TEACHING THE CHILD PATRIOTISM

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I THE APPEAL TO HISTORY 1
II THE PATRIOTISM OF PEACE 22
III PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IN POLITICS 42
IV TEACHING THE MEANING OF DEMOCRACY 61
V SACRIFICING FOR PATRIOTISM 76
VI PATRIOTISM AND HEALTH 93
VII WORK AS A VITAL PART OF PATRIOTISM 111
VIII A PATRIOT'S MANNERS AND MORALS 130
IX THE PATRIOT'S RELIGION AND IDEALS 147

TEACHING THE CHILD PATRIOTISM

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I

THE APPEAL TO HISTORY

Let us suppose for a moment that any set of men could
succeed in sweeping away from them all the influences
of past ages. Suppose a race of men whose minds had
been suddenly deadened to every recollection--can we
imagine a condition of such utter confusion and
misery?--FREDERIC HARRISON.

WE have been lately told by one of our foremost educators that "the
best schools are expressly renouncing the questionable duty of teaching
patriotism by means of history."

To some of us who have brought up children, this startling statement
came like a bomb. If history is to be used, as it certainly is used, in
many of our "best schools," in the teaching of political economy,
sociology, philosophy, psychology, biology, religion and nearly
everything else, why should we not use it also in teaching a child the
value of his own country, how dearly it has been bought, and his duty to
serve it?

When anybody undertakes to prove that a child who hears, for instance
the story of the six "leading citizens" of Calais offering their lives
for the redemption of their city, does not feel a deeper sense of
patriotism after it, he must prove that the children whom most of us
know are exceptional.

See the widening eyes and working features of children listening to a
spirited reading of "Horatius at the Bridge," or "Hervé Riel," or the
story of Nathan Hale.

Your "educator" may say that all this means merely an "emotional spasm."
What is that but interest or enthusiasm? And what is more potent in
moving the will?

Most of our intelligent mothers can testify that there seems to be
nothing which more rouses a child's loving consciousness of his own
land, and more enkindles a desire to do something for it,--even to die
for it--than listening to these fiery old tales of exalted patriotism.

In an eloquent panegyric upon the influence of a knowledge of history,
President Woolley of Mt. Holyoke College says: "It is a circumscribed
life which has no vision into the past, which is familiar only with
present conditions and forms of government, manners, customs and
beliefs. Such a life has no background, no material for comparisons, no
opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others, nor from their
achievements."

And, in re-inforcement of the contention that much besides general
culture and useful information is gained from the study of the past, and
especially from the study of the classics, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
during a recent session of the New York Latin Club uttered a strong plea
for the study of Latin and Greek, as an incentive to patriotism.

"It is impossible," he said, in effect, "to read of 'the brave days of
old,' of Marathon and Salamis, of Martius Curtius, Lycurgus and a
hundred others of the heroes of Greece and Rome, without a sense of the
glory of living and dying for one's country. All children should be made
familiar with them, and especially with the ringing lines and sound
patriotism of the Iliad. They not only teach patriotism, but many of the
other higher virtues, and in such an interesting way that children want
to hear the stories over and over. Thus their lessons become indelibly
impressed upon young minds."

But one of the hard truths which should be taught in connection with
these tales of heroism, is the fact that by far the greater number of
splendid sacrifices for one's country are never heard of. Cincinnatus,
Hector, Ajax, Pheidippides, have come to fame, which is generally
considered reward enough for any hardship; but most of the world's
heroes are unknown or forgotten. Every soldier can relate courageous
deeds which he has witnessed but which live only in his memory or in
those of his comrades. In fact, we are told that heroism is so common in
the present war that almost every soldier deserves a medal.

TEACHING THE CHILD PATRIOTISM