Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-02-10
Traitors Among Us.

Traitors Among Us.
If people were to judge from the tons of
the two leading articles in the last Joliet
Republican. they could arrive at no other
conclusion than that the loyal States of the
North, and Illinois in particular. were full
of traitors. Both Of those articles labor to
prove that at least one half of the people
| of the Northern States sre disloyal at heart,
aud that they would unite their fortunes
with the rebel. if favorable opportunity
presented itself.
Now thcse articles of the Joliet RepubH-
can, and similar articles which may be
found in nearly all the Republican jour-
nails, while they are false in every particu-
lar are calcul .ted to do much mischief
The Announcements 10 regard to the prev
alence of secessiouiSm at the the North, by
encouraging the PEOPLE of the South, will
have the effect TO prolnng the war. 1t is
thus that the Republicans by falsely charg-
| ing disloyalty upon Democrats, are feeding
the flames Of civil war and postpoDing On
| honorable peace.
But while there are in reality no real
! secessionists in the North, worth mention
ing, it cannot be defined that there is q
large party whose number is rapidly in
creasing, who belive that the war, as pros.
ecuted at present, viii never bring us peace
! nd hot 81, =,
conducted-ani that the Administration is
not equal to the task of conducting it 50 as
to bring about just and honorable peace.
We have no doubt but that very large
maj Jrity of the people Of this State, at least,
while they do not approve Of or sympathise
with secession, are nevertheless determined
that the Administration must return to
full and practical recognition of the free
dom, dignity, power, and rights Of the sew
eral States, and the citizens thereof, 80 far
as guaranteed by the constitution as inter.
preted by the highest judicial tribunal of
the land and understood by vast majority
of our Statesmen and people through the
whole past history of our Government, be-
fore it can receive further aid from them
in carrying on the war. And it will be
well for the Administration to take this
fact into consideration before it launches
nut into other ultra Abolition schemes. or
further tramples upon the provisions Of The
constitution.
| Wa hot 10
among us-men who would be glad to see
division OF the Union, but they are not
in the ranks of the party that the Republi-
can journals allege contains all the Nor
thern Secessionists, "cOpper-heads, put
ternuts," &c. They are found in the par
ty which placed the Administration in
power and which dictates and controls its
policy and action.
A baser SANDER wasNneyer uttered than
the one that the Democracy of The North
sympathise with treason. Has not the
blood of Northern Democrats been as Law
ishly poured out as that of the Republicans
to put down the rebellion? As long as the
War was conducted for the avowed purpose
of restoring the Union as it was and the
constitution as it is, did not Democrats la
Der with equal zeal with the Republicans
to place at the disposal of the Administra-
ton mon and means for carrying on the
war? Let the history of the past answer
these interrogatories.
The Democracy did more than their pro-
proportion, until the policy Of the Admins
tration was announced to be tha: of Aboli-
tionism. They cheerfully sent Abraha m
Lincoln twelve hundred thousand men and
voted him two billions of dollars to carry on
the war. They have done everything
which people could do to help the Cows
eminent, but through the msm a ma cement
and unwise policy of the Administration,
this vast sacrifice has been fruitless, and
peace is nog farther off than ever.
And yet the men and journals who are
responsible for this vast waste Of blood and
treasure, Claim to be patriots, and denoun.
&C as traitors those who, in good faith and
with every energy Of Their lives, are labor
ing to arrest the progress Of diss llu:i on -
1t Democracy is treason, the term ha s
charged its meaning.