The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-07-04
Treason and Rebellion

| The ireproachable and spotless people
lat the North who plume themselves OF
their loyalty . are greatly distressed sans
scandaliSed that Andy johnson viii not al
something tomake treason and rebellion
odious" fan impartial tribunal coulc
be found, thefs world be no difficulty il
establishing that no treason has been com
mitted, no rebellion made, no revolution
ever attempted. But admit that there has
been--how is that going to be made odious
which is not in itself odious? Do these
people forget that the very existence of The
United States as an independent power. is
due to treason, rebellion and revolution
do they forget that the men of''76, whom
they profess to venerate so highly, were
rebels, and that Washington was chief OF
rebels? The very document on which the
revolutionary fathers appealed to- the judg-
ment Of mankind, the Declaration of hide
pendence, which has been formally adopted
10y the dominant party in the North as a
portion Of their platform, asserts, as among
truths that are selfevident, the right
aye, the " duty" ola people to throw off
a government and "institute new one .
whenever, in their Judgment, "their safety
and happiness will lie promoted thereby.
What is this but a vildication ofrebellion,
or treason ifyou please, and that from a
quarter that cannot be impeached, at least
by citizens of the United States. Is it pro-
posed to make the Declaration Of lndepen-
dence odious," or to aftix dishoner to the
names that are signed to it?
But our brother Kelley, Of the Peters
burg Index, has touched this subject with
so acute a pen in his exceedingly clever and
captivating little ook,1"lniViaculis, that
We have introduced There only for the pur
pose of quoting what he says:
| confess. Says he) that the name of reb-
ell has no terrors whatever for me. Never,
in reading or in life, hasthe word grated on
my ears with the harshDess of conclusive
reproach. The greatest names in history,
science, art. letters, are the names ofretels
rebels to established theories of politics,
philosophy or criticism Rebellion is the
name which Stupidity. gives to Progress !;
it is the name which venerable Error gives
to specializing Truth; it is the name which
the henchmen of the Dead Past give to the
warriors of the Living Present; it is the
name which satisfied Ignorance gives to
thinking Inquiry it is the name which su-
perstition gives to Reform which Tyran-
ny, in all shapes, gives to Freedom in all !;
il is the name, in fine, whereby the false In
life, in literature, in government, in morals
in law, in science, essays to PREJUDICE and
prejudice the true. No creature is too con.
temptible TO, brapdish this weapon. The
King of Liiliput had7h rebels. No being
so august as to escape t e.2imputation--
the Savior oftho world was called seditious.
And if there is nothing in the word to
alright rejecting soul, it brings least ter
ror of all to Virginia, 49, ~ 4
What.name does my grand old mother
State hold in honor that is not the name of
rebel? She boasts no heroes that were
not rebels. When she points to her jewels,
they are all rebels?l Rebels give names to
her public institutions; to her politicaldi-
visions; to the streets of her cities. Her
coat Of arms is the pictured triumph of
rebel. The greatest name among her dead,
and the greatest among her living, are the
names ofrebels. 1t is the patronym ofall
her mighty departed, from Bacon to WASH
ington from Washington to glorious Jack
son; it is the title Of every famous son she
boasts among the living. Vain will be all
efforts Of Jacobinism to make it odious !;
it will never bring blush to a Virginian's
cheek who remembers that he shares the
title With the dead Ashby and the living
Lee. "t4
Now, Messeiurs Radicals, what are you