The Monroe Doctrine 251 



from Spain, or St. Thomas from the Danes. In 

 either of these events it is hardly conceivable that 

 the United States would hesitate to interfere, if nec- 

 essary, by force of arms; and in so doing the na- 

 tional authorities would undoubtedly be supported 

 by the immense majority of the American people, 

 and, indeed, by all save the men of abnormal timid- 

 ity or abnormal political short-sightedness. 



Historically, therefore, the position of our repre- 

 sentatives in the Venezuelan question is completely 

 justified. It can not be attacked on academic grounds. 

 The propriety of their position is even more easily 

 defensible. 



Primarily, our action is based on national self- 

 interest. In other words, it is patriotic. A cer- 

 tain limited number of persons are fond of decrying 

 patriotism as a selfish virtue, and strive with all their 

 feeble might to inculcate in its place a kind of milk- 

 and-water cosmopolitanism. These good people are 

 never men of robust character or of imposing per- 

 sonality, and the plea itself is not worth consider- 

 ing. Some reformers may urge that in the ages' 

 distant future patriotism, like the habit of monoga- 

 mous marriage, will become a needless and obso- 

 lete virtue; but just at present the man who loves 

 other countries as much as he does his own is quite 

 as noxious a member of society as the man who 

 loves other women as much as he loves his wife. 

 Love of country is an elemental virtue, like love of 

 home, or like honesty or courage. No country will 

 accomplish very much for the world at large unless 



