I HE APRIL Chronicles examinesnseveral aspects of the Hispanic contributionnto the civilization of this hemisphere.nFive hundred years ago anGenoan captain led a small Spanishnexpedition to the terra incognita thatnhas become the Americas, and in anyear in which we will hear the hootsnand jeers of semiliterate journalistsn(Kirkpatrick Sale) bent on defamingnthe Spanish conquest, we thought itnwould be a fitting occasion to payn• tribute to the hardihood and the spiritualndepth of the Hispanic peoples ofnthe Americas.nIn assembling this issue, we arenleaning on the talents of two winnersnof The Ingersoll Foundahon’s T.S.nEliot award: Mario Vargas Llosa, whonreceived the 1991 award, and JorgenLuis Borges, who received the first ofnthese awards.nTHE “CHURCH NOTES” sectionnin the February 2, 1992, issue ofnNational Review requires attentionnand a word in response. In this littlenessay, the editor of that magazine informsnus that the traditional right isnunder some obligation to recognizenthat its adversaries who call themselvesnconservatives but are pragmaticallyncommitted to an ever growing leviathannstate must be supported in theirnambition because the alternative is unthinkable:npermitting a Democratic triumphnthis next November. What isnomitted from Mr. O’Sullivan’s calculusnis the obvious fact that being swallowednby a liberalism that calls itselfnconservative and Republican is morendangerous to an earlier right than anythingnthe honest left can accomplish.nBig-government conservatism is indeednour mortal enemy, one whichnleaves us with no function and nonlegitimate ground upon which tonstand. Confusion about this dangernsince the election of 1980 and thenpreemphon of the leadership of thenReagan movement by a people whonwere not originally a part of it hasnparalyzed the American right. Apartnfrom certain dramatic achievements, asnCULTURAL REVOLUTIONSnin the appointment of a new judiciarynand the strengthening of our militarynforces to put pressure on a decliningncommunist power, we experienced thenanomaly of two great conservativenelectoral victories followed by twonterms of moderate Republican government.nNow, under Bush we have anthird, this time even more disappointing.nThere are circumstantial explana-nHons for this situation in the partial orntotal Democratic control of Congressnfrom 1980 through 1992. But they arennot of sufficient force to justify thenself-distortion that has come from forgettingnthat our only business is counterrevolution,nand that sometimes suchncommitment requires an unforgivingnposture toward all temporizers — softnRepublicans who would never extendnto us the loyalty that Mr. O’Sullivannrecommends as our only legitimatencourse of action at the present moment.nThe agreement to put being innpower ahead of being right is a strategynfor servility and self-degradation. Andnfor final defeat. Devotion to that compromisenhas been the problem withnNew York and Washington conservatismnin general. It is also what is wrongnwith National Review.n— M.E. BradfordnNATIONAL EDUCATION DAYnwas signed into law by President Bushnand Congress last March 20. At firstnsight this new holiday looks like thenPresident’s bid to be taken seriously asnthe “education President.” In fact, educatorsnnationwide celebrated it as antribute to their profession. But a closernlook at the bill indicates that it actuallynhad nothing at all to do with schools ornteachers or the state of American education;nthe words “school,” “teacher,”nand “student” are nowhere to benfound in the legislation.nEducation Day was enacted for andifferent reason: to honor both thenRabbi Menachem Schneerson, leadernof the mystical Lubavitch movement,nand the Seven Noahide Laws, whichnaccording to the Babylonian Talmudnnnare the minimal moral duties to whichnmankind is bound. The congressionalnproclamation states this forthrightly,nand bears reprinting: “Whereas Congressnrecognizes the historical traditionnof ethical values and principles whichnare the basis of civilized society andnupon which our great Nation wasnfounded; Whereas these ethical valuesnand principles have been the bedrocknof society from the dawn of civilization,nwhen they were known as thenSeven Noahide Laws; . . . Whereasnthe Lubavitch movement has fosterednand promoted these ethical valuesnand principles throughout thenworld; Whereas Rabbi MenachemnSchneerson, leader of the Lubavitchnmovement, is universally respected andnrevered and his eighty-ninth birthdaynfalls on March 26, 1991; Whereas inntribute to this great spiritual leader, ‘thenrebbe,’ this, his ninetieth year will benseen as one of ‘education and giving,’nthe year in which we turn to educationnand charity to return the world to thenmoral and ethical values contained innthe Seven Noahide Laws; and Whereasnthis will be reflected in an internationalnscroll of honor signed by thenPresident of the United States andnother heads of state; Now, therefore,nbe it Resolved by the Senate andnHouse of Representatives of the UnitednStates of America in Congress assembled,nthat March 26, 1991, … isndesignated as ‘Education Day, U.S.A.’nThe President is requested to issue anproclamation calling upon the peoplenof the United States to observe suchnday with appropriate ceremonies andnactivities.”nLubavitchers are the largest andnmost visible Hasidic group. They proselytizenworldwide, operate an impressivennetwork of day schools and publishingnhouses across the country, andnhave been astoundingly successful innraising funds for their activities. It isnalso widely believed that they see theirnleader, or “rebbe,” as the Messiah, butnthey have thus far refused to eithernconfirm or deny this. The SevennNoahide Laws are the talmudic designationnfor the divine demands ad-nAPRIL 1992/7n