Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III The Cultivation of Patriotism By THE EARL OF MEATH I Have been asked by the Editor of these essays to contribute an article on the Cultivation of Patriotism. I gladly accede to his request, for it appears to me that the sentiment of patriotism, when founded on the love of home and of free institutions, and when unalloyed by admixture with the baser qualities of arrogance and of vainglory, is a source of untold strength to a nation. Such a sentiment cannot be ignored with impunity. It cannot be forced by educators or statesmen, nor is it capable of being produced at the arbitrary will of the tyrant. It is a delicate plant which refuses to be cultivated on uncongenial soil, but, given the proper conditions of growth, it is in the power of the cultivator, either by neglect to starve it into atrophy, or by care and proper nurture to cause it to bring forth fruit, so that it shall repay him a hundredfold for his toil and attention. No foolish fear of fostering a military spirit should ever lead those who have in their hands the direction of youthful education to stunt or repress the growth of this valuable sentiment ; let them rather guide it into healthy directions, where its progress, far from being a source of danger to humanity, may, by stimulating the energies and purifying of the motives of the sons and daughters of Britain, be the means of bringing untold blessings to millions of the world's inhabitants. The present world-war has called forth a marvellous exhibition of the power of patriotic feeling amongst the free peoples of the Empire. His Majesty the King, in his noble Message to his people of May 25, 1915, pointed this out when he said : "' I desire to take this opportunity ofexpressing to my people my recognition and appreciation of the splendid ...