Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-08-18
LOYALTY

AV i n LA 4
In n former number We called the at
tention of our readers TO some of the du-
ties Of loyalty on the part of the citizens
toward the Government. We now pro-
pose discussion of the other side of the
question, for it has two sides ms we'll as
many other questions. We stated then
that loyalty under our form of Govern
mcnt was unlike that under other govern
mcnts because of its being two-fold in its
nature. The words Government and 1ti-
ministration are frequently used as synon-
omous, or as being the same thing for
some purposes, and in some respects they
arc so; but the nature of the discussion
into which we are about to enter requires
us to draw distinction, and to treat them
us different matters, and separate sub
stances.
Our form of Government was cstab-
lished and exists by and for the people,
and consists Of three great departments
or branches, to wit: Legislative, Judicial
and Executive. The latter is the one of
which we now propose to deal, and is
known by the several Applications of the
=" Executive" the +" .Ad0,iniist,utio,i" and
the =" Government" For our present pur-
pose the appclation of the "Administra-
ton" is best suited, and therefore is the
one we shall use, and by it We mean the
President and his Cabinet Minister'S
The President is the responsible party
under the Constitution for the conduct of
the affairs Of the nation and the execution
Of the laws. He is sworn "to support,
defend and protect" the Constitution which
is the charter Of the rights and privileges
Of the people. Lcsyauy to the people,
s6eir rights Of life, liberty, property and
security are duties just as obligatory and
incumbent on the President as is the duty
Of the people to pay taxes and fight in
defence Of the Union or the general safe
ty. Loyalty is with us q reciprocal mat
ter the people must be loyal and the
Administration must be loyal Loyalty
on the part Of the Administration consists
in the due execution Of the laws of the
land and the observance of the require
ments Of the Constitution. In times of
war 1T is his duty to exercise diligently,
firmly and faithfully all the powers con-
ferred on him by the laws of Congress
and by the Constitution of tho United
States, oppressed on@im1ied, which may
be required to secure the protection and
safety Of tic people and The Union.
Our national life has for upward of
three years been most Gcrcely. often saw.
agely, threatened by domestic traitors.
These traitors have so far used all the
internal means they could command to
achieve the successful accomplishment of
their treason by the dissolution, and de-
struction of the Union. They have sent
emissarics abroad to foreign nations and
iaimical governments, soliciting inter-
ference in our affairs by recognition, by
mediation, BY threats, and by rcmon-
stranccs. They have obtained vessels for
piratical purposes on the high seas they
have obtained arms, large and small, and
all other munitions of war and supplies
Of all kinds Unnecessary to maintain their
rebellion, from these inimical nations.
These things We do know, and we further
Know that If they were not SO supplied
their efforts would have been much less
formidable and much less successful; but
what the Administration has done TO ar
rest these things VIC do not know, beyond
a blockade, not the most effective, though
it may be very expensive. They have
by land, not merely maintained IN obsti-
aatc resistance to legal authority. They
commenced a war which was not, from
its inception, and is not now, conducted
Of, their part according to the laws or
usaccs Of civilized warfare, or restrained
within the known bounds of barbarous
strife. Acts Of perfidy and cruelty never
cqualled or imagined on this continent or
any other, arc common characteristics of
their warfare. Acts Of vandalism begun
perhaps, by gucrrillas and bushwhackcrs,
have grown in magnitude and frequency,
until our armies, too, have become con-
taminated by the example and perhaps in
stigated' by the feeling Of retaliation, and
tficy are now practiccd on much more
extensive scale and digni6cd by the appel |
ntion Of Raids. /
The loyal people of the Border States.
of Maryland and Pennsylva-
liz. have so far no reason to believe in
10 efficiency of this mode Of warfare as
means either of crushing the rebellion
I protecting them in their liees, liberty.
roue,fy o. rights. We knew that for