Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-06-27
LATENT TREAsoN.

| Inv ecN. hconaru DdcOI, new
England preacher, has been making a
tour through the South with the be-
nevolent design, apparently, of gath
ering material for an attack on the
Impoverished people of that region.
Although sadly destitute of the nee
cssaries of life, they are by NO means
as ''poor in spirit" as the pious soul
of Mr.. Bacon conceives that they
ought to be. He reports that impen-
itent rebels abound on every hand
that the graves Of traitors who fell
fighting in the unholy interest of sla-
very are kept green by the fingers of
their hardened widows and factious
orphans-and that, although the peo-
pie render outward obedience to the
authority OF the government, they
are at heart as hostile to il as when
the first shot skinned the waters of
Charleston harbor and crashed into
Sumter. This power of fathoming
the hearts of people and discovering
latent treason under q submissive and
loyal exterior, seems to be gift which
nature has distributed very bountiful-
ly among the party to which Mr..
Bacon belongs. 1t transcends in its
marvellous character all the feats of
mesmerism and spirit-rapping. The
persons who practice those occult arts
confne themselves to telling you how
many blades you have in your knife,
how many keys on your bunch, and
how much money in your breeches-
pocket. They penetrate no deeper
than your clothing and solve only the
problems which lie buried in its re-
cesses But Mr.. Bacon, and hundreds
of emisaries of his kind who are wan
dering over the South collecting data
with which Messrs. Sumner and Ste
vcns may garnish their speeches, and
the Tribune enliven its columns, scorn
such vulgar mechanical tricks as these.
They pass absolute judgment on the
loyalty of a whole State from the tes-
timony of the first communicative
freedman or mendacious vagabond
they meet within its borders. They
form a perfectly clear apprehension of
the character Of a city by inspecting
its negro quarter. They read indi-
viduals like becks--or, rather, like
mercantile signs, which can be con
yeniently perused at distance. In
short, they are as astute as the wit
ness on the trial of Fitz John Porter,
who pronounced that gallant officer a
traitor "because," said he, "I sac
treason in his eye"
1t is q sufficient reply to all the stuff
which emanates from these Abolition
agents in the South about the smoth-
cred disloyalty which exists there,
that the government does not deal,
and has no business, with the secret
thoughts and hidden, cherished feel
ings of the people. 1t takes cogni-
zance OF overt acts alone, and leaves
undisturbed that relation between
man and his Maker which is out of
the reach of human laws, is silent, sa-
cred, and only to be understood in
another world than this. So long as
the people of the South are obedient
to the laws of the land, aud faithfully
perform their duties as members Of
this Union, they arc at liberty to think
what they please on any and every
subject. They may worship by their
iresides the memory of the dead who
have laid down their lives for seccs
sion. They may dream with bitter
! yearning of the splendors of that sep.
arate empire for which they sacrificed
everything dear in this world. They
may hate, if they choose, with deadly
hatred, the political leaders who effect
ed their overthrow. They may hold
fast to the belief that the negro was
better off in slavery than he ever will
be out of bonds. On these aud scores
of othcr subjects they may differ a:
radically from us as we do from each
other on a thousand things just a:
f momentous. But we cannot help it
Force, il we dared TO use it, would
( compass no change You cannot i'm
: prison the thoughts of men, or con
fiscate the affections of their hearts
I The most ruthless law that the ma
lignity of Stevens could devise, ol
r the rhetoric Of Sumner advocate
4 would be impotent to change the con
{ victions Of a single soul.
6 Since, therefore, the bitter feeling
r imputed to the people of the South by
c Mr.. Bacon and other persons VIII,
= have been listening at kcy-holes anC
spying out subtle evidence Of Treason
D in the costume and conversation o
@ men, who are as obcdient TO the law
7 as they are, even ifit exists, finds ne
a development visible to common eyes
4 we think it is time that monotonou
I and profitless comments on II shoul'
+ cease to find place in the journals o
s the North. Better seek by magnani
I nous forgetfulness Of dire alienation
Q of battle, and the angry disputes il
d which they had their origin, TO efiac'
O. Al A. = Al