The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-26
Truo Loyalty.

~ boston III tnat geai
Loyalty Is duty resulting from the |
Constitution, and is equally due, whether |
the measures Of Administration are sa-
tisfactoSy or unsatisfactory. ] regret !
that anything should have happened 20
encourage Selief that loyalty could be
accepted on conditions, and especially on
the conditions Of sorbearing TO repeal o
repeaIabIe statute. But, since il is 50, |
can only say that we, on whom the re-
cent action Of the Government bears, as
II seems TO us, so unjustly, arc in the
Union for richer or poorer, for Setter or
worse, whether in majority or in = mi-
nority whether in power or powerlsss,
without condition, reservation, qualiiica-
tion, for ever and aye; that we are in
the Union, not because we are satisfied
with the Administration, but whether
satisfied or not, not all by means Of com
promises or understandings, but by vir-
tue Of the Constitution; and that all
other parties are 10 the Union on the
same terms, for the same tenure, and by
virtue of the same obligation and 80
they will find their case TO he, when they
offer 10 plead violations Of extra consti-
tutional conditions TO justify secession.
Whatever is irrepealabiO in any of the acts
Of the late Congress, no one will be mad
enough TO attempt 20 repeal Whatever
is repeable in those acts, and whatever
shall be repealabe in future acts Of Con
gross, whether IL shall favor freedom or
slavery, no matter under what circum-
stances, nor with what auspices, nor with
what soIemnities il may have been adopt
ed. must abide the trial Of exp rience, OF
reason, and Of truth, II is only in this
way that the Constitution can be main
tanned, and the Union can be saved It's
security consists in the adaptation 10 the
physical aud moral necessities of the
broad and eyer.extending empire which
IL protects and defends, and in the Ia
cility with which, without violence or
sudden change, errors Of administration
can be corrected, and new exigencies can
be met so that the State, free or slave
holding, which may at any time be least
favored, will be at all times safer under
this Government, when worst admins
tered, than it would be under any other,
however wisely administered, or favora-
bly, conducted" M
The frat sentence of the above pas
sage Is brief but comprehensive stato-
mont of the duty of Americans to their
Government Noother definition, making
the extent to which allegiance should 60
any less, can be approved by judicious
men. The wisest and best statesmen
who have ever adorned our nation, have
associated with their opposition TO the
policy and measures of different admin
istrations a strict obedience TO the acts
and statutes which they ordained. Tho
MAS JEFFERSON believed that some of the
measures of john ADAMS administration
tended directly TO the destruction Of the
fundamental principles of our Govern
ment, and TO the establishment of an
aristocrscy; and yet he yielded strict
obedience TO them until they were duly
repealed. JoHN QUINCY ADAMS measures
were violently and bitterly opposed by
Gen. JACKSON and his friends, but they
offered no physical resistance to their en-
forcemont. JAcKsoN's acts were vehe-
menuy deprecated by thousands of his
oountrymen, yet they obeyod while they
opposed. BUcHANAN's Administration
was almost with one voice censured as
corrupt, imbecile, and despotic, and was
denounced as infamous by the people yet
even JAMES BUCHANAN, an embodiment OF
all the fostering putridity of his day, q
whitening, and bloated mass Of rotten
ness, whose noisome and fntid exhala-
tons so poisoned the air around it that
honesty and decency could not survive
within its infuence--even this man, a
political debauchee, who made the whole
House, what the Emperor TIBEmUs
made Caprea, was suffered 10 serve out
his term quietly by the people whom he
had deceived, betrayed, outraged, and
insulted. lie left Washington amid the
silent contempt Of a nation which loath-
cd him as we do a filthy reptile In all
this we have noble examples of the ODE
dience which should ever mark the con-
duet Of the loyal citizen. How plausi-
bly, might a citizen have said, IF BIZ
cHANAN goes on in this manner, he will
overthrow our Government--so we will
get up rebellion" One would have had
far more cause to say this, than to rebel
as DAVIS, YASoEy, and others did against
the Administration Of an untitled Presi-
dent Revolution is an awful remedy TO
apply TO political evils under any gov
eminent II is a selfish remedy, for il is
nothing less than asking thousands TO
lose their lives for oar benefit; for as
GAN men think all men mortal but them
selves" 80 every leader Of arevolution Sc
eretly tries to escape the fate Of warand to
become illustrious by the success Of his
schemes. There is no safety, no reason,
no humanity, in seeking any other mode
Of remedy for bad rulers and bad laws,
than the one provided by our form Of
government--and that is the JaRot bor-
q remedy which involves no mans life,
no mans property no mans safety, no
man'o peace. And he who would per-
suade his countryiaen TO adopt any other
remedy is no friend Of democracy or Of
the people.
We are glad 10 hear that the indiyidu-
ais assessed by the Governor for the relief
Of the poor, are paying up the amount of