Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-04-09
from the New York World !
Countenaneing Treason

are doing all they can to counteract tie ef,
Iorts OF Governor Andy johnson and his
coadJ 1tors to re animate the loyalty of Ten
neSsee and the other border states. They
do 1t by daily holding out that the Repub
hcans and aboltlonists are the real authors
OF this rebellion, III direct contradiction 10
the declarations of the Tennessee govern
or, IN his addresses to the people, that the
rebellion is owing to the deceptions and
Vaccinations of JEFF Davis a2d his crew.
While Governor johnson AYERS that the
rebel leaders had no cause, these prints
represent that they had strong cause. While
he endeavors to infuse confidence, all their
language goes to strengthen distrust.-
While his work is to win back into the Tn.
ION: their work is to repel from it.
Most assuredly, if it be true that the
dominant party ut the North is responsible
for this rebellion, it is unreasonable to ex-
pect that rebels will drop their character
SO long as that party is in power; and it
VIII be IN power in every department of
the government until at the very least, the
termination of the present Congress eleven
months hence. If there was any reason
for taking up arms at the outset, that rea-
son still continues. There is no evidence
that the Republican party is willing to
strike out a line of its Chicago platform,
or prepared in any particular to treat sla-
very with any more respect or forbearance
than was manifested in their campaign
which elected Lincoln, and which accor-
ding to these newspapers, provoked the re-
bellion. Governor johnson stoops to no
such pretence. He utters not word con-
veying the fantest idea that the President,
or the Republican members of Congress,
or the majority Of the northern people,
have changed their sentiments or purposes
so as to better favor southern institutions
lie practices no such deception. He ad-
heres to the truth, and asserts without
reserve or qualification that the Republican
President, the Republican Congress, and
the Republican majority of the northern
people have never violated the constitu-
tional rights of the Southern States, and
that all the terrifying language of JEFF
Davis & Co. was base hypocritical i'm
posture. He deals in no harsh language
toward any party or any person at the
North. He tenders the rebellion no salvos
for its guilt He holds no racantations, he
promises no concessions. He simply tells
the truth Of the causelessness and the
wickedneSs and the madness of secession,
and appeals to reason and conscience and
interest for renewed devotion to the glor-
ious old flag
OF course we are free to admit that there
has been a great deal of improper language
from the hot anti slavery zealots of the
North. We have never been slow to con-
denim and denounce it. But we would
scorn to offer this language or any other
language as an extepuation of the internal
crime of treason. we would as soon think
of cxcusing the man for numbering you
and your whole family in cold blood be-
cause one OF your children treated him
with hard words 1t would be just as de-
cent to say that your young sauce box was
responsible for the murder, as to say our
anti-slavery hot heads are responsible for
this treason. The abusive language may
be all wrong; but there is an infinite dis
proportion between the proyocation and
the retaliation No right minded man
would for Il moment think Of mentioning
the one in connection with the other in
aGy manner,-infnitc!y less of presenting
them IN the relation Of natural cause and
effect. Take even the worst OF railers-
Philips and GarriSon--unwarrantable as
has been their talk against shareholders
and against the Constitution which protects
them, there is yet an Unreasonable distance
between their offence and the red handed
traitors against whom the government Is
now struggling for its existence. There Is
all the difference between words and acts
between articulate breath that simply
seat of life The trainers of our Consti-
tuition knew what they were about when
they ignored all treason but that covert act;'
and it is that, above all, to which every
true man in these times will direct his un-
sparing denunciations.
Guilt rests where the actual crime was
committed. To 60 back of that is idle
But if we were to inquire into the ulti-
mate conditions which made the crime
practical thing, we do not think it would
fare well with the newspapers in question.
Grant that it was the violent abolition talk
of the North that so excited the popular
mind of the South as to make it easy for
the southern conspirators to fire it into as
sent to any traitorous work, yet the ques-
ton comes back: Who was it that &C
quainted the southern people with this alb
olition talk, and caused them to believe
that it expressed the ruling feeling of the
North? 1t was notorieusly the same north
ern journals that are now seeking to light
en- up the responsibility of the rebel lead
ers BY imputing the original guilt to the
North. Their standard mode ofparty war
fare was to catch up, on the instant, every
hot fanatical utterance and blazoE it forth