Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-12-09
/" NY COUNTRY"
New York Tribune

lNeW YORK lrlDune.J
my country, right or wrong" is a
toast which had meaning once for
those who were able to read anything
below the surface, and for such people
has one STILL No time need be wasted
in pointing out the foolish things II
does not mean. But this 1t always
means, that no man can find the faint
est excuse, in and sincerity or eccentri-
city of individual belief, for giving
aid and comfort to armed enemies of
his country, whether by speech or
printed words or votes. The crime of
treason is one for which man can
never find justification, no matter what
his individual belief, because the bles-
sing of personal freedom comes only
with the condition, accepted with the
solemn oath Of allegiance. that 1t shall
never be SO exercised as to aid the arm
ed foes Of the Nation.
The necessary condition of civiliza-
ton is that hearty allegiance and sup
port shall be given to the Government
whenever its decision is duly declared
in accordance with its constitutional
forms and limitations. Whatever has
been up to that time the private opin-
ion OF certain individuals, for which
they have striven by legal means with
all manly earnestness, becomes on the
instant the law, sacred to every loyal
man, against which no voice or hand
can be raised as long as vestige of
armed resistance to the sovereign au-
thority remains. The necessary con-
dition of freedom in private judgment,
thought and speech is that every man
shall submit to the will of the majority
expressed by constitutional methods;
and not merely submit, but hold ready
his fortune and his life to uphold that
will II treacherously assailed. All
know and frequently say that persons
who are not capable of such sincere
and unshrinking loyalty are not fit for
any part in self-government or free
institutions. Yet even in stating the
fact few come near realizing how wide
and impossible is the gulf that separ-
ates such persons from all possibility
of being loyal citizens Of free and
self-governing country. The temper
which will submit to no rule save that
Of ones own infiamed vanity Is further
removed from all civilized life than
that of nine-tenths of the savages, who
can uphold a ruler for the sake of the
tribe.
Opposition to law after its enact
ment, patient and earnest effort to
change public opinion about 1t and get
1t repealed, is consistent with perfect
loyalty provided there Is no armed re.
sistance to be encouraged by such eff.
forts. But the instant that condition
arises 1t becomes the first and mos
sacred duty of every citizen to refrain
from any word or act which can Civ,
aid and comfort to the rebellion. Mel
who sincerely mean to be honorable
and faithful to their oaths of citizen
ship cannot find 1t hard to draw tn
line. The question Is always one o
fact. II there is In fact armed resist
ance to national authority, and II an,
word or act does in fact give encour
agement and support to that resistance
1t cannot be called anything excep
treason. II any vote cast is one whicl
must In fact give aid and comfort +
enemies Of the United States, 1t is tn
vote of traitor, and the first duty O
every citizen is to realize that he can
mot cast any such vote.