The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-06-17
10 Terms y. Leading Traitors.

T There are already signs abroad ia the
land 10 show that many Of the rebel leaders
are pre- r'p+rlng to turn political sumersauts
by way not only Of saving themselves from
nosi deservsd punishment, hut ia The hopes
doubtless, OF again Htfaiaing position when
they have a chance 10 figure in the matter
Of I" re- constTu, tion..' We trust that this
shameless game is not goicg to be tolerated
to any < eut " vigi'eut and patriotic
Government, such as We believe this to be.
We cannot believe that GLIB tongue aud q
braz-n front, ard the facalty Of wheeling
suddt to the right ABOUT, is at all sufi-
cieni t. u axe treasIr, long INDUCED in, for
gotten, whilst hundreds and thousands Of
the poor euFe5 OF these very leader are ly-
ing in dishonored and obscure graves, as
The penalty II having too far cou6dtd in
them. We should dislike exceedingly to
see oBe of these accursed demagogues
mounting the slump with two go5d neither
limbs, and privileged 10 swing about in
faci.e gesture, two good arms, 20 tell the
legess or the aTmless al he had persuaded
to the battle field that be had at last dis
covered that the whole dam plot by
which the poor boy bad become p cripple
for life was all a mis- ake-a political blum
d r, and thar he, sitting in his easy chair,
in some Confederate bureau, uuharmed all
the time, had al last discovered il.
We do not object to such coming in, if
thus they choose to do but for very shame
sake let them retire TO some corr cr ii their
crimes permit them sill place in that
country they sought 10 b ;tray, and et them
there sill down for the balance of tLeir lives
as dill the penitent of old--;u seokcloth
aud ashes. Why should snch be tolerated,
whilst others have perish by musdeIous
wounds, by loathsOme disease, whilst mum
beriess prisons are to day fl lei with the
spirit broken lads and ignorant men, These
leaders, because il was popular, WiIed TO
ru and every evil? Who-ver else were
deceived, these leading demegogues were
uo'. They knew better and they have
played the aecnrsed game for power, using
the ignorant aud the prtjudiced as their
"paws" with not the shadow Of pune
ton ; and are now in the political arena
once more, watching with keen and sordid
glance for another chance 10 make trade
of patriotism, and so keep uppermo t. The
heart sickens At the bare contemplation Of
such a spec acle. We hope tn, Govern
ment will never tolerate such as these in
any State. We hope to see Cougre 5 pass
some bill which will discriminate in a fit
ting aud just manner betwixt he plotters |
and their victims, which will provide that |
no man who bas ever held Office above d |
certain grade in the rebel organization shall |
ever hold cffice again.
1t is due to the people of the States SO /
awfully misled, as we'll as to the loyal of |
the land who are in the field 10 correct the |
terrific evil brought upon the county by t
the class Of men to which we have referred. |
Else the c1ufict might as well cease at /
once, aud before any more expense is in !
Cured, because already the rebellion is
proved failure. and there is not traitor
of them all but can recognizes the fact
With the leading rebels tolersted or pat
ronized, the moment a change of sentiment
is confessed, the mightiest coGhict of mod
ern times dwindles at once to the mere di-
mensions and character Of a mere trial of
strength, and settles nothing, ii no punish
nept is to be meted out for the guilty ex-
pertinent.
Then we say let our soldiers now facing
ieath in so many forms in the field, know
'or W hat they are 6ghting. Let them know
" neither leading traitors will be suffered
when the last battle is fought, the last poor
elbow of the rank and file consigned to the
earth, away from home and friends-iet the
'ank end file know, we say, whether the
spauletted gentry, ard Confederate func-
ionaries generally, viii be suffered to sit
lowu in peace with true Ten, to hOb-nob
,ver their wine as they reckon upon new
position, new distinction, with their horri-
Die guilt forgotten. If the Government and
Congress do not move in this matter, they
ire not true to their great mission.-Bah