The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-05-10
ARTHUR ROPES, General Editor
Stirring Up Sedition.


was aptly applied to a class OF people
here in the North who spent their time
and employed their devilish energies
in stirring up sedition against The gov
eminent, then graphing with a gigan-
tic rebellion. The name of specially
vicious reptile, striking its poisonous
fangs into the object of its cowardly ma
leyolence, so we'll characterized those
people, their methods and their animus,
that the term has an abiding presence
in history. The species did not be-
come extinct after Appomattox. Re-
bellion died, but apprehension sur
vived; the rebel became again the
American citizen, proud of his citizen
ship and the valorous champion OF the
government against which he had
raised his mailed hand, but the copper
head lurked in his cavern and when
the government is again encountered
nv mortal foe his head is raised to
strike. The heel of official and lawful
authority has desct nded upon and
bruised the serpent's head, and there is
an angry Kissing in all the dens OF cop
perheadism. The civil war had its
Vallandighams-and his name was le-
gion; the Filipino war has it's Atkinsons
whose name is legion-and it is due to
the mild-eyed philosopher of "Aladin's
ovenn to say that he is possibly the
least harmful of the seditious brood of
which, in his vanity, he seems to. have
become the too willing mouthpiece.
On this phase of his case the New
York Sun says:
Atkinson undertakes to defend bis use OF
the United States mails for the dissemina-
ton Of the gangs seditious literature among
the troops by saying that his pamphlets are
merely compilations from Senate docu-
ments; but the material selected was chos-
en- and arranged solely with view 20 in
citing rebellion against the military author
ity of the United States. Moreover, the
reasonable gang for which the compila-
tions were made gave to them titles that,
under the circumstances and conditions,
were distinctly and 1agrantly seditious-
"Criminal Aggression: by Whom?" "The
Cost of National Crime" and 1.-THE He'll
OF War and It's Penalties" Being towards
as we'll as traitors, these persons did not
dare to go in person to endeavor to incite
the troops to mutiny by word of mouth, but
their enterprise was none the less tagitious
because they plotted to accomplish it in
roundabout way by the circulation of such
literature among our soldiers.
It was part and an incident OF a more
comprehensive, reasonable scheme devised
by them, in the execution OF which they
have been engaged for months past with
tireless industry. 1t has consisted in exag
gerating grossly superficial and transitory
and unavoidable defects in the military ad-
ministration; in efforts to aggravate the
natural but captions discomfort among
some of the volunteers; in provoking gov
errors of States to demand the immediate
return OF their troops, without regard to
the imperative necessities of the military
situation in the Philippines in publications,
newspaper and others, designed to detract
from the dignity and glory of the war with
Spain and degrade it into vile display
of national greed; in circulating false re-
ports OF barbarities and atrocities commit
ted by our troops; in extolling the treach-
erous and pestient Aguinaldo as noble
patriot against whom American arms were
foully used, and in defaming the admins
tration as the corrupt instrument of
grasping Syndicate" The gang has had
IN 10 unAi int1u
terprise of certain newspapers, the EUening
Post of this city, for example, and individ-
uals in sympathy with it have not hesitated
to declare openly their and its hope that
overwhelming disaster would overtake our
troops.
The strongly loyal, patriotic Amer
lean public, now as ever before in all its
history, sustains the government, justi-
fies and applauds the blow it has aimed
at the copperhead's seed for the preser-
walton of its authority. These men
and their newspaper supporters, as the
Sun further sets forth, shave tried in
all base ways to destroy popular respect
for the government and to stifie or pre-
vent the salutary impulse of patriotism
in the people; and they have been
growing steadily more sedtious in theil
tone, in the vain and ignoble hope Of
turning the national movement towart
wholesome expansion into retrogradt
movement, which would make thu
valor, the victory, the sacrifice of lif'
and treasure in the war with Spain
wanton and disgracefnl waste" Neg
lect to rebnke this reasonable conspir
scy would have betrayed such lack 0
manhood in the government as led Of
to and encouraged defiance and Treason
in the degenerate administration O
James Buchanan.
Mr.. Atkinson, in defense of his pam
phlets, says they "contain matter &c
use in debate in the Senate,' that the
are in fact, "Senate documents." Ho'
l;l HNr;,o;nol Aooroaa;op. ~ W. -,