The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-02-02

bered that Arnold had done good service in the field
for the American cause but from various circum-
stances he became soured and disaffected, and final
y resolved to 5etray his country After he came
to that determination, instead of showing it in any
way he profeSsed friendship for the general cause
and succeeded in inducing Gen. Washington to give
him command of West Points After making an
unsuccessful attempt to surrender that post to the
enemy he fed to the British, and issued an address
to the people of the Colonies for the purpose of JUS
tfyng his treason and to excite prejudice against
the American government. OF this Address the
historian remarks,
| "As all men wish to preserve, at least the appear
ance of honor Arnold affected to ascribe his defec
ton from the American cause to princ pie. He ORR
ginay took up he said, because he really be-
lieved the rights of his country endangered and
although he thought the declaration ofndependence
precpate, yet he was led by the many plausible
arguments urged in its favor to acquesce in it
measure necessary to procure redress Of griev
ances. But the rejection of the overtures made by
Great Britain in 1873 flor submission to the British
government |. and the French alliance had opened
his eyes to the ambitious views of those who would
sacrifice the happiness of their country to their
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and made him confirmed loyal
His representations of the discomfort of the
try, and of the army, concurriag with reports from
ether quarters, had raised the expectation that the
Ioyalists and the dissatisfied, allured by British
gold, and the hope of rank in the British service
would flock to his standard and form corps at the
head of which he mi ht again display in the field
those military qualities he had proved himself to
possess.
With this hope he published an address to the in
habitants of America in which he laboured to pall-
ate his own guilt, and to render them dissatisfied
with the existing state of things. He dated on the
motives which had induced him to join the British
Standard and on all those topics which had most in
fuence with the royalists throughout the United
V:Al> - a.
alliance with France, and endeavoured to resusci-
tate ancient pre- JUDGES against mat nation. He was
profuse in his nvectives against congress and their
leaders generally, whom he eliminated with sinister
views in protracting the war at public expense, and
with general tyranny and usurpation With these
charges he artfuly mingled assertions of their
reign contempt for the people, particularly manifes
ted in refusing to take their collective sentiments
on the proposals for peace which Great Britain had
made.
This appeal to the public was followed by proc
amaton particularly addressed, ''To the officers and
soldiers of the continental army, who have the real
interests of their country at heart, and who de-
terned to be no longer the tools and dupes of con-
gress of France
The object of this proclamation to'induce the
officers and soldiers of the American army to desert
the they had embraced from principle by
holding up to them very fatterng terms from the
British General and contrasting the substantial
emoluments of the British service, with their pre-
sent deplorabe condition. He attempted to cover
cency and principle. by representing the base step
he invited them to take, as the only which
could restore to their country. peace, real liber-
ty, and happiness. You are promised liberty,
he cxclams bat is there an individual in the
j"yment of it saving your oppressors! who among
you dare speak write what he thinks against the
tyranny which has robbed you of your property,
imprisons your persons, drags you to the field
of battle and is daily deluging your country With
your blood!
You fattered with independence prefer
able to redress of grievances and for that shadow
instead of real felicity, sunk into all the wretch
edness of poverty, by the rapacty of your own rul
Already you disqualified to support the
pride of character they taught you to aim at and
must inevitably shortly belong to the other
of those great powers, their folly and wickedness
have drawn into conflict.
What" he exclaims again, sis America now but
land of widows, orphans, and beggars.
AS to you, who have been soldiers in the CONT
mental army, you at this day want evidence that
the funds of your country exhausted, that the
managers have applied them to their own private
uses! In either case you surely can no longer con-
tnue in their service with honour. advantage.
Yet you have been their supporters in that cruelty,
which with equal Indifference to yours we'll as
to the labour and blood of others, is devouring a
country that from the moment you quit their colours
will be redeemed from their tyranny
See how the traitor tried to array the feelings of
the people against Congress and the authorities
generally. But notwithstanding all this-notwith-
StauullS Tue eueHy OFeIIuH OeOISItt CoutH anu
North Carolina, and Notwithstanding thousands of
the people of those States took the British oath of
allegiance; acknowledged that the country sub
jugated and cried Justify for peace any terms
Gust s persons now dong) the war went
on and America gained her independence. The
croakers' and agitators of that day could not stop
the war; but they prolonged it by their imprudent
course.
1t is not for US to pronounce traitors at the
present time 1--WE have yet denounced any
particular man. living within our lines traitor);
but say this, if man does not want to be con-
sidered traitor he must not talk as Arnold did.
A tree is judged by it's fruit.
SOME OF THE FRUITs.-We understand that a
great deal of disorder occurred in Greensboro on
Saturday last. on the occasion Of holding public
meeting" by the friends of the Convention move
ment. There some fighting and much confu-
sion. Occurrences like this to be regretted, but
they nothing but what we expected to result
from movements to excite the people against our
authorities. They some of the fruits of the
Convention movement. The true friends of peace
ought to discountenance all such movements, and
refrain from everything that will cause bad feeling
and contention among our own people,
70 The Raleigh Progress perverts the meaning
of paragraph in our last paper in regard to the
visit of Hokes Brigade to this State and INDUCES
in rather mean insnuations. We have no in