law, and is, in its essence, love and devotion to the sovereign
authority, however constituted or wherever lodged. It is as
necessary, as much a duty, as much a virtue in republics as in
monarchies; and nobler examples of the most devoted loyalty are
not found in the world's history than were exhibited in the
ancient Greek and Roman republics, or than have been exhibited by
both men and women in the young republic of the United States.
Loyalty is the highest, noblest, and most generous of human
virtues, and is the human element of that sublime love or charity
which the inspired Apostle tells us is the fulfilment of the law.
It has in it the principle of devotion, of self-sacrifice, and
is, of all human virtues, that which renders man the most
Godlike. There is nothing great, generous, good, or heroic of
which a truly loyal people are not capable, and nothing mean,
base, cruel, brutal, criminal, detestable, not to be expected of
a really disloyal people. Such a people no generous sentiment
can move, no love can bind. It mocks at duty, scorns virtue,
tramples on all rights, and holds no person, no thing, human or
divine, sacred or inviolable. The assertion of government as
lying in the moral order, defines civil liberty, and reconciles
it with authority. Civil liberty is freedom to do whatever one
pleases that authority permits or does not forbid. Freedom to
follow in all things one's own will or inclination, without any
civil restraint, is license, not liberty. There is no lesion to
liberty in repressing license, nor in requiring obedience to the
commands of the authority that has the right to command. Tyranny
or oppression is not in being subjected to authority, but in
being subjected to usurped authority--to a power that has no
right to command, or that commands what exceeds its right or its
authority. To say that it is contrary to liberty to be forced to