Indeed, there can be no glory to a
people so great or so readily recognized by mankind at large as
that of spreading civilization from east to west and from north to
south.
But the one object should be the prosperity of the
colonists, and not profit, nor glory, nor even power, to the parent
country.
There is no virtue of which more has been said and sung than
patriotism, and none which, when pure and true, has led to finer
results. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. To live for one's
country also is a very beautiful and proper thing. But if we
examine closely much patriotism, that is so called, we shall find
it going hand in hand with a good deal that is selfish, and with
not a little that is devilish. It was some fine fury of patriotic
feeling which enabled the national poet to put into the mouth of
every Englishman that horrible prayer with regard to our enemies
which we sing when we wish to do honor to our sovereign. It did
not seem to him that it might be well to pray that their hearts
should be softened, and our own hearts softened also. National
success was all that a patriotic poet could desire, and therefore
in our national hymn have we gone on imploring the Lord to arise
and scatter our enemies; to confound their politics, whether they
be good or ill; and to expose their knavish tricks - such knavish
tricks being taken for granted.
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