Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-06-27
What is Loyalty P

+ The following eloquent extract Is from the
speech of Hon. EDGAR CowAN, in the
United States Senate, June 9Th 1866, on
the miscalled Reconstruction propositions
which have since passed Congress:
Suppose you pass this amendment to the
Constitution, and suppose the Southern
States either for the purpose of getting
! themselves into line with you or for the pur-
pose of increasing their political power under
it, should admit the negro to the franchise,
viii your children and your homes and your
government be the more secure for that
What is the difficulty under which you labor
to-day? Is 1T that the food upon which the
demagogue fattens has grown scarce and he
has grown thin? Or is it the reverse? Is it
not because demagogism is rife everywhere; /;
and is not demagogism rife just in proper
ton as you furnish it the material upOn
which to work? Degrade your franchise,
put it down in the hands of men who have
no intelligence, no virtue, and what is worst
of all, no independence it into the
hands of men who have nothing to hope
from it except in so far as they can use it for
corrupt purposes, and shall we be safer then
/ ask T? Do you suppose that the people of
the States in which there are negroes will
send you more intelligent, more learned,
more virtuous, and more independent Sena-
tors and Representatives here if you make
this change than they would without?
Mr.. WILSON. They will send more
Mr. COWAN. 'Loyal. What is ''loy-
al?' / ask Massachusetts, what is loyal?
What is the meaning of the word? A fellow
that votes with you That is like the chap
defining "orthodOx - orthodox is the way
l believe; heterodox is the way the other
\.
ZIONIST, | suppose. At least / find that
everybody who does not happen to be an
Abolitionist or tarred with that stick, is
said to be disloyal. Loyalty, Mr. President,
is very simple word Loyalty means obe-
dience to the laws 1t means legality. lie
gals means law as well as Ler meant it.
When man alleges his loyalty to me, let me
see his reverence for the Cons tuition and
the laws Show me man who disregards
either; show me man who does not believe
in the Constitution which brought this coun-
try to such pitch of prosperity for seventy
FIVE years and made US so great and so happy
people show me a man that lays sacrilegi-
Gus hands upon that instrument, especially
when / know that half the time he does not
understand it and that he never read COM
mentary upon it in his life; show me that
man, and / show you one who is not loyal
CDOW Ile Il Il1tU MllO IOT d1NdIl-
tage, either for himself or his paaty, would
set foot upon one of his country's laws
and he is not loyal
1t is time we were beginning to understand
the meaning of words in this country 1t is
time, now that the war IS over, when pas
sion has subsided and when reason ought to
come back and resume her throne, that we
ourselves should be reasonable. Let us look
at this in the light of the past let us look
at it calmly and coolly as we survey it in by
gone thousands of years, not as it looks to
the eye blOod-shot with passion, red with
rage that is hardly dying out Let the lower
stock indulge in passion if it is to be INDUCED
in; but here in this the highest forum of
the nation; here where, if anywhere, there
should be justice and fairness, and the broad
view over the whole country which takes it
| all in and which considers all the people as
the people, virtuous, intelligent, indepen-
dent enough to govern the country; let us
here be reasonable, and especially let us
know the meaning of our words.
WE give below our opinion of the position
which the Democrats should occupy, while
the third political party is in process of for
nation. 1t corroberates the doctrine which
we have over and over proclaimed to our Co
lumbia County Democrats who are being at
this time specially invited and urged to join
the new Union Consolidation Party. If this
warning is heededand the principles adhered
to we can lose nothing and may gain much.
THREE PARTIES IN KENTUCKY.
are now three parties in Kentucky, each hav-
! ing a candidate for Clerk of Appeals in the
| field. These parties are the Democratic Par
ty; the National Union Consolidation, and the
Radical Abolition Party These parties are
| pretty plain indication as to what things are
coming to. Three parties now exist in fact
in all of the States of the Union, but they
| have not yet taken shape in some of them.
| But three distinct elements exist and it will
only be necessary for them to get together
and assume form, to have three Parties as
! distinctly in every State as they now actually
exist in Kentucky Where, as yet only two
parties exist in form, the efforts are strong
to transfer the Democratic Party over into
the National Union Consolidation Party
| Democrats must as matter of course be
cautious or else they may be led and trans
feTed over into this new Party before they
are aware of the direction in which things
are drifting. They must adhere to the infal-
! lible guide of principle Democrats must
not follow MEN, but principles. Men viii de
ceive, beguile and pass away, but principles.
never. The Democracy of Kentucky will
achieve the first great victory of 1866, in
! August, and the same condition of things
will secure the Democratic Candidate fo1
| President in lS68.-NOrrsttOtr Register.
|
Report of the School Directors
of Bloom School District.
] a