New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-30
TRAITORS IN OFFICE.

the deliberate act, after long preparation, Of
the dominant class in one section of the Union.
It was clear that these traitors, whose treason
to the cause of good government and of human
rights is unmatched in history, were restrained
by no scruple either of personal honor, of pub
lie morality, or political faith Their interest
in the success of the great crime to which they
had devoted themselves swallowed up all sense
of minor criminality, till to be thief became
pardonsble if not praiseworthy; to play the
part of q successful spy upon the unsuspectiDg
a proof of enviable ability, and the cOmmttal
of perjury clever joke, which received new
zest at every repetition. If there is nothing
else in Southern character to challenge respect,
it is worthy Of it, in the earnestness with
which it pursues an idea they believe in.
{" Evil be thou my good" is their aspiration,
and they believe in it, as in divine iuspira-
ton. Their cause is in the hands of desperate
men, who trample under their feet all other
considerations in the hope of its accomplishment.
Can such men be trusted trusted to the
death in the cause of Secession; trusted, no
matter what their protestations, their promises,
or their oaths may be, as enemies as deadly to
this Union as any Government has ever had.
The mischief they have done is incalculable, for
the bravery and wisdom Of Generals must prove
too often uDavailing when defeat may be as
sured or plans defeated by the treachery Of
spies in confidential posts in public Offices.
We repeat only q notorious fact in saying that
not q single expedition on the Atlantic coast,
and no movements of Importance on the Poto-
mac, the details of which were recorded In any
of the public offices at Washington, have been
made without the knowledge OF the rebel lead
ers. We do not mean to assert that this could
always have been prevented; we are not famil-
lar enough with all the bearings of the case
to say that the traitors and spies could have
been always pointed out and their removal
always easy. We only are assured that there is
no Department at Washington, even now, that
has not men at many of its desks whose SYM
pathies are all on the Southern side, and We do
not doubt the statement.
On tLis point the report of the Potter Com.
mittee, when it appears, will give umpls evil
dence. The members Of that Committee may
be considered as trustworthy witnesses. They
have examined carefully into q multitude OF
eases. and bayng satisfied themselves Of the
character of the persons they accuse. they have
duly reported them to different members OF
the Administration. Their representations have
sometimes been heeded, aud some few incum-
bents of Office, the loudest or the most notori-
ous in proclaimiog their traitorous proclivities,
have been removed. But there have been
other cases in which their earnest remon-
strances have been disregarded. Persons who,
they have the best reasons for believing, are
utterly unfit for the confidence necessarily re-
posed in those holding places Of trust, are per-
mitted to continue in those positions. The
Washington correspondent Of The Winona
(Minnesota) R.pujiiedn, who, We happen to
know. il a resident of Washington, and, We
believe, an entirely Trustworthy man. gives
some striking facts on this subject. He men,
tons whole families, fathers. sons, and sons'in-
law of the same household, all Secessionists
and all ofiice-hoders. He says:
There |. not department. bureau in which they are
Since it became pub.icly known that Pot
ters Committee looking aer them they became IN e
discreet In their mani, Notwithstanding heh M
well known that numbers Of them sii retained Tue
Senate the very hotbed OF treason In the Spring. ard o
the sixty eighty employees there probably not dozen o.
them were loyal Of the clerks scarcely at heart
with the though several Of them were not only
retained, but w. at least OF them were. IN addition
70 Their offices there, appointed 20 military commando
herr 10th of whom had relatives the reOel comniant
In Vlrnis, 9th ra,m they kHoloa 10 Dc I. con
art rai.on By their loyal rpighbors both
op.ny ced ard snoher who held hi
posii there nutl the ist OF October, wa up TO "ii
h'ee te-ks OF the ,t'Ia sslon Iepi.,e"tsn ny s H. s
%siion,l volun,esr A. so.istion who moSbcd the Wild
Awase H,i bee jest ser Lincoln. election, and the
whom len here a, IN early da, and joined tie rebels
iles,ndra-a portion remaining lere nearly al samme. g
the purpose obtaining and conveying tn'otmttn 70 tn
rebels Under the standardization OF Col foey all VINO sr
known openly :yp9sthi1e with the rebels have ose1 re
II Il "a. fstm elear ytt'
/ This is less surprising than il is grievous
indeed. what else was to be expected than this
in city which has always been pecuisrl,
undo the domination Of the Slaveholding inter
est and where the path to place and powe
was closed with gotes Of iron 10 all VIII
would not believe Slavery to be the "corner
" stone of the Republic" What else is to b.
expected in community where the Rev. DIR
Sampson, the President of the College II
WASH ugton, put a peremptory stop to tn
prayer of u brother clergyman, because b
asked God to bring the nation to repentance
of the sin of S!ayeholding-as if the Almght
was not to be trusted as to what it was bes
for Him to hear !---and where the Rev. DR.
b itler, an Episcopalian, is compelled to res's
his pastoral charge, because of his open cup
port of the Government, three-tourths OF III
aneL heina according To bis own public state