, 1863-02-05
'Ul)tfa9o Qrib11're.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1858.
A GREAT BLUNDEA. !.

The outcy Of the Copperheads against
"arbitrary arrests" became loudest after
the Government changed its policy, ceased
to arrest secessionists and turned loose
those already arrested. The lenicncy OF
The Government was construed to mean
fear and cowardice. And now we near
the boast being made that 1.-THE Govern
ment dare not arrest mouse" 1t is sup
posed to be completely under the influence
Of its fears, and that traitors can now en-
joy carnival with none to modest OF make
them afraid. 1t was great blunder to ar
rest blatant secessionists, imprison them
for few weeks or months, and then turn
them loose, rcady-madc martyrs, to return
home tenfold worse than before. They be-
come tile centcrs Of all the secession SYM
patl,iesof their ncighborhoods They no
longer feel any sort Of fear or restraint, and
the Copperheads seeing the safety witt,
which the "nlartyrs" can spout treason'
become emboldened to emulate them.
Things are said and done now with per-
feet impunity that four months ago, before
the general Jail delivery" would have
startled and alarmed the country, and led
to instant arrest. The mildness and in
diligence Of the Government have bred con-
tempt for its authority, and in giving the
Copperhcads an ell they have taken Z yard.
It was q great blunder eTcr to nave
made IN arrest for spoutlng secession,
when nothing more was to be done with
the guilty parties than to restrain them in
a fort for few weeks, and then open the
gates and bid them go forth and preach
"persecution and treason II to their hearts
content. Either they should not have
been taken up, or they should have been
dealt with differently. The true policy to
nursue toward those fellows would be, to
send them South to their friends, where
they naturally belong. The whole co1lcc-
tion in Forts Henry and Lafayette
ought to have been put on
hoard a steamer and sent up the
James River under flags Of truce,
and delivered to the Confederates as pris-
ouers Of war, with notice that. if found
again during the war, within our lines,
they would be dealt with as spies, accord
ing to the articles Of war. If this mode Of
procedure had been adopted, there would
be no s'blessed martyrs" going about stir
ring up sedition, and poisoning the minds
Of the people Nor would jeff. Davis
minions hare "living examples Of Lincoln's
persecution to show to sympathetic
crowds, in their perambulations about th
country.
A secession spouter arrested and sen
> South to his atf1nitics, ceases to attrae
sympathy, or to stir up sedi:1on. The pull
lie verdict would be, "Servcd linn righ
If he is for JEFF. Davis, let him 60 to III
master" Disloyal persons thus dispose
Of can not play the role Of "blcsscd ma,
tyrs," calling themselves the inmates {
t'abolition bastiles.' They retain thci
personal liberty, but their fangs are draw
and their bite can do no further harm
Public sentiment would have sustaine
this method Of dealing with secessio
spouters, and to-day there would not b
onc-tenth Of the reasonable utterances thu
are heard, nor u hundredth part Of the di
loyal acts that are being done. 1t vas
great blunder, and every day makes
more manifest