The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-01-16
sc Now Bill Lets You and Hit
Him."

We once saw splendid old dog, whom
years had broken down and blinded but had
not robbed of his noble look or mild dispo-
sition, set upon by some lazy, loafng boys
and beaten severely. For time he kept his
prosecutors at bay, but getting confused by
the blows from all sides he lay down at last
painting, and striving to recover from his be-
wilderment that he nigh: renew the fight.
"Now Bill lets you and hit him." said a
dirty, ragged boy to his mate with whom he
had been standing during the battle, at safe
distance from the combatants.
That boy, if he grows up will make very
much such a tellow as presides over the Ar
gus.
When this war first commenced such pseudo
democrats as Atkins stood out of the way and
seemed to take no part, but when the long
and desperate struggle began to tell upon
the people when gloom filed many a heart
and mourning covered many form; when
new disasters came upon US and the defeat
of our armies stunned for short time the
Great Republic; these wretches exclaimed !:
Now Bill lets you and hit him."
| Had Mcclellan taken Richmond not one
of these fellows would have dared to say
word. Had Burnside beaten at Fredericks-
burg they would have held their vile tongues
or shouted with the loyal men.
But when defeat comes, when uncertainty
stands before US, these knaves are ready then
to spit out their slang and to utter their trea-
! son.
If you visit a store, post office or tavern
you are very lucky if you do not meet some
one of this class of men-not that they are so
very numerous but because the meaner and
more treacherous man is the more active
he is apt to be. Absalom ike, they sit at
the gates and byways and exclaim to the
passers by: "'Oh that were made Judge in
the land! that any man that had any suit or
cause might come unto me and | would do
him justice But then, there is no use OF
talking about justice while that old Lincoln
is President. If a traitor is imprisoned they
exclaim: "Look at the tyranny ofthe Admin
istration!" If We meet defeat they say,
Good enough for the ID Abolition ar
my" If the Monitor founders, they cry out
"Tkat's wha: you get by fighting"
Cynical in disposition; always speaking
i'll of those above them cold in heart with
no sympathy for any but themselves with
a treacherous disposition that stabs in the
dark" and cowardly soul that leads them to
howl their treason only when the gloom Of
the people is greatest, the dependency of
the nation heaviest and the want Of the ma
ton the most apparent, they go about speak
ing i'll of every thing but rebels.
What shall be done with thems Little BY
little they will add to their growing ball of
corruption and treason as it goes rolling on,
now taking to it that particle of doubt, that
lump of dependency, this inconsistencies in
the army, that love of ease, this fear of los
ing wealth, this traitor and that fool until a
monster heap is formed that will clog the
wheels of state.
I,They are discouraging enlistments, making
discomfort in the army, stirring up mutiny,
uttering open threats and treason. Let them
be pointed out! Let the strong hand of
justice grasp them by the throat and let the
gallows claim them even at this late hour.