National Republican., 1880-02-18
REBELS AND TRAITORS.

The Montgomery tAla.) AdceFtiser ana
Mail rallies for another round in behalf of
its sentiment that those engaged in the
civil war to sunder the Union and break
down the Republic were neither rebels nor
traitors For It's own credit as patriot
aud lOgician, it should have thrown up the
sponge before delivering the following re-
coiling blow. 1t says:
OF course there is nothing to be gained now
by arguing the question as to whether there
was any treason committed by the Southern
people in the late war. When three millions
of people threw off their allegiance to Great
Britain and struck out for themselves, they
were called traitors by their enemies. But the
Revolution was successful and now no Eng.
lishman has the hardihood to deal in such in
sulting epithets. For much better reasons,
aud on much better grounds, three or four
times that number of people withdrew from
their late associates and did not succeed.
Hence it is easy to call them rebels and trai-
tors.
The comparison and the reasoning of our
cotemporary are little unfortunate for its
side of the question. 1t must see that there
is no parallel between the Rebellion of 1861
and the Revolution of our fathers except in
the initiative. The rebels aimed to pull
down Republic which our Revolutionary
fathers had established through their lives,
their blood, their suilerings and their for
tunes. In that they were rebels and trail
tors to the Government that had been set
up by revolutionary sacrifices They failed
in carrying out their nefarious purposes.
The Republic resisted their assaults and it
was saved. The rebellion failed, and every
man connected Herewith was rebel and
traitor in defeat, and remains rebel and
traitor to-day, unless he has accepted the
! situation with n loyal heart and purpose
! and has surrendered in good inith the spirit
which sought the life of the nation
That is the difference between the rebels
of the Revolution and the rebels of the
Rebellion. Those of the Revolution fought
on to victory and achieved their independ
ence, thus establishing q Nation, while the
rebels and traitors of 1861 surrendered theil
cause and pretended to submit TO the
power of the Government loyalty, while
many of them contend even now that they
were in the right and the Government was
| in the wrong. Had Great Britain succeeded
| in conquering the rebellion of our common
/ forefathers, those found in arms would M
doubt either have been executed as traitor!
or consigned to the penal colonies Of the
mother country for life. IT was only il
the inception that the parallel holds good
When we conquered the rebellion, so nobl,
was the lorbearance and clemeucy OI
the Government that had been wick
cdly assailed that not traito
was executed or sentenced to ban
ishment as penalty Of the Grea
crime that had been committed BE
cause this was so, the traitors and rebel
now contend that there was no treason 0
rebellion connected with the war they ha,
made against the integrity Of the Uuiol
and the life of the Nation. That now ap
pears to be the greatest mistake the Gov
eminent made in couqueriug the foe,
furnished no example of the proper penalt.
that attaches to treason and rebellion
against its authority. IL was kind and in
duIgent, and is now taunted with coward
ice because ofits leniency under the ciI
cumstances. Impartial history will alway
congipn those who sought the Nations lii
10 that niche in which the memories q
rebels and traitors are embalned. Their
is no other name or place for them in th
record of time