Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.

Bryce distinguishes ethical patriotism from mere symbolism. Allegiance, he argues, is not exhausted by loyalty to the nation-state; it is bounded and judged by higher obligations to justice and to the common humanity shared across borders. The quote rejects performative nationalism (“waving the flag”) in favor of civic responsibility: citizens should press their country to act rightly, not simply powerfully. In this view, national strength without moral restraint is a danger, while a “righteous” nation earns legitimate loyalty because it aligns its interests with universal standards of fairness and human dignity. The passage thus frames patriotism as moral critique and reform rather than uncritical devotion.