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Story
October 30, 1898
The Indianapolis Journal
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
What is this article about?
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton, in a Harvard address on Oct. 29 in Cambridge, Mass., laments the Spanish-American War's end to old American ideals, predicting militarism, foreign entanglements, leadership voids, and corruption; urges revising government and leaving Philippines to Spain.
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Full Text
COLLEGE CALAMITY WAILER.
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton Thinks the Country Is Going to the Dogs.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 29.—Prof. Charles Eliot Norton, in an address before the Graduates' Club of Harvard College, expressed sentiments which are likely to arouse as much discussion among Harvard men and others as has followed many of Professor Norton's recent utterances. The speaker's subject was "The New America." In the course of his remarks he reviewed the conditions which made the Republic in many ways an experiment in the history of democracies. Continuing, he said:
"No one would have thought the American Nation so devoid of sense as to have gone to war in the beginning of the hot season in a tropical climate and without any adequate preparations to carry that war to a successful issue. This war was a revelation. The old America came to an end with a declaration of war. The new America threw over many of the old ideals which have been maintained by this old America and substituted for them those of the other nations of the world. We must make up our minds as to the new conditions. We are to be a military nation. Moreover, all brutal tendencies will be encouraged by the recognition of force as the last appeal by the central government itself. And, too, entanglements with other nations must arise. Meanwhile we have no leaders, and hence we find ourselves with great responsibilities and no guidance for the ignorant, uninformed, inflammable populace. We are allowing events to carry us into the most dangerous situations. The whole system of government needs to be revised and reorganized. The pension list is a list of corruption and has lowered the morals of the recipients while it has increased the national indebtedness. Is there nothing to be done? The situation is to be met with courage and a determination to get the best out of a bad case. We must divorce the government of these dependencies from politics or else they will become dens of corruption."
Professor Norton advocated leaving the Philippines to the care of Spain.
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton Thinks the Country Is Going to the Dogs.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 29.—Prof. Charles Eliot Norton, in an address before the Graduates' Club of Harvard College, expressed sentiments which are likely to arouse as much discussion among Harvard men and others as has followed many of Professor Norton's recent utterances. The speaker's subject was "The New America." In the course of his remarks he reviewed the conditions which made the Republic in many ways an experiment in the history of democracies. Continuing, he said:
"No one would have thought the American Nation so devoid of sense as to have gone to war in the beginning of the hot season in a tropical climate and without any adequate preparations to carry that war to a successful issue. This war was a revelation. The old America came to an end with a declaration of war. The new America threw over many of the old ideals which have been maintained by this old America and substituted for them those of the other nations of the world. We must make up our minds as to the new conditions. We are to be a military nation. Moreover, all brutal tendencies will be encouraged by the recognition of force as the last appeal by the central government itself. And, too, entanglements with other nations must arise. Meanwhile we have no leaders, and hence we find ourselves with great responsibilities and no guidance for the ignorant, uninformed, inflammable populace. We are allowing events to carry us into the most dangerous situations. The whole system of government needs to be revised and reorganized. The pension list is a list of corruption and has lowered the morals of the recipients while it has increased the national indebtedness. Is there nothing to be done? The situation is to be met with courage and a determination to get the best out of a bad case. We must divorce the government of these dependencies from politics or else they will become dens of corruption."
Professor Norton advocated leaving the Philippines to the care of Spain.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Fortune Reversal
Misfortune
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Harvard Speech
American War
Prof Norton
Philippines
Government Corruption
Military Nation
What entities or persons were involved?
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton
Where did it happen?
Cambridge, Mass., Harvard College
Story Details
Key Persons
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton
Location
Cambridge, Mass., Harvard College
Event Date
Oct. 29.
Story Details
Prof. Charles Eliot Norton delivers an address on 'The New America' at Harvard, criticizing the Spanish-American War as ending the old America, leading to militarism, loss of ideals, lack of leadership, government corruption via pensions, and advocating leaving the Philippines to Spain.