Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-22
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THE REBEL LEADERS.


the halls of Congress, debating the policy
of the government, and usurping the best
places of honor and profit, has not been
subdued by the overthrow of the Rebel
hosts. The same malevolent power whose
insolence eliminated in the Great Rebel
lion, whose fiendishness has incarnadined
the land with the best blood of the country;
whose barbarity has so many living wit
nesses in the guant forms of our brethren
returning from Rebel prisons, and to many
mute yet stern evidences in the graves of
those who have perished miserably under
the brutal treatment of "our Southern
brethren us now marshalling its forces,
and gathering its strength, to regain by
craft, what hate failed to accomplish by
Rebellion and force of arms.
1t is a matter of astonishment to many,
that the Rebellion should have collapsed so
suddenly But it was no part of the plan
of the Rebel Leaders to :" die in the last
ditch" When the success of the Rebel arms
became hopeless, when Foreign lnterven-
ton became settled impossibility, the
leaders in the Rebellion, acting under the
advice of their Northern sympathizers, saw
in a restored Union, prospect In the future
for the accomplishment of their schemes
Hence, the alacrity with which they have
laid down their arms, and surrendered to
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has always been contended, had no heart in
the contest. They were heartily sick of the
war; and were ready in good faith to re-
turn to their allegiance. Consequently
they have deserted their generals and re-
turned to their homes, upon the first oppor-
tunty, until the officers were left as KIRBY
SMITH has it, Commanders without armies,
Generals without troops. These soldiers
may be prepared to welcome the stars and
stripes with something Of their old affection
They may perhaps be ready to render loyal
allegiance to the Government.
But that the spirit of the Southern leaders
is broken, we do not believe. They would
scheme however diabolical to overthrow
the Union, which had promise of success
That they are not now engaged in killing
Northern soldiers in starving Union pris-
oners, in plots for assassinating our gener-
ais and statesmen, and for burning our
cities, is simply because the cause of the
Confederacy is played out" and the pluck
and endurance of the North has triumphed.
We fail to see the slightest evidence Of
penitence in the men who are responsible
for all the suffering and horror of the past
four years. They lay down their arms with
insolence, and they come back with an ar
rogant assumption which demonstrates that
the old spirit engendered by the institution
of slavery and strengthened by years of
domination still holds sway. They have
been beaten by the mud-sills" of the
North, but thereby their respect for said
"mud-sills !" has not been increased. There
rankles in their bosoms, the old hatred OF
Northern men and free institutions, aggra-
waited by the feeling of humiliation caused
by the superior prowess of Northern arms.
We have not the slightest faith in the
sincerity of the pretended return of these
men to their allegiance. We do not be-
lieve that they will become loyal because
they have failed in their traitorous schemes,
nor that they are prepared to render hear
ty and cordial support to the government.
Their return to the Union is a forced one !;
dictated in a great measure by policy !;
and they come back imbued with all the
old venom of the past, intensified by their
failures to overthrow the Union. They
cannot be trusted, and their efforts to gain
political power, will require unceasing
watchfullness on the part of the people, and
the utmost vigilance and wisdom of our
rulers. There is evidence already, that be-
fore the Southern soil has fairly drank up
the blood Of our martyred heroes, their mur-
dcrers with their Redeemed hands and black
hearts, are preparing to gain new lease
of political power. By political intrigue,
JncS VIII tHuCdNOI " IcunONC al JlIC
and penalties justly attaching to their trail
torous failure, and avert the consequences
of their treason.
These men should not be clothed with
power, nor invested with privileges. If
they are not to receive the punishment they
so richly deserve, at least they should not
be allowed to resume their old positions,
where they can become an unceasing source
of anxiety and trouble, through their mach
nations and intrigues We shall be sor-
ry, indeed, to see a clemency extended to
these mischievous plotters, which could on
ly result in placing them in a position
where they would be enabled to embarrass
the government in its plans for the advance
ment of free institutions.
FOREIGN NEws.--By the arrival of the
Sidon the Bremen and the Hibernia we
have six days later news from Europe.
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