62
THE NEBRASKAN
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climbing, but we must pull up with us what
is below. That is brotherhood.
" Patriotism is the love a man has for the
spot of ground he calls home." As time de
velops the nation, this sentiment, so strong in
each individual, extends to a protective love
for the whole. The nation becomes the larger
home a mitivc land, to be defended aiu'.
loved as a very part of life. So our fore
fathers thought of our country. They fought
and died for it. Their patriotism was an es
sential part of their being. No other senti
ment ever even partially supplanted it. It
secured for us a place among the nations of
the earth ; it assured safety and honor to us
as a people ; it opened the way to all the
prosperity that we enjoy. But before gov
ernment of the people, by the people, could
be secure, there must be a sterner test. The
awful struggle of the civil war, a patriotic
struggle in the highest sense, brought politi
cal freedom and equality within our bounda
ries to all men and for all time. The eman
cipation proclamation was the climax in this
development. The political ideal was real
ized. To-day, this United States of Amer
ica stands before the world, a vital, organic
answer to that question so long guessed at
and agonized over by the nations what is
true patriotism? I say, in 1863 we worked
out the problem with the blood and tears of a
million souls. To-day, patriotism on Ameri
can soil has provided the surest foothold for
the individual he has ever had since the cre
ation. Let America guard closely her sacred
heritage. The fathers laid the foundation of
national unity and life ; the sons have burned
out the plague-spot that threatened it. None
of the old hopes and anxious fears that in
spired their devotion exist to-day. The very
fact that these inspiring springs have been
exhausted demands a more constant watch
a more jealous guard over the sentiment of
our people toward their native land.
"Ah, what a mighty trust is ours, the noblest ever sung,
To keep this banner spotless, its kindred stars among.
Science may dare the mysteries of earth and wave and
sky.
Till rone with us in splendor and strength mid skill enn
vie;
Yet, should we reckon liberty and manhood less than
these,
And slight the right of the humblest between our cir
cling sens.
Should we be false to our sacred past, our fathers' Cod
forgetting,
This banner would lose its lustre, our sun bcuigh his
setting.
Grand as are the results of patriotism al
ready achieved in this country, we have not
reached our ultimate goal. There is more to
be done. Modern thought has reduced the
plan of industrial perfection from a vague,
chimerical outline to a definite structure.
One hundred years ago there was but an
exaggerated, almost superstitious, notion
of an ideal democracy. To-day we have the
complete architectural design. America has
been at work upon the foundation for many
years. The corner-stone must be as was
prophesied long ago the stone that the
builders rejected. The world has trusted to
its own knowledge of skill and statesman
ship until human endeavor has gone as far as
it can unaided. We have attacked nature in
her very strongholds, and forced her secrets
from her one by one. Human energy, in the
material world, is conquering every obstacle
in its path. To-day, with pulses quickened
by victories already achieved, it moves con
fidently on to final success.
With this tremendous forward movement
of the industrial world, the intellectual and
spiritual must keep pace. We must be hard
at work trying to harmonize human law with
the divine. That Golden Rule, "Whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you do ye
even so to them," we must be able to declare
is on trial in thj hearts of thousands up and
down this land, who labor and sweat for
daily bread. For the brain and heart must
keep up with the hand, or that greatest curse
of humanity will be ours irresponsible
power. Have you seen a mechanic more
skilled with tools than any of his fellows, who
understands complex machinery, whose very
brain is a machine, exquisitely adjusted to
the perfect accomplishment of automatic