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Wc often speak of the spirit of a na
tion without much conception of whaj: the
term means. And yet each nation has its
own peculiar Tnetliod of expressing itself
just as definitely as the individuals which
compose it. As the spirit of the indi
vidual makes up,'the personality by which
he is known, so the national spirit be
comes the interpretation of that nation
in the opinion of the world. As a person,
actuated by mean and selfish motives in
his dealings wWh his fellow-man, is re
garded with *scorn and contempt by his
'fellows, so a country in whose life greed
and deception are predominant becomes
accursed in the company of nations. In
great crises, involving the honor of a na
tion, we should look to the motive that
prompts to action, for it is there that the
spirit betrays iiself.
National spirit is, .therefore, niadi up
of various components. It is the nation’s
personality. It i§ as well the motivr
which lies back of its attitude toward
life and the world at large. It is tb
heart-throb which prompts it to speed
defense of its own honor and the prope
conceptjpn of the lights of -other ria
tions. The declaration of the ancient
concerning the individual that “from th
abundance of-the heart the mouth speak
eth” holds equally true in case of groups
of human beings'. Sso the Wor d nffficl.-
in judgment. crtVr the jwkle*
pose it and weighs in sc,fit's *>• ■Vi.JtTvv,
opinion the s spirit ."’that guides 'in u ‘
fairs pi men/ a
Wc must tWf'Varida.'i cd 1 “
tries in va.jda
ways. Yet .also'- pansjbie UiaT ,ih
natural feeling of the nation mfy bycpia,
warped' by ifie Inlluetipe, yi a-rcirtcfS
stimuli. Igor .'a ccjaniry . whic!
owes much to. its lellovvs and’should re
spoud quickly to the demands of hu
inanity, may have had its conscience s
distorted by the Worship °f materialisn
as to show spirit entirely foreign to tha
of its founders. The veneer of the ban!
account may be allowed to stifle the ex
pression of the heart beat and the work
will wonder at the change and laugh a
the ideal falls to the earth in ruins.
There is np nation in the public ey<
today which is so commended as i:
France, our sister republic. May we no
account for this by the fact that she ha;
remained firmly attached to the ideals o'
her founders? As we study the history
of this nation we find that there ha:
been a consistent expression of idealism
though, at times, obscured by the con
fusion of the times. Back of the appa
rent loss of a national spirit has always
been in evidence a strong public opinion
which pointed the way out. She has I
made her intakes, as other countries |
have done, bm we may love her for her i
mistakes, as she has eventually righted
herself before the world.
What are some of the characteristics
of the French spirit? First of all we
should place love of country. To a
Frenchman, France sums up all that is
best in this world. In his estimation she
stands but little lower than his God and
for her his life is willingly sacrificed.
There is no self-interest back of this love
other than that which accrues to tlie in
individual in the happiness and well-be
ing of all. Great.has been the inspira
tion of this motive and deeds of valor
that thrill have had their origin here
There is no appeal which can receive
greater or more instant response. The ,
Marseillaise, which has beert worth le- |
gions to the armies of France, has its j
wonderful power in the emphasis uponj
the obligation of tHe citizenry of a coun
try to live and die, if need he, not for
their own personal gain, but that the na
tional ideal may live and pass on to pos
terity an unsullied national honor.
There has been noticeable also in the
life of France a deep consciousness of
individual liberty. This has proved the:
great spark which has lighted the torch i
of freedom in the world. To tier we owe
a debt which is hard to pay for her share
in making America “the land of the free
and the home of the brave.” It has been
to her credit, too, that she has not con
tented herself with “good wishes” ir
freedom’s cause, but has poured out her
treasure and her blood without stint. In
our own revolution millions of francs
willingly exchanged for “scraps of paper"
showed her love, in a tangible way. Still
better, thousands of men under able lead- .
ers demonstrated her hatred of the op
presspr. The last battle against England
on American soil was largely a French j
victory, as French troops outnumbered
the continentals and Lafayette led the
first successful attack against the British
redoubts.
Her devotion to the cause of hu- (
inanity was aghin demonstrated when, j
in 1914, she hared her breast to the ad- j
vaneing hosts of Germany. It was her :
indomitable faith in the cause of justice i
that hurled them back in stern defiance.
It was this repulse that saved the civili
zation of the world, as definitely as the
victory of Charles Martel preserved Eu
rope from the domination of Islam at
Poitiers in the 7th Century. In both
cases the growth of a military autocracy
was checked and democracy assured an
eventful success
There has always been a note of self
sacrifice in her world vision. Humanity
has played a large part in her plans for
the future. It has never been France
alone that has filled her thought, but the
general uplift of mankind through an
equal chance to all. It has taken blood
shed often for her to work out her de
signs. but she has w'orked them out tc
her glory and the world’s happiness.
AVe must not overlook the sympathy
for the oppressed which has been for her
a grand appeal. All nations in need
have turned to France and never turned
inVain. The battle flelds'of the combats
waged for human rights have been red- 1
dened with French blood. Not a small
part in the progress toward the
goal of real civilization is to he ascribed
to the faithful consecration of our sister
republic.
The sunny character of the French
disposition has contributed greatly to tin
sum total of the world’s optimism. The
pleasant land of France has been the
hearth fire around which have gathered
the smiles of all nations. In defeat as
in victorv, she has kept her delicious;
faith in the sweetness of humanity In l
Page 14
The Spirit of France
TRENCH AND CAMP
gejneral. It is her assurance that the
cause is just that has made it possible
for her to "smile through her tears” in
these troublous days, though her heart is
breaking. The world, is better for her
loving sympathy with its weaknesses and
gains therein encouragement to struggle
on to eventual salvation.
She is called frivolous. Perhaps she is.
Cannot a nation be smiling and happy if
the'world is better for it? She has con
tributed much that is bad to the world,
says the critic. Does she stand alone in
this? How about the other side of the
sense of obligation to higher things of
life and her God is a real personage to
her. As she has charity for us, may
we have charity for her and may we
love her for what sfie has done in a lov
ing spirit of helpfulness and overlook the
petty things which, in her thoughtless
ness, she may have been led to commit.
Let us join together in a ‘.‘Vive la
France” and assure her of our hearty
co-operation in a just cause, “A la vie:
a la mort.”
Mess
Sergeants
. % If you would be popu
lar with your troop, get
Kenny’s High
Grade Coffee
and
Kenny’s Che-on
Tea.
C.O. Kenny Co.
976 Broad St. Phone 601.
Wholesale
Cigars
Tobaccos
Cigarettes
Pipes
Chewing Gam
* Retail
' Department
Headquarters for
Pennsylvanians--
Cigars, Soda,
Pool and Billiards.
Bnrdell-
Cooper
Cinco Distributors
752 Broad. Phone 23.
You Can Make Your Tent More Comfortable
If You Cover The Floor With ,«!■
Slusky’s Rubber Roofing
Tt will add warmth to the tent, keep out the dampness,
cold winds and insects. It will be more than a carpet to
your floor. The cost is small—the comfort great. $1.25
per roll of 108 square feet, including nails for applying,
delivered at the camp. Call Phone 100 and we will de
liver it to you.
David Slusky & Son
1009 BROAD STREET. AUGUSTA.
Camp Hancock Soldiers
ATTENTION!!
We beg to announce that we are prepared to take
care bf your wants in anything electrical. We are es
pecially featuring, for your approval, the following
things:
TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH INSTRUMENTS, FLASH
LIGHTS, BATTERIES AND MANY OTHER
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES.
We are an independent firm, sell closer than many
other places of the same kind, and can therefore offer
you much better prices.
NEW HOME ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING
COMPANY
857 y 2 Broad St. Augusta, Ga. Phone 1000.
DRINK
Jiueen^
At Counters
% /
Camp Hancock Boys!
We have Souvenirs and Novelties to suit your taste.
Our line consists of:
Felt and Silk Pennants, Pillow Tops, Post Cards,
Pictures, Swagger Sticks, Tie and Handkerchief
Holders.
Our stock also includes some camp necessities, such as:
Comfort Kits, Hat Cords, Khaki and Silk Handker
chiefs, Collar Ornaments, Money Belts, and many other
useful articles.
Camp Hancock Souvenir Store
630 BROAD STREET.
Our Motto: Popular Prices, Courteous Service.
Noy. 28, 1917.