Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-08-06
COMMUNICATIONS.
Shall Treason be made Honorable!

Shall Treason be made Honorable!
For the Belmont Chronicle.
Shall treason be made honorable, and
traitors be rewarded? This is the ques-
ton presented to every Belmont county
voter, by the action of the recent Demo
cratic County Convention. That Con-
vention was controlled by the men and
the party that all through the war were
active in bitter opposition to the Nation
al l'Government, and in undisguised SYM
pathy with the enemies of the Republic.
Two thirds of the nominees of that
Convention are of the men who. wilfully
and persitsently sustained the political
party now most truthfully described and
known as Copperhead. The record OF
that party is known of all men and cam
not be .oDliteraIed. Its leaders advised
against enlistments when the withhold
ing of recruits from oui armies was GER
tain to result in overwhelming successes
to the rebels. They declared that the
rebellion could never beconquered when
at the North were worth whole regi-
ments of volunteers to the Confederate
cause. They denounced the National
currency as worthless trash''a when
they well knew that if that currency
was repudiated by the people our soldiers
must be without pay, and the. families
of those soldiers must have been left to
subsist on public charity They rejoiced
over rebel victories, and were gloomy
when the National arms were crowned
with success, They threatened resis-
tance to the draft, denounced soldiers as
the Lincoln hirelings, insisted that the
war should cease by the National Gov
ernment yielding to the rebels, snd in
every possible way aided. the rebellion
and opposed its suppression. Thus they
p-olengued the war, and increased, be-
yond computation, the number of its
wounded and slain. Thus they became
too truly and literally, murderers of the
defenders of the Republic.
And now, while their brothers blood
still cries aloud from the ground, and
the mark of Cain is plainly marked on
their foreheads, these same abettors o.
treason have the shamelessness to ask
for rewards at the hands of their fellow
citizens of those who steadily sustained
the flag of their country and opposed and
fought against Treason and Rebellion
Could impudence itself go farther?
To this insolent demand only one an
swer is possible from every citizen des-
pising Treason and rightly estimating a
y
lving a record so unmistakably trea-
sonable as is that of the copperhead
Democracy, mustbe made to ''take back
seats'i in political affairs. Their treason
must be rebuked at the polls, whenever
they have the weakness and the impu-
.dence to invite the well merited punish
ment. If they will place themselves
where they of right bel lng, We may well
endeavor to forgive ann forget their
crimes against Loyalty and Patriotism
As citizens and neighbors we would
gladly omit all reference to their unfor-
tunate past. But when they place them
selves before the public as political lead
ers, or as candidates Tor office, and then
ask that their political heresies and sins
be endorsed and rewarded, we must
punish their insolence as it Demands
No MIN or set of men who have been
unfaithful to their country, can now be
honored by the approval of their fellow
citizens at the ballot box. To these re-
buke, and only rebuke, stern and en-
phatic can be allowed. The political
sins of these would be political leaders
must be remembered and punished
Nor does the remembrance and punish
ment at all partake of the character of
revenge. 1t is simply the performance
of sacred duty imperatively demanded
by the plainest requirements of Patriot
ism.
If this duty be neglected where are
the rewards OF fidelity to country. Where
are the Incentives to loyalty, if when 4
rebellion has tailed, those who symna-
thized with, and aided that reb elion
are to be honored by loyal votes? How
can Patriotism be esteemed the highest
duty of citizenship, if traitors are to be
tseated as if guilty of no wrong?
These are the questions to be careful
ly pondered by every Belmont County
voter. i-t- IL ts-5st = sJUNIUS. 7