Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-13
,,MasKED BATTERIES"

The secession traitors have not conducted
their war ON the government with such open
ness and valiant daring as many expected.
They do not fight SO terribly rs was predicted.
They skulk, crawl in the bushes, seek to be
in ambush, and prepare masked batteries.
The boldest men may sometimes use masked
batteries, but those who steadily pursue the
policy of fighting only in overwhelming num-
beers, or from some hiding place, are not usual
ly considered very brave men. They may be
noisy braggarts when danger is at distance,
but they are nowise likely to become resplen-
dent heroes.
The spirit that skuks behind masked bat
teries and crawls into obscure hiding places
where brave men stand forth and 'tace the
music" is not very admirable. Men do not
praise it, In the ordinary movements OF
peaceful life there is nothing but contempt for
the sneaking lbeler who stabs in the dark,
and seeks TO ruin or injure others without be-
ing held responsible for what he does; or the
anonymous letter writer who seeks to injure,
insult, or annoy others without daring to re-
veal himself, and who is everywhere held to
be one of the very meanest of miserable cow
ards or the malignant wretch who wanders
in the dark to waylay the unsuspectng, burn
houses, or pick pockets. We need not wait
until war calls men TO arms to discover who
are towards and who brave men, although in
ordinary life it is frequently easy for some men
to confuse the matter, walk in false shows
and pass for more than they are worth. Vo-
ciferous boasting will always have some intiu'
ence until there comes a stern demand for
deeds to make it good
The matchless audacity of our southern ex-
tremists has made them very potent in the
management of parties, and in controlling the
action of congress. For years it has enabled
them to direct the politics of the country and
to maintain an arrogant ascendency in society
at the national capital. Drunken ami mad
with its influence, they brought themselves to
believe that they could be irresistible and SUI
preme in all ways and under all circumstan-
ces. We think they actually believed that
northern men had not courage to resist their
aggressions, and that they really expected to
revoutionize the government and establish a
despotism at Washington. They are learning
lesson, and those northern men who have
heretofore yielded to their sway are also learn
ing lesson. They might have learned from
the history of Kansas, where neither Butord' s
regiment nor the border rufhans were at any
time able to fight the free state men success
fully, on equal terms nor even when they had
the advantage Of two to one. They coult
steal horses, burn cabins, and skulk about AM
shoot free state men unawares but they wer
always afraid to make fair fight. AT Ossf
wattomie they were beaten and terribly frigh
ened by old John Brown, although they la
the advantage Of about twenty five TO one.
The conspirators who have organized til
war against the Union should be eXterminatet
They deserve no mercy, and their overthro'
is demanded by the welfare of the country, {
the southern as well as the northern portion {
it. They have appealed to the sword, and L
for them to succeed. They cannot b
in this war what they have been a
managers of political parties and over
seers of political demagogues and sol
diers of fortune. They threatened to be yer,
terrible in war, but they did so party becaus
they were arrogant braggarts, and party be
canse they were self deceived. and the humi
iation that awaits them will dispel a grea
many falsehoods. When this trial is passed
the nation will be quieter, better and stronger