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Of PATRIOTISM THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1753 ...Oh Greeks, respect your Fame, PATRIOTISM, or public Spirit, is so essentially necessary to the Prosperity of Government, and the Welfare of Civil Society, that without some Portion of the former, the latter, I was going to say, cannot long exist; I will venture to say, can have no Existence. All History conspires to establish this political Maxim, That the true Dignity and Glory, the Stability and internal Tranquility of every State, were always proportionate to the Strength and Diffusiveness of Public Spirit. The sublime Genius of the wisest Legislator, the refined Arts of the most skilful Politician, would be but splendidæ Nugæ ["Splendid nonsense"] unavailing Efforts towards the Establishment of Order and Harmony, without the Assistance of Patriotism. It is this divine Principle which alone can give Vitality, Beauty, Strength and Duration to any political Body. When we consider the astonishing Grandeur, the almost incredible Victories, and that resplendent Figure which the Grecian and Roman Common-Wealths exhibited to the World, if we examine from what Sources they derived that superior Lustre, which has claimed the Admiration of all succeeding Ages, and been equalled by none; there is no Principle from whence we can with so much Justice, deduce their Glory and Renown, as from that patriot Ardor which warmed every Breast, and beamed forth with so illustrious a Blaze from their Legislators, their Heroes and Philosophers. If on the other Hand we trace them to the melan- choly Periods of their Declension and Dissolution, we shall find they sunk in Proportion to their Decay of Public Spirit: And that when selfish Principles and sordid Views became predominant, lawless Ambition reared its destructive Head, generous Emulation took its Flight, and that noble disinterested Love of the Public, which had triumphed over every selfish, every partial Tie, was no longer the ruling Principle of Action. Hence they became a Prey to Tyranny, to Vice, and to abject ignominious Slavery. It would not be difficult to illustrate these Observations by a Deduction of Facts from the Grcecian and Roman Historians, could so ample a Detail fall within the Limits of this Paper, or so fully answer its present Design. I shall therefore proceed. And In the FIRST Place endeavour to prove, that ever Member of the Community, who is not actuated by a Public Spirit, or a Patriot Disposition, may and ought to be deemed an Enemy to his Country. Secondly, I shall attempt to discriminate true Patriotism from its specious Appearance. That we are not born for our selves alone, is the Voice of sound Philosophy, - the Dictate of unerring Nature. Dependence and social Obligation take Place at the first Dawn of Life, and as its Thread lengthens, continually multiply and invigorate: Amongst these the Love of the Public becomes one of the Strongest. Family Affection and private Friendship, if they so engross our Hearts as to render us insensible of the general Welfare, are not only mean and unworthy Passions, but naturally hurry us into the basest, the vilest, and most immoral Conduct. The Good of the Public, includes the Life and Happiness of Thousands: And it is surely not less absurd than wicked, to give the Preference to the blind Dictates of Passion, or the narrow Ties of personal Attachment. Not to melt for public Calamities, - not to feel the patriot Glow of Soul, when our Country is crowned with Success, and distinguished with Honour, - to be regardless of its Fame, and unambitious in its Behalf, - to coil ourselves up within the dirty Shell of our own private Interest and Conveniency, careless of the common Good; is denying our Title to Humanity, and for. feiting the Character of rational Beings. He who is secured to his Country, by no Ties but those of partial Passion and private Interest, will, whenever there arises an Opposition between that and those, give the Preference to the latter, and unrestrained by Fear, is ripe for Rebellion, Conspiracies, Rapine and Treachery. Every such Man is a concealed Mine, which only wants to be properly touched; and as far as his Influence reaches, the Fabric of public Peace, Harmony and Order, will shake and totter. Meerly to love the Public, to wish it well, to feel for it, in all its Vicissitudes, is not sufficient. The Man may perhaps be honest enough to do no Harm, if it should be in his Power, and may possibly be Proof against any Temptations to injure his Country. But this is by no Means fulfilling the whole of his Obligation to the Community of which he is a Member. To exemplify our Love for the Public, as far as our Ability and Sphere of Action will extend, is true Patriotism. This is the indispensable Duty of every Man, and whoever, from Indolence or Lukewarmness, neglects to advance the common Weal, when it is in his Power, is not only a bad Citizen, but a real Enemy to his Country, in Proportion to the Value and Consequence of his neglected Service. Should this Indolence and Lukewarmness universally infect a People, their Government will be unhinged, they will fall a Prey to their Enemies, and cease to be a Nation. I go still farther. Whoever is unstudious of the public Emolument, who denies it a Share of his thinking Hours, and refuses to exert his Head, his Heart, and his Hands in its Behalf, is a Foe to Society. Mankind have been more indebted to the patriot Zeal of Genius and Knowledge, than to the conquering Arm of Heroism. And whoso neglects to make the common Good an Object of Reflection, and to plan for its Welfare, robs it of all that Advantage which it might reap by a contrary Conduct. I am now to distinguish between true Patriotism, and its specious Appearance. To shine in the first Order of Patriots, has been the Portion of few. That ethereal Spark which pervades and illuminates the Breasts of the choicest Favourites of Heaven, is but sparingly shed amongst human Kind. But let us not envy those elder Sons of immortal Fame, nor murmur at our own Allowance; rather let us endeavour to improve the Talents we enjoy, than with a rash Ambition grasp at those we are not born to possess. To be in some Degree a Patriot, is in every Man's Power, and is every Man's Duty. He is a Patriot who prefers the Happiness of the Whole, to his own private Advantage; who, when properly called upon, is ready to rise up in its Defence, and with a manly Fortitude, shield it from Danger. He is a Patriot, the ruling Object of whose Ambition, is the public Welfare: Whose Zeal, chastised by Reflection, is calm, steady and undaunted: He whom lucrative Views cannot warp from his Duty: Whom no partial Ties can prevail on to act traitorously to the Community, and sacrifice the Interest of the Whole to that of a Part: He whom Flattery cannot seduce, nor Frowns dismay, from supporting the public Interest when it is in his Power: Who mourns for their Vices, and exerts his Abilities to work a Reformation: Who compassionates their Ignorance, and endeavours to improve their Understandings: He who aims to cultivate Urbanity and social Harmony. To conclude, he is a true Patriot whose Love for the Public is not extinguished, either by their Insensibility or Ingratitude; but goes on with unwearied Benevolence in every public-spirited Attempt. Here I am tempted to stop, and pay my Adorations to those exalted Patriots, who were the Glory, the Safe-guard, the Orna- ments of their Country: - But I will repress my Emotion and keep to Order. One would be apt to imagine, Patriotism carried such evident Marks of its native Purity, that no specious Appearance of it could impose upon Mankind. But if we judge of Human Nature by Experience, we shall be almost tempted to think, Men are formed to deceive and be deceived. 'Tis not in Patriotism only, but in various other Characters, that Mankind are in Masquerade, and Falsehood assumes the Air of Reality. Virtue has something so irresistibly charming, that artful Vice steals her Dress, and often mimics her Air so deceitfully, that it requires more than common Penetration to discover the Delusion. Under the Disguise of Patriotism, that first-rate Virtue, Faction, Self-Interest, and private Ambition are frequently concealed. I have found, and I own my self unequal to the Power of developing all the artificial Windings of false Patriotism. But I may venture to pronounce, that where a benevolent Temper, does not display itself in the general Tenor of a Man?s Conduct; his Pretences to Patriotism and public Spirit, are very much to be questioned. For Benevolence is the Parent of Patriot- ism, and where the Father has no Property, what Inheritance can the Son claim? True Patriotism cannot dwell with a mean, narrow, selfish Disposition: As easily will Figs grow upon Thorns, or Grapes upon Thistles. The Coward, the Flatterer, the Wretch whose sordid Soul pays Obeysance to the splendid Insolence of Power and Fortune, can never feel the generous Warmth of honest Patriotism. The noisy intemperate Froth of a political Enthusiast, is as far removed from a steady Principle of Patriotism, as the Dignity of solid Understanding from the Fumes of poetical Madness.- Party-Faction and personal Resentment, have often imposed themselves upon Mankind for the divine Operations of public Spirit. We shall find Hypocrites of this sort, more frequently in- veighing against Men, than reasoning upon Facts: Ridicule is their favourite Engine - to mislead the Judgment by warming the Imagination, is their peculiar Art. The superstitious Zealot, and the religious Bigot, have not so much as an Idea of a Public: When they presume to act the Fart of Patriots, there is something so unnatural and absurd in their Manner, that they can scarcely deceive any but their own Herd. When these Characters lay Claim to Patriotism, we may be sure they are Impostors, and we should treat them as Hypocrites. I shall close my Animadversions with an Exhortation to my Countrymen, to cultivate and display this God-like Virtue of public Spirit. We are, my Friends, but just emerged from the rude unpolished Condition of an Infant Colony: There is a large Field for Improvement open to us. We are set down in a Country whose Fertility will generously reward the Labours of the industrious Husbandman. The Bowels of the Earth already yield us their Treasures, and probably have more and better in Reserve. Com- merce stretches forth its golden Arms to our Merchants; and our Situation is so pre-eminently advantageous for Navigation, that I am persuaded, it will be our own Faults, if we do not extend and increase our Trade beyond our Neighbours and Competitors. And to crown all, we are blessed with civil Liberty, and the inestimable Privilege of unprecarious Property. Without these, all our natural Advantages, would be no more than a beautiful unanimated Picture. Our Security, our Prosperity, our Duration, by a natural and necessary Connection, will be in Proportion to the Strength and Management of our Patriotism and public Spirit. We are accountable to the Supreme Beneficient Governor of the Universe, as the Donor of these Blessings: We are bound as rational active Beings to improve them, and we are answerable to Posterity for our Conduct. Let us all then, in our respective Stations, and with our several Abilities, exert our selves as Patriots, that so a united Harmony of public Spirit may arise amongst us. Let the general Good take Place of a contracted Selfishness. Let the public Welfare triumph over private Animosity. Let us discountenance Vice, and revere that Religion which will make us wiser and better. Let us abhor Superstition and Bigotry, which are the Parents of Sloth and Slavery. Let us make War upon Ignorance and Barbarity of Man. ners. Let us invite the Arts and Sciences to reside amongst us. Let us encourage every Thing which tends to exalt and embellish our Characters. And in fine, let the Love of our Country be mani- fested by that which is the only true Manifestation of it, a patriot Soul and a public Spirit. N. Whereas some of the Clergy in this City, make a Practice of aspers- ing the Character of the Independent Reflector in their Pulpits, by charging him obliquely (tho' too intelligibly to be mistaken by their Congregations) with In fidelity and Contempt for Christianity, in order to discredit his Paper, without any Provocation or the least Foundation for such scurrilous Insinuations from any of his Writings. This is therefore to give Notice (having with great Patience waited for their Reformation) that the first Clergyman, guilty of the like infamous Artifice for the future, shall be treated as he deserves for taking such villainous Liberties. Source: Klein, Milton, ed., The Independent Reflector...by William Livingston. (Cambridge: Harvard University, 1963), pp. 215-220. |