The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-09-18

Fellow citizens, do but utter truth which
is painfully present to all minds, that the disloy
atty which is found in cur own midst, especially
ut Washington, and In the border States, has
been { utfui source Of disaster and Of dscour
agement from the very beginning of this unfor
tunate struggle. This evil has assumed proper
tons of such magnitude that its correction has
become paramount. duty upon the part Of those
charged with the administration Of the Govern
meut. Its prevalence has been marked by all
those treacheries and excuses which have been
its unfaling characteristics in other lands and iD
other times Next to the worship of the Father
Of our spirits, the grandest and the stronges,
sentiment Of which our nation is susceptible, is
the Iowa of our country. When that sentiment
has been corrupted, like an arch from which the
keystone has been displaced, the whole moral
character seems to tumble in ruins. The public
and the private proaigacy Of traitors and spies,
both male and female, has been vOuched for By
all history, and indeed it has grown into pro
verb that 1.-THE man who will betray his country
will betray his God" (Grcat applause He
will betray his friends, his kindred. and. if need
be- the very wife of bis bosom and children OF
his loins. Suppose that you lived in one Of those
cities where there is q steam engine and q
paid company TO operate il; and suppose that
your house was on fire and this company and this
engine had been summoned to the spot and were
vigorously engaged in extinguishing it; and
suppose that you discern, from time to time,
men creeping out from the crowd and sticking
their knives into the hose, from which the water
is seen to spout forth in all directions upon the
pavements of the streets! How long do you
think the presence Of such mscreants would be
endured: But suppose that. looking more closely
| into the face OF these men, you discover that
| they are members OF this fire company, receiving
| the salary TO which You have yourself contriba-
ted! In the FIRST burst Of your indignation would
You not feel that their punishment; would not Be
| TOO great il: they were thrown into the flames
which they were thus indirectly feeding? And
yet tins has been precisely the condition Of the
Government OF the United States. A voice
'That's iact"l That has been, from the com
mencement Of this struggle, its precise condi
| ton. l know there are those who look with
more tolsraton upon these offenses which pre-
vail among US than can possibly do. Per zap.
| am too harsh but l must say this that the
men who in our own midst give aid and comfor
to the enemy, either ~ furnishing them secre
information or by advertising their cause, or b.
striving TO SOW dssensiOns among ourselves, o.
by insidiously dissuadiLg loyal men from enterin,
the military service, are more vitality the foes o
our country than if they were in the army of tn
Confederate States. Applause. the power Q
the Government can do much to correct thi
evil, but much more eau be done BY the crush
ing power OF public opinion, branding as il q
nous socially aud politically dislo. atty wheneve
and wherever encountered. Applsuse.1 Thes
men are, morally, At least, guilty Of the deaf
Of those Who tall in defense Of the Government
lust as much as if they bad met them upon th
battlefield With the deadly weapons Of war.