The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-05

hands.
Mental and PhysfOgnOmfcal Treason
..-Suggest1Ons to General Pope for
Its ExtirpatfOn.
We don't recollect that. we have ever
heard the charge distinctly made that
there were actual open traitors in our
community. But we know there are some
whose mental loyalty is under suspicion.
And, we submit it to the military apthori-
ties whether such characters ought not to
be ferreted out, and dealt with.
Under the old system of things, it might
have been trifle difficult to work up
good solid case of treason on suspicion.
1t used to require some overt act, such as
levying war on the government, or giving
aid and comfort to the enemy. Latterly,
it is held to consist in unfriendly criti-
cism upon the wisdom of the "war policy"
of the Administration. By natural and
logical progress, we expect to see the rule
established, that, not merely the man who
levies war on the country, and he who
openly talks in opposition to the Admins
tration, is to be regarded and treated as
traitor, but also he who permits his
thoughts upon the rebellion to run into
channels forbidden by the President and
his Generals in the field.
No one, on fair consideration can, doubt
the propriety and necessity of such a rule.
Nothing is easier than to establish its JUS
tice by unanswerable argument. Bor it
will not be denied that the thoughts of
man are the basis and spring of his con-
versation and conduct. If the man did
not think treason, he neither would n
could talk or act treason. This being so,
and undeniable, it is perfectly clear that
the crime of treason is committed when
the man thinks it. And, the crime being
committed by the process of thought, it
logically follows that punishment is due,
and should be administered There can't
be any doubt about the correctness of this
reasoning. Or, if there were, it would be
settled by the Scripture which states, that,
Gas a man thinketh, so is he''
A difficulty might arise in the minds OF
some as to how the commission of the
crime Of unauthorized thinking could be
so ascertained and proved as to make it
the subject of conviction and punishment.
We should have been puzzled on that point
ourself, if we had not seen and read Judge
HoLTs Review Of the Trial of FITz JOHN
PORTER. In the perusal of that remark
able pamphlet, we found that one of the
heaviest accusations laid against PORTER,
was, that che looked like traitor" that
"his look was that of q man having a
crime on his mind" The extraordinary
person who was gifted with the power of
knowing and interpreting the thoughts of
General PORTER, and who, on the basis of
such knowledge, testified to his treason,
was, Judge Holt informs us, "Lieuten-
ant Colonel THOMAS c. II. SMITH, an aid
de-camp on the staff of General Pope"
Indeed, according to Judge HoLT, Lieut.
Col. SMITH, after his first glance at the
features of PORTER, averred in these san
culinary words: $50 certain am | that
FITz JOHN PORTER is traitor, that l
would shoot him tonight, so far as any
crime before GoD is concerned"
1t will be seen that Lieut.. Col. SMITH
possesses precisely the gift of divination
required for detecting and convicting these
thinking traitors. Judge HoLr devoted
page of his pamphlet to the illustration of
the infalIble nature of this class of testi-
mony, and to Lieut.. COL SMITH, and mem
tons particularly that he is ga man of
fine intelligence, and that his I" consc.en-
tiousness renders him careful and guarded
in his statements" With this high en-
dorsement, no reasonable doubt can exist
that Lieut.. Col. SMITH is just the man
wanted for the detection of that class of
miscreants, who, living under the protec-
ton of the flag of our country, have yet
the baseness to cherish secretly the crime
of treason "on the mind"
General POPE is fortunately in command
of this Department, and we turn over the
whole Halter into his military keeping.
We have demonstrated the fact that the
highest grade of criminality, in treason
able way, is that of thinking and looking
without proper warrant. He has on his
staff, in the person Of Lieut. Col. SMITH,
man whom Judge HoLT endorses as being
perfectly acquainted with the "intercom-
muning of spirits, through instrumental
ties which, while defying all human analy-
sis, nevertheless completely command
the homage of human faith" That's all
that's necessary. Now, let the General
procure one of SAM WELLER's "double-
L cortxyf ,,os11snv, ,>orr,or nni fvinU-