The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-08-26

sM9> Advertisements to be inserted the same
week, must be received at the office by Thursday
neon.n ls# soy l.9s~ .s5a ss9a"o
Registration. eY i
History is always repeating itself" is the
profound and original remark of last weeks
Journal, Il seems to be true for just as in the
days when it was written go.ausa 3Ho 1a
yvaf ''No thief e'er felt the halter draw, ll
With good opinion of the law,' lIa s9f4l.ia
50 it is now. All laws seem harsh and tyrannical
to the transgressor The vilest sinner on earth,
thinks the mild exercise of Divine authority very
unjust and CALLING, when he remembers that
there is birthstone at the end of his course. And
so it is quite in accordance with human nature
in the past, that those who have made them
selves subject to the. exclusions of the Registry
Law should denonnce it as unjust "tyranni-
cagui Oppressive. u a9i 93iie5 g'g4f 2sai .'--
In States farther South, at least some of the
people show, signs of genuine repentance-a will
lingness to submit to lawful authority. readi-
ness to accept any terms that the Government
in its mercy, may extend to them. The spirit of
Rebellion if not entirely destroyed is at least
sabdued The people down there, know and
feelthat we have Government. 1t has left the
marks ofits power on their desolated fields, their
ruined enterprise their joylesS homes. The light
ming, in its resistless track leaves not a more
striking impression of majesty and power, than
did our gallant armies as they swept through the
rebellious States. They have seen and felt the
strength of the Government, and to-day for the
first time, they fear and respect it.. -; -.
But here in Maryland and in States farther
North it is different. Although the country was
full of men who cherished as much Treason as
human heart could bear-who felt as deep ha-
tired Of the Goyernment, and as active sympa-
thy for the Rebellion, as their colleagues in the
South, there was nothing here to drive them in
toeyalty. No hungry armies camped on their
estates and eat up their substance. No Generals
used their dwellings for 'sHead Quarters and
their parlors for a mess room. No careless sol
diery burned their fences and trod their grounds
into highway. Overburdened with Treason,
as many of them were, they enjoyed all the priv
ileges and immunities of loyalty And when
the Government did occasionally lay its hand on
one of'them, it was generally kid-gloved. When
the rod of correction was applied, it was FIRST
carefully sugar-coated. The entire course of the
Government toward these Home Rebels, has been
mercifula and lenient to the last degree. And in
stead of inspiring feelings fgratitude affection
and loyalty, as twould have done in hearts less
given over to obduracy and Treason, it only
served to strengthen their hands and make them
more shameless in their opposition to national
authority bae b..leqa, 1850, ~ 6;ss ay
The Rebels in our midst were the last to leave
the sinking ship of Treason. They stood by it
faithfully to the end. But no sooner was the
Federal authority restored in the South mo
sooner. did the military power begin to relax,
than, with q self-assuring impudence that is
Characteristic of great criminals, they came for
ward to resume their former social and civil po-c
sitions. The mouths of their party leaders were
unstopped and the tongues of their editors were
uhloosed. They began to scheme and labor for
the control Of public affairs as though itbelong-
edlto themby hereditary right. 1t never SEEM
ed to occur to them that there had been Re-
bellion in the land and through it a great war
They expressed great respect for 1.-THE Constitu-
ton and 1.-THE Laws" but some how the
clause defining Treason escaped their notice and
the Law for its punishment was never referred
to. They talked and argued as though the bloody
struggle Of the past four years had been only a
contest between political parties. in which the
appeal. was to the sword instead of the ballot
box. When the question was decided, they
claimed that both parties stood just where they
did before it was opened, as at the close of po-
litical campaign. erside at least their side,
had done nothing but what, under the circum-
stances, was fair and honorable. Neither had
forfeited any rights neither had subjected
themselves to any punishment. go 939a ai
Fortunately for the Union people, fortunately
for the prosperity of the State, our late General
Assembly thought differently. Moral philosophy
teaches that it is the intention which makes an act
criminal. And on this ground as well as from
thefact that they had given active aid and SYM
pathy to the public enemy, these men were gull
ty Of a high crime against the State, 1t, was a
crime for which public safety and justice to loyal
citizens, demanded punishment 1t would have,
beena premium on Treason-a short sighted
statesmanship political crime to have handed 1
overtime State with all its weighty interests, to
the very men who four years ago, came so near
hurting her into the vortex of secession After
arresting TIE assassin, do we return him his wea-
ponsand send him out to repeat his murderous
assaults And would it not have been ruinous
to the best interests of the State lift had remain
ID possible for the Rebel element at once to re-
sumo sway 80 gev iljv aemal ~,
To prevent this result, land to provide prop
sr punishment for Treason, )the Registry Law was
enacted + weighs heavily on the friends Of the
late Southern Confederacy' in our midst. II is
The hardest nut they have as yet tried to crack.
It's the first intimation they seem to have had
that four years Of war, have marked some chan
gssamong us--that Treason is crime, and that
oyalty IN war as in peace, is a citizens duty
Military oaths innumerable have been swallowed
with evident relish. But the "tyrannieal' Regis
~ I.aw Is not satisfied with m oath The Jomn-
4 land papers Of that class exhaust their columns
. devlsing expedients 70 esade lis scrutiny. In |
heir extremity they lura % s,igmAtizing The
aw and che officers appointed 70 execute 49,
1ualng lhis uf no avail, tbey begin 10 wheedIe
"a eaio'e 90 Registers paidag them On the