The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-27
fsLOVaI.r,

Inc late war gave this word currency and
application to which it was never entitled.
Its use by portion of the people at the
North, dscloses want of appreciation of the
nature and character of the government I'M
der which we have been living as well as of
the dignity and exelusiveness of the popular
sovereignty. To be loyal, one must be
subject But, it is a theory of republicanisn
that all power emanates from the people,, and.
therefore they are the possessors of whatever
Of sovereignty there is under our form of gov
eminent. If the people then are The real
sovereigns, as indeed they are, how preposter-
GUS it sounds and how much ignorance it be-
trays to speak of their loyalty. Loyalty
to whom ? To the Government, we shall be
answered. 1t is their creature, the work
of their hands They made it, and they can
unmake it, whenever they are disposed to do
SO. Strictly speaking and rightly thinking it
is an absurdty to speak of the loyalty of the
people because they are the subjects of no
earthly power; they are sovereigns. UU
The use of the word seemed novel and il
logical from the first, but the furor of appro-
baton which its use excited among a large
portion of the North, made it danger
Gus thing to question its ilegitimate
application. To adopt it and delight
in it, we regard as a sign that they who
did and do so, have forgotten their own dignity
and high estate, and in howing to an imagin-
airy sovereignty have lost sight of the exalted
position to which the privileges and doctrines
ofdemocratic republicanism raised them out of
the privations and struggles of a seven years
war, endured by our forefathers and having
for its basis the eternal landmarks of the i'm
perishable Declaration of Independence. In
stead of acknowledging the residence of SOW
ereignty to be exclusively i'll the people they
have substituted for the people thework of their
own hands Like the Israelites of old they have
made golden calf and fallen down and wor-
shipped it. We never hear or see the word
applied to the sovereign people without feel
ing its utter inapplicability and want Of con-
gruity. .'s
In our country the word is used accord
ing to circumstances and the prevalence of
certain ideas or political views. AT one time
it was not regarded as treason to speak of the
flag as an emblem Of despotism.~ At another
to look upon it with a sheer, or to refuse to
pass under it, was regarded as exceedingly
disloyal. 1t lie now loyal to abuse the Presi-
dsnt-it is disloyal to decry the rump Cong
ress So thatthe legitimate use OF the word
has degenerated into a mere slang party term
which renders it more necessary aud proper
that it should be eircumscribed within its le
climate sphere, excluding its application t,
the people Of this country, who are not sub.
jects of any prince or superior.
What is true of the whole people is true Of
its parts. For the parts partake of the es-
sence of the whole, which, in this case. is so
vereignty. And the whole is made up of the
parts. AS, therefore the term loyal cannot
be legitimately applied to the whole body o
the people, so likewise neither can it be ap
piled to its parts or individuals because
each individual is essentially sovereign.