The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-18


hound. He has the courage Of unques |
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circumstances than to any difference
the temper Of the TWO revolutionary
movements. Both movements have
from the first regarded themselves as
universal. They are for the regenera.
ton of the world The French revo-
lutionary assembly inaugurated its
labors with a declaration of the rights
of man-not the rights Of Frenchmen,
but of all men, Americans had been
content, in their own immortal declara.
ton, to proclaim their separation from
Great Britain and assert their right to
occupy an equal position among the
nations of the earth Not so the French
They asserted the rights of man, and
their declaration was no sooner out
than they began to threaten-though
as yet in principeonly-th rest Of the
world and their declaration was used
as prteXt by the monarchial and
aristocratic combination which made
war upon them 1t was not until three
or four years afterward that they ac-
!
sword of conquest in the name Of the
ghts of man-succeeding in it so well
that Napoleon saw his chance to turn
the movement into conquest for his
own benefit
The Russian revolution is more
prompt in attempting to impose its doc
trine on the rest Of the world 1t is
at this moment waging war on the ma.
tional government OF Finland, on the
theory that the Russian revolutionary
government is bound in principle to
support the proletariat against the
| bourgeois everywhere. one of its first
acts was to interfere with the admin
! istration of the law in England by com
pelling the liberation of spy suspects
| of Russian origin. 1t is at war with
the government Of Rumana, tate its
ally, because the Rumanian govern
ment resented the control of Ruman-
ian affairs by bolshevik regiments. At
this moment, the bOlsheviks are threat
ening to put the United States ambas-
sador, Mr.. Francis, into prison, in order
to enforce the liberation OF Alexander
Berkman and Emma Goldman, both
American citizens, who have been con-
victed under our espionage laws; and,
as a rebuke to our continued adherence
to our own bourgeois" institutions
they have appointed as Russian consul
general at New York an American cti
zen who has been indicted under these
same laws. The bolshevik revolution
indeed, has undertaken to run the
whole world.
VIII the attempt of the Russian
proletarian internationalists succeed
any better than the French attempt
did? There is no ground to suppose
that it will. AS matter of fact, ma
tional sentiment all over the world is
at the summit of its influence. 1t i,
now apparently the interest Of all hu
man motives, surprising the spirit o
religion and overcoming the influence
of language-for there are no stronger
nationalists than the Swiss Of three diff
ferent tongues, no fiercer Frenchmer
, than the Alsatians who speak a Ger
, man dialect, no sturdier fighters fol
the national idea than the Belgians
who are without national language
The Russian revolutionists indeed, dc
not profess an intention to suppress
the spirit of nationality altogether
But they do deny the right Of any eX
cept the proletarians to assert tina
spirit anywhere. If they ever becom
strong enough, they would make or
ganized war against the "bourgeoi'
everywhere. Their menace in this dI
e rection is one Of the most interesting
developments OF the war. 1t finds
distinct echo, it seems, in Germany
and a faint echo even in England. Bu
I even in both these cses the echo /
! due to war.Weariness, and not neces
| sarily to sickness of national govern
ment on a basis Of a fair representation
of all citizens. We do not believe tn
i world in general will welcome the II
t reference of the Russian revolution
e with its domestic affairs.