The War Spirit – Lizzie M. Holmes (1898)

_{Battle of Manila Bay, Philippines, May 1, 1898}

From ‘Discontent: Mother of Progress‘, Lakebay, Washington, July 6, 1898

Trust Americans for desperate, wholesale, reckless, abandoned patriotism every time. Trust them to let anything on earth be done to them while they are under its exciting spell. It is better than hypnotism. Suggest anything in the name of “my country” when the ecstacy is on, and “it goes”. The very name of America is a word to conjure with.

The whole conglomeration of nativities that have fetched up on this side of the globe can be set raving, howling mad with half an hour’s hearty, eloquent jingoism. Even I, with 200 years of Americanism behind me, but with 20 years of cool, economic, international study to tone it down, feel a rush of blood to the head and the fire of an idiotic frenzy possessing me when the war-whoop rings out, the drums beat, the brags bands blare out for victory.

Anything goes that is American — robbery, oppression, invasion, corruption; just say it is “American”, and we’ll whoop it up for all it’s worth. In our patriotic intoxication we can hate a workingman who happened to be born in Spain with a good old fifteenth century hatred that would do the old inquisitors good. “Blood”! we cry. And the results of 25 years’ teaching of solidarity and equality are wiped out in a day.

Organized workingmen have fallen into line beautifully. The convention of the Federation of Labor, at Colorado Springs, passed some rousing resolutions in favor of war, “America and the flag” and finished with three cheers and a tiger for President McKinley. McKinley would as soon turn his soldiers’ guns on them if they disturbed their bosses or the capitalistic interests of the country, as upon the Spaniards — sooner than that Spanish bondholders should be hurt. He has approved, by acquiescence, of the murder of 40 unarmed workingmen in Pennsylvania, and would probably approve of the killing of any others who dared to protest against starvation wages.

The evil effects of war are being felt. The militant spirit is being aroused, which is the very opposite of the true progressive principle in civilization. Patriotism, an adoration of government, whatever it may be, is being fostered; the feeling of hatred toward our brothers in another country is created and encouraged. And, above all, passion and prejudices are being awakened — reason and judgment are left to lie dormant. Men will not listen to the teaching of principles which require thought, when, with a whoop and hurrah, they can rush to let loose the innate savagery of their natures and call it a virtue.

The cause of liberty may be put back many years (and our rulers may be wise enough to know it), but it behooves us to be more earnest, more industrious in teaching. No one can prophesy in times like these. No one can tell what changes, what conditions may suddenly bring our cause to the front. Now is the time to be ever on the alert. Let no new phase of the situation pass unobserved. Something may grow out of it all that will show the common people of all countries that their cause is always the same.

–Lizzie M. Holmes, in the Commonwealth.