Maryland free press. [volume] (Hagerstown [Md.]) 1862-18??, 1863-03-06
Abolition Deception.

sB'T The Abo,itionists throughout this war
have deceived the PROFESSIONALLY abused
their confidence. Either through ignorance
or with the deliberate purpose of deceiving,
they represented that the Rebellion was only
artifcial--that, it was but the transient I'M
substantial and raporing, developments o.
disappointed politicians, and that the great
masses of Tie Southern population were hos
tile to these politicians and would welcome
our Armies as delivered.
This delusion-this false and narrow view
Of the case taoy fastened upon the minds OF
the people by repeating i. everywhere, and de-
! nounciag as "rcbels" all persons who did not
believe it. Ii was n view, too, more readily
adopted, because it was in unison with the
wishes and hopes of the people. That it was
a falses view is now clearly concentrated
| That our Armies have mot with no friends,
but with bitter, sullen and unyielding hos
| tility in tho South IL fact which no man.
however bigotcd and ignorant he may have
| been on the subject, will now have tho har-
! dihood to deny
This false view, so asttorin9 to our hopes
and SO agreeable to our wishes. has produced
the bloodiest, most desolatng and expensive
war ever waged on the globe. 1t has cntailcd
on the country National debt whose proper
tons staggers all onceptiou, confounds all
calculation, aud mocks all precedent. It has
allured hundreds and thousands of fathers,
brothers, and sons to bloody graves in dis
tant and hostile lands. 1t has yelled in
mourning thousands upon thonaands of faces,
which else had ,been gay and cheerful. 1t
has laid death and p6Tsty upon family alters,
which otherswise would be crowned with all
the blessings of life and prosperity. 1t has
left many widow mourning, and many
sweet babe fatheress. 1t has increased the
cost and difficulties of living for the poor and
cast the garment of W retchodness upon the
humble and lonely in life. 1t lbs converted
nation into camp, withdrawn the popula-
ton from the prosperous pursuits OF peace,
and converted wiso, free, enlightened, and
liberal, government into fierce, arbitrary,
and illiberal despotsm. 1t has filled tn,
whole land with mourning-with the y;ast.d
and broken bodies ofcrippis. sickness
and death--with tH-'ts and blood. 1t has
pAuheA apeaceful nation into the horrors of
civil war, and left hs ND alternative, but n
dishonorable peace, or an inglorious con-
quest.
And shall we be accused Of disloyaty for
refusing to follow the blind consels Of men
who can make such fatal mistakes1 On a
subject which demanded reason they exhibit
ed only Incorporate passion. On question
which required for its solution moderation
Cancellation and calmuoss,7 they displayed
frenzied excitement, thoughtlcss and crimi.
nal rashness, and oil the blind fury of bigoted
fanaticism.
They gave us in exchange for tho enlarged
viows and elevated craftsmanship of earlier
days, the contracted views, the narrow policy,
the practiced duIlieity and low devices OF
pot-house partizans and Fcheining dcma-
gogues. They gave us madness for wisdom,
fanaticism for patriotism-the lore ofpower
for the love of freedom. We could not follow
them--we did not, and we are proud oft.