The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-03
HERE is MORE ABOUT
ADDRESS
Continued from Page Two)

ernment, as far back as Aristotle, the
greatest writer on the philosophy Of
government the world has produced.
1t has been said: IF the thought is
vital in itself though to be but a
germ, it yitalizes thoughts in others
which may bloom into petals, or ma
ture into fruits not vouchsafed to the
thinker in whom it originates"
/ I am seeking today to express some
| thoughts that seem vital to me.
j cannot hope that they will produce iul~
mediate results.
] Herbert Spencer says Those who
| count on getting from human nature
within a short time, much better re-
suits than present ones, will newt
ably fail" So 1 may only hope that
out of the few thoughts that scatter
today, some may terminate and pro-
duce results in the hearts and minds
of those upon whom they fail little
causing any one to think along new
lines and see things in the light in
which they appear to me, I will feel
that I have not spoken in vain.
| AS higher educa ton makes for good
citizenship, it's essentials should be
taught in our schools. 1t is quite the
vogue now to advocate teaching pat
riotism, but the means pursued lead
to chauvinism rather than true pat
riotism. There is a true and false
conception of patriotism. One deals
with essentials; considers the spirit
of our institutions and the necessity
of perpetrating them in their purity
the other manifests itself in out
ward observance, and forms and cere-
monials transported from foreign
| lands.
| For more than hundred years
! Commodore Decatur's toast: "Our
country, may she always be right; but
our country, right or wrong" has been
| excused as an extravagant 1apsus
linguae, resulting from the conviviali-
! ty OF the banquet where it was uttered
1.-THE advocates of a false patriotism
that had a counterpart in the days of
Julius Caesar, are inclined to take
Commodore Decatur's toast as their,
motto, but true patriotism should mete
out to it a just condemnation. A
prayer to do right, with the addenda
that 1t makes no difference whether
we are right or wrong" loses all
sem'blance OF a sincere desire to do
right, 1t is as dishonest in spirit as
the sentiment of the man who said he
intended ito make money if he had to
make 1t honestly" Both imply, will
ingness to be wrong or 20 do wrong II
it should be expedient. .
There should be no different code
of morals for people acting in con-
cert under the name of a nation, anc
the individuals who comprise the ma
ton. True patriotism does not pernli
of a double Consciousness which sep
arates the man from the citizen.
1t is false patriotism that exploits
externals at the cost of essentials. /
find that some of our schools hav,
quit teaching the constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, but are
insistent in requiring the pupils. to
stand at attention when the Star
Spangled Banner is played.
Froude in his excellent work on
Julius Caesar compares the conditions
in Rome to our own times and says:
THE history of nations is to states
manship that the pathology of disease
is to the art of medicine, The ply
stefan cannot avert the coming on of
1t. When disease has laid hold upon
the constitution he cannot expel it
But he may check the progress of the
evil If he can recognize the symptoms
in time, and so with nations; amids
the endless variety of circumstances |
there are constant phenomena whfct |
give notice Of. approaching danger"
Speaking of the Roman government |
he says: "a constitutional government |
the most enduring and the most pow |
erful that ever existed, was put OF |
its tRal and found wanting. Patriot |
ism was on the lips of everyone but
the highest offices OF the state went |
tinction of birth was exchanged for |
distinction of wealth. The whole at |
mosphere was saturated with cant |
cant moral, cant POLITICAL
This cant permeates or nation to-
day The affectatton of high patriot |
ism which does not touch the conduct |
Of men, flows on in increasing volume !
Of empty speech and outward forms |
and ceremonials. l yield to no man /
in patriotism, but true patriotism does
not manifest itself in empty forms
and saIutations, nor is it patriotism
inculcated by such practices
Those, who through a false concep- |
ton of patriotism, are teaching these !
outward manifestations are uncon-
scioIlsly and mistakenly doing more to |
sap and mine the principles of our
great government and destroy true
patriotism than they realize. The sac
part OF it is that they think they are
right, and like all who are impregnat-
ed with false ideas, they are most ve- /
hement in their denunciation of those
who differ with them.
Our institutions OF Learning should
teach the principles of our government
rather than the observance of set
forms; and inculcate in the minds and
oF he ~o1,p0 he o,.r |