As a rule it will be found that the sources of
pride belong to the people themselves, and that the sources of shame
belong to their rulers. It would be difficult to find words strong
enough to condemn the campaign of robbery and murder conducted by the
Black Prince against the peaceful inhabitants of Southern France in
1356, but it would be still more difficult to do justice to the
magnificent pluck and grit which enabled 8,000 Englishmen at Poitiers
to put to flight no less than 60,000 of the chosen chivalry of
France. The wire-pullers of state-craft have often worked with
ignoble aims, but those who suffer in the working out of political
schemes often sanctify the service by their self-sacrifice. There is
always Glory at the cannon's mouth.
In these days when the word Patriot is used both as a party badge and
as a term of reproach, and when those who measure their patriotism by
the standards of good feeling and self-respect are denied the right
to the use of the term though they have an equal love for their
country and take an equal pride in their country's honourable
achievements, it seems necessary to define the word before one
applies it to oneself or puts one's name to what may be called
patriotic verse.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25