, 1862-06-17
|Tbe Trihut1e<
TUESDAY, JUNE II, 1862,


TAXING TRAITOR ATHIS WORD.
When the secession Times speaks Of
" abolitionists,:' it includes every man who
loves his country more thsn slavery. Its
responsible editor, viewing matters from
the standpoint Of . traitor, interprets the
word according to the vocabulary of
traitors. For instance, he openly calls
President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton
rank aboGdonists He calls all men abo-
li:ionists who favor emancipation in the
district, the confscation act, the new treaty
for the suppression Of the slave trade,--all
these he calls abolition measures. The
Soldier and the citizen who insist that
tho unconditional submission Of rebels
must precede forgiveness or restoration,
arc set down in the same category.
He gives to the term the widest possible
meaning-the same meaning, in truth,
which is attached to it by Southern traitors
-proscribee according to the standard Of
treason, and hates those whom he pro-
scrihes with all the rancorous hatred Of q
traitor in full communion. It is necessary
10 bear these facts in mind in order to un-
derstsnd what this man means when he
culls down curses on abo1idonism-"
4 few days ago the Times declared that
twas more important that abolitionism
",should be put down, than that the rebel
tar1nies should be defeated. Now let us
take this sentence in its whole meaning.
"Aboli:ionisn,,' as it is understood by the
Times, is professed by nine-tenths Of our
soldiers in the field, by more thsn two mil
lion loyal citizens, by the President and his
Cabinet, by both Houses--of Congress, by
nea1ly every woman and girl who has con
tsibuted anythi1 6 to the wants OF the COM
fort of the men who are fighting our bat
Ties; in word, by those who constitute
the power which breasted treason, checked
its PROGRESS, drove it back, and saved the
Republic from destruction. For every
man and woman, every boy and girl,
Wlo does not reverence slavery, is
get down By this organ Of secession as an
unpardonable abohtionist. We are, there
fore, to understand that it is more impor-
1ant''-in other words, more necessary to
the system Of government which the Times
is striving to establish President Lin
coln and his Cabinet be put down." than
that JEFF. Davis and his junta Of scoundrels
be oyeEhrown-more important that
Washington be captured by the rebels than
That they be driven from Richmond-nore
important that slavery spread over all the
States and all the Territories, than that it
should lose its foothold in the Federal Dis
trict-more important that loyal men
Should be reduced to beggary by taxation,
than that the property Of traitors should be
con6scated- more important that the Re
public be oVerthToHn than that the rebel
lion should fai1.
AL these inferences must force them
selves on the candid reader Of the Times.
The Richmond Enquirer and the Charles
ton Mercury have rarely contained utter
ances more reasonable in spirit. They
interpret the word, -d6ozitionism, just as the
Times does. They use the same cant, and
deceive their readers with the same les If
they have more ability and higher ambi-
tion. they have also more candor. They
do sometimes tell the truth. They advo-
cate piracy and treason, because pirates
and traitors are their tools. But the Times
is the tool, the slave, the pack-mule, the
dispised hack Of traitors. Its disloFalty is
simply disgusting. It would "put down.
Commodore Foote, World-known as pat
1iot and Abolitionist, and exalt such COW
ardly knaVes as Hollins and TatnalL. It
would put down" President Lincoln, the
advocate Of emancipation, and second
father Of his county, rather than harm
JEFF. Davis, the great scound1el Of the age,
11Dg-leader Of the rebellion, chief Of all the
smugg1ers and marauders, and rcputed ille-
gitimate son Of horse thief. But for the
known toryism Of its editor, we should
set down as exquisite irony the complaint
Of the Times about the incarceration Of
Innocent men in Fort Warren-all limo
cent in comparison with himselfl