The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-29

What is Treason s-Who arc Traitors9
Two generations have elapsed since the trea
son Of Burr brought home TO the public mind
an active sentiment ofwhat constitutes treason
and who are traitors; and living under free
government, about which every citizen is al
liberty to say what he pleases, when he pleases
and where he pleases, the treason at Harper's
Ferry fell at first upon a blunted sense in the
public mind as to what that heinous crime
against the highest interests of society real
ly is.
But the people are beginning to waken to a
sense OF the true depth and bearing of the trea-
sonable abolition conspiracy and invasion Of
Brown and his Northern co-traitors, and look
to the administration of Mr.. Buchanan to de-
fend the principles of society, and the very
foundations Of government among us, by bring
ing every one of the parties implicated to the
bar of Justice. The constitution of the United
States defines this highest crime against society
in these Words
IT. ason against the United States shall consist only in
levy ny war against them, or in adherng 70 their enemies
eNig them aid and comfort
This has been further defined by the ju-
dietary, in several decisions bearing upon the
point in question in the following clear and
distinct TERMS
To sttue evying Of there must be an assem-
bge OF persons for the purpose Of carrying into effect
Cranch, IS
In order constitute the offence Of treason against the
United states, there should be conspiracy 70 resist
generally and publicly BY foice and actual resisanc
by force, or by intimidation Of numbers, against law of
the United States United States vs. Hanway, Wal
Where war levied, all those who take any part in T.,
however minute or however remote from the Of
ton, ana who are actually leagued in the neral
spracy, are regarded tratofs.-Erparte Ballman 4
Cranch. 70.
Here We have the law of treason, and who
are traitors, clearly defined. So accustomed
have thousands Of our citizens become to sit
under and follow the "higher law" teachings
of factious dcmagogues, that they have forgotten
their paramount duty to their country, and the
power which society must WELD for the mainten-
ance of its own existence. Seward Chase, Wade,
Wilson, Giddings, Gerrit Smith, Greeley, Howe,
Sanborn, and numerous other accessories be-
fore the fact are, equally with John Brown,
amenable to the law, and it is the duty of every
branch of the government to defend the majes-
ty of the law. It is incumbent u on the Presi-
dent to direct Judge Black to take the neces-
sary steps at once to arrest and bring to trial
all these reasonable conspirators. John
Brown and his fellow prisoners should be tried
by the federal, and not by the State authorities.
His treason was plotted in Iowa, Ohio, New
York, Connecticut and Massachusetts,; his pre-
parations were gathered together in Maryland,
and from Maryland the band started to invade
the State of Virginia. The State authorities
have no jurisdiction competent to bring out all
the facts or to punish the whole crime. Or
ders should be given Immediately to the re-
spective United States Marshals to arrest Sew
ard, Wilson, Greeley, Smith, Giddings, Chase,
Howe, Sanborn, and all the persons implicated
in the proofs already in possession of the 60
vernment, and the whole of this dangerous con-
spiracy should be probed to the very bottom.
More than this should be DONE Each house
of Congress should, Immediately on meeting,
proceed to expa every one of its members i'm
plicated in the treason. The Senate, particu-
larly, owes it to its own dignity to act. Seward
was made aware Of the conspiracy eighteen
months ago, and after that he made the brutal
and bloody speech at Rochester, announcing
the coming of the ''irrepressible conflict" and
urging the conspirators on in their treason, and
preparing his followers to give them sympathy
and aid and comfort. Wilson is defending it
now, and endeavoring to thwart the course of
justice in the public mind. Greeley palliates
the crime, and asks that John Browns epitaph
shall not be written till the treason has tri-
umphed in its aims. Let the Senate take Seward
and Wilson, and every other one of the traitors
in its bosom, in hand, and either impeach them
| or expel them from the chamber. A like course
| is incumbent upon the House, and the whole
| country will expect both bodies to act. If the
| very government itself is to harbor traitors in
its bosom, we may soon look for an end Of the
| empire our fathers founded, but which their
sons will not have known how to preserve.
The preaching of treason has produced its
natural fruit, which is its practice. There are
hundreds of demagogues who have been loud
| in their outpsurings for years; but they have
believed that they knew enough to keep on the
right side OF the law, and leave the true crime
to such as they term mad John Brown" We
| have already shown in this article how they
have been grossly mistaken and that they come
under the law in it's strongest sense. The pub
lie mind requires to be freshened as to the
crime which SO many thousands have been 50
| willing to commit under the belief that they
were not answerable to their countrymen. The
| government owes it to the constitution and the
Union, to the mighty interests that are perilled
in the land and to itself, to bring the criminals
to the bar of an injured country Let justice
be done on all the traitors concerned in
Browns treason, "however minute or however
remote from the scene of action" they may be.
THE WASHINGTON LOBBY LOCATED IN THE Me-
rRoPoIIs--A very unimportant political squab-