Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-12
Thinking and Talking Treason.


Thinking and Talking Treason.
Because, in some parts of the country,
they were not permitted to cay what they
pleased relative to the different opera
lions of the Government for the over
throwaof the rebellion, Democratic pa
pers have joinedin one universal how" I"
about " muzziing the press and "sup.
pressing free speech" OF course no ar
gument that loyal papers or orators caa
offer, proving the necessity, at times, of
silencing indiserest TO call them by no
harsher nancy newspapers, will be lis
tened to, much less approved. We are
thankful, therefore, that Governor Bram-
lette-the Louisville Journals ideal of q
conservative statesman-has felt it to be
his duty to express his opinion freely and
candidly in regard to this momentous
question of suppression of free speech. :"
We commend his remarks to our Demo
cratic friends, who have heretofore been
SO greatly exercised over this matter.
AS one ofztheir witaesses, we do not see
how they can, consistently, object to his
testimony. We copy the Governors re-
marks in full.
mo one has the right to commit trea-
son. No one has the right TO encourage
or promote treason. The right to be a
rebel or q rebel sympathizer can not be
admitted we may tolerate, but cannot
admit, the right Of such sympathies.
Z The right to hold, express, and advo-
cate, any form Of policy for conducting
the Government, is q political right
which can not andzought not to ts
abridged, however much abused Trea-
sonSis not policy it strikes at the life
aims not at the management of the
GoFernmentz The safety of free govern.
ment, which admits the right to advocate
and urge, with all of our powers, even
the widest and most deleterious policy,
without any restriction save public indg- /
ment~demands that none should be per-
mitted to overthrow, or aid, or abet, or
In any way encourage or promote the
overthrow of-the governments which sc.
cures this perfect political liberty. Who
soever, therefore, commits treason, or
advocates it, eor in any way encourages
or promotes it, does what he has no right
to do, and that which is at war with the
perfect political freedom secured by our
government, and should not be tolerated
therein :. To sympathize with rebellion
is wrong, if rebellion is wrong. But as
mere sympathy cannot endanger the life
of the government, it=nay be tolerated,
though wrong. Yet when that sympathy
assumes the form of aid or encourage
ment to treason, and tends to promote it
by eithe7. acts or Icords, the duty of those
who would rerpetuate our political free
dom, as-secured only by our government,
is to stay thework of treason by inflict-
ing on its workers such restraints and
penalties as will enforce obedience and
respect 70 the government of our fathers.
Every kentuckian ought to be loyal,
not-only in act, but word and sympathy.
Kentucky has not and will not, under
any circumstances, become rebellous
against, the government Of our fathers.
Having no rights outside of the Union,
Kentucky will seek none except in the
Union. An inyineible loyalty confronts
those who seek to force Kentucky into
the rebellion When rebellion reaches
such magnitude as to assume the digni-
ty of a revolutionary war, it is supported
or resisted by physical forces Express
ed sympathy or advocacy Of rebenion, is
giving moral foree to the reballion. If
the rebellion is wrong, sympathy or any
other aid given it is wrong; and those
who are to be iHiuriously affected by it
have the moral right to protect them
selves against rebellion, by suppressing
every form of treason. They have the
right to Danish itS ShadoU, as well as its
substance. In selfdefence they ought to
do SO. 1t is no excuse for any one to
say he can not help his sympathies. A
ngand criminal sympathy is as much
under the control of the will as a wrong
and criminal sction. Both are volunta-
ry, and therefore criminal Every man
who henceforth remains in Kentucky, or
shelters here, should be loyal to our Gov
ernment, and true to its service, or be
held to rigid accountability for disloy-
| atty. Those who rejoice or exult over
rebel invasions,Sand guerrilla raids,
should be held accountable for. all the
injuries inaictedb by their fellow-accom-
plfees in treason. We may, and per-
haPS sholld5ignore the past, if the future
of such be loyal; but to be loyal should
be made imperative.
Therefore recommend that our penal
code be amended SO as to provide proper
preventative, as well as punative, RENE
dies, for every form of reasonable ac-
tion, whether it consists in acts or
words, which tend to promote or eneour.
age rebellion"