The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-11
DR.. DEWEY ON PATRIOTISM,

The subject of discourse delivered bv Rev DR.
orvllle Dewey on Fast Day, at Church Green, Bos-
ton, was "PatriOtiSm; the condition prospects and
duties of the American People"
In treating of the duties which the institutions of
education, the pulpit, the press and especially the
wealthy and educated classes owe to the country
Dr. Dewey says emphatically:
"Universal civilized modern society is entering
upon political condition. which devolves an entire
~ new charge and responsibility upon citizenship
Under absolute rule the subject had little to do with
regard to government but to submit to what was
ordained for him.
''Now, it is not to be So it must not be So in our
modern free States, if they are to work out any
happy condition high destiny. We are to make
and keep and guard the State; we, the people, are
to do 1t, by personal care and fidelity. The machi-
merry of the public order will not roll on smoothly
and safely without our Intervention; nay, we are
the machinery. The government cannot go on
Prosperousy without us, we standing aoof and
looking on; nay, we the government!
1--WE make the laws, multiply them, change them.
execute them. No man stands alone, or can right
ly stand apart Every citizen is brought into i'm
mediate relations with the welfare of the State
Every citizen has duties to perform to the country
And every instrumentality organ and office, that
mas power to influence the public welfare, should be
SUBJECT to the same patriotic obligation.
do not the most influential men and the highest
mlnds among us, owe an especial duty to the cOun-
try! lhere are not few men among us who seem
TO me strangely inSenSibe to this duty. There are
respectable persons that | hear saw and who seem
to pride themselves in saying that they care no.
thing about politics. Business men in our cities
S'od as much as they can, sitting on jures; pre-
ierrlng to pay fine for neglect. There is a con-
servatlsm among the more wealthy and cultivated
classes, that looks with cold disdain or strange
tlmldlty upon those popular elements that are
working out the common veal or wo Instead of
stepping forward and taking their proper place,
they shrink into corners
Let thirty men that could name in each of our
cities, and hundred in each State, go freely into
the popular assemblies; let them speak there: LET
them speak wisely manfully, kindly Iiberally, and
generously-with heart full and warm for their
pl1ther ri.H men ana Tor the common country; and |
believe the effect would be incalcuable
"DO you say it would be troublesome to vote and
serve on lurIes, and to go and speak in popular as
semoiIes But ehat duty is not sometimes trouble
some 10 rear family, to provide for it, to build
up an estate, is troublesome The students, the
lawyers, the physicians life has it troubles its
disagreeable things to do. The soldier must stand
sentinel, stand In the trenches, stand in the mmi-
nent deadly breach; and ill should we think of him.
II he lay in his luxurious tent when hardship and
danger demanded him. And are the duties that we
owe to the whole embodied life of the Republic 10
be exempted from the obligation that presses every
Where else -? No, firmly say it; we must march
up to the breach when duty or danger to our coun-
Try calls; we, in the whole country, we in cities
All the respectablty, influence, wealth, learning
culture IN our cities, should be seen at the polls,
and often at the primary meetings
"lt IN timdity, in cowardice in fastidiousness or
Scorn, they stand back and give place to ignorance
brutality and violence, whose then will the fault
De, IL the lower elements get uppermost? Trouble
SOme indeed! Let me tell you that something
more troublesome will come; av, trouble that we
thlnk little OF now, if we neglect to guard the
mousse Troublesome tOrsooth! Where are the
courage and manness and self sacrifice of honest
ana honorable men? For say, if we could truly
understand 1t, that amidst ease, and abundance and
luxury, there is much self-sacriice required to
Keep all right and safe, as there is in scenes of
revolution and blood. We know, that if every
man in this country will do his duty, all will 90
well. And of whom may we demand that they do
their duty, 1t not of those who have or conceive
that they have the most at stake?
"N love the country. We are proud of it, We
Know that no nation earth ever set out on such
career before 1t had its beginnings in the most ad-
Nanced clvlilzaton in the world, and other good
clements have mingled and become blended with it.
proud OF it. will listen to any high patriotic ad-
Juratlon, to any solemn admonition; but will not
listen to any cold and blighting disparagement Not
only mas there been more rapid growth in wealth
ana population here, than anywhere else but more
inventions OF the subtle intellect have ORIGINATED
mere than in any other country; more churches and
schools and colleges have been built: more books
ana newspapers and journals have been printed and
read; and more enterprises have been undertaken
here Tor the reform of morals for the relief of the
poor, and the fallen and the insane for the spread
of religion at home and abroad And shall anv
chque OF croakers fanatics stand before this
mighty people and point the finger and say, aha!
go down! go to pieces! you going down; YOU
are not worthy to liver
mo! wide let patriotic honor and trust and hone
beat, from North to South. from East to West: Iii
the mighty ocean waves that engirdle us; like the
fresh breezes that sweep through Valleys