Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-25
From the Richmond Enquirer Of January 20.
Party Obligation.

1t is h ardly possible that any candid and in
telhgent person can misconceive the nature and
extent Of the obligation which allegiance to
party imposes on its members. When men
ssocate in commercial partnership, or league
together on any common basis with single
beet in view, there results an obligation upon
each individual of the confederacy, to submit
to the general sense, and to promote the
general interest. This proposition is indispu.
table, but it does not imply that man must
be the slave Of party. On the contrary, as his
accession to the party was the result Of voun-
tai.y impulse, he may abandon it whenever in
his Judgment, it has been perverted from its
original principles. No man is bound to party
by an obligation Of perpetual allegiance and
in leaving it he has only to consult his own
sense of propriety and conviction of duty. 1t
is true, that by frequent and frivolous change
of his political relations, he may expose himself
to censure as person Of loose principles and
unstable character but this is q matter rather
of private concern, than Of party obligation.
1t is not an uncommon thing, that man
while protesting and claiming TO be a member
of the Democratic party, sets up his individual
within against the general voice Of the party,
and refuses to acquiesce in its will as expressed
through its legitimate organism. When the
thing occurs in civil society," il is rebellion, and
the supremacy of the law, which is but the ex-
preston of the general win, IL vindicated by
the forcible suppression Of revolt In ecclesias-
teal associations, resistance 10 the legitimate
authority OF the church is punished by excom-
muncaton.' The ,serSs Of al human associa-
ton is submission to the general will and f.
deity to the common interest. Without this
principle, there can be no confederacy or Co
operation among men.
When man Joins q party, he contracts an
engagement to subordinate his individual will
TO certain extent to the win of the party, and
TO submit to its decisions; and when caprice of
feeling restraints him from the discharge Of this
obvious and imperative obligation, he cannot
claim membership with the party. We do not
mean to imply that party is infailible, and that
its authority suppresses tbe right of private.
judgment On he contrary, we readily con-
cede that party is olsen wrong, and the indivi-
dual often right. And, while we maintain that
the individual should 90 with his party, as far
same time we admit that he cannot surrender
his solemn conviction Of duty by any engage
ment whatsoever
The fundamental principle of the Democratic
organisation, consists in the obligation Of its
members to support the regular nominees. II
is perfectly obvious that without compact
which exacts this pledge, there can be no party
organization. And the man who disregards
this original and paramount engagement, to
that extent associates himself from his party.
He may have sufficient reason for his conduct,
be may be right in the particular instance, but
then, he and his party are not together; their
ASSOCIATION is served for the occasion and by