colors as they did, even at the
| time they had the privilege to Join
| as volunteers, and why do we not
hear word of grumbling, when
/ they in due order are summoned
/ into service away from home. The
/ answer Is clear; they love their
! country, they love our own dear
America, with love that not MANY
| waters can put out, and we thank
! you, young men, for this your love.
! which we shall try to keep up and
/ keep afire. No one shall attempt to
| put it out. Your fathers and
mothers, your brothers, sisters and
| friends. your teachers and guard
ians shall all support you, and keep
that conviction clear with you. that
! we are all with you-all with you,
none against, all uniting and none
| dispensing. 1t is a long time since
James Monroe declared that Amer
| lea must be free from Fu
ropean plottings, because that hap
pened In 1923. but It is to be hoped
that the ideas that were expressed
| by these words are not forgotten or
! laft a1 A a..