Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-10-29
look will find some four columns of close
print with the following title:

look will find some four columns Of close
print with the following title:
"PATRIoTlsM-AN GRAFTON.
"Delivered at Union College, N. Y, July
20; at Normal School Convention, West
field, Mass, July 81; and at Brown Uni
versity, R. T., September 8, 1857, by
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS"
We were quite certain that this Grafton
must be a veyy good thing, Or aman of Mr..
Curtis's tate and judgment would not have
delivered it four times in as many weeks
Its title was attractive. We fattered our
selves that the auspicious dawning Of Mr..
Buchanan's administration, and its steady
progress to this hour in the pathway Of right
and glory, had won the soul of Curtis back
to sense of justice. and broad love of the
whole land. ''Patriotism," Webster tells us,
s'is the passion which aim to serve ones
country" and we thought it possible that
the college orator meant to serve has, by
unsaying somewhat of his former folly, and
doing justice where he saw it was owing
We expected, withal, that in studied pro-
duction like this, all that could be said of
patiotism would be said so elegantly and
musically, with such power and grace, that
his feeble failures on the Fremont stump
would be forgotten altogether, OR forgiven,
for this bright production of his later genius.
In all these expectations we own ourselves
wretchedly disappointed. The literary graces
for which, at least, we had a right to look,
we seek in vain. Flowers of rhetoric are
not wanting, it is true; but they do not
spring gracefully from fields Of thought, nor
resemble, rather, in their awkward adjust
ment, the paper posies on tavern mantel-
piece. One specimen will suffice to prove
what we say:
esGentlemen, amid the jargon Of corrupt
politics, and the shivering sophistries Of
timidity and Indifference and ease, which
blow upon every generation Of young hearts,
as the sufocating sirocco blows over spring
ing grain, remember steadily that laws are
of two kinds" &c.
But we might possibly have fancied we
discerned some fragrance or. beauty in these,
fpretentious weeds, which Mr.. Curtis would
have us take as flowers, if they had been
twined with many thoughts and brave
hopes, such as become theme like this
Let us see what this mans ideas of patriot
ism are.
The first column of his address concludes
with the following deduction:
ssThus, gentlemen, we see that a mans
country is not certain area of land-of
II, lid
principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that
jprinciple.
We never supposed that anybody thought
that love Of country is an attachment to so
many acres Of wheat or potatoes, or cotton
or rice ; and the elaborate argument of Mr..
G. to prove that it is,a't gives us no favora-
BILE idea Of the intelligence Of his college
auditors. We trust, however that this pro-
position was established to the entire salts
faction of the young gentlemen of Dart
mouth, whose love Of country, we are led
to infer up to the hearing of this address,
was bounded by the paternal onion patch or
sheep walk on the Connecticut or Merri-
mack .t.qs.-
Mr.. Curtis, having clearly shown what
patriotism isn't, proceeds, in his lucid order
of arrangement, to tell US what it IS
ssNow, as [ conceive it, gentlemen, pa
triotism in an American is simply fidelity to
the American idea.''
Fidelity to the American idea" So
far we. entirely agree with Mr.. Curtis. If
we can only ascertain what the american
idea rs, we shall know exactly where to
fix our loyalty, how to be patriotic, and
have standard by which to measure the
patriotism of others. What, then, is the
American idea? The idea, we think clear
ly, without which America could not be,
which has made us a united nation, and
which keeps us united to-day. The organ
lied sentiment of America, wheresoever it
is to be found, constitutes to our thinking
this American idea, loyalty to which is pa
triotism. The place to find it seems to us
to be in the constitution framed by our fa-
theirs, sanctioned by the country at that
day, and at this hour unchanged in single
feature, not because the people have not the
power to change it, but because they like it
best as it is. Where, if not here, is the
great idea of the nation to be found !? IF
eve, the people Of the United States, in
order to form a perfect union, establish JUS
tice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the gene
raj welfare, and secure the blessings of lib
erty to ourselves and our posterity," say
what shall be the great ideas of our govern
ment, who shall impeach our power to say
so, Or deny that this deliberate utterance
imbodies the American will? Loyalty to
the constitution, then, we conceive is pa
triotism; and in SO far as any theory or SEN
timent, however, fne-spun or sublime, re-
fuses to conform to that instrument, just so
far is it from the proper standard.
But hear Mr.. Curtis 'sAnd your duty