The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
"NATIONALITY.v

Mr.. Galloway, Republican member of the
House from Ohio, made a good hit last Thurs
day, in reply to some of the usual cant about
" Nationality" and Sectionalism."
We have heard the term national again and
again. Now, sir, / am native of this country.
and claim to be descendant of the men who
showed their nationality by life and labors for
the cause of Freedom, and 1 always had an i'm
preston that the great element of nationality
in our country was Freedom. / supposed that
that was cardinal object of the noble men that
framed the Constitution. In the preamble of
that instrument, as / understand, they declared
that their object was to form a more perfect
Union, to promote the general welfare, and to
secure to themselves and their posterity the
blessings of Liberty And it does not appear,
among the patriotic objects set forth in that
preamble, that they had any idea of certain
element of nationality which has recently arisen
in this country. They had before them, as the
great, prominent object of their effort, the pres
ervation and perpetuation of Freedom.
We hold that to be the great element of ma
tionality at the present time; and so, without
intending to pre- JUDGE those who differ from US,
we hold, as the great purpose of our efforts at
this time in attempting to organize this House,
that same element of Freedom; and wherever
terrogated as to what is the great element of
our nationality, we say, as the fathers of the
Consultation did, that it is to secure to ourselves
and to posterity the blessings of Liberty
Mr.. Alexander K. Marshall. Niger posterity ?
Mr.. Galloway. Well, sir have none of that
sort; but / should very much dislike to vouch
for others on this floor. Long continued roars
of laughter. l say that, wherever we go, we
can hold up this element of nationality to the
world. If, for example, a gentleman should 60
from this highly favored land, crowned with the
blessings of Liberty, to other lands, and should
travel through England, or Austria, or Russia
and should be asked what his element of nation.
ality is, he would reply Freedom, and it would
be understood; but if, on the other hand, he
should answer that S'aoeyy is the fundamental
principle of our nationality, they would reply
that that has been the foundation element OF
the nationality of all the despotisms that have
crushed humanity in all parts of the world.
say, then, Mr.. Clerk, that we are the men who
hold and maintain great distinctive element
of nationality, by which we may be known
throughout the world and it does not come
with an attractive grace from any gentleman
in this House to charge upon US secttOnGliSn,
| when we base efforts upon the same great
cardinal principles upon which were based the
efforts Of the men who secured to us the bless
ings of Liberty.
The gentlemen who are representing the pc
culiar Administration Of this country, Join with
others in chararterizing us as sectional. Does
it become the Pretorian band of the Admins
tration, which rode into power upon high tide
| of popularity some two or three years ago, and
has now dwindled into feeble insignifcance-
| does it become those gentlemen to taunt us
with not organizing this House? Where is
| the glory that characterized that Administra-
ton some two years ago? Where are the pres
hge and the prosperity in which they then glo
ried? All! where are they? Why have the
prosperity and power of that Administration
become SO suddenly and sadly obscured? Has
it been because your element of nationality has
reduced the power of the Administration II
so, can only ask an increase of that same ele
ment, and in short time the power of this AID
ministration cannot be either defined or de
scribed will not be calculable quantity
And now Mr. Clerk, | think it is respectful il
those of us who constitute plurality in this
| House, to ask that we who represent the mos
powerful constituency and the preponderatine
vote in this country, shall choose the Speaker o.
this House | have no other way of ascertain
ing what is nationality, except by the expires
sion of the nation. These gentlemen may be
national ear non ndtiOne, as lucuS was said to bt
lncuS a non Ucendo. But we are national, be
cause We represent larger portion of the fire.
people of this nation than is represented b,
both classes of orr opponents on this floor. 81
lar then, as members are concerned, we claim
the epithet of national and so faf as the great
distinctive, pervading, penetrating element G
all that constitutes our glory and our grandeu
is concerned, Freedom, We claim to be national