The mirror., 1923-06-28
AMERICANISM
By Mr.. Fl. B.


radicalism itself is that of he who drapes
himself in the American flag and delivers
himself of endless platitudinous claptrap,
the principal motive of which is Il am
one hundred percent American The
question arises, what is one hunderd per
cent American? Experience and observa-
tion seems to prove that he protests too
much. Uusualy he hides mad desire
for personal exploitation under the mask
of blatant loyalty"
In other words, Mr.. Marcosson holds
with Disreali who remarked, patriotism
is the last refuge of a scoundrel" and with
the proverb which delicately hints "A
woman who doth protest her virtue and
man who boasts of his hontesty. -"
But the question suggested, what is
Americanism? is pertinent one. Ameri-
canism is an attempt to realize the concept
of individual liberty. Never before in the
history of the world had so revolutionary
a doctrine been successfully carried into
practice as was that which was given ex-
preston by the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, made reality by revolution and
guaranteed unto posterity by the Consti-
tuition of the United States. 1t was re-
bellion against established law. 1t was a
defiance of the established order. A de-
fance backed by blood and powder. Free
dom had been lauded by sage and poet
for centuries. But it was for the priv
ileged classes, as the chivalry of the
knights of the Round Table was for
ladies of high degree. Man as an indi-
vidual was nothing except as his class
had power to confer upon him. The
government was held to have been insti-
tuted by God himself and the king ruled
by divine right. The serf, the "husman,"
the vellien, liberty was not for such as
they. An all wise Providence had placed
them in their position that kings and no
bles might draw ease and luxury from
their misery.
"We hold" states the Declaration of In
dependence, throwing down the gauntlet
to the powers of privilege, "these truths
to be self evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights governments
are instituted among men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the
governed. That whenever any form of
government becomes destructive to these
ends, it is the right of the people to alter
and abolish it and to institute new govern
ment laying its foundations on such prin-
ciples and arranging its powers in such
form as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness"
A most revolutionary and seditious doc
ument for which Washington, Jefferson
and their fellow rebels would have paid
the penalty grimly suggested by Benjamin
Franklin when he said, "Let us hang to-
gether, or we will hang separately" ex-
cept Tor the merciful Providence which
watches over the destinies of brave and
liberty loving men.
Get familiar with the Declaration of
Independence, the Constitution of the
United States, trace the fame of the
Revolutionary war back through the ages,
here suppressed and a mere hidden
smouldering, here breaking forth into
hastily extinguished flame, until you dis
cern the birth place of the spark and the
Ainty rock that drew it forth. And you
will find that TRUE Americanism is big
ger and older than America. That we
are but the prodigal heirs of brave souls
who met calumny, prison and death in
many lands. -.
And somehow sometimes fancy that
it goes back even unto that Man of Sor-
rows who poured out his generous blood