The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-12-19
MODERN TREASON.
Written for the Democrat. ]

our Independence as a nation, we conside
ed all Loyalists or Tories as the most vic
ed and depraved specimens Of humanit
who had ever cursed our earth; and the
chiefs and leaders as bloody and trai
orous Sanhedrim wherein Benedict Arnol
officiated as High Priest. We could see n
merit, acknowledge no virtue in men VIII
turned their backs upon their native Ian
in the hour of her EXTREMIST peril, and c,
incided with foreign power.
Since we have grown older, and we hop
wiser, we have learned to look more di,
passionately aud charitably on those who's
opinions, however erroneous and widel
differing from our own, might still hav
been honest and conscientious and to bt
lieve that here, as in the great Civil Wa
of England, men might sacrifice their cour
try for their king and deem they were dc
ing God good service. But we confess t
no such charity for the new and more dal
ing traitors of present days, whose recen
acts have almost obliterated all old record
of disloyalty; and We hope posterity will
cease to execrate the name of Arnold q
sole watchword of treason since Stevens
Phillips & Co. have SO we'll proved thei
claim to the same infamous Immortality
Whena sparsely-settled, impoverished aut
alarmed country commended for mere ali
straction of freedom (for, practically con
sidered, the question of taxation withou
representation was little else against thu
most powerful empire of the world, onl,
the far piercing ken of the statesman could
see in the storm-darkened future the rain
bow promise Of a free and mighty nation
with the mass it was a blind struggle 70,
right against might, and men of more
finite vision might we'll be excused if they
looked rather to the near peril than the
distant glory, and cast in their lot with
what seemed the stronger side. But the
danger oyer--the storm clouds dispersed
the fair promise of the future more than
misunderstanding before the world as we
did marvel of national prosperity, what
shall We say Of those who have made us a
warning and bye-word to all the nations
Of the earth9 It was for years the deter
81.
mined purpose and openly avowed object
ofthese men to demolish the noble temple
whose cornerstone was laid ninety years
ago with such toll and care and danger,
with such plentiful libations of blood and
tears. The Constitution and form of gov
eminent promulgated in 1857 as the theo.
retical result Of the long labors and COM
bined wisdom of the greatest statesmen
earth ever saw, and whose practical result
was for SO many years perfectly unexam-
pied growth of national wealth and power,
these sages of the Abolition party pro-
nounced to be failure! Hear the decree,
on, ye ignorant and deladed people, who
had hitherto deemed it miracle of wis
dom in theory and success in practice; and
hide your diminished heads that ye did not
sooner share the effulgence of knowledge
which these new lights" have shed
abroad over our land.
Mr.. Joshua Giddings years ago ''hesita-
tod not to say that this government had
been 50 administered for the last quarter
If century as to be snbsersive of the
ives, the liberties, and the happiness of
portion of the people; in short had become
destructive Of the very objects for which
t was established, "and therefore, as
natter Of course, might be very properly !
md righteously abolished. Really, to hear
hese Northern philanthropists talk one |
would have thought negroes were the only
laman beings left South Of Mason and |
)ixon's line. since their "lives, liberties I
md happiness" were alone worthy of |
nonlent's consideration and the millions of
White men, women and children in the
'outh were deemed Of NO Importance at
IL. When the natural and inevitable con.
eqnences of these doctrines, so industri-
usly disseminated and persistently incul.
ated as they were for 80 many years, had
t last eliminated in the bloodiest war
nown to history-when the whole land
ad been deluged in blood and tears, and
raped in mourning from one end to the
ther-when our country had wept over
le graves of the best and wisest and
OLDEST other sons--then' one might rea-
'nably suppose that the unnatural rancor
these human harpies would be satisfied,
I'D that they would willingly leave the
'or remnant Of their victims in peace
ut no; not yet is their hatred satiatea.
fter overwhelming us with accumulated
lin they woald now pile disgrace upon
p OF ruin, and with vague threats and
'guer promises they seek to make us pau
u TO our own dishonor. They think the
sople OF the South, have suffered so much
thin the last five years, that we have
'come such AFFECT and spirit broken
ayes that we will not only consent to
ale the inestimable privileges of born
eemen with the lowest and most deora-
ID of the human race-those who but 4
ar two ago were our bonds,nen and
rails but that we will also kneel hum.
at the feet of the fanatical crew, and
ceive with thanks the poor mess Of pot
&c they offer US for the surrender of our
rthright Rather than sink to this low t
deep Of degradation we. would pass y
roagh another five years of the accumu. Il
'ed horrors Of the last. May God avert t
IN us a choice between such evils-may Il
good men and true lovers Of their conn.
both North aud South write against n
mad bigots who for an abstract pripc;. d
OF their crazy creed would plunge the Ii
loie country into redoubled ruin; for in d
: minds Radical rule and ruin are syn
ymous terms. "
--~>>>.-+o.-~~-~0 La
~ Fhe New Era anG Nation.r ~ :,