The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-04-22
The True Condition Of American
LONHllY.-

The True Condition Of American
Loyalty.
/ Hon. George 7. Curtis, formerly OF Bos.
ton, but now a resident Of New York city,
addressed the Democratic Union Assoc,a>
\ ton Of New York. on Saturday eyeniFg =
I Mr.. Curtis is a brother Of Justice Curtis, late
OF the Sapteme Court OF the United States,
and the author Of the History Of the Constit-
uion,, proDounced almost universally to be
4 the very best history and exposition Of that
great instrument Of human liberty which has
ever been written. Mr.. Curtis is no Demo
crat aborgiRe, but an Old Line Wing, who
Just now sees salra,iou only in the prin
ciples Of the Democratic party. He address
IS admirable, ard deserves careful reading.--
AS he says:a 4 F1<LtS ~ ,1lll
Either the institutions Of the country must
perish. or the party which undertakes TO re.
press all freedom o! discussion will perish.
!. Upon the subject cf"Loyalty," Mr.. Cur
tis said:--r .,,f u, .t5.t,s,o,s ss.F
! propose to speak TO you, to night upon
a subject which seems o me to BE- strangely
d niisopprehended by many good men, and
strangely prevented by many who are not
good. | mean the subject OF "Loyalty,"-
The word ftselt-at least in the sense IN
3 which il is used in those countries from
which we have lately borrowed it,--can
scarcely be said to have appropriate place in
our political and social system. But it is a
word at present in great usa among US, and
. We must take it as we find il, and are bound
to inquire what are the moral duties which
its lust and true signification embraces -
1hi4 enonirv, and the certain Consequences
Of accepting and following out the doctrines
which are now forced upon Us, will form the
topics OF my discourse, q n. hr,. s.,v,c- -.
The true conditions OF American Loyalty
ave not to be found in the PASSIONATE exsc-
tiebs Of partisan leaders, or in the frantic de
d 3hcIanlatiens of the pupit, the rostrutn, OF the
Bpress. (Cheers) People who do not like
my political opinions may hurl at me The epi.
theE "disloyal,n but when they haVe thrown
this missile they have not taken single step
n toward defining, to me or others, what the
true conditions of loyalty are. 1t is inpor- :
tant that this step should be taken; Tor
whether we are TO go on or to cease in this
course Of idle and unmeaning abuse, it con>
9 Germs us alt to know what measure OF public
duty may rightfully be expected Of US. To
, know the height AID depth Of those great
:, virtues which are comprehended in tue term
: Seated in our affections and enthroned in our
resson,-ls to ssot wisdom and get mder-
standing" !" in the largest OF earthly concerns,
:, (ApPlause s..,.4 -... .r ,sa
The true conditions Of American loyalty
are to be found in the law of the land: in the
Institutions under which we live; in the du
: ties flowing from the Constitution OF our
country; (applause;) in the political system
l (which we have inherited from our fathers.
) with all its manifold relations, through which
we NAV trace the clear dividing line that
= separates prefe6t from imperfect obligations
/ (Cheers.) 8' Ia raagta F
81 The teXt,of our fundamental law is the
guide, and tho sole guide, in all ethical in
quires into the duties Of the citizan. 10
that source Ill must come, rulers and people
alike; to that fountain ali must resort The
: vague and shifting standards that are drawn
, from supposed dangers to what is called the
national lile," or which spring from the
conflicting judgments of men respecting
public necessities can determine nothing
These things can furnish no rule We must
= have a rU2e, for loyalty is a moral duty, and
. it mnst, therefore, be capable of defifition =
A people whose tnattonal Iie," txists only
By virtue ofa written constitution, and who
0 can have no necessities that lie ont OF or be
/ yond that written necessi y, can find no rule
of loyalty in any OF the necessities which
their constitution of government does, not
cover. They may find grounds Of eXpedien
cy, in one or another supposed necessity for
destroying their constitution; but it would
b! extremely absurd to say that this expedi>
ency could be made the object Of their 10y
atty !" Let US g, then, to the fourtain head
--tlle source OF all our national Obligations
Tie constitution of the United States it
self prescrbes the full measure OF our loyal>
ty in these words:
"The constitution and the laws fthe Uni
tod States which shall be made IN pursuance
/ Iheyeof and all trea les made, or which shall
be made under the authority Of the United
States, shall be THE SUPREME LAW OF THE
LAND" ....a ..t g.. -.,-..s
! Observe how precise as we'll as comprehen-
: Eive this greatrule al our duty is. 1t ex.
presses without ambiguity the whole of our
! obligation toward the Federal Government.
1t makes a sUpREaE LAVA law paramount
to all other human lawS-an obligation traus-
cending all other political obligations. 1t
leaves no room whatever for the irstrusion
Of another or rival claimant to our civil obe-
, dience. The claimant can neither be a per
son invested or reinvested with office, nor an
idea o public necessity, nor an imaginary
: national lie beyond or apart from the lie
created under the constitution. The only
possible claimant OF our obedience ls the
! LAW; or as that law is made Supreme, all
other demands or denandants upon our sub>
mission are Of necessity excluded. cloud
cheers ssos ..a
What then does this supreme law EN-,
brace? The text on which | am comment
ing itself furnishes the answer. This con :.
] stitution," it says--what this Constitution
contains, and the laws shall be made IL, con-
fYmiiy VN H--these shall be the supreme
: NV, rising IN authority above all other laws
G Nopublic necessities, save as they are embod
led in the Constitution; no national life,''
save as it exists under the Constitution; no
legislation that is not ia accordance wth,the
Constitution is the Supreme law; bnt what
the Constitution orlians or authorizes, that
is the public necessity, that is the national
life, because it is the suprems civil obliga
| ton, (Applause.)
WHITTIER ARE WE DRIFTING.
Mr., Curtis solemnly warns US, that the
, guarantees Of the Constitution once with
drawn, suspended or abrogated by the cons
. sent Of the people and the States, we ne
not hope for their restortion:
"No rational being" he remarks, "can
suppose that these guarantees can be extorted
anev from that centralized despotism which
< but too likely to be the only successor that
the Constitution of the United States can
ever have. | care not what ideas men may
form of that "stronger Government" which
some allow themselves to wish for in the
place of our present system NV reason and