Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-09-19
Treason.

We have read Of point in space where
gravitation turns the ether way. Something
analogous to this has lately been taking
place in the history OF the country. Treason.
the criminal exception, has threatened to
become the rule. Patriotism and loyalty
seemed about to be robbed of Constitution
and governments, and treason to be on the
point of seizing, perverting, and app,cpria-
ting them. Ia the whole history of nations
| it would seem impossible there should ever
have been SO treason -pervaded, treason-sur-
rounded. treason-ridden a people as we, The
! deadly blight, with one or two honorable ex-
| ceptions, toek possession of the Cabinet, and
the oath to support the Constitution became
blind behind which traitors wrought for
the overthrow of that instrument. The Ex
ecutive played fast and loose with the very
exstance Of the nation, and Senators boast
ed in the Capital their purpose to divide it.
Aud while they spoke they plotted. From
| Cabinet and Senate the crime spread to the
army and raVy SO that the men who consti
tuted the national bulwarks, by sea and
land who were 80 watch aEl fight, while
the peaceful haton slept or while it forgot
all danger in the quiet pursuits OF civil life,
deserted their posts, or rather FACED about
and became assailants and slay7rs Of those
whom they were set 80 defend.
National law-givers and soldiers and sail
ors with their words and swords of treason.
took their way through the South, aud with
Gery peespaaion and iron coercion, so2n pro-
duced whole States Of traitors, with whom
the aneienr loyalty quickly became a crime,
the flag badge of dishonor, our national
songs hated discords and the Declaration OF
Independence malicious sander. What
was epidemic 10 tbs extreme South was only
less disastrous in the border. and sporadic
even to the extreme Northern aud Western
frontier.
One of the saddest effects Of the widespread
treason was, that it debilitated patriotism,
even where it was generally scorned ana re-
pudiated Even after the attack on Sumter,
when the first ferVor of indignation had ia
ken time to cool, newspapers we're still found
to excuse the treason and condemn the war,
and the seeeasionist, more or less outspoken,
was the next-door neigbbor to the loyalist.-
The love for the Union, among It's true
friends, was strong, but not strong enough
to insist unyelentingly on the suppression Of
traitorous newspapers, not strong enough to
break up intimacies with the utterers of trea-
sonable cppinions and simpathizers with re-
bellion. This am:able but fatal weakness
showed itself in the conduct of the Govern
meut as we'll as in private life. How long
was it before manifest traitors, known to be
aiding the enemy, were seized and shut up;
how the newspapers dared to defame the
government for srch acts of necessary pre-
causon; and what storm Of astonished
criticism followed
And to thia hour, although the Govern
ment is beginning TO measure up to the de-
mands Of the hour, how many abuses are
still permitted to remain. The Government
charitably permits some journals to die for
want Of patronage, which should have per-
ished by the strong hand, while it allows
others to live on but denies them the use of
the Post-Ofice for circulation. One bold
stroke, and righteous as bold. and safe as
righteous, would silence every reasonable
press wherever the Government now has
control. There are prints in New York
whose News" might we'll be spared and
in Baltimore, there are those for whose ut
terances silenced would be good Ex-
change whose Sun" might safely go
down to rise no more until the close of the
war.