Litchfield enquirer., 1861-08-01
Sentiment and Popular Feeling.


 we give the sentiments .the prominence Of this column that all shades of public opinion may be fully and freely displayed.
 To THE UNION MEN OF LIrcHFIELD.- Freedom of speech and of the press has been, in theory at least, the pride and boast of our Country-of our whole Country. In practice, we of the North, with here and there an exception, have allowed the unrestrained discussion of all subjects, limited only by the law, and we have justly complained that for many years past this freedom of speech and discussion has been denied in the Southern portion of our Country, and at- Councils and that persons accused of entertain ing certain prescribed opinions have been sub- iected to all sorts of indignity and odfum, and in many cases knocked down, whipped, tarred and fathered, imprisoned, and even put to death without the form of legal trial, and without any other evidence of guilt than the mere suspicious efa Vigilance Committee or a Mob.
 While condemning these acts, let us not be guilty of like intolerance. Let us be consis- teut in the application of the principle of free speech, and refrain from threatening or attempt ing to intimidate those of our misguided fellow citizens whose feelings are on the side of the Southern seceders and rebels. Allow them the full expression of their opinions let them rejoice over the U61eaL O1 Lue uOVcAA"Cut lOICCo lCI them even raise the Secession flag if they choose. They will ere long find that they are their own worst enemies. In thus doing, they subject them selves to the pity or scorn of the loyal and pat. riotic, and when this conflict is past they will hide from the public gaze unless they are as de- void of shame as of patriotism.
 These remarks have been elicited on account of occurrences the past week in Litchfeld. It is greatly to be regretted that in this orderly and law loving community both order and law should be broken by attempts to suppress the utterance of Secession sentiments or Secession rejoicings This is all wrong. It tends to keep up or create bitterness of feeling among neiighbors and friends which is scarcely less to be dreaded than war itself. No good ever comes of prescription. The cry of persecution is raised for those who are the subjects of it, and a sympathy excited in their behalf which causes reaction in their favor. The true course is to let them "alone in their glory!" Besides Union men can afford to be liberal and lenient. Their cause is just; their triumph ultimately certain.
 A NEW YORK REPUBLICAN.
 Milton, July 29th, 1861.
 While we give hearty and cordial assent to most of the sentiment and expression of opinion in the above communication, we may take the oc- casion that offers to frankly state single point n which we differ from our correspondent
 He argues well that "mob' is calculated to De reused to the point of overturning both law md order, and that the cry of "persecution" is asily raised by those who, rejoicing over the de- eat of our Governments forces and who give ut erance to rebelous sentiments, ,are loud for free lom of speech, and cry, like the rebels, to be alet alone."
 ,artook not at all of the character of |" mob" or nob-law, or were like them only at least in point ,fnumbers, in unanimity of sentiment, and in a firm determination that these reasonable, seces- ion utterances had gone quite far enough. Some # our best and most prominent citizens, either y encouragement or actual participation, gave favor to the move. An almost unanimous public sentiment was firmly fixed, and a long suffering people were fully determined that something must be done, if it could be done quietly ant de- gently, to effectually express public feeling, and to save ourselves from the disgrace and stigma of eherishing nest of traitors and disunionists in our midst. Everything that was done was done decently and in order; no outrages were commit ted, none offered, for the purpose of forcing re. csntation, or of frightening traitors into submis sion. Only such as were knovn to have given utterance to denunications of our government and our cause were visited no disgrace was offered to these, unless it is disgrace to an American citizen living in Litch6eld, under the protection ofthe laws and the government of our Country, to acknowledge or to wave our country's flag Only these were waited upon at all, and because others were willing to make such concession to sentiment as to raise the American standard of their own accord, they ought not to have the ere. dit of being terrified into so doing, but that they did SO from the purest patriotic motives. At least so we wish to think of them and their elev. enth hour repentance.
 Other occurrences" which might perhaps be construed to partake of "mob-law" were owing, in one case, to most cowardly and brutal attack upon one of our citizens, and in the other to the uncalled for, impertinent, and dastardly crime of taking down the American flag from the roof of house which the perpetator did not inhabit, and with which he had nothing to do-the auth. ors of both which outrages were dealt with much more lenienty than they would have been by any other course, and which the sentiment of a com munity pronounces just and right.
 The visitations have now ended as quietly as they were begun, and if from the occurrences any and all who feel disposed to rejoice in our reverses and sheer at and bewail the triumphs of cause which is to save our country and preserve from anarchy are satisfied that it is wise in this law-abiding community to hold discreet tongue in their heads, we are sure no one will be better satisfied with the result than a New York Republican," or good men everywhere here and throughout the Country.
 At all events let us hope that the lesson will not be mis-improved, since those who are base enough to talk treason, to cheer for Beauregard's army in the hearing of those who have sons and brothers fighting in the great cause, and to gloat over any reverse or slaughter of our sons and brothers, are far better restrained by little wholesome fear of an instant expression of popu. lar indignation, than they are by words merely or the scorn of the loyal and patriotic"
 b@-We give the following from the Muscat;ne Qowa) Daily Journal of the 18th inst, descri. bing our new Consul to Genoa. As Esq. Moss ;s v;dalv known hotb here and in Waterbnr