The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-09-16
Union NOInina tons.
An Honest Confession, and some
Curious Reasoning.

the htSlSlry LAW. IHeT tTcasoh is no"
coming home to them, and never did more
unwelcome visitors present themselves before
old friends, than the acts, ,cords, and Wtshes
of those bankrupt political adventures and
their ckspittle partizans, of the slavehold-
ers' instruction and rebellion. Our domes-
ticated ones here in Cecil. which, to be sure.
never made much of a figure in the great
contest, but nevertheless entertained very
large hopes of the final glorious success Of
their Southern brethren, are Just now tor
tured with most fearful looking for judg-
ment to come. Many of their high priests
have proclaimed to their disciples through
The Democrat; the last one that lifted his
voice in Saturdays issue goes to his work in
sorrow and despair, and admits in the midst
of that great lamentation. that some of the
faithful are really guilty of those crimes the
Union party have never ceased to charge
upon them. This writer, who signs himself
"Aristides," says:
"But we are often asked, lis every Demo
crat entitled to registration and ought every
one to apply therefore, We answer-No.
The Constitution contains al oath to be adj
ministered to persons applying for registra-
ton. and no man-be he Democrat or Abo-
litonist-who cannot take it truthfuly ought
to ask the Registers to put him on the list Of
qualified voters"
The requirements of the "oath'' are here
narrated, and the following very just and
sensible conclusion arrived at:
"No man." this '!just" writer continues,
"who cannot truthfully take this oath is en-
titled to be registered and there are perhaps
ten or twenty Democrats in Cecil, as well as
some Republicans, who cannot do so.'
We would like to see those "Aboliton-
lists and "Rcpublicans'' who are here spo-
ken of as being in such bad company. They
would be real curiosity. Will "Aristides"
trot them out? As just as you profess to be,
we would rather see the "hanimals' than
take your Coppcrhead word for their exis-
| tence.
The following piece of reasoning by the
same writer caps the climax of any thing we
have ever met with in the way of logic:
"But many who can truthfully take this
oath hesitate about dong so, because they
think by opposing the late War which they
believed was not waged in way tie restore
the Union, they gave aid, countenance and
support to the Rebellion. Such is not the
case. No opinion openly expressed or Sc
cretly entertained By any one here, as to the
wisdom of the War policy of the Admins
tration, could give either aid countenance
or support to rebellion hundred miles
array ,chere that opinion could necer be kno,cn
Would you aid the oppressed widow, by
expressing desire, that could never reach
her ears, that her oppresser might change
his course? Would you give countenance'
| to the missionary in his far off work, by sim
ply expressing a wish, of which he could
never know, that some one else, would con-
tribute to maintain him at his post? Would
you give support to the half starved orphan
girl by saying. unknown to her, that her
heartless relative should disgorge the prop
erty of which he had defrauded her? Or
would you not rather give them aid coun
tenance and support by barring your right
arm to protect them from wrong, or by emp
tying your purse to relieve them from want
| Does, then, any one suppose, if any man in
Cecil had openly expressed a desire that the
war might close, and the restoration of the
| Union be brought about by peaceful MEANS
that the cause of the rebellion would have
been aided in the least that its leaders
would have felt 'countenanced' or that it's
sinking fortunes would have been support.
ed for an extra hour? Does he, in short,
believe that those in rebellion would have
derived aid, countenance and support from
words or thoughts of which they were igno-
rant?'
l. An 'opinion openly expressed or Sc
cretly entertained By any one here'' not give
said, countenance and support to rebellion
hundred miles ay!' What kept that
rebellion hundreds of miles away but the
laid, countenance and support the armies
of the United States received from the
friends of the Union here and elsewhere p
How long would the rebellion have remained
hundreds Of miles away from any portion of
the country where aid by word and act to
the Government had been substituted by
Opinions openly expressed in favor of the
former? "Opinions expressed and Sen
tertained" are the soul of all action. With
out them the sword and musket are power
less.
Q. Certainly public opinion in favor of an
depressed widow" would soon drive her
oppressor to make reparation, bring him to
Justice, or Danish him from the world Pub
lie opinion is everything-more potent in
the moral world than the lever of Archime-
des in the mechanical. SO also in the case
of the missionary. 1t is the giving counte-
nance at home, to his work among the
heather, which popularizes it and is the
means of inducing contributions and words
of cheer which follow him to his solitary
mission in foreign land, thus supplying
nourishment to the material man, and words
of cheer that bear up his heart and nerve
his soul for the labor before him. And by
creating public sympathy in favor of the Or
phan girl, you bring the "heartless relative
into contempt" and if that public sentiment
is strong enough in her favor, her oppressor
will have to fly or ''disgorge," or the public
through the powerful Influence Of sympathy
will provide abundsntly for the orphan girl.
All Of these things are going on daily
through the powerful influence of public
opinion.
3. If every man in Cecil had openly ex.
pressed desire" as the copperheads did,