The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-01

Ever since the human race began
to multiply upon this old planet,
which we call earth, there has been
a tendency for folks to separate into
groups, tribes, klans, or whatever
you may please to call them; for
their own mutual protection. These
tribes of course formed the govern
ment of their day. True, they were
very crude governments, but remem-
Der from such crudity has sprung our
boosted civilization of today. From
the crucible of human experimental
ton in civics has come the higher
ideals in government; as expressed
in our own government Of the people,
for the people, and by the people.
Even in the most crude tribal forms
government would have been impossi-
BILE without a sense of loyalty and
devotion, being implanted in the
hearts of the tribesmen. This 10y
atty to tribe or khan was the essen
tial germ of patriotism, without which
no government, no matter how crude
or how complex, can long exist.
Thus you can see, readily, that pa
triotism is one of the oldest, as well
as one of the most important things,
from the human standpoint, in gov
eminent. It is equally important to
the governed and to the government
as a whole. Without patriotism there
can be nothing but anarchy and chaos.
Every tribe, every race, every ma
ton, practically since the dawn OF
creation, has had it's patriotic ireals.
Sure they may not be such as are
our ideals; for surely, we have ad-
vanced much in the few odd thousand
years that separate the "then" from
the "now;" but, however, that does
not alter the facts that patriotism Is
essential. It is essential to every
government, be it monarchy or repub-
lie; and every nation has had it in a
measure-in the measure that the
government fulfilled the highest
ideals of it's subjects, and, that the
subjects lived up to the highest stand
ards set by the government.
This brings US, again, to the ques-
ton: Americanism, what is it?
Since it has been said that every ma
ton of patriotism, it's own patriotic
ideals; then, Americanism must be
the highest ideals Of patriotism for
an Amortization America. But
Americanism is more than an ideal;
it is that strange invisible, indwel-
ing, something in the breasts of men
that influences their lives and moulds
their character into the highest type
of citizenship that the world has ever
produced-an American. American
ism is intangible yet powerfully dy-
manic, it is invisible yet visible in its
demonstrations, it cannot be bought
but it is worth more than gold, it is
spirit yet it dwelleth in temples of
mortal clay-Americanism, what is
it? It is a life. If you are ever to
know it in reality you must live it.
1t cannot be acquired in moment,
it takes a lifetime to live it.
Americanism for Americans. Yes,
but because man is a citizen of this
country, either by birth or adoption,
does not mean that he is living up to
the highest ideals of Americanism or
that he is truly an American. He
who does not respect and honor God,
whose guiding hand has directed the
destiny of our great nation, has not
the right vision of Americanism. He
who will not uphold our country's
Constitution and our country's laws is
not an American at heart. He who
will not uphold our American institu-
lions and American ideals; he who
will prostitute the faith Of our
Fathers and trample American prec-
edent under foot-he and American
ism are strangers if, indeed, not enc
mics. Americanism is in every
thought, act, and impulse that makes
for a better government, q better citi-
-