Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-05-07
QUESTION OF ALLEGIANCE.

The question raised by conflicting claims of
allegiance at the present time is inteligently dis
cussed in the following extracts from sermon
preached 10 St. Johns Church, Washington, on
the 2lst April, 1861, by the Rector, the Rev. DR.,
Pyne:
On the great question of the allegiance due by |
N man to his country, have already said my |
poor say. Reading the Gospel as do, enter
tain no doubt ns to my individual obligations
hut others seem to read this Gospel differently. |
am not their judge. l have no right to ques-
ton tho fact that they are actuatod by as high |
principles as my own. The one thing desire
to impress upon them rs upon myself is that it |
is to be principle, a religious principle, part of
the duty towards God for which We shall be
called 10 account; and that therefore it is not to
be decided by will, by caprice, by prejudice, hut
absolutely aud exclusively from conscientious
obligation.
All desire to say on this point at this time is
rs this question bears upon us here | wish to
present our obligations and relations in the most
practical possible point ofview.
End here number of conscientious, true
f hearted men, agitated, perpexed. They are
bound by solemn obligation to this Govern
ment which they readily recognise as paramount
) until il comes in oont with that which is
deemed their obligation to their country in its
true sense-that, namely, which by our peculiar
Constitution is, as it were, nation within II
nation, which, when it sewers itself from the
Now, the point to which desire to draw your
attention is the practical consequences of Il pO-
sition like thisi "Aly desire is to give my allie
f glance where it is due. | think it is due to my
State when it recalls it in any special manner to
@ itself"
d Now, let us submit claim of this kind to
Ii practical test. What is u mans State? Is it
II that of his birth ian accidout.) Is it that OF
II his eluGntion? (anuthcr accident or incident -
y Is it that of ns property or business, which
might bring half dozen States with equal
j. claim upon him? Is it TINT which gave II lie
~ nomination 10 his citizenship when hu obtained
If service under the National Government, and was
at then so employed only because the law requires
S that he must belong somewhere, must be n ci-
III OF the United States with whereabout, some
ut thing which specifics that the pient has that
character Of citizenship without which he il not
" qualified for her service The mere statement
to Of these points shows that, rs in I'm equation,
they balance one auother or, as in chemistry,
or absorb or neutraze one another, and that they
nh all merged in great character Of citizen
o. ship, of which the place is the merest accidental
h specially.
=" There is nothing like bringing questions of this
nature to n practical test; and, perhaps, ther,
is no test like the personal one. Admitting, at
| do, that others arc governed by ntcient0u
considerations, naturally ask myself what il
my duty in such case? Let me present tina
led personal problem for your solution Born il
Ireland, withdrawn from it in infancy, or a
. least very early childhood, bOyhoO1 passed il
" one State, education obtained in another, fainil
- and property transferred subsequently from
~. Southern to Il Central State, residing in tina
10" State six years in an adjoining one three, in
%, New England State seven, in Central Stat
W. again, four nnd in this District for seven
- teen years. Where during all this period wa
~, ~, my allegiance due Where was my country
US Have had .our nllegauces, four countries?
a, felt difficulty OIL this point whcn in foreig
- land, inscribed myself us u citizen Of the Unite
ei States, and derived q dignity from the inscrI
,nN ton.
~ know that am treating this subject yer
~, u lamiliarly; do so deliberately. | think tha
H. things have come to pass in which it Is desiI
D able to set forth before men ia the painpet term
), what they are doing so that if they arc commit
,,h ting an absurdiy they may distinctly Tecognis
-" il. | repeat that with those who are Junlin
.rl with this question without, what they deel
a "~ higher, and, l suppose, to them ntelligibl
a. grounds though to my own mind they are utterl
~ incomprehensibe with them have nothing
81 do ] am now addressing you, uy people, sci
~ wants OF this Government
i' I find some OF you in various departments
~ the national service. its army its navy, or il
80 more strictly departmental service, not carrie
NJ. away with the tide Of prejudice or passion f,
- with such all argument is vain, hut oppresae
~. with of what others think is iue-i
~ ~, WHAT Not to yourselves, for il left to youl
~ selves, you would settle that question 500
'"s enough; but what others think is due to the
a.. because you happened to he born among then
Ht think do not under value the lies and assoc
i,n' atoms of birthplace, home, and childhood b.
."e after ALL with what an animal life are they IL
- sociatedi There is another life into which ma
III" is horn, when he would be indeed n mnm--tl
life Of obligation, the life of duty, the life whic
a.. gives linn name and position among men; Il
= at life which, when it drops is not like Il bnbb
mr. hn ~ lttlu
,Ts missed from among the places of living us,i
=" men; the life which enables you, as father
II husbands brothers, 10 keep up this great frlIu
work of human society, giving aud rccciyit
lis. good Whence has all this life come to you
% 1t began when you took an cath as n citizen Of
& great nation to obey is laws, 10 defend is iute
n ne esls against MI, above nil. Then, in retur
';,' there was raised great fostering hand whit
' gave you in some branches Of this service ed
cation itself in others gave name and place N
dignity, md even in the meanest Of Its dcpar
OF ments hns given to every head OF a household
IAN, character and to his children their bread. VIII,
OF you took this oath was there my mental rose
my walton None In the functions deyolyinE III
nH' on you in consequence of it, has there been
no. this moment aught but ono plain, honorable pa
as Of duty aud service? None What, then,
'es there now which calls upon you to commit fci
Ken suicide, to become "waiis and straysn on Il
eeH drear ocean Of human society? Scruples OF yol
'er' own conscience? II SO, am not dealing vii
W. 8ou now that is question to be argued /
tne itself. No; ii is other peoples scrupos, oth
oall peoples opinions, who desire naturally enoue
.he to give to their opinion the force of numbers
We, feeling as old as lEsop, when he told the fab
ner of Il certain fox
ely The one single particle of force which such a
N argument presents IL, that ia the present cris
lnls of the country, public servant of the counu
'he may be brought into direct personal conflict wit
she his own in peculiar sense-his birthplace, hi
nut early home, his own blood. When such II cris
~ arrives, act upon it conscience and feeling die
Yer tate From my childhood | have abhorred ii
aeI laudcd patriotism Of the Roman Brutus br
her until then set oath and name and fame agains
leh the windy breath Of mans opmioas-opihions
10 what you owe TO your State a State which. i
~ hne cases out OF ten, has given you nothing bu
=" a name, whereabouts, that you might get tn
las real name and State that State to which God
ID providence had called you; State which is en-
III circed not by mere instructive associations o
~ time, but with those awfDl sanctions which in
NY ielgent love and duty and holy obligation Dor
row from that great primal commandment; Z"
am the Lord thy God thou shalt hive no othe
= Gods before me" You nre making to yourself
llnl God when opinion or any earthly thing come
OF between the soul and any obligation which God
the invoked name has ratified.
ing
ual '---
ON A PRESENT no THE FRENCH ppINrt