Daily national Democrat., 1861-06-30
Treason and Traitors-Harsh Language
Deprecated by Republicans.

their party. During the intense excitement
attendant upon the outrages committed
against our Government by Southern traitors,
it has become necessary to call things by
their right names. The Union men Of the
State have, with good cause, suspected the
! loyalty of those who feared to use the words
traitor and treason in speaking Of rebels and
rebel sympathizers. The Democratic and
Republican papers and speakersn California
have not been very gingerly in their tones
upon this subject. Every Union man we
have ever heard speak has insisted that none
but traitors at heart would hesitate a mo-
ment in denouncing the Secessionists in our
midst as traitors. For our own part we
think the rebel sympathizers here are despi-
cable in their treason, for they make profess
sions Of attachment TO the Union, and yet de-
nouncc every act of our Government, while
they continually seek to magnify the power
and justice of the secession war which is be-
ing waged against it. We think every man
is traitor who seeks to cool the patriotism
of the people by augurng the success of the
rebellion. We believe that every newspaper
which excuses treason and traitors, is a sedi-
tious sheet, and dangerous to the public safe
| ty. We believe that such papers as the Cali
fornia Express, the Sierra Citizen, the Butte
Democrat, the Mountain Democrat, and
others of their stripe, are lending aid and
comfort to those who have levied war against
the United States, and we say, as we have
often said before that, if they can lawfully
be restrained from stirring up a spirit Of hos
tility TO our Government and Of sympathy
with traitors, the U. S. District Attorney for
the Northern District ought TO take their ca
ses in hand. We believe that the Breckin-
ridge State Conv enton was reasonable
conclave, and that its proceedings meet with
the unqualified condemnation a vast majority
of the people of this State. This latter opin-
ion was entertained by delegate in the late
Republican State Convention, and he sub
mitted it TO that body in the shape ola reso-
luton. Instead of adopting it as unanimous
ly as they nominated Frank Pixley, they in
definitely postponed it, for the reason, among
others, that it was too harsh. Had such a
proceeding been had in Democratic Com
vention we sincerely believe that the Repub-
lcans would have denounced it, as q weaken
ing in favor Of treason. But when we say of
them that it looked like what they are in the
habit Of calling dough-f face ism, they get
nervous and put in defence A correspond
ent of the Appeal said, in yesterdays issue of
that Journal by way of defending the defeat
of the resolution in question:
A man is not a traitor by reason of his
opinions, but of his acts Let the tongue wag
free, so long as the arm is withheld. Oppro-
bious epithets rather make opinions stubborn
than change them. If the press and public
| speakers would adopt the calm reasoning
method, instead of that laundering sensation
style which they affect, they would exert
much more influence, in the humble opinion
of your correspondent.
jeff Davis was "a traitor by reason of his
opinions, loEg before "his acts made him
one. His tongue wagged while his arm was
withheld, but his arm was meanwhile being
stIehS So"eheu / lie calm reasoning inelnou
has been pursued for years, without having
any other effect than to emLolden those tC
whom it was addressed. 1t is quite time, il
our opinion, that the "thundering sensation
style" with cannon balls for periods, which
rebels have adopted, should be substituted
for humble opinions cautiously expressed
The reasonable conclavc which the Republi
cans feared TO characterize as such, lest they
should be deemed "too harsh," was composed
of men most of whom would, in the event Of
the temporary success ofrebellion at the East,
rally Secession army, if they could, in this
State. Out upon the humility and gentle
enemies of all that we as people hold dear.