Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-04-28
TREASON AND PATRIOTISM.

The New York Advertiser has taken the
place occupied by the Mad and Express dur.
ing the lifetime Of Col. Elliott F. Shepard,
and under the able management of Col.
John A. Cockerell, Of st. Louis, lie Doing its
best TO fire the Northern heart once more.
In recent issue Col. Cockerell asserts
that the people oil the South, or such of
them as engaged in the civil war, were not
patriots but traitors"
1t seems TO us that this use of the dis.
junctiYe implies a vital misconceptioB of
the esoteric meaning Of words. The Ten.
Desseean who fought at Shiloh, or the Vir.
ginlan who died in front Of Richmond was
certainly q traitor-as much traitor as was
Nathaniel Bacon or John Sewer. But man
may be patriot and traitor also. In fact,
the greatest patriots have been traitors and
the greatest traitors the greatest patriots.
1t is not worth while TO argue longer over
such outworn questions as the constitutional
right of secession. All that was well enough
settled at Appomattox. Let 1t go. 1t is not
worth talking about. And 30 let every man
who In that contest stood on bic own ground
and fought on the losing side accept the
name of rebel and traitor, entering thereby
the distinguished company Of rebels and
traitors whose names are immortal in the
history Of America and Of civilization.
A patriot is man who loves his home
the place where his father lived, died and
is buried. This is all there is in patriotism.
1t is a virtue, certainly. The man who will
sacrifice his life for his fatherland is patriot
and virtuous man, even IL rebellion and
treason are necessary before he can defend
his home. But there are higher virtues
than love of home. Love of humanity Is a
higher virtue, love Of truth is higher vir-
tue, true liberty is higher virtue.
Tue truth is, but many seem TO be unable
to comprehend it, the war is over. There
turn to the old order Of things, but their
number is 80 small that they are unworthy
OF serious notice. They represent a fossil
lied age, and have no part 10 the times o
the present Sumpter was the beginning
AppoEattox ought TO have been the end
Unfortunately il was MT so, and some art
still fighting the same old battles and carry
ing on the same old skirmishes that were Sc
much of the history from the origin Of the
republic down TO 1866. The battles were
fought on Southern soil by brave men =
Each side believed that il was fighting Tor a
principle, and both were willing 10 give
their lives TO support that principle. The
humblest man 10 the land knows what issue
resulted from the resort TO arms.
There is class of men who want To con
tnue fighting as long as they live, and dele
gate the work to their sons when they car
do il no longer. They seek every oppor
tunity to stir up the old sectional feeling
which once existed. They seem to want tc
have the strife continued without Cessation
until the old men have passed away Then
they are fixing matters 50 that the same agi
tation shall be continued indefinitely. All
this is wrong The young men who have
grown up since the war care nothing for
such discussions. They know nothing OF il
but history. They understand and appre
ciate the principles fought for aud settled
but they do not care TO have the old jealous
les and hatreis thrust 10 their faces There
is too much TO think Of IN the present This
generation is making history aud has little
time for the discussion Of bygon es that have
no bearing on the present