Page:Visit of the Hon. Carl Schurz to Boston, March 1881.pdf/97

84 Our government must, in a certain sense, be a government of political parties; but I have always held to the doctrine, that it is the duty of a good citizen to be first a patriot before he is a Republican or a Democrat; that parties are organized only to serve certain great public ends; that when they serve these ends honestly and well, they have a right to the support of the citizen; but when they cease to give such service, they are no longer entitled to call upon the people to follow their lead. In other words, there are certain things which should be beyond the control of party,—the cause of right, of justice, the welfare of the country. There is one thing which no good patriot should ever yield to party discipline,—his own conscience.

So I may say that in my own political life I have never called on my German fellow-citizens to follow me, simply because I went this way or that. I have never said to them, “Follow this party, simply because it is the party which I follow.” But the duty I have sought to impress upon them was this: Let every citizen examine, in his own conscience, what is best for the common good. After careful examination, if he finds clearly that the reasons I give for my own faith are good, I shall be glad; let him act accordingly. But in every case let him be man enough to follow the dictates of his conscience. I repeat, it is through political parties, in a certain sense, that this government must be carried on; but